Tikkun Olam

                                                                         My D.H. and I had a quiet Tu Bishvat (New Year for the Trees, on the 15th of the month of Shevat), just the two of us, at home.  We had invited friends but they politely declined, admonishing me to rest--and they were right.  However, the two of us didn't want to forgo a seder, so we decided to hold our own private little Tu Bishvat seder Friday night.  Just the two of us. My D.H. made roast chicken stuffed with oranges and clemantinas (clementines), which we had with side dishes of couscous, butternut squash and a special salad consistin...

The upcoming holiday of Tu b'Shevat, on the 15th day of the month of Shevat--"Tu" being an acronym for the letters 'Tet' and 'Vav' adding up to 15 (falling this coming Thursday, January 20th, 2011)--celebrates the New Year for the Trees.  It was mentioned in VaYikra (Leviticus 19: 23-25) relating to calculating the age of trees for tithing.  It had been considered a minor holiday and not really marked by any special ceremony or much celebration for many, many years. In our time--and I believe it is prophetic and totally related to the return of the Jews to the Land of Israel--this chag celebrating the importance and yes, holiness of the trees and of the Land itself is now experiencing a renaissance, and is being celebrated by more and more Jews each year. For hundreds of years in the diaspora Jews were not permitted to be landowners, and so many became moneylenders, and the art of agriculture and farming became, shall we say, dormant.    In the ninet...

I think this might be, uh, appropriate for Tu b'Shevat, (marginally). After all, just like wheat and barley, BEER is made from. . . grain. . . So let's hear it for beer, and Chutzpah (they're a little weird, but have a good sound).

The holiday of Tu b'Shevat (the 15th day of the month of Shevat), which is Israel's Arbor Day, has gained more popularity and acceptance over the years as one to be observed with more than a tree planting, even though that is extemely important. Did you know that Israel was the only country to finish the twentieth century with more trees than it started with? (From The Daily, University of Washington, 2002 ): Israel is a rebirth. It is the realization of the age-old dream of the Jewish people to return to the land of our origin, the land in which our nation was formed, the land from which we were exiled and kept out for 2,000 years. For 2,000 years, we did not forget - three times a day, observant Jews everywhere pray for rain in the right season in the land of Israel. Every major Jewish festival ends with the words: “… Next year in Jerusalem.” In this rebirth, the people of Israel resurrected the ancient Hebrew language. Once confined to prayer and holy texts alone, 5 mill...

(ha-I was right !) Is UP! Go to Ya'akov's blog here to see the wonderful entries. I have got to go to work, so "in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!" (The Truman Show was a great movie.) Oh, and Tu b'Shevat Sameach!