Tu B'Shvat: A Lesson about Roots

Tu B'Shvat this year is Tuesday night, Feb. 7 and Wednesday, Feb. 8

People ask what a "New Year for Trees" is all about.

The Torah says that "man is a tree in the field." We, the People of Israel, are certainly like a tree.

In the Holocaust, we lost 6,000,000 leaves and were left with bare branches. According to the Iranians and their proxies who are at this moment aiming 200,000 missiles at us, we're dying altogether, and - in their words - it's a matter of pushing the button and a mere 9 minutes for them to finish us off. Utzu eitza v'tufar...

What our enemies in every generation fail to understand is that our roots are deep and mighty. Our 3,800 year-old spiritual taproot cuts through the boulders of time and reaches Moses, then back to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Just as our enemies can't see our roots, they can never uproot us.

On Tu B'Shvat, the trees look dead. But don't be mistaken - soon they shall flower in all their glory.

Maybe we look dead now with all the threats from the outside and all of our unity-and-tolerance problems from within. But don't lose heart. When we lease expect it, Hashem will redeem us and send Moshiach, and the Jewish people - like an almond tree in Shvat - will blossom and rejuvenate in all our glory, in our newly rebuilt Holy Temple in Jerusalem, soon, amen! Happy Tu B'Shvat!