“The Ten Commandments of Tu B’Shevat”

By Hazzan Jenna Greenberg.

Within the same week, we celebrate the holiday of Tu B’Shevat, the new year for the trees, and we read Parashat Yitro, a combination of 2 wonderful things that occur together nearly every year. Our Torah portion contains the dramatic experience of the Israelites receiving the 10 Commandments, those holy rules that remind us of how we should relate both with the divine and with our fellow human beings. Our holiday of Tu B’Shevat celebrates the birthday of the trees, mainly in Israel, where the first tiny saplings poke their heads out of the ground. And while not “rooted” in the Torah, the Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 1:1) marks a Rosh Hashanah, a new year, for trees, to which, after some debate between the first and fifteenth of Shevat, the rabbis assigned the date of Tu B’Shevat, the 15th of the month of Shevat.

Just as Rosh Hashanah in Tishrei gives us a chance to spiritually start fresh in the new year, so “Tu” does Tu B’Shevat give us a chance to reconnect with nature. In the fall on Rosh Hashana, we spend a great deal of time reflecting on our relationship with God and others, the two main categories of relationships that the 10 Commandments deal with. From the first commandment that God is our one and only God…to the final commandment not to be jealous of our neighbors, and everything in between. Some of these commandments are voiced in the positive (like “Honor your parents”) and others in the negative (like “Don’t steal from others”).

This got me thinking about creating a list of 10 Commandments for Tu B’Shevat. On this holiday, there are several positive things we can do:

• PLANT A TREE (IN ISRAEL)
• GIVE TZEDAKA TO PLANT A TREE (IN ISRAEL)
• EAT FOODS FROM ISRAEL: THE 7 SPECIES: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates
• PARTICIPATE IN A TU B’SHEVAT SEDER
• SING TU B’SHEVAT SONGS
• GIVE TZEDAKAH TO JEWISH ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
• REDUCE/REUSE/RECYCLE

And some negative commandments to consider as well

• DON’T WASTE ELECTRICITY
• DON’T WASTE WATER
• DON’T WASTE PAPER

Perhaps this week can give us all an opportunity to reconnect with nature, creating new goals for ourselves at this Jewish New Year of the Trees, this Tu B’Shevat. 
What would YOUR 10 Commandments be for this environmentally focused holiday?
What a great opportunity to take a moment and make 10 nature-themed goals for yourselves for the coming year, to help better the earth, our home!

Tu B’Shevat Sameach!!