Hava Nedaber Ivrit: Signs Of Spring In Israel
By NIRA LEV
Each month in this space,
L'Chayim will present a Hebrew
lesson entitled, "Hava Nedaber
Ivrit!" (Let's Speak Hebrew), whose
aim is to encourage further study of
Hebrew. The lesson will include a
brief story utilizing the Hebrew
words to be studied and a
vocabulary list with English
translations. The lessons will be
prepared by Nira Lev, associate
professor of Hebrew language and
literature at the Midrasha College of
Jewish Studies. Mrs. Lev also
teaches Hebrew language and
literature at the Community Jewish
High School at the United Hebrew
Schools.
Following is this month's
lesson:
Tu Bishevat, the fifteenth day of
Shevat, is a characteristic chag of
Eretz Yisrael, the land of Israel.
Ha'chag nikrah Tu Bishevat since
the letters "Tet Vav," which
comprise the word "Tu," have the
numerical value of fifteen.
Tu Bishevat received its shem in
the Talmud, where it is called Rosh
Hashna La'illanot, the "New Year
for Trees." Tu Bishevat in Eretz
Yisrael is sof Ha'choref, with its
g'shamim when the sap of the
etzim becomes active and the
etzim come back to life.
Although Tu Bishevat is not
mentioned in the Torah, the Tenach
really showed the way. The Torah
itself is called "Etz Chayim," and
throughout the Tanach the
importance of Etzim is stressed
again and again. Atzey-pree may
not be cut down even bi'zman
milchama when the etzim were
needed to build mechonot
milchama (Dvarim 20); David
Ha'melech, in Sefer Tehillim, says
that the tzadik is like "etz shatul al
palgey mayim" (Tehillim, 1:3).
The special chavod and regard of
Jews for etzim may have developed
because of the special conditions of
their land; ha'aklim ha'cham and
the scarcity of geshem, of mayim.
in a midbar, every etz is precious, it
means mayim, it means tzel, it
means mazon, it means chayim.
Tu Bishevat used to fulfill and
important function in the agricultural
life of the community, for on it
ha'eekar ha'yehudi used to
estimate his obligatory t'rumot,
such as the ma'asser. Ha'Iuach
Ha'yehudi needs a Rosh Ha'Shana
La'illanot because of the chok in
the Torah that forbids us to eat the
pree of the etz during its first three
years. On the fourth year the pree
is given to the kohanim as a
matanah to Ha'Shem, and todah
for all the etz will bring us. From
the fifth year on, we may eat from
pree ha'etz. Rosh Ha'shana
La'illanot is Yom Ha'huledet of all
the etzim and it enables us to tell
when the etz is four or five years
old.
The Cabbalists had a special way
to celebrate Tu Bishevat. They had
a special sefer for the layla
preceding Tu Bishevat, consisting of
kta-eem about perot and etzim
taken from the Tanach. Kree'at ha-
sefer was done between manot
shel perot, which consisted of not
less than fifteen. Hence the minhag
Tu Bishevat used to fulfill
an important function in
the agricultural life of the
community, for on it
ha'eekar ha'yehudi used
to estimate his
obligatory t'rumot, such
as the ma'asser. H'luach
Ha'yehudi needs a Rosh
Ha'Shana L'illanot
because of the chok in
the torah that forbids us
to eat the pree of the etz
during its first three
years.
of today le'echol different soogim
of perot on Tu Bishevat, such as
zeitim, tmarim, te'ainim, pree
hadar, egozim, tapoochim, and
perot acherim. In Yisrael today Tu
Bishevat has become Chag
Hane'teeot, when the minhag is
lin-toah etzim all over the country,
and thus to celebrate and reaffirm
our ahava and kesher to the land.
Chag Hane-teeot is celebrated by
Jews B'chol Ha'olam by sending
kesef to Ha'Keren ha-Kayemet
Le'Yisrael for the planting of etzim
in Yisrael.
These etzim have turned the
midbar into a green land, cause the
mayim to stay in the earth, feed
and shelter people and give perot,
tzel and yoffi.
Meelon (Dictionary)
chag
nikrah
shem
sof
choref
g'shamim
geshem
etzim
The Tanach
atzey-pree
bi-zman
milchama
mechonot
Dvarim
ha-melech
Sefer Tehillim
a holiday
is called
a name
an end
winter
rains
rain
trees
The Bible
fruit trees
at the time of
war
machines
Deuteronomy
the king
The Book of
Psalms
tzadik
a righteous man
shatul
planted
al
on
palgey mayim
springs of water
chavod
honor
aklim
climate
cham
hot
midbar
desert
tzel
shade
mazon
food
chayim
life
ha-eekar ha-yehudi
the Jewish
farmer
t'ruma
contribution
t-rumot
contributions
ma'asser
tithe
ha'luach ha'yehudi
the Jewish
Calendar
chok
law
pree
fruit
kohanim
priests
matanah
a gift
todah
thanks, gratitude
yom ha'huledet
the birthday
layla
night
kta-eem
extracts, passages
perot
fruit (plural)
kree'at ha'sefer
the reading of
the book
manot shel perot....courses of fruit
minhag
custom, habit
zeitim
olives
tmarim
dates
te'ainim
figs
citrus fruit
pree hadar
egozim
nuts
tapoochim
apples
perot acherim
other fruit
Chag Ha'ne'teeot
The Holiday
of planting
lin'toah etzim
to plant trees
ahava
love
kesher
connection, tie
b'chol ha'olam
over the world
kesef
money
Ha'Keren ha'kayemet
Le'Yisrael
The Jewish
National Fund
yoffi
beauty
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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