A Children’s Tu B’Shevat Seder

Welcome to our Tu B’Shevat Seder! Like a Passover Seder, we will structure our experience around four cups of grape juice, in this case symbolizing the four seasons.

​​​​​​​The First Cup

The first cup is a cup of white grape juice, symbolizing the bareness of winter.

Since this is the first time we have done a Tu B'Shevat Seder this year, we also say the Shehechiyanu blessing.

The First Song

Begin refilling cups - mostly white grape juice with a little purple.

The 15th of Shevat was chosen as the New Year for the Trees because that is when the first trees blossom in Israel, the almond trees. This song celebrates that.

The First Text

This is from the Mishnah, saying that the trees get their own new year. The Torah says in the Book of Leviticus (19:23-25), that when we plant fruit trees we should let them do their own thing for the first 3 years. In the fourth year we should give the fruit to the priests, who don't have their own fruit trees. Only starting in the fifth year should we take the fruit for ourselves (all fruit growers today still let fruit trees do their own thing for the first few years because it produces better fruit). What is the modern equivalent of sharing our "fruit" with people who don't have their own?

The First Food

The first food we eat is foods where we eat the inside but not the outside, such as clementines or bananas. These remind us of winter, when the outside seems like nothing is available but the real action is happening away from what can be seen. We say a blessing over fruit that grows on trees:

Fun fact: Bananas don’t technically grow on trees. Rather they grow on really big bushes. Thus, they get a different blessing:

The Second Cup

The second cup is a cup of white with a splash of purple grape juice, symbolizing the beginnings of life in spring.

The Second Song

Begin refilling cups - half white grape juice and half purple.

In the Book of Proverbs (3:18), wisdom (and by extension, the Torah) is described as "a tree of life". Here is Cantor Richard Silverman's tune.

​​​​​​​The Second Text

Avot d'Rabbi Natan 31b

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai said: If you are planting a tree and somebody tells you that the Messiah has come, finish planting the tree and then go to greet the Messiah.

This text suggests that planting trees is a huge priority. Once they are planted, we should take care of them. The Torah tells us in the Book of Deuteronomy (20:19-20) that if we need to cut down trees to use them we can do so, but we shouldn't hurt the trees unnecessarily. What do we use trees for today, and how can we reduce the number of trees that are cut down?

The Second Food

The second food we eat is food where we can eat the outside but not the inside, such as dates and apricots (or their dried equivalent). These foods remind us of spring, where we are more likely to think about large and small seeds. We have already said the blessing for fruit that grows on trees.

The Third Cup

The third cup is a cup of half white and half purple grape juice, symbolizing the vibrancy of summer.

​​​​​​​The Third Song

Begin refilling cups - all purple grape juice.

There's a song about the earth called "Adamah v'Shamayim", by Simon Lev-Tov.

​​​​​​​The Third Text

This is from a Midrash on the Book of Kohelet. In the Torah in the Book of Genesis (2:15), we are told that G-d put people on the Earth "to work it and to guard it". What are some ways that we can take care of the Earth?

The Third Food

The third food we eat is foods that have an edible outside and inside, such as raisins and figs. These remind us of summer, when everything seems available. We have already said the blessing for fruit that grows on trees (and vines).

​​​​​​​The Fourth Cup

The fourth cup is a cup of purple grape juice, symbolizing the rich colors of fall.

The Fourth Song

The Torah says 14 times that the Land of Israel is a land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8, 3:17, 13:5, 33:3, Leviticus 20:24, Numbers 13:27, 14:8, 16:14, Deuteronomy 6:3, 11:9, 26:9, 26:15, 27:3, 31:20)

The Fourth Text

This text comes from the Talmud. It also says in the Torah in the Book of Deuteronomy (8:8) that the Land of Israel is a land of wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates. Just like our ancestors made sure there was food for us, how can we make the world better for those who come after us?

The Fourth Food

The fourth food we eat is wheat products, such as crackers and cookies. These remind us of fall, when things are harvested. These foods get a blessing for food made with wheat but not used as bread:

Conclusion

This ends our Tu B’Shevat Seder. We thank those who worked to make our experience possible. And we say together:

Next year in a better-cared-for world!

With appreciation to Cantor Neil Schwartz’s “Tu BiSh’vat Seder”, Andy Kirschner, Nakdan, and the food explanations from the PJ Library “Tu B’Shevat Seder”.