Modern Masters: Tu Beshevat | Roots, Renewal, Redemption | Rabbi Sam Shor | January 22nd 2026

So, good morning everybody. As we just mentioned, Rabbi, we wish a we wish a speedy recovery to Rabbi Tab. Hopefully, he'll be back with us next week. Um, before we actually get to the source sheets in front of us, I want to share with you a beautiful, beautiful entry inad was a beautiful safer that was written by Rasha Zea who made Aliat to Israel in 1935. He was where Zav was born in the late 1880s and he died 1978 and he has a work called where he goes through the calendar of the year and goes month by month in terms of the various relevant related to that that time of the year. So when it comes to he talks about of course the ofat and he says the following and he says the says that the among on this day of is what to to eat from various different fruit fruits of the trees and then and the rese 11 says the following. He says I don't understand why the why the says that is specific to it seems to me he says that what that the are actually more careful or more particular about this of eating the fruits of Israel and then he quotes then he says the following the in the yeshivas they stay up all night long. They have a mish they stay up all night long on the night of and they in particularly eat from all different kinds of fruits whatever they can find in the city at the time. the zo z he says and before they eat each fruit or and also after they eat each fruit they learn different passages from the tan and the zohar specific describing that fruit okay and they dive in and they sing many prayers of and and and lurggical poems unique ones they And there's a particular safer that was written called by the students of the Arizal and that safer is called and it gives us the whole concept of a seder forem that many many um pious and god-fearing individuals have taken on the practice to have the seder of tushwat and he says in Okay. And he says, "And what is that? This what takes place in the we we recite and we quote from all different sources ac across the cannon of Jewish literature from the Talma to the Tanakh to the Zohar to the mystical texts. Okay? describing the beauty and significance of each of the pro all the produce connected to Eric is. Okay. And then he says and in terms of the is what that the is what we do in four anro that's beautiful and kosher and extremely nice. Okay, that there's a min on tubish in the in theidic community practice is that on that day tubish we're already looking ahead till when and then we're ding for a nice rogue beginning in order that and order that when the time comes for us to to for the of sukis we will have what a beautiful astrogue to fulfill the mitzvah Okay. And then he says something else relates to the he says there there's a there's a practice to after afterward after sukus to take our esrogue to slice it up to dry it out or to fry it. Okay. and to save the that srogue those slices of to eat on and also we should know there are righteous individuals that wear their clothing because it's a rash of the trees and a person is supposed to be likened or contemplate what it means that were likened to the trees of the field. Okay, so that's there's a beautiful story um about the establishment of Yeshu in the Shamron called Magdal. Magdal was a yes is yeshu that was established in the 1920s and on tubishhat shortly after magiel was established they had a tree planting ceremony in this new yeshiv and they invited Rafkuk as the chief rabbi of the Jewish communities here initel at the time you you know we people want to call the first chief rabbi of the state of Israel we know that's not true because died in 1935 he was never z to see the the the the state of Israel that he dreamt of. There are those that say that the the kata they're calling the state of Israel this is that it was Ruk who actually coined that phrase the first time that the the new state that was going to be built here the Jewish state that was going to be built here in Israel should be called Medinat is but Ruk was never Zoha obviously he died 13 years before Amadina he was never Zoha to see the fulfillment of that dream okay but he was the rather he was the chief rabbi of the ash the chief rabbi of the communities being built, the Jewish communities being built here in pre-state um Erat Israel. Okay. So, one of those communities was Mdiel. In the 1920s, I think it was 1923. There was this tree planting ceremony was taking place in this new called Magdal. And they invited RF Cook to the tree planting ceremony. And they had this I guess what was a big photo op set up. Even in the 1920s, we already had photography. We already had newspapers and there was a big big photo shop photo um op that was set up that they're going to have the chief rabbi plant a sapling symbolically to celebrate Tubishvat here in this new Yeshua being built in the Shamron and they call upon Rook after he shares some words of Braha and the significance of this of this moment. They call upon Cook to come plant the sapling. And they have prepared for him this little sapling as well as like a a little hoe and a and a rake that he should be able to push the soil on top of the sapling. And all of a sudden, Rafuk gets down on his hands and knees in his long rabbitic frock, you know, doesn't take off his rabbitic cloak and his long rabbitic cl wearing his strim like his his sput as he was known to do. He gets down on on his hands and knees and begins to push with his own hands, his bare hands, the dirt to surround that little sapling. And some of the farmers nearby are a little bit embarrassed. They're like, "Oh, the rabbi the the the the rabbi, he doesn't understand that, you know, how that there's farming equipment he can use and that gardening equipment he can use." And they and someone gently begins to whisper to Rift Cook, you know, you could have used the rake, you could have used this hoe. And Raf Cookook stands up after he's already planted the sapling with his own hands. He says, "My friends, what you you don't understand is that after 2,000 years, we have the capacity to fulfill the biblical mitzvah of planting fruit trees here in in the holy soil of Israel. I don't want to have any impediment between my hands and the kim of this mitzvah. I want to fulfill this mitzvah with my bare hands." So what do we do with that beautiful story? How do we understand the significance of this yub of tubes the roshash shana of the trees that many of us associate with with this concept of planting trees in arit Israel or eating the fruits of arit is with that as our introduction. We're now going to take a look at our source sheets. Of course the the primary source is the is the Mishna and Rashash the first Mishna and the second rash where the Mishna describes that there are four different periods in the year that we call Rosh the beginning of the year and if you look at the last three lines here okay according to Shai when is the rash of the of the tree ones Okay. And says and says when is the of the trees. So according to the way we we follow the practice of who it was established that tubish should be the day of the rash but the Mishna and Russashana mentions both these day. Okay. So we're going to come back to this idea. When we think about a rash shana, okay, what do we think about when we think about rashana? We think about renewal. Okay, starting fresh, a clean slate. Okay, obviously the details of of rash means that many of the many of the calculations related to the the law agricultural laws of the land of Israel and and fruits that grow in the land of Israel. Okay, the date of Tubish is significant in terms of calculating those years, what year we're in in terms of the year 1 to seven of Shmita, what year we're in in terms of um or etc etc etc but more significantly I want to focus on the the metaphysical ideas not the details but the idea when we think about philosophically theologically what this idea of a rosha shana is a beginning of a year we conscious up images for the most familiar rash is when the rash of tish where it's all about renewal, repentance, starting fresh, a clean slate. So I want to explore together this morning the this idea of a roshash shana as it relates to the elan and what we're meant to learn about is roshash shana in our in our in our in our emotion emotional spiritual um consciousness is conjures up this image of renewal and and change and and repentance and a clean slate. So how do how does that relate to this y of of tishvat? Okay, so we're going to come back to that question. Now I want to take a look at a very very famous Mishna Pavos. This is text number two on our sheets. Rabazar is Barto. I want to look at the second part of the Misha. Sorry. One, two, three, four lines down said one who's walking on his ways and he's learning. Think about this today. How many of us when we do our our exercise walk, we have the opportunity to listen to a podcast to Shia, right? So he's walking on his way along the way and he's learning apparently by I've seen this with my own very eyes, the great illustrious chief rabbi of the old city of the Jewish quarter. So Neman, I've seen him literally as he's walking through the streets holding a little gamarra in front of his face and literally learning as he's walking. They shouldn't waste those few moments that he's walking from place to place. So the rabbi shim in the in the Misha says one who's walking on his way and he's learning and he interrupts his learning to say how beautiful is this tree how beautiful is this field. He says there's a verse that suggests that what a person who does this is liable with their soul. So that's a very challenging Mishna. Okay. How do we understand this Mishna that someone who's walking on his way and he's learning Torah while he's walking and then he sees a beautiful tree in front of him or he sees a beautiful field in front of him and he want he wants to make a braha or let's say because it's such a moving thing. He's he wants to say wow look how beautiful this is. So why is such a person in such a circumstance okay considered what liable with his soul? They're challenging what he's >> oh. So we're going to come back to that in a moment. If you turn your page over we're going to learn from the kajnets. Okay the of kajnets. This is our second I guess our third modern master already. of the morning. We heard from rosean in the introduction. We heard the story of now we're going to learn from our third modern master of the morning of kash the kajbi who made aliyah to arel from Poland in the 1920s and lived in downtown Tel Aviv. He's actually buried in the Sanhedria cemetery here in Shalim. He died in 1966 and he b he died in bet el 1966. We know that because some of us had the opportunity to visit his cav there as part of a a tour we I I lead a walking tour they lead once a year to the kit sadikim in Sanhedrin and and the salazar says the following about the Mishna we just learned. Take a look. This is text number three on our sheets. And okay, we can explain the words of our he says now how do we understand this at first glance? What is difficult to say? What's so terrible? What's the what's the tragedy poor for one who what contemplates the creations of God? Okay. How how can you say such a thing that it's a bad thing that you're liable with your soul for saying how beautiful the tree is? [snorts] But we could explain as follows that the intention of the Mishna must be be that at that moment he thinks what that because he's contemplating nature he is making a look in his head that this is considered to this is considered an interruption of his learning but Because from his perspective, what tora and nature are two separate entities. Okay? And therefore he that's why the verse says suggests that in such a circumstance he'd be liable for his soul. Because the reality is what there is no there is no separation between Torah and nature because all of all of nature has to be understood specifically through the lens of Torah. So says the says the the how do we understand our that the proverbial person walking on his way if he makes a in his mind if he sees his capacity to notice nature as being what Torah then he he doesn't understand what to limit is really all about limit to condition us what to see the world through the lens of Torah okay and therefore to see the yashem in everything that exists in ta nature and if a person doesn't have that level of cognition then what we'll take questions at the end then what then he's missing the point okay now let's take a look we're going to learn another piece that that deals with our question about the guy w walking down the street and he and and he w and he and he stops his learning to appreciate nature we're now going to learn another beautiful piece from our next modern master text number for from the orodal yahu. The orodel yahu of course are the beautiful mystical andidic teachings of rabbala and gdalash was the illustrious of in Brooklyn and of course he's a master ofic thought as we've learned together many many times. So this is text number four on our sheets. Okay. And says the following and he's going to quote a teaching from the the first says the explained that every bestowance of success of goodness that comes in this world. It all comes to the merit of the Torah we learn and the Torah we bring into this world. Okay. As the as the Zor tells us looked into the Torah so to speak and created the world and every bestowance of life. Okay. Every living thing that comes in this world, its ultimate source is in from the the proverbial tree of life. Now he's going to explain this. If we see that on this day of we see trees beginning to blossom, okay, that there's a a bestowance of things coming back to life or coming to life on this day. If we see that on this day and bestow of rain and and physical and physical wonders, this is a sign that what those things are not random. Okay, those the blossoming the bestow of water, the rain that allows the trees to bloom, those things are not random. It's a sign that what? That there those things coming into the world from above from the proverbial tree of life. Okay. And he brings it's brought in the name of Sepharash of the grandson of Rashi Elon that this world the world we live in is like an upside down tree. Because in this world we can only see what the branches and the leaves and the fruits of the tree. And the roots of the trees are where? In the heavens. Okay. Okay. And as the way that we condition ourselves to see the bestowance of the proverbial fruits of everything that Hashem brings into this world, if we can condition ourselves to see the anem and everything that comes into nature, everything that exists in tea, then what? Then we're allowing ourselves to stand, so to speak, a little bit on the roots of that tree that's planted where? In the heavens above. Okay. What do we see in we begin to see the formation of the fruits and the bloom blossoming of the new year. In that moment, we have to understand on this day of if we see see a renewal of life in the physical world, then what else must it inspire on this day? Autra, a renewal in our commitment to what? To learn Torah and to live by the Torah. And we are if this day is bringing a blossoming in the physical world then it's also a day that's unique to what to inspire us to begin with greater enthusiasm and dedication our commitment to the and if we make that commitment if we experience that renewal then what will that also simultaneously stimulate metaphysis physically. Okay. The blossoming in the physical world, the physical blessings will come as well if we take advantage of this day of this sh as a roash for us. Okay? A per a period of renewal and rededication for us. Then we will be the conduit to what to bring more into the physical world as well. Elon, we as human beings, we only see what the proverbial leaves and branches and fruits of the tree. And on this day, through the renewal that we make in our commitment to Torah, we have the capacity to begin to understand and comprehend. Okay? What is on the tree itself? It gives us the capacity to realize that we are Hashem's. We are put in this world to be Hashem's partners in completing renewing the world every single day. The we say in separation that Hashem in his goodness is constantly every single day continuing the process of what? creating the world and through our actions through the limitar that we have we we make we do through the good deeds that we do through the maim the mitzvah that we do we become the conduit to bring those braot into this world we become hashem's partners in what in completing creation the ongoing process of creation okay so that's all based on this beautiful the organ Yahoo brings. We're now going to learn from Rabbi Rabbi Mosha Wilson and Elenu in his beautiful Rabbi Wilson was a yeshiva he they overlap for part of their lives. Rabbi Wilson is actually buried the oral is buried in harim. Okay, we've actually those visited the kadik team together actually visited his kad and the and the rabbos Wilson who passed away just a few years ago he's buried in the in the cemetery in Tavaria where the rebi ofatan is buried just not far from there we're going to learn from the rebi in a few moments so this is text number five on our sheet okay this is the rabbi mosha wilson Note the trees that looked and appeared like they were dead in the days of winter. Okay. And they were covered with the proverbial white burial shrouds meaning in the winter at least init. So the trees are covered by snow and they look like they're dead. The trees there no there's no there's no vegetation on the trees. You just you just see the trunks. You just see the branches. You don't see any leaves. You don't see any blossoms. Okay? And in the winter they're covered in the proverbial white burial shrouds of the snow. He says, "But now on this day from the from what happens the trees, so to speak, come back to life and the sap begins to flow once again in the trees and they're experienc a renewal and they begin to come back to life with freshness." And when we take the fruits on this day, it reminds every single human being that what that we are likened to the the fruits the trees of the field and for the Jewish people and reminds the Jewish people that what we're the proverbial orchard of Hashem and the and and the works of his hand, the planting of his hand. And when we say over those fruits, and when we eat a new fruit that we haven't eaten before on this day, we say afterwards, what are we doing? We're giving thanks. We're acknowledging to Hashem that he has what? sustained the Jewish people and renewed the Jewish people. Okay. And then he says [snorts] from we enter the period of what the 30 days to before the PM. So from we're already looking ahead and preparing for PM. I'm going to make people nervous here. Okay. PM what what begins a p Okay, we begin the 30-day days to prep before we prepare as we begin to prepare for PEST. from we begin to count down the 49 days, the 50 days to when to sh the matra and that what happened on that awesome moment of the Jewish people heard the proverbial voice of God speaking and and the amongst the the the the mountain that was on fire and they survived. the sons of the sons taught from the period of until below yam. There's we don't have two full weeks without what some kind because you have all most of the are in the middle of the month and then two weeks after that we have okay so throughout this entire period we don't from until we don't we don't have two full weeks that go by without some kind of okay um this is the of next shabas we should have this in mind. Next Shabas we have Shabas prepares us for that the Jewish people experience an arousal from their melancholy and what happens they come back to life a renewal of life and they and they rejoice and they and they king and they called out in praise to Hashem and that's why next Shabas is called Shabbat Shir not only because we recall the awesome moment the Jewish people sing the song of the sea but says the sons of Rebi that it's all preparing us what for the week that follows when two Mishvat begins this period of from twoish to sh where we won't have two more than two full weeks without a yamto and therefore it's a time that brings us back to life. We're excited. We've been in the winter months since the winter, you know, doldrums since last month at the end of till till we're in the doldrums and then we come back to life with excitement and fervor because we know we're preparing for tubishvat and everything that will follow says the sons of rebi. Okay, one last word on on on this side of the sheet and then we're going to learn from the rebi of hiatam. This is the Reb the Reb of and this is text number six on our sheets and he says that's how the Reb taught when a person takes a fruit in his hand he has to contemplate how is it that this preexist how did this fruit come into existence Zorima a a tree seed had to be planted in the dirt in the soil and then it began to decay in the soil and only at that last moment when that seed has come out disintegrated to almost nothing. Okay. Okay. And what happens at that last moment just as almost rotted away all of a sudden it it it sprouts a sprout and it begins to blossom and then it grows from that little sprout that little sapling grows what? A tree that will bear fruit. So too a person has to perceive themsself. So even though a person is what has a unique capacity to do good things and to immerse themselves in Torah if a person remains what okay [snorts] egotistical then what happens then they can't reach their their their full potential they can't blossom and grow to their full potential only if a person begins to humble themselves Only if a person first humbles themselves can they what? Grow to the highest heights and become a full-fledged proverbial tree. This is the meaning of our that a person is like what? The tree of the field. When a person wants to reach the status of being a a truly evolved complete person human being, he should take a look and contemplate the the trees of the field. How did that tree come into existence? First, it had to be planted as a sapling in the in the soil. And from the tree we learn if we want to grow to to ascend towards the heavens to reach the heights just like the tree does the it begins what? First by being humble like that tree that sapling is placed low as a lowly seed in the ground that has to first almost decay to almost nothing and then from that it blossoms to a beautiful tree. So too, we have to humble ourselves in order for us to be able to ascend and reach our highest potential. Okay, I want to close with one last beautiful teaching related to tubishhat from the ohal yakov. The oh yakov is the rabbi hassiat. We've learned from him many many times in this class and the rabbi hassiata in this beautiful teaching this is from tubishvat of 1951. So 75 years ago. Okay, this is 13 years after Rabbi Hassatan had come to live in Israel. Three years after the establishment of the state of Israel and these are words that he shared to that he shared at his tish at his you know his gathering if you want to call it on the eve of in 1951. And listen to the Reb's words. He says the was particular in learning the Mishna that the says it doesn't say of the trees but what the tree. Okay. But it would seem it would be appropriate what to call this the rash of all the trees. So why why does the Mish say and the said the the fact this says not okay like we learned before this is an illusion to what the tree of life the source of all life which is the root of all the and the source of all the souls of the Jewish people and from above what what's implanting the heart of every single Jew the capacity to do good in this world and this idea the we're meant to bring to the world these are the proverbial fruits that come from what the proverbial tree of life And therefore this moment where we have this practice to eat lots of fruits from fruit trees on this day of of of tubish we also have to what? Learn the message what's alluded to by the word which means tree. What's a what's that message are both not just to eat a lot of fruit on this day but what be involved in a lot of mitzvah on this day do a lot of good on this day or at the very least what make a declaration on this day that what that I'm going to commit myself to do a lot of different mitzvah a lot of different and by doing so certainly we'll see a great fixing in the upper worlds by our commitment here to do good on this on this on this in this realm here down on earth. Okay. Now, what's amazing about this particular Reba, we've learned from him many many times together is that he often gives us a glimpse of what's going on on the ground in Erit Israel during this particular difficult period in Jewish history. So now he gives us a glimpse exactly does exactly that. Look at this third paragraph. But the to eat a lot of different fruits from Eric is we're not able to do that right now. Okay. Why? In in downtown Tel Aviv in 1951, there weren't a lot of fruits available here in Israel. Okay. Okay. The land of Israel was not full of beautiful fruits. And the beautiful fruits that the Torah tells us and promises us will be what [snorts] becomes known for and praised for they're not growing right now in with okay to our great despair says the during the time the time the 2,000 years of our exile was weakened and cease being what? that land flowing with milk and honey that the that the Torah promises us the land will be and he says he quotes a rashi in inos that says the land will cease to be a land flowing with honey and he points to Hashem says what I will lay bearing the the land the lamb will beow will be will be barren. But listen what the rabbi does with this. He says this is actually what a good sign for the Jewish people. Why that said our enemies ne will not and never succeeded. Okay. And saw success in planting and building up the land here. The will of God was that nature in of itself. That nature in itself would testify what? Of the inextricable bond between the Jewish people and this land. That no one else would succeed in making this land. Okay. The biblical prophecy what this land could be come to fruition. Only the Jewish people was. Yeshua. Now listen to Reb's words saying this. But now after the miraculous salvation that Hashem has brought to us with the establishment of what? Of the modern state of Israel. Then perhaps what? Now the time has come for Israel to return to being that land flowing with milk and honey. And therefore we can say what that indeed the the miracles the great kindnesses Hashem has bestowed upon us up till now that that we've given us the state of Israel that's only the beginning of the gula. Okay. The ultimate redemption that we're longing for still hasn't come. And what is that ultimate redemp redemption? And even the sign the Rebi said in 1951 that the that the Msiah is coming closer. That hasn't even been been revealed to us. We don't even see it. What is that sign? Yes. When the land returns to being that land flowing with milk and honey, that will be the sign that the gula is coming closer and is just around the corner. When aris once again gives its fruit in a in a in a beautiful way in a full way shakarvocates that will be the sign that the gula is indeed coming closer. My friends 75 years after the rebi of hiatan shared this beautiful Torah. 75 years later the reb is sitting there on two mishvat in Tel Aviv saying we can't eat the fruits of because they're not growing here. 75 years later. >> [snorts] >> Okay, if you take a walk to Mah Ye Yehuda Barashem, we see that that Nva is coming through before our very eyes, the sign that the is just around the corner is indeed very very clear to every single one of us. In the words of our great teacher, Rabbi Shalom who's missed every single moment of every single day. Rabbi Gold used to say, "If a person wants to speak to Hashem, they should go Davoto. But if a person wants to experience and feel close to Hashem and see Hashem miracles unfolding before their very eyes, they should take a walk to Mah Ye Yehuda and see and experience the miracles of Hashem coming to fruition." My friends, as we begin to prepare for the awesome Yant of Tishv, let's take to heart all these beautiful message. Let's understand that tishvat is indeed a day of ro shah an opportunity for us to renew experience renewal and spiritual commitment and in so doing we become the conduit to bring that braot all those brahoot and and those and that she into this world and in the words of with every new every every instance of renewal and reinvigoration that we experience it brings even more and more fruits to fruition here in this world and In the words of the Rebi will be Z please God very very soon to welcome Mashiachu because the signs that Mashiach is just around the corner have become very very clear byem as the land is returned to being an Zavatavash