Tu B'Shvat – The Fifteenth of Shvat

The Talmud tells us that the fifteenth of Shvat is the "Rosh HaShana" (New Year) for trees. Tu B'Shvat – "Tu" represents the number fifteen – is the day when the sap begins to flow back into the limbs of the tree to begin a new season of growth. For this reason, Tu B'Shvat marks the beginning of a new crop. This is relevant for a number of the laws of agriculture, such as tithing and the prohibition against eating the fruit of trees in their first three years. Many of these laws are only applicable within the land of Israel.

The Significance of the Agricultural Laws

In the Jewish land, where the Divine law has full scope, nothing was supposed to germinate or blossom or ripen without bringing the Jew obligations as well as enjoyment. The Jewish law continually invites us to the observation of the laws and ways of Nature, and it is ever teaching us to use the products of the soil for bringing to ripeness a human life permeated with the idea of God.

On the Jewish field, no seed ripens for the owner alone, no Jewish tree blossoms for the proprietor only. How to achieve spiritual ends with human means, how to ennoble and dedicate natural enjoyments in a way worthy of human beings—this lesson is taught to the Jewish landowner with every grain of corn, every bit of produce that he obtains from his harvest.

The whole Jewish land, in ploughland, field and garden, is one great sermon preached by the Creator. With every furrow that he draws, with every grain that he scatters, the Jewish ploughman in his conquest of Nature is reminded of the great Lawgiver of Nature.

Paraphrased from Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, Collected Writings II, pg. 317-319

Tu B'Shvat is primarily a legal date, serving as a dividing line between the crops of separate years. However, it is also considered a minor holiday. It is customary to eat fruit on Tu B'Shvat so as to be able to recite the blessing on fruit:

Blessed are You, HaShem our God, King of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the tree.

In particular, one should try to eat of the fruits that are uniquely associated with the land of Israel such as grapes, dates, figs, pomegranates, and olives. If possible, one should eat fruits imported from Israel; however, in such a case care must be taken to assure that all the appropriate agricultural laws were observed in their harvest. When eating these fruit, one should pray for the redemption, when all Jews will live in the land of Israel, the Temple will be rebuilt, and we will all be able to properly fulfill the laws associated with the land of Israel.

It is a widespread custom to pray for a good quality esrog on Tu B'Shvat. The esrog is the fruit used together with the lulav on Sukkos. While praying for an esrog, one should also pray for all the fruit trees in the world that they should produce abundant good fruit.