Tu BiSh’vat is a Jewish holiday in the Hebrew month of Sh’vat that marks the “New Year of the Trees.” Tu BiSh’vat is not mentioned in the Torah. Its source can be found in the writings of our Sages in the Mishnah, in Maseches Rosh HaShanah: “There are four new years: The first of Nisan is the new year for kings and for pilgrim festivals; the first of Elul is the new year for tithing of cattle; the first of Tishrei is the new year for years, for sh’mitah and yovel, for planting and for vegetables; the first of Sh’vat is the new year for trees, according to the ruling of Beis Shamai. Beis Hillel, however, places it on the 15th of that month.” We follow the rulings of Beis Hillel for two main reasons:
- Because it is the turning point for fruits and trees. By the 15th of Sh’vat, the rainy season is nearly over, and the fruit begins to ripen: “Henceforth the sap rises and the fruit ripens” (Bavli, Rosh HaShanah).
- This date serves as the point in time when rains from the past year no longer accumulate in the earth, and the rain from the following year begins to collect. As it states, “Until now the trees live from the waters of the past year; from now on they live from the waters of the coming year” (Yerushalmi, Rosh HaShanah).
Tu BiSh’vat customs include planting trees and eating dried fruits and nuts, especially figs, pomegranates, dates, almonds, and carob. On Tu BiSh’vat, it is also traditional to read from the 15 Psalms of Ascent (Shir HaMaalos), which include Psalms 120-134. These were recited as the L’viim ascended the 15 steps to the Beis HaMikdash. The 15 Psalms also remind us of the date of the festival – the 15th of Sh’vat – Tu BiSh’vat.
May the New Year of The Trees begin a year of growth, may it be a year of renewal for the trees and for us, may our blessings give strength to the trees, may our eyes be opened to the wonders of creation, and may we nurture the world that nurtures us.
List of People Who Need a R’fuah Sh’leimah
(a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Yeshayahu Yosef ben Zari
Rachamim ben Sa’eda Mazal
Alter Shmuel ben Chavah Leah
Meir Yaakov ben Esther
Yehudah ben Dinah
Chaim Avraham ben Shifrah Zisel
Yosef ben Basya
Yehudah Yudel ben Miriam Gittel
Yisachar Dov ben Chayah Brachah
Refael Aharon ben Devorah
Meshulam David ben Alta Hendel
Moshe ben Chasiya
Rafael Avraham ben Ivonne
Tinok ben Tzivia
Gideon ben Ludmilla
Yishai ben Moriasha Tovah
Yosef ben Miriam
Rafael Moshe Yehudah ben Feiga Necha
Yerachmiel Daniel ben Tovah Basha
Chaim Meir Binyamin ben Chanah Sarah
Pinchas ben Feiga Dinah
Yitzchak Mordechai ben Rose Nizha
Chaim Menachem ben Leah
Yechiel HaLevi ben Rachel
Moshe Shmuel ben Freida
Sariel Yosef Yitzchak ben Bat-Chen
Lev David ben Chanah
Nisan ben Rachel
Yehudah Uriel ben Yafah
Isaac ben Esther
Rivkah Fruma bas Leah Baila
Irina Ester Chayah bas Yafah
Yafah bas Basanda
Chayah Sheva bas Sheina Reizel
Hadassah bas Hennah Rivkah
Ruchamah Perel Malkah Leah bas Chanah Serel
Hinda Zalma bas Sarah
Esther Hadasah bas Devorah
Sarah bas Ilanah
Rechamah bas Feiga Rivkah
Tinokes bas Efrat Tehilah
Efrat Tehila bas Nina
Chayah Esther Yirat bas Feige Dinah
Tziporah Yeta bas Yehudis
Rachel bas Hinda Reizel
Efrat bas Sonia
Gila Glikel bas Feige
Chayah Rachel bas Yafah
Bilyura bas Shurah Shoshanah
Naomi Leah bas Nena
Sarah bas Chanah
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah to next week’s T’hilim column, please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and complete the Google form.
