A Kabbalist's Feast by Rabbi Yonah Bookstein is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

A tree is constantly growing and so must we. A tree produces fruit and so must we.

On Tu B'Shevat we must renew personal growth, just as the trees on Tu B'Shevat begin to draw moisture from the earth.

The first Tu B’Shevat Seder was written by an anonymous student of the great Kabbalist of Safed, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (b.1534-d.1572). His fifty-page booklet presented fruits to eat and passages to read from holy sources such as the Torah, Prophets and Writings, and Zohar. The book was arranged like a seder and deeply Kabbalistic. Ever since, the Tu B’Shevat Seder has been handed down through generations and observed by various communities. Our Seder is based on a selection of new and old seders, with our own original elements added to the mix. Its order is based both on the order of native species to Israel and the four Kabbalistic worlds.

Dark and light grape juice, red and white wine, beer (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), plenty of water, cake, olives, dates, grapes, figs, pomegranates, walnuts, almonds, carob, apples, pears, and if you can, candied etrog rind. In addition, bring other fruits with inedible shells or peels, fruits with edible skins but have seeds, fruits that are totally eaten, and fragrant fruits. Use as many different kinds of fruit as you can find, especially exotic fruit that you rarely eat. Bring kippahs for those who may want to wear one during the ceremony. Also, have prayer books or benchers (booklets with the Grace after Meals) available for the After Blessing.

A PARTICIPANT ASKS: Why do Jews celebrate the New Year for fruit trees on Tu B'Shevat?

ALL RECITE TOGETHER: Tu B’Shevat marks the time when sap starts to flow upward, nourishing the trees, starting new growth.

PARTICIPANT: OK, so what’s that got to do with me? I am not a tree.

ALL: Since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jewish people could no longer bring First Fruit offerings (Bikkurim) to Jerusalem. On Tu B'Shevat we offer instead the "fruit of our lips," praise for all the fruit trees in the world. (Magen Avraham 131:16: "It is the custom on Tu b'Shevat to eat many different kinds of fruit.").

PARTICIPANT: The Talmud says that Tu B'Shevat is the New Year for the TREE (singular) (Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:1). This reference to a single tree is an allusion to "The Tree" — the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden.

Meditation: “One should intend that they are eating at the celestial table before God, in the Garden of Eden before the Divine Presence.” (Reshit Chochmah Gates of Holiness 15:83)

PARTICIPANT: The flow of God's beneficence is called the Tree of Life—the roots, above in God’s will; the fruit, here below. By eating fruit on this day we correct and increase this flow (Pri Etz Hadar 2:1).

ALL: Adam and Eve erred by eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. To correct this mistake, we eat our fruit today with pure intentions, as if from the Tree of Life.

PARTICIPANT: Rabbi Chaim Vital wrote: My teacher, the holy Arizal, used to say that one must intend while eating the fruits at the Tu B'Shevat Seder to repair the sin of Adam who erred by eating fruit from the tree (Berachot 40a)*.

PARTICIPANT: Originally we were nourished on fruit alone. Every tree produced fruit. After our exile from Gan Eden (The Garden of Eden), we had to work for our food, cultivate the earth, and many trees stopped giving forth fruit. In the Messianic Era, all trees will once again give forth their fruit.

PARTICIPANT: In the Talmud, Rabbi Abbun said: “In the next world, a person will be judged for all the fine fruit that he saw but did not eat.” Rabbi Elazar fulfilled this teaching. Although he was very poor, he saved up small coins, which he kept in a special pouch, to purchase new fruits as they came into season.

PARTICIPANT: According to the Torah the land of Israel is blessed with seven native species: Wheat, Barley, Grapes, Olives, Figs, Pomegranates, and Dates.

*The Talmud in tractate Brachot 40a records a discussion of what was the fruit in the Garden of Eden. “Rabbi Meir says: The fruit of (the Tree of Knowledge of Good-and-Evil) was a grape… Rabbi Nechemia says: It was a fig... Rabbi Yehuda says: It was wheat...” Isn’t it funny that none of the Rabbis say apple?!

*We pass around cake or another food made from wheat.

ALL: God gave us “A land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olives and honey.” (Deuteronomy 8:8). Since the Torah begins with grains, we begin by eating food made from grain—cake, or bread.

ALL RECITE THE BLESSING: "Baruch Atah Ado-nai, Elohai-nu Melech HaOlam, boray minay mezonot." "Blessed are you, God, Creator of the Universe, Who creates species of nourishment."

* When Tu B’Shevat falls on Friday night, we use a Seder guide which includes the prayers and order of blessings as on Shabbat.

*We pass around beer or another food or drink made from barley.

ALL: During the 49 days between the second night of Passover and Shavuot, we count 49 days corresponding to the barley offerings given in the Holy Temple. As it is written, “You shall count for yourselves…from the day when you bring the Omer…seven Shabbats…” (Leviticus 

23:15-16).

PARTICIPANT: The Kabbalists teach that the 49 days are also steps in personal growth via seven attributes of the sephirot**: Loving-kindness, discipline, harmony, endurance, humility, bonding, and leadership. Each week between Passover and Shavuot, we dedicate to examining and refining our character corresponding to one of these attributes.

ALL RECITE THE BLESSING: "Baruch Atah Ado-nai, Elohai-nu Melech HaOlam, shehakol nee-yeh bee-dvaro." "Blessed are you, God, Creator of the Universe, through Whose word everything came to be."



* This part of the Seder has been added to reflect on the custom of counting the Omer. In addition, beer is one of the oldest known drinks to humankind and is usually brewed from barley.

** During the counting of the Omer we refer to the lower seven sephirot which relate to seven conscious emotions. The ten sephirot in the Tree of Life are 1) Keter - Crown 2) Chochma - Wisdom 3) Binah/Daat - Understanding/Knowledge 4) Chesed - Lovingkindness 5) Gevurah - Strength 6) Tiferet - Beauty 7) Netzach - Victory 8) Hod - Splendor 9) Yesod - Foundation 10) Malchut – Kingship.

*On Tu B'Shevat, we eat the fruit by which the Torah praises the Land of Israel.

PARTICIPANT: As the verse says: “The trees have borne their fruit, fig tree and vine have yielded their strength. Children of Zion be happy, rejoice in the Lord, your God” (Yoel 2:22-23).

ALL RECITE THE BLESSING: Baruch Ata Adod-nai Elohai-nu Melech HaOlam boray pri ha-aitz. “Blessed are you God, Creator of the Universe, Who creates the fruit of the tree.”

If there is a seasonal fruit at the table, which you have not yet tasted this season, say the following additional blessing before eating the fruit:

ALL RECITE THE BLESSING: Baruch Ata Ado-noi, Elohai-nu Melech HaOlam, sheh-he-che-yanu vikee-yimanu vi-hee-gee-yanu laz-man ha-zeh. “Blessed are You God, Creator of the Universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season.”



*Rabbi Chaim Vital (main disciple of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria) explained that there are 30 fruits which parallel the Ten Sephirot ("Divine Attributes") as they are manifested in each of the three lower of the four spiritual worlds

PARTICIPANT: Olives: The Sages taught: “Just as olive oil brings light into the world, so do the Jewish People bring light into the world."(Midrash Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:3:2).

ALL: Olives yield the best of its oil only when the fruit is crushed.

PARTICIPANT: Dates: “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree" (Psalms 92:13). The righteous are fruitful and sweet, just like a date palm.

ALL: Dates are often a metaphor for the righteous, as the date tree is both lofty and fruitbearing. Further, as the date tree is impervious to the changing winds, so too are the Jewish people.

PARTICIPANT: Grapes: “Just as a vine has large and small clusters and the large ones hang lower, so too the Jewish people: Whoever labors in Torah and is greater in Torah, seems lower than his fellow [due to his humility]" (Vayikra Rabbah 36:2).

ALL: Grapes can be turned into very different sorts of food (raisins) and drink (wine); so too, each Jew has the potential to be successful in some aspect of Torah and mitzvot observance and to be special in his or her own way.

PARTICIPANT: Figs: Rabbi Yochanan said: “What is the meaning of 'He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit' (Proverbs 27:18)? Why is the Torah compared to a fruit tree? Figs on a tree do not ripen all at once but a little each day. Therefore, the longer one searches in the tree, the more figs one finds. So too with Torah: The more one studies, the more knowledge and wisdom one finds” (Eruvin 54a-54b).

ALL: Figs must be picked as soon as they ripen, for they quickly go bad. Similarly, we must be quick to do good deeds at hand before the opportunity spoils (See Song of Songs 2:10).

PARTICIPANT: Pomegranates: “Even the most unidentified of Jews are as full of merit as a pomegranate is pips.” (See Song of Songs 4:4, and Song of Songs 6:7).

ALL: “Let us see… if the pomegranates are in bloom,” the Rabbis comment, “These are children who are busy learning Torah; they sit in rows like pomegranate seeds."

ALL: “Wine gladdens a person’s heart.” This refers to the wine of Torah. 20

PARTICIPANT: We drink four cups of wine or grape juice, which relate to four different categories of fruit. Each of these fruits also corresponds to four spiritual realms, spiritual worlds. Each level becomes more spiritually refined and connected to the Creator. As we eat, we elevate the fruits —and ourselves— through the various levels, rising higher and higher.

PARTICIPANT: The Arba’ah Olamot “The Four Worlds”* correspond to four levels of the soul from lowest to highest:

ALL: Olam Ha’ Asiah — The WORLD of action — Nefesh —

Olam Ha’ Yetzirah The WORLD of formation — Ruach

Olam Ha’ Beriah — The WORLD of creation — Neshama

Olam Ha’ Atzilut —The WORLD of emanation and pure Godliness — Chaya

*“The four worlds, Atzilut ("the world of emanation"), Beriah ("the world of creation"), Yetzirah ("the world of formation"), and Asiyah ("the world of action") all emerge out of God's infinite light (which, after the initial tzimtzum, shines through the partzuf of Adam Kadmon, as described above) and culminate in our finite physical universe.” —Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh.

PARTICIPANT: The World of Action, a realm where evil exerts a powerful attraction, is represented by those fruits, which are enclosed in a totally inedible protective shell.

ALL RECITE THE BLESSING: Baruch Ata Adon-ai Elohai-nu Melech HaOlam boray pri ha-gafen. Blessed are you God, Master of the universe who creates the fruit of the vine.

Prepare the second cup by filling the glass with white wine/grape juice, then add a small amount of red wine or dark grape juice to make it light pink in color

PARTICIPANT: The World of Formation is a lower level of purity, and is represented by those fruits which all is eaten except for a pit on the inside.

PARTICIPANT: The World of Creation is far removed from the realm of impurity and is represented by those fruits that are wholly edible. This is the highest level in the created world.*

* The three lower worlds -- asiyah, yetzirah, and briah -- are called ma'aseh bereishit, “the act of creation.”

See: Blessings on Other Foods, M'ain Shalosh for the blessing.

PARTICIPANT: The World of Emanation is too purely divine to have physical representation; instead, we rely on fragrance. We pray on Tu B'Shevat, when all the trees are judged, that God should make available for us a kosher and especially beautiful etrog in time for Sukkot. (Bnei Yissaschar Shevat 2:2:1)

PARTICIPANT: Eating 12 different fruits is significant, since this corresponds to the 12 different arrangements of the four-letter ineffable Name of God.*

ALL: “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit each person under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken" (See Micah 4:3-4).

PARTICIPANT: “Rabbi Abba taught: There is no more revealed redemption -- no greater indication of the impending redemption -- than that which the verse (Ezekiel 36:8) states: And you, mountains of Israel, you shall give forth your branches and you shall bear your fruit for my people Israel, for they shall soon come” (Sanhedrin 98a). Rashi explains: When the Land of Israel will give fruit bountifully, this indicates the impending redemption, and there is no more significant indication than this (Rashi on Sanhedrin 98a:3).

PARTICIPANT: Eating fruit reminds us to learn Torah with joy and pleasure since we give pleasure to God. It is also an important day to learn and spread the inner dimension of the Torah, wherein you find the greatest sweetness and pleasure of the Torah. The fact that the full moon occurs tonight reflects the fullness and joy of Tu B’Shevat and reminds us that all Jews are sons and daughters of kings and queens until the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days.

*Eating 15 different fruits is also significant since this is the numerical value of Yud-Heh, the Name of God, which connects the physical to the spiritual, between this world and the next world. In the Holy Temple, the Levites would sing each of the 15 "Shir HaMa'alot" Psalms as they ascended each of the 15 steps.