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It's A Fruity World
The Tu B'Shevat seder isn't just for mystics anymore.
Here's how to put one on in your own home.
SUSAN BERNSTEIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
D
ue to today's rage for eco-
logical awareness, Tu B'She-
vat has entered the realm of
hipness. Many Jews now
participate in a special seder for
the holiday, which incorporates
eating symbolic fruits and nuts,
drinking wine of various colors,
and inspirational readings and
prayers. There is no set tradition,
so there is plenty of room for in-
novation and personal touches.
"The Tu B'Shevat seder is a cus-
tom that arose with medieval kab-
balists," explains Rabbi Mark
Kunis of Congregation Shearith
Israel. "In the current atmosphere
of environmentalism, people are
looking to Jewish tradition for
ways to celebrate their love of na-
ture."
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An example of Yetzirah is found in these
Israeli apricots.
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While the kabbalistic elements
incorporated into most Tu B'She-
vat seder guidebooks might seem
like heavy stuff, anyone can enjoy
eating fruits in a casual setting,
says Andi Arnovitz, a Judaic art
dealer in Sandy Springs who has
attended a Tu B'Shevat seder for
the past five years.
"It's a very sensual experience.
You're eating fruits, some that are
hard on the outside, but soft on
the inside, or totally soft." Try find-
ing unusual fruits and nuts, such
as starfruit, carob or pomegran-
ates (available at supermarkets,
specialty stores or the farmer's
market) to make it more exotic,
she suggests.
Children will enjoy a Tu B'She-
vat seder as well as adults, Mrs.
Arnovitz says. They like eating dif-
ferent types of fruits and nuts, and
mixing white and red grape juice.
Many haggadot include games or
activities for children to accom-
pany the basic structure of the
seder.
The mystics of Safed began the
practice of a seder meal for Tu
B'Shevat in the 16th century.
Modern Jewish families can recre-
ate this ceremony in their homes,
either for adults only or with chil-
dren.
Susan Bernstein is a staff writer
on our sister paper, the Atlanta
Jewish Times.
Mystical Ingredients
To put on a Tu B'Shevat seder,
one needs to obtain a variety of
special foods, white and red
kosher wine, and, preferably, a
haggadah shel Tu B'Shevat, a
guide for performing the cere-
mony. Biblical verses that refer
to vegetation and agriculture in
Israel are read, as well as pas-
sages from rabbinic literature.
Three food groups
There are three main cate-
gories of fruits and nuts eaten at
the seder, usually items associ-
ated with the land of Israel. Each
haggadah arranges the foods and
the order in which they are eat-
en in different ways. Follow your
haggadah's sequence for serving
the fruits.
The foods represent the four
levels of creation according to the
kabbalistic tradition: assiyah, yet-
zirah, beriah and atzilut.
* Assiyah, translated as action
or the physical world, is symbol-
ized by fruits with an outer, ined-
ible shell or husk: almonds,
pecans, walnuts, pomegranates
and coconuts.
* Yetzirah, or formation, is rep-
resented by fruits with an inner,
inedible pit that is discarded:
olives, dates, cherries, persim-
mons, apricots, peaches and
plums.
* Beriah, or creation, is sym-
bolized by soft, palpable fruits
which can be eaten whole, such
as raisins, grapes, pears, apples
and berries.
* Atzilut is purely spiritual and <
cannot be symbolized in the con-
crete world.
The symbolism can be
summed up this way: the edible
parts of the fruit represent holi-
ness, the discarded pits stand for
impurities, and the shell signifies
protection from the unholy as-
pects of the world.
Before eating, recite the bless-
ing over the fruits of trees:
"Baruch atah adonai, eloheinu
melech haolam, borei p'ri ha'etz
— Blessed are you, Adonai, our
God, ruler of eternity, who cre-
ates the fruit of the tree."
Some haggadot include the
eating of wheat, in the form of
cookies or cakes, along with the
various fruits.
Rainbow Of Wine
The second major element of
the seder is the four cups of wine,
just like a Pesach seder. One
blends the wine in different pro-
portions of red and white, sym-
bolizing the natural cycle of the
seasons.