New Fruits? A Seder? Shehechiyanu? And Other Tu B’shvat Mysteries
January, 2019
Rabbi Moshe Taub
I.
A ‘Seder’ on Tu B’Shevat?
I was first introduced to the idea of having a ‘seder’ on Tu B’Shevat only a few years ago. Had I missed learning about this concept at home or in yeshiva, or, was this something new?
It goes without saying that everyone should follow their rebbeim and parents in all matters of minhag and halacha, and that what follows is not challila to dissuade anyone from joining such an event, but rather an explanation as to why, perhpas, this minhag has not caught on in some circles.
For those unfamiliar, some mekubalim and chassidishe rebbes have a yearly ‘Tu B’Shvat seder’ with some similarities to the pesach seder.
These are often called a ‘peiros tish’.
While some contend that the origin of such Tu Bishvat sedarim is found in the Ari’Zal, I could find no mention of any such concept in any of his teachings or his students’ writings (readers are welcome to correct me here, and always).
Instead, the very first mention of such a seder is in a sefer titled ‘Chemdas Yamim’.
There one finds a whole chapter instructing us how to perform just such a seder on Tu B’shvat.
“Various perakim of tanach and Zohar are to be said… Four cups of different colored wines are drunk. mezonos and 30 different fruits (!!!) are to be eaten…Before each fruit you have kavanah for different combinations/intents of the shem havayah….”
This chapter was reprinted as a stand-alone pamphlet in 1753, titled ‘Kuntros Pri Eitz Hadar’. [See Image Below]
It is of historic interest to note that the original sefer Chemdas Yamim was printed without a traditional ‘shaar blaat’ -a title page where the author’s name, date of publication, motivation, etc. are found.
No less than Rav Yaakov Emden strongly asserted that the author of this work was none other than of Nosson (Nathan) of [G]Aza, the famed ‘disciple’ of Shabsei Tzvi.
Nosson helped birth their public pronouncement of ‘Yechi Melech HaMoshiach’, chanted whenever this rasha was nearby (see Jewish Encyclopedia, 1906 edition, entry: ‘Shabbethai Tzvi’ at length).
While there were certainly great leaders who disputed Rav Yaakov Emden’s claim, all agreed that, at best, this Sefer was written by an unknown person – perhaps holy, perhaps not.
Even the minhag among many to also serve ha’adama ‘fruits’ (e.g. bananas) at their ‘peiros tish’ dates back to the Chemdes Yamim.
Some find evidence for Rav Emden’s accusation in concealed messages found throughout this sefer. For example, some of the suggested phrases and incantations it offers to be said during this ‘seder‘– specifically those referring to our future redeemer – are the gematria of ‘Shabbsei Tzvi’.
The Steipler Gaon (d. 1985) went as far as refusing to touch a book that simply quotes the Chemdas Yamim!
The publisher of an early Amsterdam edition of this work – aware of the controversy surrounding its mysterious authorship – wrote the following poetic allusion to the fracas in his introductory note:
“If you find in it (this sefer) a fruit that doesn’t look virtuous, then throw away the peel and eat its inside flesh”
In that publisher’s opinion, one could discard the possible chaff of the source for the grains found in the material itself.
However, unless such a ‘seder’ is one’s parents’ or rebbe’s minhag, it may be wise for one to speak to their rav before adding this, or any new minhag, unfounded in chazal, to their Jewish repertoire.
Click here for more on the theme of ‘new minhagim, possibly not found in chazal.
See Selected Images Below From These Works:
II.
Fruits & Trees
A Tale of Two Minhagim
Among the many minhagim popularized by the Magen Avraham are the following two:
- The minhag of eating fruit on Tu BiShvat (Tu B’Shevut?-see below for its proper nikkud) (131:16)
- The minhag of placing trees inside ours shuls on Shavous (494:5)
(On the latter, while the Magen Avraham was not its inventor, he certainly popularized it: spreading spices on the floor of shul for Shavuos is brought by the Maharil, and, to spread out grass to remind us of receiving the Torah is mentioned already by the Rema; but it is the Magen Avaraham who records bringing trees inside of our shuls (cf. Gra).
As for the minhag of eating special fruits in Tu BiShvat, this is first
mentioned by Rav Yisachar Susan, a contemporary of Rav Yosef Karo, who moved from Morocco to Tzfas. However, again, it was the Magen Avraham – about one hundred years later- who taught it to the world.
He writes:
“The custom among ashkanazim is to eat fruits of the trees [on Tu Bishvat]”.
This, of course, is based on the mishnah (Rosh Hashana 1:1) that teaches us that Tu BiShvat is the rosh hashana of the trees (relating to hilchos terumah and maaser).
In fact, sefarim bring down that the pasuk ‘v’eitz hasadeh yitein piryo-and the tree of the field will give forth its fruit’ is the exact gematria of ‘chamisha asar bishvat’!
Let’s compare this to the other minhag that he also made well-known – that on Shavuos we place trees in shul. He explains that this is due to what we are taught in a mishnah (Rosh Hashana 1:2) that Shavuos is the yom hadin/day of judgement for the ‘peiros hailan-fruits of the trees’.
But wait!
Aren’t these minhagim inverted?!
On Shavous –when it’s fruits themselves that are judged – we should eat fruit!
And, on Tu B’Shevat –when the trees are arbitrated –we should, then, bedeck our shuls with trees!
Not having access to the various wonderful Torah search engines, I was hoping I would either discover an error in this question, or, would perhaps stumble on a sefer also bothered by this. B’chasdei Hashem, the latter occurred. While learning a sefer (whose name now escapes me!), I was delighted to discover that Rav Avraham Yaakov Freidman, the first rebbe of Sadigur (d. 1883) asked this very question (Emes L’Yaakov, Tu B’Shevat, 5627)! ‘Serendipity’ has always been my favorite English word, as it succinctly represents hashgacha pratis to the common eye, and perfectly captures the ideal of ‘yagata u’matzasa’.
His answer to this question reimagines how we are to view these days and these minhagim.
As we know, a tzadik is compared to a tree (see, e.g., Bamidbar 13:20 with Rashi), and the students of such tzadikim termed as their peiros/fruits.
In life, every person plays the role of both student and teacher, master and apprentice.
On Shavuos we focus on our role as the fruits/students to our rebbeim. We are being judged as to what type of leaders/trees we will have or accept upon ourselves. We therefore bring in trees to shul to remind ourselves that we must choose tzadikim and geonim as our leaders, and to learn and be influenced by chaveirim who are just, kind, and noble.
In contrast, on Tu B’Shevat the tzadikim/trees themselves are being judged; referring to what type of talmidim/fruits they will have, so they eat special fruits and recite a shehechiynu.
We too wish to be rebbeim -positive influences. But to whom? What type of talmidim will we have? What type of talmidim will the gedolim have?
What arises from this is an utterly new mindset to these distinct minhagim:
Tu B’shvat: We all have fruits/talmidim, for we are all rebbeim in some capacity to some people; our actions have influence. We therefore wish to ensure that our lessons to these students be those of Torah, and sweet and fruitful. Thus, we eat delicious and new fruits on this day of trees.
Shavuos: On the other hand, we are all talmidim as well. During this time of fruit is when we draw focus to that ‘talmidim’ status; we therefore entreat for trees/rebbeim who are worthy. Thus, we adorn our shuls with such verdancy.
A whole new outlook on two fêted minhagim!
On this note, the sefer Pri Yitzchak (21:9) brings a story from Rav Yizchak Issac Eichentsein of Zichitchuv (d. 1873).
One Tu B’Shevat, by his tish, there was not enough fruits for the many chasisim who had gathered.
When the rebbe saw their frustration in the faces of those who did not receive anything from him, he cried out:
“Is it fruit that you want? Do you know where you can find fruits? (Now quoting a famous chazal) ‘These are the things whose fruits are eaten in this world but whose principle is still maintained for the next….and talmud torah is equal to all of them (Shabbos 127)’”!
In other words, the ikar of this minhag is a reminder to be a proper teacher, and student, of Torah.
Beautiful!
Allow me to suggest another, more elementary reason for the seemingly peculiar switch of the Shavuos and Tu B’Shevat minhagim.
It is well known that the Gaon of Vilna was not agreeable, to put it lightly, to the Shavuos minhag of setting up trees in shul. Because non-Jews sometimes celebrate their deity(ies), R’l, with trees in their homes and churches, for us to then develop a new and similar custom could be a violation of the biblical precept of ‘bchukoseihem lo seileichu’ (see Chayei Adam {vol. 2, 131: 13}, Chochmas Adam {89: end 1}, and Maaseh Rav {#195}; this goes back to Part I where we alluded to the suspicion new minhagim, not based on chazal, are sometimes held).
Perhaps, then, while the Magen Avraham did not go as far as the Vilna Gaon as to outright ban using trees ever, perhaps even he felt that doing during the winter month Shevat –which so often falls out around their ‘holiday’ season of trees –was something with which he and others felt uncomfortable. So, they therefore switched around the Shavuos minhag with that of Tu B’Shevat.
{Christian use of trees during their winter festivities dates back to the 15th century]
III.
When the New is Old
The Minhag of Shehechyanu on Tu B’Shevat
On Tu B’Shevat, many have the custom of not just eating fruits, but to eat ‘new’ fruits; those that would demand a shehechiyanu be made.
While I have been unable to discover a clear source for this minhag, most rationalize it based off a fascinating gemara (Yerushalmi, end of perek 4 in Kiddushin):
“Said Rebbe Bun in the name of Rav, man will one day have to give an accounting on that he saw delicious items [of Hashem’s creation] and did not eat them. Rav Elazar (ben Pedas) was concerned for this teaching and would gather enough money to be able to seek out all items once a year”
The Chofetz Chaim even brings this chazal in his Mishnah Berrura, in hilchos berachos (225:19), although without tethering it to Tu B’Shevat.
The Tashbeitz Katan (siman 320) explains that the purpose of this chazal is so that one may have the ability to pronounce extra berachos to Hashem. Indeed, the ‘Sefer Chasidim’ (from the Rosh’s nephew) teaches based off this same chazal that once a year a person should gather the new fruits and make a shechiyanu. Since the new year for trees begins on Tu B’Shevat, this would be the most appropriate day to fulfill this inyan. (Yalkut Yosef; see also Meshech Chochma to Bereishis 1:16).
Now, one may think that fulfilling this minhag today is far easier than in earlier times.
For example, when I lived in Western New York, the big grocery chain there was called Wegmans. They are most famous for their fruits and vegetables. Not only are they known to carry the freshest and most delicious options, but their variety was incomparable. From time to time, they even carried ‘citrons’ (esrogim)! Their peaches in January tasted better than those from other stores in August! Their produce department alone is bigger than many other entire grocery stores.
So, come Tu B’Shevat one could find any fruit in the world!
But in truth, this leads to a most serious halachic issue, one that applies to stores of even lesser quality product.
True I can find such fruits on Tu B’Shevat, but these fruits are available the whole year! There are no more ‘seasons’ for fruits!
Is it still possible to make a shehechiyanu on, say, a pomegranate in its season (October-February in the US) when one can find them in May shipped from another country?
Rav Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe oh’c 3:34) has a very lengthy teshuvah on this matter, which is beyond the scope of this space. While he comes out that one may still make a shehechiyanu on fruits in their new season –even if available, albeit of lesser quality, throughout the year –he suggests that it may be better to avoid the beracha, as, anyway, shehechiyanu is not an obligation to begin with (Magen Avraham, siman 225).
The Satmar rebbe (Zemiros Divrei Yoel, p. 341) on the other hand was adamant that one mustn’t ever say shehechiyanu in our day when such fruits are available throughout the year.
So, for those seeking to make this beracha on fruit, perhaps dried-out boxer is not the best option. Rather, one should seek to find a new and fresh-looking fruit, that has not been consumed in some time, and one which brings some excitement.
IV.
Name, Please?
Although ‘Shevat‘ is most often pronounced with a patach, this month is referenced in tanach only once, and with an altogether different vowelization.
The pasuk states in Zecharia 1:7:
“On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month-that is, the month of Shevut-in the second year of Daryavush, the word of the Hashem came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the navi, saying.”
The beis has a kumutz and not a patach. It would seem that nekudos matter, as these same three letters could also read shevet/tribe if the vowels are off.
As I tell my congregants, just like the English words address, contrast, present and project who’s meaning utterly changes upon where one places just the accent or where one stresses the syllable, we should be mindful of dikduk – especially when vowel related! -as well.1
However, perhaps because the names of our months were taken from bavel, are of ostensibly non-Jewish origin, and are largely in the Acadian language (Yerushalmi, Rosh Hashana, see Bavli, Rosh Hashana, in Tosfos, 7a), their pronunciation is not as critical (see also Emes L’Yaakov to Shmos 12:2 and to Vayechi 49:7 for a fascinating discussion as to why we allowed such non-Jewish names).
Let’s close this Tu B’Shevat post with a positive idea.
Although of Babylonian origin, our holy sefarim still share secrets behind the names of our months.
When it comes to Shevat, many suggest that it stands for Shnas Besuros Tovos (a year of good tidings)
And so it should be!
- Speaking of Grammar: In the ‘Talk’ section of BMG’s Wikipidia page, we find this debate among editors:
The grammatically-correct transliteration of the Hebrew גָּבוֹהַּ is GOVOAH. NOT GOVOHA. (Just like נֹחַ is Noach, not Nocha!) — — – 05:07, 10 March 2010 (UTC)
You’re right about the grammar, but the name of the school is Govoha.–205.156.136.229 (talk) 19:03, 10 March 2010 (UTC)I’m not so sure you are right, as Noach has no nekudah in the Ches while Govoha does have a nekudah in the Heh.–Shmaltz (talk) 04:37, 2 November 2010 (UTC)
But while we’re on the subject of Hebrew grammar, the correct Hebrew word for study group is ‘chavurah’, not ‘chaburah’ as it is called many times in the article. The latter term (“chaburah”) means injury or wound. This is not really a criticism of the article or its author, per se, since it can be argued that s/he is only duplicating the very prevalent de facto yeshivah usage. Well, the yeshivah world tends to be rather ignorant of and oblivious to Hebrew grammar, in general, and here you have just one more telling example. But in this case, the error almost borders on the absurd — as if the members of the group engage in some kind of mutual (or self-) flagellation. Toddcs (talk) 20:04, 25 October 2010 (UTC)
It’s Aramic not Hebrew.–Shmaltz (talk) 03:34, 26 October 2010 (UTC)
Mmmm… seems unlikely. Could you cite a source for that, or an example from a recognized (pointed) Aram[a]ic text, please? Toddcs (talk) 22:12, 29 October 2010 (UTC)
BTW, what seems to your purely am haeretzdig brain is not going to change a name or a fact. In any event I did take the time to search for one, Pasachim 86b. —Shmaltz (talk) 02:20, 31 October 2010 (UTC)Oh and look at this.–Shmaltz (talk) 02:22, 31 October 2010 (UTC)
Rabbi Shmaltz, clearly you were offended by something I wrote. So sorry, I sincerely ask your mechilah. Toddcs (talk) 23:34, 1 November 2010 (UTC)Of course I was, I always get offended when I have to answer someone that his arrogance clashed with his ignorance.–Shmaltz (talk) 04:12, 2 November 2010 (UTC)
Shmaltz, the nekudah in the Heh is there in order to show that the Heh is pronounced as a consonant, (yes, consonant), and is only found in places where the consonantal Heh is at the end of the word. Ches does not need the nekudah because Ches is always a consonant. For more info., please see: Mappiq. — — —
20:21, 15 December 2010 (UTC)
Did I ever argue about גבוה? Shmaltz (talk) 23:49, 15 December 2010 (UTC)Yes, on 04:37, 2 November 2010 (UTC). — — —
03:13, 21 December 2010 (UTC)Sorry for my previous erased comment, I couldn’t find that comment. Thanks for clarifying. BTW, another example is מלפני אלוה יעקב most people don’t pronounce that right.–Shmaltz (talk) 17:13, 21 December 2010 (UTC) ↩︎
Leave a Reply