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The Calendar עִנְיְנֵי דְּיוֹמָא
What is Tu Bishvat? “Tu” stands for ט”ו, which has the numerical value of 15. So Tu Bishvat is the 15th day of Shevat.
According to the Mishnah, there are four dates during the year that are each called “New Year” for different reasons, and Tu Bishvat is one of them.
אַרְבָּעָה רָאשֵׁי שָׁנִים הֵם.
(1) בְּאֶחָד בְּנִיסָן רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לַמְּלָכִים וְלָרְגָלִים.
(2) בְּאֶחָד בֶּאֱלוּל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לְמַעְשַׂר בְּהֵמָה…
(3) בְּאֶחָד בְּתִשְׁרֵי רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לַשָּׁנִים וְלַשְּׁמִטִּין וְלַיּוֹבְלוֹת, לַנְּטִיעָה וְלַיְרָקוֹת.
(4) בְּאֶחָד בִּשְׁבָט רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לָאִילָן, כְּדִבְרֵי בֵית שַׁמַּאי. בֵּית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בּוֹ:
There are four new years:
The 1st day of Nisan is the new year for counting the years of a king’s reign and knowing when the new season of holidays starts.
The 1st day of Elul is the new year for grouping newborn animals together in order to give one tenth to the kohanim…
The 1st day of Tishrei is the new year for the Jewish calendar, knowing when the shemittah and yovel years start, counting the first three years of a new plant (when its fruits are forbidden), and grouping vegetable harvests together in order to give portions to kohanim, Levi’im, and people who are poor.
The 1st day of Shevat is the new year for the tree—according to Beit Shammai. Beit Hillel say: the 15th day of Shevat.
This mishnah calls new year #4 the new year of the tree, but it really has to do with fruit. Read on and you’ll see how!
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