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Introducing the NEW homes at Fox Run.

Tu B’Shevat
At A Glance

Elizabeth Applebaum | Special to the Jewish News

Th ere’s a new way to retire in Novi! Fox Run’s
newest residence building opens in the fall of 2016.

Named for the old Detroit creamery,
Twin Pines allows you to travel back to
simpler times. Here, you’ll experience
the warmth and security that comes from
living in Novi’s most acclaimed retirement community.
Twin Pines will feature 116 maintenance-free apartment homes,
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W

hat the words mean:
Shevat is the name of a
month on the Jewish cal-
endar. Because in the Hebrew alphabet
each letter also represents a numeri-
cal value, the number 15 is written as
tet vav, which forms the acronym Tu.
The second part, b’Shevat, means “in
Shevat.” Thus Tu b’Shevat means: 15th
of Shevat. This year it is Monday, Jan.
25.
What it is: Tu b’Shevat does not
appear in the written Torah. In
Halachah (Jewish law), the 15th day of
Shevat is designated as the cut-off date
for tithing fruits from trees. In ancient
Israel, every Jewish farmer gave a
percentage of his produce to priests
and Levites to maintain the Temple in
Jerusalem.
Tu b’Shevat is often referred to as
the “new year of the trees.” The source
of this designation is the Torah. In
Leviticus 19:23-25, the Torah teaches
that we may not harvest fruit from a
tree’s first three years of production.
How do we calculate these years? On
Tu b’Shevat, every tree is regarded as
another year older no matter when in
the previous year it was planted.
How it is observed: Over the gener-
ations, rabbis attached spiritual signifi-
cance to the day, seeing new fruit as
symbolic of new hope, new beginnings
and new opportunities.
Among all Jews, it is customary to
eat fruit from trees, especially fruit
imported from Israel. Based on a verse
in Parshat Ekev (Deuteronomy 8:8),
these are wheat, barley grapes, figs,
pomegranates, olives and dates. Since

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Bedroom
11’8” x 15’4”

Living/Dining Area
12’5” x 20’5”

Walk-In
Closet

Walk-In
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Linen

Closet

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HVAC

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Bath

Bath

Kitchen
13’0” x 5’11”

Laundry

D

Pantry

W

Don’t wait to
learn more!

Ref.

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11106483

2061620

32 January 21 • 2016

wheat, barley and grapes do not grow
on trees, it has become the practice to
enjoy any fruit produced on trees, such
as apples, pears and oranges (all of the
standard fruits and many exotic fruits
are grown in modern Israel.)
For environmentalists, Tu b’Shevat
is an excellent opportunity to teach the
tremendous economic and environ-
mental values of trees. Many of Earth’s
ecosystems, and all of the atmo-
sphere, depend on trees. A renewable
resource, trees provide us with food,
fuel, fiber, paper, housewares, building
materials, chemicals and many other
useful products.
Trees planted in urban areas greatly
reduce summer heat that builds up
in concrete-covered neighborhoods,
and trees put in the right spots around
your house can keep your air con-
ditioning bills to a minimum. Trees
planted in windbreaks help farmers
conserve their crops and topsoil; trees
along rivers, streams and hillsides
keep soil in place, reducing siltage
and landslides. The beauty of natural
woodlands is unmatched, and natural
forests are home to countless species of
animals and plants.
Humans and animals breathe in
oxygen and breathe out carbon diox-
ide. Trees breathe in carbon dioxide
and breathe out oxygen. Without trees,
life would disappear.

*

This is an excerpt of an article that originally
appeared in the JN in February 2009.
Elizabeth Applebaum is a marketing specialist
at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan
Detroit.