DO IT NOWII
Relative to the present situation in Israel. When a single life is taken,
be it Arab, Israeli or other, it is a tragedy. It is therefore important
to understand that 40 years of refusal on the part of millions of Arabs
to allow Israel to live in peace has created the present situation.
Unfortunately the media, newspapers, television and radio, in an
effort to "grab" the attention of the reader and viewer, often
sensationalize and distort the facts.
It is important that each of us respond to slanted and biased reporting
by protesting to the offenders, locally and out of city, through letters
and telegrams. Factual and balanced news is vital to an informed
public.
Letters should be polite and brief. Do it now. Do it often.
Bernard Edelman
WINTER&SALE
TWENTY TO FIFTY PERCENT OFF
An almond tree in bloom on Tu b'Shevat.
b'Shevat Signifies
The Coming Of Spring
DVORA WAYSMAN
A
I
N•A
R
B
THE FINEST CLOTHING, NOES & ACC
336 MAYNARD, ANN ARBOR, 313/769-8511;
32
FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 1988
ADIES & GENTLEMEN
T. 10-6
Jerusalem — Just prior to
the Hebrew month of Shevat,
the landscape begins to
change in Israel. It has been
winter — the fruit trees bare,
their leafless, light-grey
branches silhouetted against
dark clouds. Then, as Shevat
is ushered in, they begin to
bud, and reddish leaflets
burst forth. The fields that
have been covered with pale
crocuses, white narcissus and
cyclamens give way to red
anemones, tulips and broom
bushes starred with flowers.
And the almond trees burst
into blossom, the first har-
binger of spring. It is at this
time that we celebrate Tu
B'Shevat, the New Year of
Trees.
Tu b'Shevat begins at sun-
down Tuesday.
The New Year of Trees is
mentioned in the Mishnah as
one of the four "natural" new
years. The first of Nisan is
designated as the new year
"for Jewish kings and sea-
sonal feasts" . . . that is, for
calculating the reigns of
Israelite kings and determin-
ing the cycle of calendar
festivals. The first of Elul is
the new year "for tithing cat-
tle." The first of Tishri is the
new year for caculating
septennial cycles and 50-year
jubilees. The new year for
trees was moved from the first
of Shevat to the 15th, accord-
ing to the opinion of Rabbi
Hillel (30 BCE - 10 CE) for it
is then when the sap is said
to begin to rise, with the full
moon, in Israel's fruit trees.
The Babylonian and Jerusa-
lem Talmuds also designate
Tu b'Shevat as the date to
calculate tithes (taxes) on
fruit:
"You shall tithe all the
yield of your seed, which
comes forth from the field
year by year." (Deuteronomy,
14:22).
From December to mid-
February, Israel's fruit trees
are dormant. It is wet and
cold, and because of the low
temperatures the trees can-
not absorb the nutrients from
the soil. But from 15th
Shevat: "Till this day (the
trees) live off the water of the
past year; from this day on,
they live off the water of this
year." (Jerusalem Talmud,
Rosh HaShana 1,2). Estab-
lishing the date was impor-
tant, because it marked the
start of the fruit's formation.
The Arabs also mark this
date, and call it "the second
ember" when fruit trees
begin to absorb water. Accord-
ing to Arab folklore, there are
three "embers" which began
as fire falling from the sky
and changed to caterpillars.
The first falls from the sky
when the earth begins to
warm up; the second when
the warmth spreads. They
follow this with a third
"ember" as summer begins.
Tu b'Shevat is one of Ju-
daism's popular celebrations
that does not involve special
synagogue services. It is an
enjoyable day when it is
customary to eat the fruts of
Israel . . . apples, almonds,
carobs, figs, nuts and pome-