Trees and men

Today is the 15th day of Shebat , 5771

The tree goes through cycles in its life. The heavy-laden tree of summer empties itself of fruit in the autumn, and then slowly loses its leaves, one by one. By winter time, the tree stands shorn of its previous glory. For all purposes, it appears to have died.

But then comes Tu B'Shvat. In the midst of the cold winter days, when all vegetation seems frozen or dead, the sap of the tree starts to flow beneath the surface bark. Rising slowly from roots buried in the hardened soil, the sap pushes its way up, pumping new life into outstretched branches that reach towards the heavens.

In life, we too often go through cycles of growth. Periods of renewal and growth may alternate with times of stagnation or dormancy. Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe cites that this cycle is part of man's nature. He adds that a person must not become disillusioned when spiritual growth seems halted; the "low" period will usually be followed by a "high" period that will yield new opportunities for growth.

That is the message of Tu B'Shvat: Even when we feel lethargic, and seem to have lost the drive to achieve, we must not despair. Just as winter is an annual pause in the life-cycle of trees, so periods of lethargy and unproductivity are necessary phases in the human cycle. Just as with the coming of spring, life-giving sap moves imperceptibly through the trees to branches stretching to the sky, so we too will have renewed energy from deep within our spiritual reservoirs, so long as we set our goal heavenward.

See full article in Aish: http://www.aish.com/h/15sh/i/View_from_the_Trees.html

Planting trees in Israel is one of the best ways to celebrate the 15th of Shebat!

This year 5 million trees were burned in the Carmel Forest. To plant a tree in Israel is more meaningful than ever!

Click here for more information http://support.jnf.org/site/TR?pg=fund&fr_id=1020&pxfid=3211

Rabbi Yosef Bitton. YMJC | 130 Steamboat Rd. | Great Neck | NY | 11024