Blessings Upon Sensory Pleasures
Blessed are you, Eternal, our God, sovereign of space and time: who creates all kinds of spices.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֺקֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּֽפֶן:
Blessed are you, Eternal, our God, sovereign of space and time: who creates the fruits of the vine.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ:
Blessed are you, Eternal, our God, sovereign of space and time: who creates the fruits of the tree.
Blessed are you, Eternal, our God, sovereign of space and time: who has made us alive and kept us alive and brought us to this time.
Blessing Upon Study
(א) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹקֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּ֒שָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה:
(ב) וְהַעֲרֶב נָא ה' אֱלֹקֵֽינוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִֽינוּ וּבְפִי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵֽינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּֽנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶֽךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶֽךָ. (י"א לִשְׁמָהּ). בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל.
Blessed are You, Divine power, sovereign of the cosmos, who sanctifies us through practice, enjoining us to steep ourselves in words of Torah.
Please, God, make the words of your Torah pleasant in our mouths and in the mouths of your people Israel; and may we and our descendants and the descendants of our descendants and the descendants of your people the House of Israel all know your name and be students of your Torah for Her own sake. Blessed are You, Divinity, who teaches Torah to your people, Israel.
Atzilut: Emanations of the Subtle Realms
If it is the birthday of trees, then it is the birthday of the rain they draw from the sky, the birthday of the rocks they slow grind into soil, the birthday of every insect harbored by bark and leaf, every bird pausing flight on an uplifted branch. If it is the birthday of trees, it is the birthday of language, electric pulsing of root tips, scented messages, pollen drifts, seeds transported on wing. It is the birthday of every map ever made, on bark, on paper, scratched with a stick in clay, drawn in charcoal on a cave wall, because trees are maps, layered in time. …
Every tree on earth is a star. We could navigate by the constellations they make from minerals and water, sunlight and the tingling sense of kinship in every cell. Their vast generosity of fruit and nut, wood and thatch, is the least of it. It is the birthday of embodied stories, the birthday of remembering, of finding our place in the universe through the living atlas of their infinite, ever-branching selves.
From the Dreaming the World to Come planner, 5785 (2024-2025)
(ז) וְחֶזְוֵ֥י רֵאשִׁ֖י עַֽל־מִשְׁכְּבִ֑י חָזֵ֣ה הֲוֵ֔ית וַאֲל֥וּ אִילָ֛ן בְּג֥וֹא אַרְעָ֖א וְרוּמֵ֥הּ שַׂגִּֽיא׃ (ח) רְבָ֥ה אִֽילָנָ֖א וּתְקִ֑ף וְרוּמֵהּ֙ יִמְטֵ֣א לִשְׁמַיָּ֔א וַחֲזוֹתֵ֖הּ לְס֥וֹף כׇּל־אַרְעָֽא׃ (ט) עׇפְיֵ֤הּ שַׁפִּיר֙ וְאִנְבֵּ֣הּ שַׂגִּ֔יא וּמָז֨וֹן לְכֹ֖לָּא־בֵ֑הּ תְּחֹת֜וֹהִי תַּטְלֵ֣ל ׀ חֵיוַ֣ת בָּרָ֗א וּבְעַנְפ֙וֹהִי֙ (ידרון) [יְדוּרָן֙] צִפְּרֵ֣י שְׁמַיָּ֔א וּמִנֵּ֖הּ יִתְּזִ֥ין כׇּל־בִּשְׂרָֽא׃
(7) In the visions of my mind in bed I saw a tree of great height in the midst of the earth; (8) The tree grew and became mighty; Its top reached heaven, And it was visible to the ends of the earth. (9) Its foliage was beautiful And its fruit abundant; There was food for all in it. Beneath it the beasts of the field found shade, And the birds of the sky dwelt on its branches; All creatures fed on it.
Briyah: The Archetypal Mind
(יא) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹקִ֗ים תַּֽדְשֵׁ֤א הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ דֶּ֗שֶׁא עֵ֚שֶׂב מַזְרִ֣יעַ זֶ֔רַע עֵ֣ץ פְּרִ֞י עֹ֤שֶׂה פְּרִי֙ לְמִינ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר זַרְעוֹ־ב֖וֹ עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וַֽיְהִי־כֵֽן׃ (יב) וַתּוֹצֵ֨א הָאָ֜רֶץ דֶּ֠שֶׁא עֵ֣שֶׂב מַזְרִ֤יעַ זֶ֙רַע֙ לְמִינֵ֔הוּ וְעֵ֧ץ עֹֽשֶׂה־פְּרִ֛י אֲשֶׁ֥ר זַרְעוֹ־ב֖וֹ לְמִינֵ֑הוּ וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹקִ֖ים כִּי־טֽוֹב׃ (יג) וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם שְׁלִישִֽׁי׃ {פ}
(11) And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation: seed-bearing plants, fruit trees of every kind on earth making fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so.
(12) The earth brought forth vegetation: seed-bearing plants of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it. And God saw that this was good. (13) And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.
(ח) וַיִּטַּ֞ע ה׳ אֱלֹקִ֛ים גַּן־בְּעֵ֖דֶן מִקֶּ֑דֶם וַיָּ֣שֶׂם שָׁ֔ם אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָצָֽר׃ (ט) וַיַּצְמַ֞ח ה׳ אֱלֹקִים֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה כׇּל־עֵ֛ץ נֶחְמָ֥ד לְמַרְאֶ֖ה וְט֣וֹב לְמַאֲכָ֑ל וְעֵ֤ץ הַֽחַיִּים֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַגָּ֔ן וְעֵ֕ץ הַדַּ֖עַת ט֥וֹב וָרָֽע׃
…
(טו) וַיִּקַּ֛ח ה׳ אֱלֹקִ֖ים אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּנִּחֵ֣הוּ בְגַן־עֵ֔דֶן לְעׇבְדָ֖הּ וּלְשׇׁמְרָֽהּ׃ (טז) וַיְצַו֙ ה׳ אֱלֹקִ֔ים עַל־הָֽאָדָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר מִכֹּ֥ל עֵֽץ־הַגָּ֖ן אָכֹ֥ל תֹּאכֵֽל׃ (יז) וּמֵעֵ֗ץ הַדַּ֙עַת֙ ט֣וֹב וָרָ֔ע לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל מִמֶּ֑נּוּ כִּ֗י בְּי֛וֹם אֲכׇלְךָ֥ מִמֶּ֖נּוּ מ֥וֹת תָּמֽוּת׃
(8) God ה׳ planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and placed there the Human who had been fashioned. (9) And from the ground God ה׳ caused to grow every tree that was pleasing to the sight and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and bad.….
(15) God ה׳ settled the Human in the garden of Eden, to till it and tend it. (16) And God ה׳ commanded the Human, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat; (17) but as for the tree of knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat of it; for as soon as you eat of it, you shall surely die.”
(ד) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַנָּחָ֖שׁ אֶל־הָֽאִשָּׁ֑ה לֹֽא־מ֖וֹת תְּמֻתֽוּן׃ (ה) כִּ֚י יֹדֵ֣עַ אֱלֹקִ֔ים כִּ֗י בְּיוֹם֙ אֲכׇלְכֶ֣ם מִמֶּ֔נּוּ וְנִפְקְח֖וּ עֵֽינֵיכֶ֑ם וִהְיִיתֶם֙ כֵּֽאלֹקִ֔ים יֹדְעֵ֖י ט֥וֹב וָרָֽע׃
(ו) וַתֵּ֣רֶא הָֽאִשָּׁ֡ה כִּ֣י טוֹב֩ הָעֵ֨ץ לְמַאֲכָ֜ל וְכִ֧י תַֽאֲוָה־ה֣וּא לָעֵינַ֗יִם וְנֶחְמָ֤ד הָעֵץ֙ לְהַשְׂכִּ֔יל וַתִּקַּ֥ח מִפִּרְי֖וֹ וַתֹּאכַ֑ל וַתִּתֵּ֧ן גַּם־לְאִישָׁ֛הּ עִמָּ֖הּ וַיֹּאכַֽל׃
(4) And the serpent said to the woman, “You are not going to die, (5) but God knows that as soon as you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like divine beings who know [Or: “like God, who knows.”] good and bad.”
(6) When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her man with her, and he ate.
A location for the Tree of Knowledge is not specified because both the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge are “in the midst of the garden” - they have the same location. In other words, they are the very same tree (Pri Tzadik, Beshalach). Another way of saying this is: the essence of all trees - ‘tree’ being a metaphor for all reality - contains both the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. …
They each respectively represent two different ways that we can relate to the single Tree of Reality. Similar to the quantum conundrum of Schrodinger’s Cat… the single Tree of Reality contains the co-existent potential of both the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. However, once a person acts or ‘eats’ from the single Tree of Reality, similar to opening the door [on Schrodinger’s Cat], the fruit of their action will reveal itself to be from either the Tree of Life or the Tree of Knowledge, depending on how and why the fruit was eaten. …
To “eat from the Tree of Life” is to internalize the Oneness of Life, the unity of the Divine within our own lives. Whenever we relate to the Divine Oneness through the prism of our world, we are tasting from the Tree of Life.
To “eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” is to internalize the apparent duality, separation, disconnection and conflict in life. A tension between good and bad appears, which itself feels bad. …
As soon as Chavah moved toward eating, internalizing, and identifying with the Tree of Knowledge, she first observed that the Tree was “good for food” - good as separate from bad. She had a shift in consciousness into calculative thinking: seeing things primarily for their worldly utility and payoff, rather than for their potential to express Divine presence and pleasure.
….
In the highest, deepest form of pure pleasure, there is no consumption or elimination of the vehicle of that pleasure; rather, one loses oneself and becomes fully absorbed within the Divine essence permeating that object. Receiving pleasure from a beautiful sight, sound or taste does not diminish, eliminate or ‘kill’ its spiritual energy or potential. On the contrary, from the Tree of Life paradigm, aesthetic pleasure is a vitalizing and necessary ingredient in the full-spectrum experience of the fullness of God’s glory.
By contrast, the Tree of Knowledge brings with it ‘death.’ … When they ate from the Tree of Knowledge, they suddenly and for the first time became painfully aware of their mortality. Furthermore… all eating took on the quality of death in some respect. Whereas previously, there was no duality perceived between life and death, as all of life was related to as one unified process; now after having eaten the fruit from the Tree of Duality, it was understood that for us to eat, something first has to die, whether animals or fruits. In fact, the Hebrew word for the act of eating, achilah, comes from the same word as kilayon, which means expiring or ending.
The eating of fruit on Tu b’Shvat is a symbolic rectification of this first original sin, offering us a glimpse of a return to the consciousness of being in the Garden of Eden, the place of the original and total connection of humanity with God.
Yetzirah: Stirring with Creation
Add new activities to your life that will open you, nurture you and enable you to be creative and expressive. … It is a joy to be creative and allow yourself to be a channel for the wisdom, love and beauty of God to be expressed through you.
The work we have done in Tevet to meet and overcome challenges has not been in vain. The seeds of our expanded potential have been planted deeper within us this month and we have been strengthened. Know that now, in Shvat, the seed is sprouting. Something new is going to come forth within you. A little more patience is needed. Believe that you will bear new fruit and you will. We will bring forth our visions into reality. Open to a new beginning. Say yes to the newness of life once again and open to the new life force energy stirring within you this month.
The evident cycle of trees can inspire us to understand our own creative cycles and have faith in them.
Spend at least some time each day doing what resonates with your soul purpose.
Assiyah: Grounding Into The ‘Real’
At the hour that the Holy One created the first human being, the Holy One brought that being before all the trees in the Garden of Eden and said:
“Behold the beauty and abundance of my works! All that I created, I created for you. Consider this and do not destroy or ruin my world, for if you ruin it, there will be no one after you to make it right.”
Certainly a person is like a tree of the field. A person is like a tree in the Holy Apple Orchard, the Shechina.
Rabbi Jill Hammer, The Jewish Book of Days: 19 Shevat
This orchard is a radical concept, because it implies each of us is a cell in the Divine being. In fact, one mystical word for the Shechina is “the community of Israel” - the Shechina is a gathering of all of us. Shevat, the season of sap, reminds us we are not alone - we may be individuals, but we are also part of the apple orchard. We can act as part of a larger web of life.
1) Donate to the Rabbis for Human Rights program "Planting Justice" to plant trees in West Bank Palestinian communities, by Israelis and Palestinians together, here: https://tree-rhr.org
2) Donate to feed people in Gaza through Gaza Soup Kitchen: https://gazasoupkitchen.com
3) Donate to Leket Israel, which is helping Israeli farmers harvesting who have lost their work force due to the war or been decimated (30-40% of Israel's agriculture comes from the Gaza Envelope kibbutzim). Leket Israel also feeds the hungry, including all communities and peoples, inside Israel: https://www.leket.org/en/leket-israel/
Blessing After Fruits and Wine
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם: עַל הַגֶּפֶן וְעַל פְּרִי הַגֶּפֶן, עַל הָעֵץ וְעַל פְּרִי הָעֵץ, וְעַל תְּנוּבַת הַשָּׂדֶה וְעַל אֶרֶץ חֶמְדָּה טוֹבָה וּרְחָבָה שֶׁרָצִיתָ וְהִנְחַלְתָּ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ לֶאֱכֹל מִפִּרְיָהּ וְלִשְׂבּוֹעַ מִטּוּבָהּ, רַחֵם (נָא) ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַמֶּךָ וְעַל יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עִירֶךָ וְעַל צִיּוֹן מִשְׁכַּן כְּבוֹדֶךָ וְעַל מִזְבְּחֶךָ וְעַל הֵיכָלֶךָ, וּבְנֵה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם עִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ וְהַעֲלֵנוּ לְתוֹכָהּ וְשַׂמְּחֵנוּ בְּבִנְיָנָהּ וְנֹאכַל מִפִּרְיָּהּ וְנִשְׂבַּע מִטּוּבָהּ וּנְבָרֶכְךָ עָלֶיהָ בִּקְדֻשָּׁה וּבְטָהֳרָה:
כִּי אַתָּה ה׳ טוֹב וּמֵטִיב לַכֹּל וְנוֹדֶה לְךָ עַל הָאָרֶץ, עַל פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן, וְעַל הַפֵּרוֹת: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ עַל הָאָרֶץ, עַל פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן, וְעַל הַפֵּרוֹת:
Blessed are you, Eternal, our God, sovereign of space and time: Upon the vine and the fruits of the vine, and upon the tree and the fruits of the tree, and upon the produce of the field and all the goodly land that you have granted to our ancestors, from whose fruits to eat and by whose goodness to be satisfied:
Have grace and mercy, supernal Divine, upon the people Israel, and upon Jerusalem, and upon Zion the resting place of your presence, and upon your altar and your sanctuary, and build a true Jerusalem, a place of righteousness and peace, where we may go and celebrate and rejoice and be nourished by your goodness in purity and sanctity. For you are good and you give good to all, and thus we thank you and bless you. Blessed are you, Eternal, upon the vine and the fruits of the vine, upon the trees and the fruits of the trees.