Rabbi's Blog

This Monday we celebrate the special Holiday of Tu Bishvat.  Many of our Holidays require a lot of preparation to make happen.   With Tu Bishvat, it’s possible to hold a “Kabbalistic Seder” which has a Pesach feel to it, and it’s also possible to run all around Toronto in search of the most exotic fruit possible; nevertheless, the main part of Tu Bishvat requires one simple activity that we do 28,800 times a day:  simply open your eyes.

This Monday, our job is to give thanks to our Creator for gifting us the special fruits we eat each and every day, and sadly take for granted. Hashem is so amazing for placing the seeds of a strawberry on the outside to make it look so pretty.  Or to have yummy fruit like a peach that have a hard pit that protects the seed, yet somehow, by placing it in dirt, the pit opens up and the seed sprouts. How cool is it that all fruits eat dirt and drink sunshine and water, yet come out tasting so different and delicious?!

A child comes home when her mother is away; on the stove, a prepared dinner awaits.  The child may not see her mother, but she definitely feels her presence. Likewise, every time we bite into a fruit, we too should feel Hashem’s presence.

So when we open our eyes this Monday, let us behold the gifts that Hashem gave us and thank Him.

Happy Tu Bishvat