1/5/2010 Special JVNA Online Newsletter

Shalom everyone,

Since Tu B’Shvat occurs on Shabbat (January 29-30) this Jewish year, I would like to suggest that we promote “Turning Tu B’Shvat into an Environmental Shabbat.” I think this is especially important this year as the world increasingly approaches an unprecedented climate catastrophe, and, as one example, Israel is suffering from the worst drought in its history and projections are for Israel to experience severe heat waves and floods, continued lack of adequate rainfall and an inundating of the coastal plain where most Israelis live by a rising Mediterranean Sea.

I hope that the material below will be helpful. The resources (items 7 - 10) were compiled some time ago by Jonathan Wolf. Also, much of the material below was originally written for previous times that Tu B’Shvat fell on a Shabbat, but I have tried to bring some of it up to date. Sorry for any repetition since some of the articles cover overlapping topics.

Please use the material for your own articles, letters to editors and talking points. Suggestions very welcome.

The items below are:

1. JVNA Press Release on Turning Tu B’Shvat Into an “Environmental Shabbat”

2. Celebrating Tu B'Shvat This Year [5770/2010]: Trees, Shabbat, and Israel's Ecology, [originally written for 2003] by Jonathan Wolf

3. Turning Tu B'Shvat into an "Environmental Shabbat"

4. Tu B'Shvat and Vegetarianism, by Richard Schwartz

4a. Tu B’Shvat Message: Many Important Jewish Lessons Can Be Learned From Scriptural Verses About Trees

5. Preserving the Sacred Environment: A religious imperative, by Richard Schwartz

6. Sample Letter to the Jewish Media re Turning Tu B’Shvat into an Environmental Shabbat

7. Resources for Tu B’Shvat and Environmental Issues, Compiled by Jonathan Wolf

8. Groups Working to Improve Israel's Environment, Compiled by Jonathan Wolf

9. More Resources for Tu B’Shvat, Compiled by Jonathan Wolf

10. Some Texts about Tu B’Shvat, Shabbat, the Environment, and the Land of Israel, Compiled by Jonathan Wolf

11. Sample Flyer for a Tu B’Shvat Seder

12. Sample Announcement for a Tu B’Shvat Seder

Some material has been deferred to a later update/newsletter to keep this one from being even longer.

[Materials in brackets like this [ ] within an article or forwarded message are my editorial notes/comments.]

Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the JVNA, unless otherwise indicated, but may be presented to increase awareness and/or to encourage respectful dialogue. Also, material re conferences, retreats, forums, trips, and other events does not necessarily imply endorsement by JVNA or endorsement of the kashrut, Shabbat observances, or any other Jewish observances, but may be presented for informational purposes. Please use e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, and web sites to get further information about any event that you are interested in. Also, JVNA does not necessarily agree with all positions of groups whose views are included or whose events are announced in this newsletter.

Making Tu B’Shvat into an Environmental Shabbat provides a wonderful opportunity to help get environmental issues onto the Jewish (and perhaps other) agendas. Please use the material below and additional material in the resource section to help plan a local Shabbat/Tu B’Shvat event in your area.

Thanks,

Richard

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1. JVNA Press Release on Turning Tu B’Shvat Into an “Environmental Shabbat”

JEWISH GROUP URGES THAT TU B’SHVAT BE CONSIDERED
 AN “ENVIRONMENTAL SHABBAT”

For Immediate Release:

January 5, 2010

Contact:

Richard H. Schwartz, President of the Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA)

President@JewishVeg.com Phone: (718) 761-5876

Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) issued the following statement today:

In view of the major threats to Israel and, indeed, the entire world from global warming and other environmental problems, it is essential that the Jewish community join with others in responding, and an excellent time to start is Tu B’Shvat, which starts this year at sundown on Friday evening, January 29. This increasingly popular “New Year for the trees” should be considered a “Jewish Earth Day.” Since it occurs on Shabbat this year, we are initiating a campaign to turn it into an “Environmental Shabbat.”

With Israel facing the worst drought in its history, and with the Israeli Union for Environmental Defense projecting that, if present trends continue, global warming will result in Israel soon facing major heat waves, a reduction of rainfall of up to 30 percent, severe storms causing major flooding, and a rising Mediterranean Sea which would inundate the coastal plain where most Israelis live, rabbis and other Jewish leaders should support and join major efforts to combat global warming.

“It is urgent that tikkun olam—the healing and repair of the world -- be a central issue in synagogues, Jewish schools and other Jewish institutions,” stated Richard Schwartz, president of JVNA. “Judaism has splendid teachings on environmental conservation and sustainability, and it is essential that they be applied to respond to the many current environmental threats, in order to move our imperiled planet to a sustainable path.”

Consistent with the fact that all the foods at the traditional Tu B’Shvat seder are from plants, JVNA also urges rabbis and other Jewish leaders to make Jews aware of how plant-based diets are most consistent with basic Jewish mandates to preserve human health, treat animals compassionately, protect the environment, conserve natural resources and help hungry people.

According to a UN Food and Agricultural Organization 2006 report, animal-based agriculture emits more greenhouse gases (in CO2 equivalents) than all the cars, planes, ships and other means of transportation worldwide combined. The report projects that the number of farmed animals worldwide, currently about 60 billion, will double by 2050. If that happens, the increased greenhouse gas emissions would negate the effects of many positive changes that environmentalists support. An article in the November/December, 2009 World Watch magazine by two environmentalists argued that the livestock sector is responsible for at least 51 percent of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. Hence a major societal shift to vegetarianism is imperative.

Further information about these issues can be found at the JVNA web site JewishVeg.com. JVNA will provide complimentary copies of its new documentary A SACRED DUTY: APPLYING JEWISH VALUES TO HELP HEAL THE WORLD and related materials to rabbis and other Jewish leaders who will contact them (mail@jewishVeg.com).

JVNA plans to contact rabbis and other Jewish leaders to urge them to make Tu B’Shvat an “Environmental Shabbat,” with special sermons, talks, panel discussions, environmentally-orientated meals and kiddushes, nature walks and/or other events consistent with Shabbat and Tu B’Shvat.

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Supporting material includes the following:

The threats are really worldwide. There are daily reports of severe droughts, storms, flooding and wildfires and about meltings of polar icecap s and glaciers. All this due to an average temperature increase of about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the past 100 years, and global climate scientists are projecting an increase of from 2 to 11 degrees Farhrenheit in the next 100 years, which would result in an unprecedented catastrophe for humanity.

Some climate scientists are warning that global warming could reach a tipping point and spin out of control in a few years, with disastrous consequences, unless major changes soon occur Al Gore pointed out that the United States must free itself from fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy sources by 2018. He stressed the urgency of the change by stating: ‘the survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk,’ and that ‘The future of human civilization is at stake.’

When we read daily reports of the effects of global climate change, such as record heat waves, severe flooding, widespread droughts, unprecedented numbers of wild fires, and the melting of glaciers and polar icecaps; when some climate scientists are warning that global climate change may spin out of control with disastrous consequences unless major changes are soon made; when a recent report indicated that our oceans may be virtually free of fish by 2050; when species of plants and animals are disappearing at the fastest rate in history; when it is projected that half of the world’s people will live in areas chronically short of water by 2050; it is essential that the Jewish community fulfill our mandate to be a “light unto the nations” and lead efforts to address these critical issues.

Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, College of Staten Island
Author of "Judaism and Vegetarianism," "Judaism and Global Survival," and "Mathematics and Global Survival," and over 130 articles at www.JewishVeg.com/schwartz

President of Jewish Vegetarians of North America (JVNA) www.JewishVeg.com

and Society of Ethical and Religious Vegetarians (SERV) www.serv-online.org

Associate Producer of A SACRED DUTY ( asacredduty.com)
Director of Veg Climate Alliance (www.vegclimatealliance.org)
president@JewishVeg.com

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2. Celebrating Tu B'Shvat This Year [5770/2010]: Trees, Shabbat, and Israel's Ecology, [originally written for 2003] by Jonathan Wolf

[Jonathan is one of the most knowledge people on Tu B’Shvat and its many ramifications. For many years, he organized and ran very successful Tu B’Shvat seders in his former Manhattan apartment.]

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The holiday of Tu B’Shvat is a minor one on the Jewish calendar. It appears nowhere in the Bible, and when it first appears in Jewish literature, in the Mishna, its very date is the subject of dispute. Yet today it is an occasion rich with symbolism and significance, because of what it represents: nature and the environment, and the bounty of the Land of Israel.

Tu B’Shvat originated as one of the four New Years prescribed in Jewish law [Mishna Rosh Hashana 1:1]. It was established as the New Year of Trees, a kind of dividing line of the fiscal year for prescribing tithes, orlah (the first 3 years of a tree’s life), and according to some authorities the shmitta (sabbatical) year. Hillel and Shammai disagreed on the date; the school of Hillel (as almost always) was victorious in setting it on the fifteenth of the month of Shvat, when the earth in the Holy Land begins to warm up, the water starts to flow through the ground and the sap to course through the trees, and early-blossoming trees like the Almond (shaked) burst into bloom.

After the destruction of the Temple, the tithe offerings ended and the Jews were dispersed: thus the agricultural laws of the Land of Israel did not apply in most Jewish communities. Tu B’Shvat became a time of celebration and commemoration, recollecting the days when the Jewish people lived on its own land, working to bring forth the fruit of that earth. Numerous customs evolved (such as the colorful “Hamishusar” in some Sephardic communities) and Jews recited blessings and ate fruits, if possible those grown in Israel.

Development of the Seder for Tu B’Shvat: In the 1500’s in the Galilee city of Safed (also called S’fat or Tzfat), identified in the Talmud as one of the Holy Cities in the Land, the circle of Kabbalists who were followers of Rabbi Isaac Luria (the “Ari”) developed a special liturgy for Tu B’Shvat [as they were also inventing the kabbalat shabat service for Friday evenings and the all-night Tikun for Shavuot and Hoshana Rabba]: the Seder Leil Tu B’Shvat. The Kabbalists would stay up all night on Tu B’Shvat reciting their Seder, based loosely on the Passover Seder, focusing on fruits, trees, brachot, and kavvanot: invocations of attention and blessing on the fate of the trees and their fruit during the coming year, similar to the prayers for human life and welfare recited on Rosh Hashana.

The text of the Kabbalists’ Seder included four cups of wine -- evolving in color from entirely white to red-with-a-drop-of-white; the tasting of 21 different fruits, beginning with the Seven Species which according to Deuteronomy 8:8 epitomize the produce of Land of Israel (wheat, barley, olives, dates, grapes, figs, and pomegranates), followed by fruits mentioned in the Bible, particularly in the Song of Songs (etrog, apple, walnut, almond), and the carob (long associated with Tu B’Shvat), pear (discussed in the Mishna), and other fruits and nuts. The order of the Seder was first published in the 1700’s in the volume Pri Etz Hadar, attributed to Rabbi Haim Vital, which details the wines, the fruits, and the passages from Bible, Midrash, Mishna, Talmud, and especially Zohar -- since the Kabbalists found mystical meaning in each reading and tasting. Their Seder also provided for eating from three types of fruits corresponding to three of the four Lurianic “worlds”: wholly edible fruits such as figs for olam habriya (the world of creation), fruits edible on the outside but with pits, such as cherries, representing the world of yetzira (formation), and fruits with outside shells but edible insides such as pistachios, symbolizing the world of asiyah (action). [The fourth kabbalistic world, atzilut (emanation) is considered to be beyond physical representation].

In the last century the Jewish pioneers coming to Ottoman and Mandatory Palestine adopted Tu B’Shvat as an occasion for planting trees as part of the mass Jewish return to the Land and its rebuilding and renewal. The Tu B’Shvat Seder, a ritual which had been little remembered or practiced in most communities, has been revived and reinvented in recent decades. Today, Tu B’Shvat has become an occasion for directing our thoughts and energies to the natural world, to God’s Creation and our assignment to “labor over and preserve” it [l’ovdah ul’shomrah – Genesis 2:15], and to the Land of Israel and its particular sanctity, importance, and fragility.

When Tu B’Shvat concides with Shabbat: The holiday can fall on any day of the week (except Friday or Sunday), and only occurs on Shabbat, as it does this time, every several years.

Nothing specific changes in the observance of Tu B’Shvat when it takes place on Shabbat. But it provides an occasion for a longer, more intensive Seder during or after Shabbat dinner or as part of an Oneg Shabbat gathering, and for Torah study, discussions, sermons, singing, children’s celebrations, divrei torah, and other moments in the course of Shabbat to turn attention to the holiday, to fruit and trees, to natural and environmental concerns in Judaism, and to the qualities of the Land of Israel.

When Tu B’Shvat occurs on Shabbat, it is an especially appropriate day to commemorate the magnificence of God’s handiwork and our responsibilities to care for it. The Sabbath is central to virtually all of the Torah’s insights and instructions concerning the Earth and its protection. The prohibitions and obligations which are part of Shabbat observance, according to many rabbinic sources, aim to take us away from our weekday preoccupation with changing and leaving our mark on the world: to make us withdraw from acquiring and restructuring, in order that we may reflect on and recognize the beauty and integrity of Creation. Shabbat is a foretaste of the World to Come, a day on which we accept and respect the world as it is, rather than trying to build or destroy elements within it. The Ten Commandments instruct us that not only people but animals must share in this Sabbath rest. The shmitta, the seventh year on which Jews in the Land of Israel are directed not to plant or harvest but to allow the land to lie fallow to renew itself, and to allow the poor to partake freely of the crops, is called ‘shabbat ha’aretz’ [Leviticus 25:6] – the Land’s Sabbath.

These themes of the splendors of God’s world, the beauty of the Land of Israel, and the joy and quietude of Shabbat come together in the lyrical imagery of the Song of Songs. That Biblical book is a song-cycle of romantic verses which glory in fruits and nuts and wines and spices [for example, verses 2:11-13; 4:11; 4:13-14; 7:12-14], in the valleys and vineyards and orchards of Israel, and in the marvels of nature in Spring (of which Tu B’Shvat, at least in Israel if not in chillier climes, is the herald). (Quotations from the Song of Songs abound in the text of the Kabbalists’ Seder for Tu B’Shvat [including verses 2:3; 2:4; 4:3; 6:11; 7:8; 8:5]). Because the Song of Songs is also (according to Rabbi Akiba in the Talmud) an allegory of the loving relationship of God and the Jewish people, it is customary to recite it at the beginning of Shabbat, the time of greatest intimacy between Jews and the Divine.

Create an Eco-Shabbat! When Tu B’Shvat falls on Shabbat as it does this year, it becomes an opportunity to dedicate the day to enjoying and recognizing the natural world, Israel, and our task of stewardship. Meals, lectures, nature hikes, children’s activities, services, seudah shlishit (the late Saturday afternoon meal), study groups: many periods during Shabbat can address and direct our thinking to the Torah’s teachings about the meaning of true Sabbath rest, our obligations to preserve our world for future generations, the delights and varieties of healthful foods which spring from the earth, and our ties to the historic Jewish homeland in Israel and its rivers and hillsides.

Every synagogue, campus Hillel, havurah, JCC, religious school, senior center, community, and family can invent and adapt its own expression of an Environmental Shabbat on Tu B’Shvat—whether Seder, party, speaker, festive meal, text learning, games, songs, stories, or all-night gathering. This Shabbat is a propitious and auspicious time for focusing on the earth and its wonders and the ways it supports us and we protect it. When Tu B’Shvat falls on Shabbat, it is always Shabbat Shira, on which we read the Songs at the Sea of Moses and the children of Israel, and of Miriam and all the women [Exodus 15:1-21] and the haftara of the Song of Deborah [Judges 5:1-31]; it is a Shabbat which is ideal for singing -- whether around a circle, at meals, or performed by cantor, choir, or children’s chorale – including songs of Israel, of trees and fruits, from the Song of Songs, or of the melodies of Creation.

The state of Israel’s environment today: The Land of Israel, central to the genesis of Tu B’Shvat, is not just the place where Jews and Judaism originated, or our future Messianic home: it is also a real country of soil and winds and a remarkable variety of different eco-systems. And that terrain is in terrible trouble. Israel’s air, water, and land are contaminated by ever-increasing pollution. In most of its rivers, fish can only live for a few minutes. The air quality in Jerusalem is projected to become worse than that of Mexico City by 2010. The severe shortage of water supplies is rapidly worsening, as is the problem of garbage and solid waste. The number of automobiles increased one hundredfold in recent decades, while in a small country ideally suited to railways, the entire system of public transportation is inadequate and underfunded. Israel’s toxic waste dumps are overflowing and improperly contained.

As part of an Environmental Shabbat on Tu B’Shvat, materials, speakers, and discussions on the many imminent threats to Israel’s environment can be arranged and programmed into the day.

Tzedaka and the Tree of Life: Central to the purpose of celebrating Tu B’Shvat, and of conducting the Tu B’Shvat Seder, are the concepts of gratitude, b’rakhot, and tzedaka. We pray on the New Year of Trees that it should be a healthy, bountiful year for the trees which feed us (particularly those in the Land of Israel for whose produce the legal holiday was created), and the Kabbalists’ Seder multiplies the opportunities for reciting blessings recognizing and thanking our Creator for the cornucopia of flavors and aromas which we ‘taste and see’. Jewish tradition establishes as the most fitting response to our own good fortune and satisfactions the sharing of our joy with others who are in greater need. The Zohar calls the process of giving tzedaka ‘Ilana d’Hayyey’ -- Tree of Life – for we magnify and certify our happiness and thankfulness by providing for fellow human beings and for needful causes. Because this Tu B’Shvat falls on Shabbat, it may be inappropriate to bring and give cash or checks on the day itself, but our communal festivities can and should include provisions to inform everyone of places and ways to give or send donations which mark and spread our festivity.

Once every few years, Tu B’Shvat and Shabbat come together, providing Jewish groups and communities with a perfect time to talk, study, celebrate, sing and deliberate together about the blessings for which we are grateful, the world we need to rescue, the Holy Land and its riches and dangers, the harmony of nature, and Sabbath peace.

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3. Turning Tu B'Shvat into an "Environmental Shabbat"

Richard H. Schwartz

Many contemporary Jews are increasingly looking at Tu B'Shvat as a Jewish “Earth Day,” and using Tu B'Shvat seders as occasions to discuss how Jewish values can be applied to reduce many of today's environmental threats. This is more important than ever today in view of the many environmental problems currently facing Israel and our planet.

Since Tu B’Shvat falls on a Shabbat this Hebrew year (January 29-30, 2010), it would be wonderful if many congregations treated it as an “Environmental Shabbat,” with observances that would increase the environmental awareness and activism of its members. This could be a great opportunity for education about environmental crises locally, nationally, and internationally, with perhaps a special emphasis in some congregations on environmental problems in Israel. It also could help energize our congregations and bring many Jews back to Jewish involvement.

With Israel facing the worst drought in its history, and with the Israeli Union for Environmental Defense projecting that, if present trends continue, global warming will result in Israel soon facing major heat waves, a reduction of rainfall of up to 30 percent, severe storms causing major flooding, and a rising Mediterranean Sea which would inundate the coastal plain where most Israelis live, rabbis and other Jewish leaders should support and join major efforts to combat global warming.

The threats are really worldwide. There are daily reports of severe droughts, storms, flooding and wildfires and about meltings of polar icecap s and glaciers. All this due to an average temperature increase of about 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the past 100 years, and global climate scientists are projecting an increase of from 2 to 11 degrees Farhrenheit in the next 100 years, which would result in an unprecedented catastrophe for humanity.

Some climate scientists are warning that global warming could reach a tipping point and spin out of control in a few years, with disastrous consequences, unless major changes soon occur Al Gore pointed out that the United States must free itself from fossil fuels and switch to renewable energy sources by 2018. He stressed the urgency of the change by stating: ‘the survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk,’ and that ‘The future of human civilization is at stake.’

When we read daily reports of the effects of global climate change, such as record heat waves, severe flooding, widespread droughts, unprecedented numbers of wild fires, and the melting of glaciers and polar icecaps; when some climate scientists are warning that global climate change may spin out of control with disastrous consequences unless major changes are soon made; when a recent report indicated that our oceans may be virtually free of fish by 2050; when species of plants and animals are disappearing at the fastest rate in history; when it is projected that half of the world’s people will live in areas chronically short of water by 2050; it is essential that the Jewish community fulfill our mandate to be a “light unto the nations” and lead efforts to address these critical issues.

These environmental problems are largely due to the fact that the ways of the world are completely contrary to Jewish values:

1. Judaism teaches that “The Earth is the Lord’s” (Psalms 24:1), and that we are to be partners with God in protecting the environment. But today's philosophy is that the earth is to be exploited for maximum profit, regardless of the long-range ecological consequences.

2. Judaism stresses bal tashchit, that we are not to waste or unnecessarily destroy anything of value. By contrast, wastefulness in the United States is so great that, with less than 5% of the world's people we use about a third of the world's resources, and this has a major impact on pollution and resource scarcities.

It is urgent that Torah values be applied toward the solution of current environmental problems. This means, for example: an energy policy based not on dangerous energy sources, but on CARE (conservation and renewable energy), consistent with Jewish teachings on preserving the environment, conserving resources, creating jobs, protecting human lives, and considering future generations.

Tu B'Shvat is the New Year for Trees, the date on which the fate of trees is decided for the coming year. Hence, it is an ideal time to consider the rapid destruction of tropical rain forests and other valuable habitats. It is interesting that the prohibition bal tashchit ("thou shalt not destroy") is based on concern for fruit-bearing trees, since the Torah indicates that even in war time fruit trees may not be destroyed in order to build battering rams to attack an enemy fortification (Deuteronomy 20:19.20). This teaching was extended by the Jewish sages to prohibit the destruction, complete or incomplete, direct or indirect, of all objects of potential benefit to people. Imagine the impact if this prohibition was put into practice by society today!

Some possibilities for an "Environmental Shabbat" include

1. A Tu B'Shvat seder on Friday night, with a discussion or guest speaker on an environmental topic;

2. A sermon on Jewish environmental teachings on Shabbat morning;

3. An environmentally-conscious kiddush and/or lunch, with a minimum of waste and an environmental d’var Torah;

4. A discussion or a guest speaker on an environmental topic after morning services (possibly as part of a kiddush) or between Mincha and Maariv.

There are many additional creative ideas consistent with Jewish tradition and Shabbat that can be considered.

It would be wonderful if Jews used Tu B’Shvat and activities related to this increasingly important holiday, as occasions to start to make tikkun olam, the repair and healing of the planet, a central focus in Jewish life today. This is essential to help move our precious, but imperiled, planet to a more sustainable path.

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There is much valuable background material on Jewish teachings on environmental issues and Tu B‘Shvat observances at the web sites of COEJL (Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life) (www.coejl.org) and Canfei Nesharim (www.CanfeiNesharim.org).

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4. Tu B'Shvat and Vegetarianism, by Richard Schwartz

Tu B'Shvat is arguably the most vegetarian of Jewish holidays, because of its many connections to vegetarian themes and concepts:

1. The Tu B'Shvat Seder in which fruits and nuts are eaten, along with the singing of songs and the recitation of Biblical verses related to trees and fruits, is the only sacred meal where only vegetarian, actually vegan, foods, are eaten as part of the ritual. This is consistent with the diet in the Garden of Eden, as indicated by God's first, completely vegetarian, dietary law:

And God said: "Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree that has seed-yielding fruit--to you it shall be for food." (Gen.1:29)

2. The Talmud refers to Tu B'Shvat as the New Year for Trees. It is considered to be the date on which the fate of trees is decided for the coming year. In recent years, one of the prime ways of celebrating Tu B'Shvat, especially in Israel, is through the planting of trees. Vegetarianism also reflects a concern for trees. One of the prime reasons for the destruction of tropical rain forests today is to create pasture land and areas to grow feed crops for cattle. To save an estimated 5 cents on each imported fast food hamburger, we are destroying forest areas in countries such as Brazil and Costa Rica, where at least half of the world's species of plants and animals live, and threatening the stability of the world's climate. It has been estimated that every vegetarian saves an acre of forest per year.

1. Both Tu B'Shvat and vegetarianism are connected to today's environmental concerns. Many contemporary Jews look on Tu B'Shvat as a Jewish earth day, and use Tu B'Shvat seders as occasions to discuss how Jewish values can be applied to reduce many of today's ecological threats.

When God created the world, he was able to say, "It is very good" (Genesis 1:31). Everything was in harmony as God had planned, the waters were clean, the air was pure. However, what must God think about the world today? What must God think when the rain he sends to nourish our crops is often acid rain due to the many chemicals poured into the air by our industries? when the abundance of species of plants and animals that He created are becoming extinct in tropical rain forests and other threatened habitats, before we are even been able to catalog them? when the fertile soil that He provided is rapidly being depleted and eroded? when the climatic conditions that He designed to meet our needs are threatened by global warming?

An ancient midrash has become all too relevant today:

In the hour when the Holy one, blessed be He, created the first person, He showed him the trees in the Garden of Eden, and said to him: "See My works, how fine they are; Now all that I have created, I created for your benefit. Think upon this and do not corrupt and destroy My world, For if you destroy it, there is no one to restore it after you." Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:28

Today's environmental threats can be compared in many ways to the Biblical ten plagues, which are in the Torah portions in the weeks immediately preceding Tu B'Shvat: When we consider the threats to our land, water, and air, pesticides and other chemical pollutants, resource scarcities, threats to our climate, etc., we can easily enumerate ten modern "plagues". The Egyptians were subjected to one plague at a time, while the modern plagues are threatening us simultaneously. The Jews in Goshen were spared the Biblical plagues, while every person on earth is imperiled by the modern plagues. Instead of an ancient Pharoah's heart being hardened, our hearts today have been hardened by the greed, materialism, and waste that are at the root of current environmental threats. God provided the Biblical plagues to free the Israelites, while today we must apply God's teachings in order to save ourselves and our precious but endangered planet.

The Talmudic sages assert that people's role is to enhance the world as "co-partners of God in the work of creation" (Shabbat 10a). They indicated great concern about preserving the environment and preventing pollution. They state: "It is forbidden to live in a town which has no garden or greenery" (Kiddushin 4:12; 66d). Threshing floors had to be placed far enough from a town so that it would not be dirtied by chaff carried by winds (Baba Batra 2:8). Tanneries had to be kept at least 50 cubits from a town and could be placed only on the east side of a town, so that odors would not be carried by the prevailing winds from the west (Baba Batra 2:8,9). The rabbis express a sense of sanctity toward the environment: "the atmosphere (air) of the land of Israel makes one wise" (Baba Batra 158b). Again, vegetarianism is consistent with this important Jewish environmental concern, since modern intensive livestock agriculture contributes to many current environmental problems, including soil erosion and depletion, air and water pollution, the destruction of habitats, and global warming.

4. Both Tu B'Shvat and vegetarianism embody the important teaching that "The earth is the Lord's" (Psalm. 24:1) and that people are to be stewards of the earth, to see that its produce is available for all God's children. Property is a sacred trust given by God; it must be used to fulfill God's purposes. No person has absolute or exclusive control over his or her possessions. The concept that people have custodial care of the earth, as opposed to ownership, is illustrated by this ancient story:

Two men were fighting over a piece of land. Each claimed ownership and bolstered his claim with apparent proof. To resolve their differences, they agreed to put the case before the rabbi. The rabbi listened but could come to no decision because both seemed to be right. Finally he said, "Since I cannot decide to whom this land belongs, let us ask the land." He put his ear to the ground and, after a moment, straightened up. "Gentlemen, the land says it belongs to neither of you but that you belong to it."

With their concern about the preservation and expansion of forests and their focus on plant-based foods, both Tu B'Shvat and vegetarianism, reflect this important Jewish teaching.

5. Tu B'Shvat and vegetarianism both reflect the Torah mandate that we are not to waste or destroy unnecessarily anything of value. It is interesting that this prohibition, called bal tashchit ("thou shalt not destroy") is based on concern for fruit-bearing trees, as indicated in the following Torah statement: When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shall not destroy (lo tashchit) the trees thereof by wielding an ax against them; for thou mayest eat of them but thou shalt not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged of thee? Only the trees of which thou knoweth that they are not trees for food, them thou mayest destroy and cut down, that thou mayest build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it fall. (Deut. 20:19-20)

This prohibition against destroying fruit-bearing trees in time of warfare was extended by the Jewish sages. It it forbidden to cut down even a barren tree or to waste anything if no useful purpose is accomplished (Sefer Ha-Chinuch 530). The sages of the Talmud made a general prohibition against waste: "Whoever breaks vessels or tears garments, or destroys a building, or clogs up a fountain, or destroys food violates the prohibition of bal tashchit" (Kiddushin 32a). In summary, bal tashchit prohibits the destruction, complete or incomplete, direct or indirect, of all objects of potential benefit to people. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch states that bal tashchit is the first and most general call of God: We are to "regard things as God's property and use them with a sense of responsibility for wise human purposes. Destroy nothing! Waste nothing!" (Horeb; Chapter 56, #401) He indicates that destruction includes using more things (or things of greater value) than is necessary to obtain one's aim. (Horeb; Chapter 56, #399) The important Torah mandate of bal tashchit is consistent with vegetarianism, since, compared to plant-based diets, animal -centered diets require far more land, water, energy, and other agricultural resources.

6. Tu B'Shvat reflects a concern about future generations. In ancient times it was a custom to plant a cedar sapling on the birth of a boy and a cypress sapling on the birth of a girl. The cedar symbolized strength and stature of a man, while the cypress signified the fragrance and gentleness of a woman. When the children were old enough, it was their task to care for the trees that were planted in their honor. It was hoped that branches from both types of trees would form part of the chupah (bridal canopy) when the children married. Another example of the Jewish concern for the future that is expressed through the planting of trees is in the following story: Choni (the rainmaker) was walking along a road when he saw an old man planting a carob tree. Choni asked him: "How many years will it take for this tree to yield fruit?" The man answered that it would take seventy years. Choni then asked: "Are you so healthy a man that you expect to live that length of time and eat of its fruit?" The man answered: "I found a fruitful world because my ancestors planned for me. So I will do the same for my children." Vegetarianism also reflects concern about the future since this diet puts a minimum of strain on the earth and its ecosystems and requires far less water, land, energy, and other scarce agricultural resources than animal-centered diets.

7. It is customary to recite Psalm 104, as well as other psalms, on Tu B'Shvat. Psalm 104 indicates how God's concern and care extends to all creatures, and illustrates that God created the entire earth as a unity, in ecological balance:...Thou [God] art the One Who sends forth springs into brooks, that they may run between mountains,To give drink to every beast of the fields; the creatures of the forest quench their thirst.Beside them dwell the fowl of the heavens;...Thou art He Who waters the mountains from His upper chambers;...Thou art He Who causes the grass to spring up for the cattle and herb, for the service of man, to bring forth bread from the earth....How manifold art Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all; the earth is full of Thy property....

Vegetarianism also reflects concern for animals and all of God's creation, since for many people it is a refusal to take part in a system that involves the cruel treatment and slaughter of 10 billion farmed animals in the United States alone annually (60 billion worldwide), and, as indicated above, that puts so much stress on the earth and its resources.

8. Both Tu B'Shvat and vegetarianism are becoming increasingly popular today; Tu B'Shvat because of an increasing interest in and concern about nature and environmental issues, and vegetarianism because of increasing concern about health, the treatment of animals, and also the environment and the proper use of natural resources.

9. On Tu B'Shvat , the sap begins to fill the trees and their lives are renewed for another year of blossom and fruit. A shift toward vegetarianism means, in a sense, that there is an increased feeling of concern for the earth and all its inhabitants, and there is a renewal of the world's people's concerns about more life-sustaining approaches.

In 1993, over 1,670 scientists, including 104 Nobel laureates - a majority of the living recipients of the prize in the sciences - signed a "World Scientists' Warning To Humanity." Their introduction stated: "Human beings and the natural world are on a collision course. Human activities inflict harsh and often irreversible damage on the environment and on critical resources. If not checked, many of our current practices put at serious risk the future that we wish for human society and the plant and animal kingdoms, and may so alter the living world that it will be unable to sustain life in the manner that we know. Fundamental changes are urgent if we are to avoid the collision our present course will bring about." The scientists' analysis discussed threats to the atmosphere, water resources, oceans, soil, living species, and forests. Their warning: "we the undersigned, senior members of the world's scientific community, hereby warn all humanity of what lies ahead. A great change in our stewardship of the earth and the life on it is required, if vast human misery is to be avoided.”

With the world's ecosystems threatened as never before, it is important that Jews increasingly discover the important ecological messages of Tu B'Shvat. Similarly, it is also urgent that Jews and others recognize that a shift toward vegetarianism, the diet most consistent with Tu B'Shvat, is not only an important individual choice today, but increasingly it is a Jewish imperative since the realities of modern intensive livestock agriculture and the consumption of animal products are inconsistent with many basic Jewish values, as well as a societal imperative, necessary for economic and ecological stability.

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4a. Tu B’Shvat Message: Many Important Jewish Lessons Can Be Learned From Scriptural Verses About Trees

Tu B’Shvat is considered the birthday for trees. Hence, it is a good time to consider scriptural verses about trees and the lessons they can teach us. Below are a few:

An important lesson involves what the mission of Jews should be.

In the early chapters of the Book of Exodus, we read about some very dramatic events: the birth of Moses; the examples of him opposing oppression, whether to Jews or non-Jews; Moshe’s encounter with God at the Burning Bush; the ten plagues that afflicted the Egyptians; the Exodus; the crossing of the Sea and the drowning of the Egyptians; and the songs of triumph and exaltation of Moses and then Miriam.

After these very dramatic events, there is a verse that seems almost anticlimactic: “And they came to Elim, where were 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees; and they encamped here by the waters.”

One might wonder why we need to know about the waters and the trees. But, Rabeynu Bachya, a Jewish philosopher in the Middle Ages, found a deep message. He stated that the 12 springs represented: the 12 tribes and the 70 palm trees represented the 70 nations in biblical times. He stated that just as the 12 springs nourished the 70 palm trees, Jews who are descended from these 12 tribes should nourish and inspire the nations of the world. So this should be our role today – to be a light unto the nations, a kingdom of priests, a holy people, God’s witnesses.

To carry out this mission, we have to know what issues to focus on, and an ancient midrash (rabbinic commentary) about trees provides some insight.

In the hour when the Holy one, blessed be He, created the first person, He showed him the trees in the Garden of Eden, and said to him: "See My works, how fine they are; Now all that I have created, I created for your benefit. Think upon this and do not corrupt and destroy My world, for if you destroy it, there is no one to restore it after you." [Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:28]

This has become all too relevant today, as the world is threatened as perhaps never before by climate change and many environmental problems.

A Talmudic story about planting a tree teaches about the importance of considering future generations:

While the sage Choni was walking along a road, he saw a man planting a carob tree. Choni asked him: "How long will it take for this tree to bear fruit?" "Seventy years," replied the man. Choni then asked: "Are you so healthy a man that you expect to live that length of time and eat its fruit?" The man answered: "I found a fruitful world because my ancestors planted it for me. Likewise, I am planted for my children." (Ta’anis 23b)

A Torah verse about trees provides insight into the importance of conserving resources:

When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy (lo tashchit) the trees thereof by wielding an ax against them; for you may eat of them. You shall not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged by you? Only the trees of which you know that they are not trees for food, them you may destroy and cut down, that you may build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it fall. Deuteronomy 20:19,20

The Talmudic sages took this specific teaching and converted into a general prohibition (bal tashchit) against wasting or unnecessarily destroying anything of value.

Another Talmudic verse uses trees as a metaphor to discuss the relative importance of learning and deeds:

When a person’s wisdom exceeds his good deeds, to what may he be compared? To a tree with many branches but few roots. A wind blows, uproots it and topples it over . . . However, when a person’s good deeds exceed his wisdom, to what may he be compared? To a tree with few branches but with many roots. All the winds of the world may blow against it, yet they cannot move it from its place . . . (Ethics of the Fathers 3:22)

There are two puzzling statements related to trees that provide significant lessons:

Rabbi Yohasan Ben Zakkai said: If you are in the midst of planting a tree and word reaches you that the Messiah has arrived, do not interrupt your work; first finish your planting and only then go out to welcome the Messiah. (Avot de-Rabbi Nathan)

Perhaps a lesson here is that there have been many false Messiahs in Jewish history and it might be good to be somewhat skeptical, but carrying on with the everyday work of the world is always important.

Rabbi Ya'akov says: One, who while walking along the way, reviewing his studies, breaks off from his study and says, "How beautiful is that tree! How beautiful is that plowed field!" Scripture regards him as if he has forfeited his soul (Ethics of the Fathers, 3:7).

Perhaps the lesson in this apparently harsh teaching is that there should be no separation between Torah learning and appreciation of nature and one who considers them as two separate categories will be punished.

A Torah verse about trees in the Garden of Eden provides insights into God’s preferred diet for humans.

And God said: "Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree that has seed-yielding fruit -- to you it shall be for food." (Genesis 1:29)

Based on the prophecy of Isaiah that in the Messianic period, “The wolf will dwell with the lamb, . . . the lion will eat straw like the ox, . . . and no one shall hurt nor destroy on all of God’s holy mountain,” Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen Kook, first Chief Rabbi of pre-state Israel thought that this other ideal time would be vegetarian when

Everyone will sit under their vine and fig tree and none shall make them afraid; for the Lord of Hosts has spoken. (Micah 4:4)

Finally, a talmudic story about blessing a tree provides a model for blessing people:

A man was traveling through the desert, hungry, thirsty, and tired, when he came upon a tree bearing luscious fruit and affording plenty of shade, underneath which ran a spring of water. He ate of the fruit, drank of the water, and rested beneath the shade.

When he was about to leave he turned to the tree and said: 'Tree, oh, tree, with what should I bless you? "Should I bless you that your fruit be sweet? Your fruit is already sweet. "Should I bless you that your shade be plentiful? Your shade is plentiful. That a spring of water should run beneath you? A spring of water runs beneath you."

"There is one thing with which I can bless you: May it be God's will that all the trees planted from your seed should be like you . . . (Ta’anit 5b)

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5. Preserving the Sacred Environment: A religious imperative, by Richard Schwartz

Tu B'Shvat is connected to today's environmental concerns. Many contemporary Jews look upon the day as a Jewish earth day, a day on which to discuss and focus on ecological threats — destruction of tropical rain forests; global climate change; acid rain poured into the air by our industries; a rapidly depleted ozone layer; plants and animals quickly becoming extinct; depleted soil. [1]

An ancient midrash has become all too relevant: "In the hour when the Holy one, blessed be He, created the first person, He showed him the trees in the Garden of Eden, and said to him: "See My works, how fine they are; Now all that I have created, I created for your benefit. Think upon this and do not corrupt and destroy My world, For if you destroy it, there is no one to restore it after you." [2]

Today's environmental threats can be compared in many ways to the Biblical ten plagues, which appear in the Torah portions read on the Shabbatot immediately preceding Tu B'Shvat. When we consider the threats to our land, water, and air, pesticides and other chemical pollutants, resource scarcities, threats to our climate, etc., we can easily enumerate ten modern "plagues." Like the ancient Pharaoh, our hearts have been hardened by the greed, materialism, and waste that are at the root of current environmental threats.

The sacred environment

The Talmudic sages express a sense of sanctity toward the environment: "The atmosphere (air) of the land of Israel makes one wise." [3] So, too, do they assert that people's role is to enhance the world as "co-partners of God in the work of creation." [4] The rabbis indicate great concern for preserving the environment and preventing pollution:

"It is forbidden to live in a town which has no garden or greenery." [5]

Threshing floors are to be placed far enough from a town so that the town is not dirtied by chaff carried by winds. [6]

Tanneries are to be kept at least 50 cubits from a town and to be placed only on its eastern side, so that odors are not carried by the prevailing winds from the west. [7]

"The earth is the Lord's" [8]

We are the stewards of God's earth, responsible to see that its produce is available for all God's children. Property is a sacred trust given by God; it must be used to fulfill God's purposes. The story is told of two men who were fighting over a piece of land. Each claimed ownership and bolstered his claim with apparent proof. To resolve their differences, they agreed to put the case before the rabbi. The rabbi listened but could come to no decision because both seemed to be right. Finally he said, "Since I cannot decide to whom this land belongs, let us ask the land." He put his ear to the ground and, after a moment, straightened up. "Gentlemen, the land says it belongs to neither of you but that you belong to it." [9]

"Thou shall not destroy"

The prohibition not to waste or destroy unnecessarily anything of value (bal tashhit - "thou shalt not destroy") is based on concern for fruit-bearing trees, as indicated in the following Torah statement: "When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down. Are trees of the field human to withdraw before you under siege? Only trees that you know to not yield food may be destroyed; you may cut them down for constructing siege works against the city that is waging war on you, until it has been destroyed." [10]

This prohibition against destroying fruit-bearing trees in time of warfare was extended by the Jewish sages. It it forbidden to cut down even a barren tree or to waste anything if no useful purpose is accomplished. [11] The sages of the Talmud made a general prohibition against waste: "Whoever breaks vessels or tears garments, or destroys a building, or clogs up a fountain, or destroys food violates the prohibition of bal tashchit" [12]

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, 19th century philosopher and author, states that bal tashhit is the first and most general call of God: We are to "regard things as God's property and use them with a sense of responsibility for wise human purposes. Destroy nothing! Waste nothing!" He indicates further that destruction includes using more things (or things of greater value) than are necessary to obtain one's aim. [13]

Ecological balance

It has become customary to recite Psalms on Tu B’Shvat, among them Psalm 104. This Psalm speaks of God's concern and care extended to all creatures, and illustrates that God created the entire earth as a unity, in ecological balance: "You make springs gush forth in torrents;; they make their way between the hills, giving drink to all the wild beasts; the wild asses slake their thirst. The birds of the sky dwell beside them and sing among the foliage. You water the mountains from Your lofts; the earth is sated from the fruit of Your work. You make the grass grow for the cattle, and herbage for man's labor, that he may get food out of the earth, wine that cheers the hearts of men, oil that makes the face shine, and bread that sustains man's life." [14]

Tu B'Shvat is indeed an appropriate time to apply Judaism's powerful environmental teachings to help move our precious, but imperiled, planet to a more sustainable path.

[1] See articles in the ecology section at JewishVeg.com/schwartz

[2] Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:28

[3] Baba Batra 158b

[4] Shabbat 10a

[5] Kiddushin 4:12; 66d

[6] Baba Batra 2:8

[7] Baba Batra 2:8,9

[8] Psalms 24:1

[9] Story told by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin in "Biblical Ecology, a Jewish View," a television documentary directed by Mitchell Chalak and Jonathan Rosen

[10] Deut. 20:19-20; JPS translation

[11] Sefer Ha-Chinuch 530

[12] Kiddushin 32a

[13] Horeb; Chapter 56

[14] Psalm 104: 10-15 See: Arthur Waskow, Seasons of Our Joy: A Creative Guide to the Jewish Holidays (Boston: Beacon Press, 1982)

Richard H. Schwartz, PhD, Professor Emeritus, College of Staten Island, is author of Judaism and Vegetarianism, Judaism and Global Survival, and Mathematics and Global Survival. He has over 140 articles and 25 podcasts of his talks and interviews on his Jewish Vegetarianism website (JewishVeg.com/schwartz).

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6. Sample Letter to the Jewish Media re Turning Tu B’Shvat into an Environmental Shabbat

Dear editor,

Many contemporary Jews look on Tu B'Shvat (January 29-30 this year) as a Jewish ‘Earth Day,’ and use Tu B'Shvat seders as occasions to discuss how Jewish values can be applied to reduce many of today's ecological threats. This is more important than ever in view of the many environmental threats currently facing our planet.

While Judaism teaches that “The Earth is the Lord’s” (Psalms 24:1), and that we are to be partners with God in preserving the environment, there are daily news reports about water shortages, air and water pollution, the depletion of the ozone layer, and soil erosion and depletion. Tu B'Shvat is the New Year for Trees, the date on which the fate of trees is decided for the coming year. Hence, it is an ideal time to consider the rapid destruction of tropical rain forests and other valuable habitats. While Israel has made remarkable progress in many areas, it faces chronic droughts, very badly polluted rivers, severe air pollution in its major cities and industrial areas, rapidly declining open space, congested roads, and an inadequate mass transit system.

In view of the above and much more, I urge Jews to use Tu B’Shvat and activities related to this increasingly important holiday, as occasions to start to make tikkun olam, the repair and healing of the planet, a central focus in Jewish life today.

Since Tu B’Shvat falls on a Shabbat this Hebrew year, it would be wonderful if many congregations treated it as an “Environmental Shabbat” with observances that would increase the environmental awareness and activism of its members. This could be a great opportunity for education about environmental crises locally, nationally, and internationally, with perhaps a special emphasis in some congregations on environmental problems in Israel. It also could help energize our congregations and bring many Jews back to Jewish involvement.

Very truly yours,

Richard H. Schwartz, Ph.D.

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7. Resources for Tu B’Shvat and Environmental Issues, Compiled by Jonathan Wolf

(may need some updating):

A. WEBSITES

Adam Teva V'Din: The Israel Union for Environmental Defense

http://www.iued.org/il/eng/

Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL)

http://www.coejl.org/

Ministry of Environment (Israel) http://www.environment.gov.il

http://www.israel-mfa.gov.il/gov/environ.html

Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel

http://www.spni.org/

Richard Schwartz articles http://jewishveg.com/schwartz

Shalom Center

Sierra Club

Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) http://www.ucsusa.org/

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) http://www.epa.gov

Many Links to Tu B’Shvat http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=Tu+B%27Shvat&btnG=Google+Search

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B. BOOKS

Buxbaum, Yitzhak. A Person Is Like a Tree: A Sourcebook for Tu B’Shvat. Northvale, NJ; Jerusalem: Jason Aronson, 2000.

Schwartz, Richard H. Judaism and Global Survival. New York: Lantern Books, 2002. (A free copy of this book will be sent to very rabbi who contacts the author at rschw12345@aol.com and indicates that it will be used as background for a Tu B’Shvat environmental program.)

Waskow, Arthur, editor. Torah of the Earth: Exploring 4,000 Years of Ecology in Jewish Thought. Volumes 1 and 2. Woodstock, Vermont: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2000.

Waskow, Arthur, et al. Trees, Earth, and Torah: A Tu B’Shvat Anthology. Philadelphia: Jewish Publishing Society, 1999.

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8. Groups Working to Improve Israel's Environment, Compiled by Jonathan Wolf

(may need some updating):

Israel’s environmental movement includes a number of organizations which are fighting to save the ecology of Israel. They can inform you about current crises and activities, and will provide books, pamphlets, reports, and contacts. You may also choose, in connection with Tu B’Shvat programs, to raise or donate contributions to support their vital projects.

Neot Kedumim: The Biblical Nature Reserve: On any visit to Israel, a trip to Neot Kedumim is delightful: the site (not far from Ben Gurion airport) features the trees and plants of the Bible and Talmud, including special areas for the Seven Species, the flora of the Song of Songs, and the landscape of our slavery in Egypt. Neot Kedumim is also a center for research and publication on environmental issues and natural history in Jewish sources, including extensive materials about Tu B’Shvat. You can order such superb works as the books Nature In Our Biblical Heritage and Tree and Shrub in Our Biblical Heritage and the booklet Ecology in the Bible from American Friends of Neot Kedumim in Halcott Center, NY. Phone (845) 254-5031 or fax (845) 254-9836. Investigate the Nature Reserve or plan trips there at their website:

www.neot-kedumim.org.il

The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (Hevra L’haganat HaTeva): reaches more Israelis than any other Non-Governmental Organization (and, proportionately, more citizens than any NGO in the world) through its programs in schools, hikes and trips, field study centers, and grass-roots group, the Eco-Activists (Shomrei HaSviva). Severe cutbacks in government spending because of the economic and security crises are threatening SPNI’s important programs. To join, learn about eco-tourism in Israel, or become active in their efforts, visit their English-language website: www.teva.org.il/e

The Israel Union for Environmental Defense [IUED] (Adam Teva v’Din): is Israel’s leading environmental advocacy group which fights pollution, unregulated industry, and unplanned development through litigation, legislation, and citizen organizing. To find out about ongoing endeavors on clean air, recycling, coastlines, toxic wastes, the absurd but actual artificial-islands plans, and many other areas, and to sign up for their monthly E-news updates, contact www.iued.org.il

Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership: Last year, we celebrated the thirtieth yahrzeit of Abraham Joshua Heschel, after whom the Center was named. In the spirit of Rabbi Heschel’s notion that the magnificence of Creation should imbue us with a “sense of wonder” and awe at God’s grace and wisdom, the Heschel Center’s website features numerous on-line articles and pamphlets on Judaism and environmental education, as well as studies conducted in cooperation with the Worldwatch Institute on the state of Israel’s environment -- including the recent report on “Air Pollution and Public Health in Israel”. www.heschelcenter.org

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9. More Resources for Tu B’Shvat, Compiled by Jonathan Wolf

A Person Is Like a Tree: A Sourcebook for Tu Beshvat by Yitzhak Buxbaum (New York: Jason Aronson, 2000 ) is the best book available about the origins of the holiday and the Seder, including extensive discussion of the kabbalistic intentions and orientation of the Seder’s S’fat-based creators. It can be ordered through the website of its publisher: www.aronson.com or by contacting the author at yitzhak@att.net.

Trees, Earth, and Torah: A Tu B’Shvat Anthology, Edited by Ari Elon, Naomi Mara Hyman, and Arthur Waskow (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1999) includes articles on ecology in Biblical and Talmudic Judaism, modern ‘Eco-Judaism”, and understanding and celebrating Tu B’Shvat.

Tu Bi-shvat and Purim Melodies An excellent book of the music and words to songs of the holiday, along with an accompanying cassette of the songs. Available at a terrific discount from the website of its publisher, Tara Publications: www.Jewishmusic.com

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10. Some Texts about Tu B’Shvat, Shabbat, the Environment, and the Land of Israel, Compiled by Jonathan Wolf

Tu B’Shvat: The first day of the month of Nissan is Rosh Hashana (the beginning of the year) concerning [counting the length of the reign of] kings and [the order of the] Festivals [since Passover, in Nissan, is counted as the first].

The first day of Elul is Rosh Hashana for the tithing of animals.

The first of Tishrei is Rosh Hashana for [marking the beginning of] years, for shmitta (sabbatical) and yovel (jubilee) years, and for plants and vegetables.

The first of Shvat is Rosh Hashana for trees. So says the house of Shammai; the house of Hillel says, the fifteenth of that month.

-Mishna Rosh Hashana 1:1

Any tree which puts forth its fruit before Tu B’shvat has its fruit counted in the past year; if afterward, then in the coming year
-Tosefta Shvi’it 4:20

Environmentalism in Torah: When you besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to conquer it, you shall not destroy [lo tash’hit] the trees thereof by wielding an ax against them. You may eat of them but you shall not cut them down; for is the tree of the field a person, that it should be besieged by you? [Alternative translations: For a person is like a tree of the field, to come before you in the siege. Or: For a person (stays alive by) the tree of the field…]. Only the trees which you know that they are not trees for food, those you may destroy and cut down, in order to build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it fall.

-Deuteronomy 20:19-20

The purpose of the mitzva [above, of bal tash’hit] is to teach us to love that which is good and worthwhile and to cling to it, so that good becomes a part of us and we avoid all that is evil and destructive. This is the way of the righteous and those who improve society, who love peace and rejoice in the good in people and bring them closer to Torah: that nothing, not even a grain of mustard, should be lost to the world, that they should regret any loss or destruction that they see, and if possible to prevent any destruction that they can. Not so are the wicked, who are like demons, who rejoice in the destruction of the world, and they thus destroy themselves.

-Sefer HaHinukh, mitzva #529

Shabbat: Remember the day of Shabbat to sanctify it. Seven days you should work and do all your labor, but the seventh day is for your God: you shall not do any labor, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servant and your animals and your foreigner in your gates. For in seven days Adonai made the heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them, but He rested on the seventh day. Therefore Adonai blessed the Shabbat day and sanctified it.
-Exodus 20:8-11

When you come to the Land which I am giving to you, the land shall observe a Shabbat to Adonai. Six years you will plant your fields and six years you will prune your vineyards, and you will gather its produce. But on the seventh year is a great Shabbat for the land, a Shabbat to Adonai; you shall not plant your field not prune your vineyard. You shall not reap what grows by itself of your harvest, and you shall not gather the grapes of your undressed vine; it shall be a great Shabbat for the land. The Shabbat-year fruits of the land will be yours to eat, for you and your male and female servant and for your hired workers and the settlers who dwell with you. And for your animals and for the beasts in your land, all the produce will be food.
-Leviticus 25: 2-7

Technical civilization…begins when man, dissatisfied with what is available in nature, becomes engaged in a struggle with the forces of nature in order to enhance his safety and to increase his comfort….

[But] the Sabbath is a day of harmony and peace, peace between man and man, peace within man, and peace with all things. On the seventh day man has no right to tamper with God’s world, to change the state of physical things….The Sabbath, thus, is more than an armistice, more than an interlude; it is a profound conscious harmony of man and the world, a sympathy for all things…

Creation, we are taught, us not an act that happened once upon a time, once and for ever. The act of bringing the world into existence is a continuous process….Every instant is an act of creation.
-A. J. Heschel, The Sabbath

Laws of the Land: And when you come into the Land you shall plant every kind of fruit tree, and you shall consider its fruit orlah (uncircumcised) for three years; you shall not eat it. But in the fourth year all of its fruits shall be holy for a celebration to Adonai. And on the fifth year, eat its fruit to increase your harvest; I am Adonai your God.
-Leviticus 19: 23-25

You shall definitely tithe all the increase of your seeds which come forth from your fields, year by year. And you shall eat before Adonai your God in the place which He shall choose to rest His name the tithe of your grain and of your wine and of your oil and the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, in order that you may learn to revere Adonai your God all of your days.
-Deuteronomy 19:22-23

Bounty of the Land: The fruits of the Land of Israel are easier to eat than those of any other land.
-Sifrei, Ekev

In the future all the non-fruit-bearing trees in Eretz Yisrael will put forth fruits.
-Talmud, Ketubot 112b

Rav Chisda said: ‘And I have given you a precious land, an inheritance like a deer (eretz tzvi) [Jeremiah 3:19]’: Why is the Land of Israel compared to a deer? Just a deer’s skin can barely contain its flesh, likewise is Eretz Yisrael unable to contain all its fruit.
-Talmud, Ketubot 112b

In the creation of the world, the Holy One began with the act of planting, as it says: ‘And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden [Genesis 2:8].’ So too when you enter the Land of Israel, you should engage yourselves first in planting [Leviticus 19:23, above].

-Midrash Vayikra Rabba 25

Jonathan Wolf, a leading figure in the revival of the Tu B’Shvat Seder, has conducted Seders at homes, synagogues, and campuses across North America since 1975. Thousands of copies of the Seder text he developed, based on the Kabbalists’ original Pri Etz Hadar, are in circulation, and it has been widely borrowed from. He was chair and co-founder of L’OLAM, the NY-area Jewish environmental coalition of the 1980s and 1990s; directed and created the Community Action program at Lincoln Square Synagogue; was Social Policy Director of the Synagogue Council of America; and now directs the Institute for Jewish Activism. He can be contacted at jonthewolf@aol.com

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11. Sample Flyer for a Tu B’Shvat Seder

JOIN US AT OUR ANNUAL TU B’SHVAT SEDER!

FRIDAY January 29, 2010 8PM TEEN LOUNGE

JOIN US IN CONTINUING AND EXPANDING UPON THE RICH AND BEAUTIFUL TRADITIONS OF THE KABBALISTS OF SAFED

THERE WILL BE READINGS, SONGS, BRIEF TALKS AND EXPLANATIONS, EATING OF A WIDE VARIETY OF FRUITS, AND DRINKING OF FOUR CUPS OF GRAPE JUICE

TO HELP US REMEMBER AND CELEBRATE:

THE LAND AND ITS ABUNDANT PRODUCE;THE ENVIRONMENT WHICH SHELTERS AND SATISFIES US;

OUR CREATOR, THE SOURCE OF ALL OUR BLESSINGS

Learn the answers to the following four questions designed to help us understand the significance of this day, and much more.

Why is this day different from all other days?

1. Our other holidays honor events and people. Why does this holiday honor trees?

2. Ordinarily, we eat whatever fruit is in season. Why, today, do we specifically eat fruit that is grown in Israel?

3. We usually take the environment for granted. Why, today, do we focus on conservation?

4. It's winter. Why are we thinking about planting when spring is several months away?

There will also be a lot of nuts present, so it will be a fun time! So, come and enjoy!

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12. Sample Announcement for a Tu B’Shvat Seder

The annual Tu B’Shvat seder will be held on Friday evening, January 29, at 7:45 PM. Please come to celebrate the New Year for Trees with family and friends. Share a fun, meaningful event that relates to current environmental issues and connects an ancient tradition to our contemporary world, and eat lots of fruit and nuts. For further information, please contact . . .

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