Tu Bishvat is coming! The New Year of the Trees!
Tu Bishvat is coming! The New Year of the Trees! What fabulous timing! A week after reflections on the vision of MLK Jr and the Inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris, we can feel the spirit of renewal. Just as Tu Bishvat celebrates the rising sap in the trees that will bare fruit in the coming months, we are invited, along with the natural world, to be part of that wonder. Join us next Wednesday evening for this celebration of life!
This week’s Parsha, Bo describes the downfall of the ancient Pharaoh. Like that Pharoah, a modern Pharoah has lost control of power. But, we, the people, have a responsibility now, more than ever, to advance the vision of the founders of the country.
The attack on the Capitol and its vandalization and the resulting deaths are also due to deep discontent that past generations ignored and that we have not yet addressed within our society.
In the words of King: “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”
I look forward to pruning the fruit trees at Sanctuary this week. We all need to do some pruning! Without pruning our trees, ourselves, fruitfulness is greatly diminished.
Kadimah! Tu Bishvat Higiah,
Reb David