Translation by Yehoshua Siskin (yehoshua.siskin@gmail.com)
A teacher once told me there are four words that, unfortunately, characterize our age: “I,” “here,” “now,” and “everything.”
Therefore Tu B’Shvat, which is celebrated today, is one of the most important days of the year. It stands in opposition to these four words.
-The festival of trees is not celebrated in the spring but in the winter.
-Not at the time when everything is flowering and ripening, but at a time when we do not see much of anything.
We do not celebrate what we have here and now, but are content to wait. Instead, at this moment, we need to plant, to water, to toil, to believe, and to hope. Contemplation of nature reminds us that there are slow and hidden processes at work, that life also develops beneath the surface, that we do not always see immediate results and therefore we must nurture what is growing and be patient.
This is true in children’s education, in marriage, in study, and in every other meaningful area of life. This is especially true in our current struggle with Hamas and with the evil in the world. At a time when we wait impatiently to see two blue check marks next to our WhatsApp message, we get a reminder once a year regarding what is most important: patience, steady effort, commitment, devotion.
All of these ultimately bring the desired results, the fruits of our labors. Happy Tu B’Shvat.