Tu Beshvat- Body and Soul

u Beshvat is Rosh Hashanah for trees. And the Torah tells us, "For a man is a tree of the field". Man is described in many ways- one of them is a tree.

From this point of view, Tu Beshvat is Rosh Hashanah for the aspect of man that is compared to a tree. This comparison can teach us some important things in our daily life. To begin at the beginning: let us look at the creation of trees.

A Tree That Produces Fruit
At the time of the creation of the world, we find that God commanded that the earth bring forth "trees for fruit bringing forth fruit". The commentaries point out that at the time of the creation of the world, there did not exist barren (fruitless) trees. Insofar as the entire purpose of trees was to bring forth fruit, trees that would not do so were not part of the original Divine plan. These trees arose only after the world fell from its ideal state, when Adam and Eve sinned.

This idea is also reflected in the tree as a metaphor for man. In the book by the Baal Shem Tov, Tzavaat Ha-Rivash, it is written:

“A righteous person will flourish like a date-palm; grow tall like a cedar in Lebanon.” (Psalms 92:13)

There are two types of tzadikim (righteous people), and both are perfectly righteous. The difference between them is as follows:

One is in a continuous state of attachment . He is a tzadik, however, just for himself, and not for others. He does not make his righteousness affect others. He is the one who is compared to a cedar of which our sages said that it does not bear fruits. For he is a tzadik just to himself and does not produce fruits, i.e., bringing others back to goodness.  The second type of tzadik is compared to a date-palm, which produces fruits: “he will flourish like a date-palm,” that is, he causes goodness to flourish and multiply in the world.

This ideal state will be restored with the arrival of the Messianic era.  The prophet Joel states regarding the future time, "For the tree shall bear fruit, the fig and vine will give their strength."  The Talmud tells us: "Said Rav Chiya Bar Ashi in the name of Rav, In the future all of the barren trees in the land of Israel will bear fruits." 

Having said that, even during our current state, there is a profound lesson to be learned from the barren tree. Perhaps the most famous example of a barren tree is the thorn bush which Moses encounters while tending his flock. In Hebrew it is called the "sne", and it is also a kind of tree.

There is an inspiring Chassidic explanation of this incident. "I must go and see," said Moses, "why the thorn bush burns yet is not consumed." Then God revealed himself to Moses, saying, "I am the God of thy forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

The thorn bush is the simple Jew, seemingly alienated from his Jewish identity. Yet, put to the test, he bursts into flame. Moses marvels at this. How can the simple, unlearned one burn without being consumed? God answers him: this is the inheritance that every Jew has received from our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

A Tree That Is Fruit
There is yet another quality in the creation of trees that represents the ideal state of creation. Unfortunately, this quality was not achieved. It, too, will occur only with the arrival of the Messianic era. The verse says, "etz pri oseh pri". This means literally, "the tree fruit producing fruit".

We are taught that God commanded the earth to bring forth a tree that not only brings forth fruit, but actually is fruit. In the words of  Rashi, "The taste of the wood is like the taste of fruit". Rashi comments that this part of the command was not fulfilled by the earth, so that the fruit trees produced fruit, but the wood did not actually taste like fruit.

Why does the wood and fruit having the same taste represent the ideal of creation? In Likutei Torah of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liade, it is explained that the fruit is the soul, and the wood is the body. This is the meaning that "the taste of the wood is like the taste of the fruit" - the physical body should be elevated to the level of the soul. The ultimate purpose of the body and all material creation in general, is that it be used towards a spiritual purpose. In this way, its true godly essence is revealed.

In our present state of exile, there exists a duality in which we look at the world and its godly essence as alienated from each other. The Midrash tells us that the world was not originally worthy of having gold. Rather, gold was created to be used in the Mishkan, where we create a "home" for the shechina, the revelation of God’s presence.

Nevertheless, in order for there to be free choice, man has the possibility to use gold for other purposes as well. In the Messianic era, we will once again experience "the taste of the wood like the taste of the fruit", wherein we will see in everything its godly essence and purpose.

This idea is explained in a Chassidic discourse written by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, entitled "Bati Legani".  He explains that the beams with which the Mishkan was built are called in Hebrew, "krashim". A keresh", or beam has the same letters as the word "sheker", which means falsehood.

When we see worldly affairs as being an end unto themselves, this is "sheker", falsehood, for it does not represent their inner truth.   Building a mishkan in the personal sense, beings transforming the "sheker", uncovering the lie that material existence exists as an end unto itself. Instead, we make  a "keresh", a beam that becomes part of a home for God.

author is rabbi in Bratislava, Slovakia