Last night at sunset the Jewish New Year of the Trees began, one of the four Jewish new years. It ends today at nightfall.
The date originated as a kind of fiscal convenience, counting the birthday of trees for tithing purposes, and only really gained religious significance in the 1600s.
On this day, Jews will eat fruit which has biblical significance. The Torah mentions seven “fruits” in particular: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. A special blessing is recited for these foods. Some Jews will mark the day by planting a tree.
In the spirit of this, I’m going to dedicate a tree to the memory of my mother, whose birth and death anniversaries both occur this month. There’s a scheme to do this in the UK via The Woodland Trust, who do fantastic work preserving and rebuilding our native British woodlands.
For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths, springing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and honey.
Deuteronomy 8:7-8
UPDATE: See this lovely post on Velveteen Rabbi for more, including a poetic description of the way in which the Torah regards trees.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Sue 01.22.08 at 11:02 am
I drank pomegranate juice for the first time yesterday. It was really yummy.
Hooray for the trees. I’m glad they get their own birthday. I love them so - thank you, trees. All of you. Especially you, cedars. I can see why God wanted you to line the temple because by jove, by george, by golly, you are one of the bestest smells ever.
(Gee, I’m raving. Sorry
HeyJules 01.22.08 at 1:22 pm
What a beautiful way to pay tribute to your mom, Tess. I’ve always hoped someone will do something like this at my death. I don’t want a big headstone or grave marker…just plant a couple of trees to complete the cycle of life.
Tess 01.22.08 at 1:35 pm
Hey Sue, rave on! And yes, pomegranate juice is definitely yummy.
Jules, yes, that’s what I think. If possible, I’d just like to be slipped underground in woodland somewhere so I can feed the trees. There are probably rules against it though!
Elaine 01.22.08 at 6:22 pm
Lovely. Thank you for this new-to-me Jewish tradition and for sharing your own story of how you will observed it.
I learn so much from you, Tess.
lucy 01.22.08 at 7:20 pm
“I think that I shall never see/ A poem lovely as a tree” — Joyce Kilmer
i am with elaine. i learn so much from you!!!
Sue 01.22.08 at 11:12 pm
Yes, I’d like to be slipped underground as well. Just me and the earth. There’s a Six Feet Under episode about that, but I can’t say anything cos maybe Lucy hasn’t got that far yet
yolanda 01.23.08 at 7:44 pm
Such a good Idea.I love it.
Sunrise Sister 01.24.08 at 5:12 pm
Hi Tess, As far as being slipped underground in a woodland somewhere……when my husband’s father died, his body was cremated, and then poured into the earth of his church’s columbarium/memorial garden. When his mother died, we went through the same ritual, placing her cremains in a freshly dug hole quite near that of her husband. I had not been part of such a “dust to dust” burial before and it was quite meaningful to me and to the family. My husband, as eldest child, although any of us could have done it - did the pouring.
I might say that his mother’s traditional upbringing (caskets, viewing, etc.) had a hard time with the “dust to dust” and did not actually come outside for the pouring of her husband’s ashes. We were sorry she did not, but it still seemed an appropriate memorial for them both to all of us children.
Sooooo, maybe a hole under a tree is NOT such a long shot idea:)
Tess 01.24.08 at 9:13 pm
Aw, such nice comments.
Sue, I never did get into Six Feet Under. Maybe I should rent the DVDs.
Sunrise, this sounds like a very beautiful memorial. I’d never heard the expression “cremains”, so I learned a new word today.