[NFBJ] Tu b’shvat

[Laura]

Hi my beautiful ryan.
It looks like you read my mind, once again.
Conference call starts at 7 here.
I'm trying to do about 10 things at once.
As usual.  Ha ha.
You know what I'm like.
Anyway, if we can't facetime tonight, then lets try for tomorrow.
Gotta get back "it.
  PS, Thanks for those questions.  I've now copied
them to a file.  These are great for general discussion.  As well 
as reflection.  Maybe we can also talk about these off list.
Hope your doing ok.
Love,
Laura Meyer.  ----- Original Message -----
From: Ryan Silveira via NFBJ <nfbj at nfbnet.org
To: nfbj at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Tue, 30 Jan 2018 09:30:57 -0500
Subject: [NFBJ] Tu b’shvat

Shalom all,

Tonight, as you know, begins tu b’shvat (the 15th of the month 
of shvat), known as Jewish arbor day.  The mishnah states that 
there are four new year days: 1 nissan (the new year for kings 
and festivals), 1 av, (the new year for the cattle tithe), 1 
tishrei (the new year for years, i.e., the day on which we 
celebrate the new year), and 1 shvat(the new year for trees).  
(Rosh ha-shanah 1:1) According to bait Hilel, the new year for 
trees is on 15 shvat.  Since custom dictates that we follow bait 
Hilel and not bait Shamai, we observe this mini festival on the 
15 shvat which, using Hebrew numerals spells out the non-word 
“tu”, hence, we say “tu b’shvat”.  As you know, we 
celebrate the holiday with a mini seder tonight.  If anyone needs 
a copy of the seder text, here’s the one that I use:
http://www.aish.com/h/15sh/ho/48965616.html?mobile=yes

Below, I have copied out some of the reflection questions for us 
to think about and discuss, should the urge come upon us.  Chag 
sameach, everyone!

Questions:
A) When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they were 
permitted to eat only fruits and vegetables.  Only after Noah's 
Flood did God permit meat.  In what ways is it considered 
spiritually higher to eat meat? And in what ways is it considered 
spiritually higher to be a vegetarian?

B) There were two trees in the center of the Garden: the Tree of 
Life (representing Torah and eternal life) and the Tree of 
Knowledge of Good and Evil (representing death and distortion).  
Another way of expressing this distinction is that the Tree of 
Life is objective wisdom, while the Tree of Knowledge of Good and 
Evil is personal experience.  Why would Adam and Eve have chosen 
to eat from the latter, especially since God had explicitly 
instructed them not to?

C) Rabbi Bar Yechezkel once came to Bnei Brak and saw goats 
grazing under a fig tree.  Honey was dripping from the figs and 
milk from the goats – and they became intermingled.  He said: 
Behold, a land flowing with milk and honey! (Talmud – Ketubot 
111b)

Ask participants to share a story or experience he/she had while 
in the Land of Israel.  This doesmn’t apply to everyone here, 
but ties in nicely with our earlier discussion.


















Ryan L.  Silveira
חיים אהרן בן אברהם
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