Tu B'Shvat On Fire

[Music] quite possibly the best way to know what a country stands for and truly values is to look at what that country celebrates with a parade a parade is not just an event it's a statement people line the streets and salute what they consider meaningful and celebratory a par reveals almost more than anything else in the entire country the core of a country's culture and priorities in America for example the largest and most iconic parade by far is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade each year 3.5 million people crowd the streets of New York City with another 50 million people watching from their homes it is without a question a defining symbol of American culture what exactly does it celebrate is it celebrating gratitude is it celebrating thankfulness is it celebrating community no it celebrates shopping it celebrates Macy's consumerism materialism millions of people gather to watch a four-story inflable SpongeBob and a towering Macy's shopping bag float down 6th Avenue it's one gigantic spectacle glorifying consumerism because in America shopping is more than a necessity it's an end unto itself take sports for example sports are another cultural Cornerstone when a team wins a Super Bowl or a World Series or a Stanley cut the streets fill with Victory parades and cities shut down and people celebrate as if their personal identities hinge on their team's Victory because America is obsessed with sports and competition and idealization of athletes another parade happens on the first Monday in September every year the United States and Canada have a Labor Day Parade Labor Day parades are a celebration of work of Labor because in those societies success is measured by economic productivity and wealth money isn't just a means to an end it is the end it's the very measuring rod used to determine if your life is well- lived other countries parades are all equally revealing in Russia the annual Victory Day Parade which takes place on May 9th is a grand military display with tanks and with missile launchers and with fighter jets rolling through the streets it's just one big show of strength a nationalistic flex of Russia's muscles and Russia's tremendous pride in its military power or take Japan in Japan's akiabara District tens of thousands of people every year dress up as their favorite anime and video game characters parading through to Tokyo because Japan is obsessed with pop culture and fantasy and cartoons and then there's Thailand's monkey parade and Belgium's duck parade and France's snail parade and Japan's snake parade and British Columbia's bathtub parade and Nova scotia's pumpkin pumpkin parade the list goes on each country's parade offers a glimpse into their heart into what they consider important and meaningful parades are more than celebrations they are cultural mirrors reflecting the values and the passions and oftentimes the ridiculous quirks of the societies that hold them in many cases they are far more revealing about a cultural country's true spirit than any Constitution or legal code ever would Jews on the other hand don't have paray for shopping we don't flood the streets for military displays or Sports championships or cartoon characters we don't March for shopping sales or movie stars or celebrity Idols Believe It or Not Jews put on a parade for only one thing Jews parade for fruit the only real parade the Jewish people ever held was the yearly borin parade every year when our PE when we brought our BM our first fruits of our crop Yim we just walk into the City and find a cen's house and drop it off at his doorstep and leave we daned our way to jam in a full-blown joyous procession oxen led the way their horns covered in Gold musicians played music people Carri their beautifully de decorated baskets overflowing with the best fruits of their Harvest huge crowds of people would dance people would s it was an outpour of Joy the question is what why did beur of all things warrant such a massive parade of happiness and joy we don't parade when we bring my sh to on the first night of PES we don't break into the streets parading matah we don't march with inflatable sukus to showcase our happiness on sukus so what is it about fruit that makes it so special what makes this Mitzvah more than any other Mitzvah worthy of such an explosion of public Joy I believe the answer is found in tubish tubish is strange we know it's a day about fruit beyond that we don't know much every year people rush into the grocery store which for a week looks more like a dried fruit Museum and we load up on exotic looking barely recognizable fruit in every possible color shape and texture what exactly are we celebrating yeah tubish has some technical calendar significance marking the cut off date for counting the Arlo years of a tree and Meer is that really what we're celebrating are people really filling their carts with dried figs and guava rounds because of some agricultural tax deadline obviously not there's got to be something deeper the the problem is that when you try to understand tubish fat you often get sucked into some mystical cabalistic teaching that are so abstract they stay stuck in the realm of the intellectual and the esoteric and they seem profound but they often leave you with nothing but half pied inspiration and some vague sense that something meaningful is happening but you're not sure what there has to be a simple tangible reason for the happiness of tubish and the question is what is it the answer is that fruit at first glance might seem like it's just like every other category of food but the truth is it's not it's drastically different when you put all the foods we eat into categories they pretty much all seem to be the same there are grains there are vegetables there's fruit meat fungi legumes dairy products there doesn't appear to be any spiritual significance in one category more than the other they all seem to be just different sections on God's menu but that's a mistake not all food were created equal one category rises above the rest when it comes to spiritual potential and that is fruit the difference is in their purpose vegetables legumes grains exist to sustain us has put them in this world to make sure that we have what to eat to survive They are packed with nutrients and minerals and essential fats and without them we become malnourished and weak and we die fruit you can live your entire life without ever eating a single fruit and be perfectly healthy so why do they exist because Hashem put them here to nourish not our bodies he put them here to nourish our souls fruit or a kiss from Hashem a completely unnecessary extravagant beautiful and delicious gift placed in the world for no other reason than to bring us closer to him and because their purpose is different their nature is different look at vegetables and Grains they often though they're brown green pale thi potatoes onions wheat barley celery lettuce spinach turnips that's because there's no need for us them to make them beautiful we have to eat them anyway our hunger will make sure that we find them and we eat them fruit on the other hand they explode with color blueberries and apples and cherries and oranges and passion fruits and gra Hashem made them vibrant because if they weren't maybe we wouldn't bother with them and that would be a tragedy because their entire purpose is to bring us closer to them it's the same with taste vegetables are often Bland they need salt they need oil they need spices fruits are perfect straight off the tree why because it's a kiss from Hashem and hasm is perfect it's the same way with where they grow Vegs are buried in the ground and they're hiding in the dirt they require plowing and sewing and planting and effort fruits grow from trees at eye level easy to reach just waiting there to be taken there's no planting there's no sewing there's no toiling you just wake up and you pluck a peach off the tree vegetables you got to cook them to be edible fruits they're almost always eaten exactly as they grow vegetables have no scent fruits fill the air with fragrance vegetables you got to replant every year a fruit tree you plant it once it keeps producing forever precisely because of the different roles fruits and vegetables play in our lives do they have drastically different characteristics because while grains and vegetables exist to sustain our bodies fruits exist to direct our hearts towards Hashem their very presence calls our attention heavenward reminding us that we're not just here to survive we're here to see Hashem to experience his kindness and to closer to him and the closer we are to him the more he wants to shower us with BR and with which at the end of the day is the very reason he made the world in the first place it's precisely because of this concept but the very lastar says something seemingly bizarre it says when a person dies and he ascends to the Heavenly court and they're gonna be shown all the foods of the world and they're going to be asked why did you not taste this why did you not try that when we go up to shayam we're going to be held accountable for all the Natural Foods our eyes laid sight on and we didn't try now at first glance it seems odd why in the world would we be held accountable for such thing the Tyra wants us to go out of our way and try different types of Natural Foods is that really keeping a checklist of who ate papaya and who passed up the pamelo section of the grocery store the T really want wants us to go on like some culinary exploration doesn't that fly in the face of the Mandate in per that says that the proper way to live as a Jew is by eating the bare minimum and focusing on spiritual Pursuits over physical Indulgence how does this make any sense the answer is that this is not about physical Indulgence at all in fact it's probably as spiritual as it gets the Torah isn't telling us to become Foodies and go chase culinary experiences this is about physical awareness the Torah encourages us to try the diverse Foods Hashem created because they were made for one reason and one reason only to deepen our appreciation and love for Hashem that's why they're in the world in the first place Hashem handcrafted a world bursting with diversity and beauty and flavor for one reason alone so that we would see him through it every Cherry every kiwi every Gooseberry every rambut 10 every mango was created to be tasted and savored and used as a means to feel hashem's presence and magnify our appreciation of his endless kindness each bite that we take we deepen our awareness of Hashem and the magnificence of the world that he created the people that passed through life without pausing to Marvel at the wondrous foods that Hashem placed before us are sort of in essence overlooking the very tools he gave us to awaken a greater love and connection to him the tah isn't telling us to chase physicality it's telling us to hunt down spirituality hidden Within the natural world fruit represents hashem's deep and burning desire to bestow goodness and love on us we don't just grow our fruit and dig in we celebrate it We Gather our fruits with joy parading through the land dancing our way to yam singing praises to the one above not because other Mitzvah don't bring happiness but because fruit was specifically designed to make us dance to awaken us to hashem's love that's their entire purpose the Mitzvah of Bikur isn't just about bringing a fruit offering it's about recognizing and reciprocating hashem's kindness fruit is the ultimate symbol of Hashem hugging us BM is US hugging him back now contrary to what you were taught in kindergarten tbot isn't merely a birthday party for fruit trees it's not about indulging in a fruit platter just to satisfy some esoteric concept or to keep your in-laws happy is the ultimate day when fruit begins to grow again and it's signaling that hashem's love for us is renewing itself it's a reminder that even in the depths of winter when everything outside seems so cold and lifeless hashem's kindness is already in motion preparing to shower us with goodness once more tubish isn't a celebration of fruit it's the celebration of hashem's Love symbolized by the fruit it's a day we take the single most tangible expression of hashem's kindness and we taste it and we savor it and we allow it to fill us not just with flavor but with deep spiritual Joy now this concept clarifies a pretty peculiar statement found in a gamar the over there says anybody that steals any any body that is anyone who deres benefit in this world from something without making a is as if you stole from Hashem now the question is so obvious it pretty much asks itself what does it mean you stole from Hashem you stole what from Hashem Hashem is perfect he lacks nothing what could a human possibly take from him does HM need our bras we're a bunch of ants he is perfect with or without our bras what does this mean so in his PR says something powerful he says there is one thing we know for sure that hasm wants and that is to shower goodness on the world that's the whole reason he created the world in the first place the greatest way to receive aem's and divine goodness is by getting closer to him the closer you get to hasem the more and is released into the world this is where Bros come in a br is not merely some ritualistic recitation it's a tool to elevate the act of eating it's there purely to ensure that the food we eat connects us to Hashem as opposed to distancing us from him so when you make a br and you acknowledge hashem's kindness and eat with the intention of coming closer to him you unlock the shef hidden within that food bringing more Divine goodness into the world but when someone eats without making AA then block that flow they deny the world the blessing Hashem intended to release that is the true meaning of sealing from Hashem not that Hashem is lacking anything but that we have withheld the Divine goodness he intended to channel into the world through that food by neglecting to say a and by not using the food to get close to Hashem the way it was meant to we disrupt the flow of she that was meant to be Unleashed into the world Hashem designed food as a means to draw us closer to him and when we eat with the proper mindset and gratitude we unlock the spiritual connection allowing us bless His blessings to pour into the world but when we don't all we are a bunch of Thieves it's very simple shef comes when we draw close to hem fruit exists to bring us closer to him Bros make sure that they actually do now this idea sheds light on another seemingly odd gamarra found in Sanhedrin Z base the gamarra there outlines the Essential Elements a city must have for a to live there can't just pick a city at random and plop himself down there has to be C certain things in that City to make it worthy enough for the Tam's presence the list contains exactly what you'd expect to a SCH a bath house a doctor a sh a school a proper infrastructure but then at the very end of the list RBA throws in one more surprising statement one should not live in a city that does not have fruit trees so at first glance it seems a little random what's wrong with a city that doesn't have fruit trees so thear explains because they illuminate the eyes so some people take this literally fruit being rich in vitamins a c and e as well as lutin and Zan are good for eyesight and thear is instructing to live in a place that has easy access to eyesight improving fruits here's the problem if this were just a health tip why does the gamar single out fruit trees why doesn't the gamar insist that the city of is moving to have garlic fields to help with his blood pressure and cholesterol or salmon filled rivers to help with his brain fun functionality why not require cabbage patches for Kidney Health and arugul Gardens for Liver Health if the whole reason was simply to ensure that a tam lives in a place with access to proper nutrition why prioritize fruit trees over the countless other foods that benefit the body in various ways so perhaps it's because living near fruit trees isn't about physical eyesight it's about spiritual vision fruit trees sharpen your awareness of Hashem they are a constant vibrant reminder of his generosity of his kindness of his abundance living among fruit trees means living in an environment where aem's kindness is in your face it's unavoidable a place devoid of fruit trees is a place where that Clarity Fades where hashem's generosity becomes easier to overlook rika's message is very clear if you're serious about hem choose your surroundings wisely plant yourself in a place where hashem's kindness is undeniable where his generosity is on Full display live in a place that feels like an Embrace from above where you can use the very medium of fruit trees designed by Hashem to draw closer to him and unlock the shefa he longs to bestow upon us because that is what fruit trees represent and that is why we celebrate them on tubish not just because they hold complicated esoteric cabalistic significance but because they embody something even more simple something far more fundamental and that is hashem's love manifest in the physical world and we make a point to enjoy them because doing so brings us closer to him and in turn brings him closer to us now listen to this story The Reb rashab shom the fifth Rebel of laage he lived from 1860 to 1920 he once found himself sitting on a train on tubish and he was deep in the Frozen wastelands of Northern Russia and there was snow and ice stretched literally in every direction and there's not a tree and not a bush and there's nothing but complete desolation and see them just sit in silence for hours and they stare at the endless white void that surrounded them how will the Reb celebrate they Wonder forget fruit there's not a single sign of Life As far as the eye can see and so they're disheartened by the thought of not having any fruit trees at tuat they slumped into their seats with their Spirits dampened resigning themselves to the long multi-day grueling journey ahead of them but sensing their concern the rebba turned to them and with a small smile he said don't worry if we Des die your fruit strong enough Hashem will send it and the sat there and stunned Here Fruit and Rush Northern rush in this Frozen Wasteland it was impossible but before they could even grasp the weight of the Reb's words half a minute after the rebba said what he said the train comes to an abrupt stop and they peer out the window and they were met with an inexplicable sight there's a man standing alone in this vast Frozen pundra where there wasn't so much as a train station in sight and in his hands he's holding a basket covered by a blanket and he calmly waits for the doors of the train to open and he climbs the board with the train taking off as quickly and abruptly as it stops and a moment later the door of their compartment it Creeks open and the man steps inside without a worry he settles onto the bench directly across from the Reba and he reached for the blanket covering his basket and he lifted it away revealing believe it or not a basket of fresh oranges standard in the middle of this Frozen Wasteland there's not even a there's not a blade of grass here said a man holding a basket of oranges how could this be the oranges they grow in warm tropical climates with year round Sunshine places like Florida and Brazil and Spain this was Northern Russia oranges here were about as common as snow in the Sahara Desert they just sat there they're in shock without Banning an eyelash the Reb arose and he walked over to the man and he purchased the entire basket and he began Distributing the oranges to his astonished and as he's handing each one of fruit with a twinkle in his eye says my dear remember Tu is not about the fruit it's about hashem's she and love within the fruit if we love Hashem with enough strength he will love us back and send us fruit no matter how cold and Barren the world around us might seem that is what we are to think about onat not just the fruit but the overwhelming love Hashem has for us and this dazzling colorful world he created just to bring us closer him tuot is a time to think about who and what we celebrate what WS our appetite in life what fills us with excitement because the rest of the world gathers on sidewalks and street corners and salutes video game characters and Military might and sports teams and giant Mickey Mouse floats tubish is the time to ask yourself in The Game of Life who do you salute