I love this time of year, when the holiday of Tub B’Shvat comes around. Most people are less familiar with this holiday, the Jewish holiday celebrating the trees. We typically eat dates, figs, pomegranates and olives, generally fruits that are special to Israel.
I love that in the darkness part of the winter, Hashem built in a time to celebrate the life of trees in order that we see a glimpse of light to get us through the end of the winter. We can feel that spring is around the corner and that the holiday of Purim is almost here.
Through the dark, and cold of winter, people tend to be less motivated, less engaging, less active, less wanting to fulfill their potential. People tend to get stuck in old habits, depressed by their lot in life and lonely because people socialize less.
Tu B’Shvat gives us that hope for a bright new future waiting to unfold and to be embraced. Just as the sap begins to exude from the tree at this time unseen from the naked eye, so to the vibrancy of life is percolating beneath our surface and will soon be there for us to grasp.
This holiday of the trees is a transitional time to provide the boost of motivation and encouragement we need to get through the winter as well as a chance to look within ourselves to reach our potential.
Tamar Hyman