https://staging.thenewjew.org/articles/holidays-minor-tu-bishvat.xml/articles/holidays-minor-tu-bishvatxmlarticleTu BiShvatThe New Year of the Trees — a Mishnaic minor festival recovered with great enthusiasm in modern times.The New Jew/index.xmlSacred Time/sections/sacred-time.xmlTu BiShvat/articles/holidays-minor-tu-bishvat.xml
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holidays-minor-tu-bishvatTu BiShvatThe New Year of the Trees — a Mishnaic minor festival recovered with great enthusiasm in modern times.Summary. Tu BiShvat ("the 15th of Shevat") is named for its date — the Hebrew letters tet and vav have the numerical value of 15. The Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 1:1) lists it as one of the four New Years — specifically the New Year of the Trees, the date from which the age of trees is counted for tithing purposes (relevant only to fruit-bearing trees in the Land of Israel). In modern times, particularly with the rise of Zionism and ecological consciousness, Tu BiShvat has been recovered as a substantial celebration: planting trees in Israel, eating the seven species, and (under Kabbalistic influence) a Tu BiShvat seder.essentialholidaystu bishvattreesecology2026-07-06T02:19:03.001Z5332sacred-timeSacred Timesummary
Summary. [Tu BiShvat](/glossary.xml#letter-T) ("the 15th of [Shevat](/glossary.xml#letter-S)") is named for its date — the Hebrew letters tet and [vav](/glossary.xml#letter-V) have the numerical value of 15. The [Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 1:1)](https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Rosh_Hashanah.1.1) lists it as one of the four New Years — specifically the New Year of the Trees, the date from which the age of trees is counted for tithing purposes (relevant only to fruit-bearing trees in the Land of Israel). In modern times, particularly with the rise of Zionism and ecological consciousness, Tu BiShvat has been recovered as a substantial celebration: planting trees in Israel, eating [the seven species](/glossary.xml#letter-S), and (under [Kabbalistic](/glossary.xml#letter-K) influence) a Tu BiShvat [seder](/glossary.xml#letter-S).
Summary. Tu BiShvat ("the 15th of Shevat") is named for its date — the Hebrew letters tet and vav have the numerical value of 15. The Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 1:1) lists it as one of the four New Years — specifically the New Year of the Trees, the date from which the age of trees is counted for tithing purposes (relevant only to fruit-bearing trees in the Land of Israel). In modern times, particularly with the rise of Zionism and ecological consciousness, Tu BiShvat has been recovered as a substantial celebration: planting trees in Israel, eating the seven species, and (under Kabbalistic influence) a Tu BiShvat seder.heading
The Mishnaic Origin
The Mishnaic Originparagraph
The [Mishnah](/glossary.xml#letter-M) ([Rosh Hashanah](/glossary.xml#letter-R) 1:1) records the dispute between [Hillel](/glossary.xml#letter-H) and [Shammai](/glossary.xml#letter-S) about the New Year of the Trees: Shammai held it was the 1st of Shevat; Hillel held the 15th. [Halacha](/glossary.xml#letter-H) follows Hillel. The date marks when the previous year's rainfall has substantially soaked the soil, and the trees enter their new fiscal year for halachic purposes ([orlah](/glossary.xml#letter-O) — the prohibition on the fruit of a tree's first three years; [ma'aser](/glossary.xml#letter-M) — tithing of the fourth year onward). The date is fixed and unrelated to any historical event.
The Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 1:1) records the dispute between Hillel and Shammai about the New Year of the Trees: Shammai held it was the 1st of Shevat; Hillel held the 15th. Halacha follows Hillel. The date marks when the previous year's rainfall has substantially soaked the soil, and the trees enter their new fiscal year for halachic purposes (orlah — the prohibition on the fruit of a tree's first three years; ma'aser — tithing of the fourth year onward). The date is fixed and unrelated to any historical event.heading
The Kabbalistic Recovery
The Kabbalistic Recoveryparagraph
The Safed mystics of the 16th century, particularly [the Arizal](/glossary.xml#letter-T)'s circle, developed the Tu BiShvat seder — a structured ritual meal in which four cups of wine (progressing from white to red, representing the seasonal turn from winter to summer) and the eating of the seven species (wheat, barley, grape, fig, pomegranate, olive, date — [Devarim 8:8](https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.8.8)) are framed with Kabbalistic intentions about the spiritual elevation of the four worlds and the gathering of the sparks. The text Pri Etz Hadar ("Fruit of the Beautiful Tree," 1753) is the standard liturgy. Many contemporary communities hold a Tu BiShvat seder.
The Safed mystics of the 16th century, particularly the Arizal's circle, developed the Tu BiShvat seder — a structured ritual meal in which four cups of wine (progressing from white to red, representing the seasonal turn from winter to summer) and the eating of the seven species (wheat, barley, grape, fig, pomegranate, olive, date — Devarim 8:8) are framed with Kabbalistic intentions about the spiritual elevation of the four worlds and the gathering of the sparks. The text Pri Etz Hadar ("Fruit of the Beautiful Tree," 1753) is the standard liturgy. Many contemporary communities hold a Tu BiShvat seder.heading
Modern Israel
Modern Israelparagraph
The Zionist movement embraced Tu BiShvat as a tree-planting holiday; the Jewish National Fund (JNF / Keren Kayemet L'[Yisrael](/glossary.xml#letter-Y)) has organized mass tree-plantings on Tu BiShvat since the early 20th century, planting hundreds of millions of trees and substantially reforesting parts of Israel. Most Israeli schoolchildren plant a tree on Tu BiShvat; many Israeli families do as well.
The Zionist movement embraced Tu BiShvat as a tree-planting holiday; the Jewish National Fund (JNF / Keren Kayemet L'Yisrael) has organized mass tree-plantings on Tu BiShvat since the early 20th century, planting hundreds of millions of trees and substantially reforesting parts of Israel. Most Israeli schoolchildren plant a tree on Tu BiShvat; many Israeli families do as well.heading
Eco-Judaism
Eco-Judaismparagraph
In the late 20th century, particularly in the [Renewal](/glossary.xml#letter-R) and [Reform](/glossary.xml#letter-R) movements, Tu BiShvat became a focal day for Jewish environmental consciousness. Contemporary eco-Jewish seders (Hazon, the [Heschel](/glossary.xml#letter-A) Center, Adamah) integrate the Kabbalistic structure with explicit teaching about sustainability, climate change, and Jewish environmental ethics.
In the late 20th century, particularly in the Renewal and Reform movements, Tu BiShvat became a focal day for Jewish environmental consciousness. Contemporary eco-Jewish seders (Hazon, the Heschel Center, Adamah) integrate the Kabbalistic structure with explicit teaching about sustainability, climate change, and Jewish environmental ethics.heading
Where Denominations Diverge
Where Denominations Divergeparagraph
Originally a Mishnaic minor day. The Kabbalistic seder is widespread in [Hasidic](/glossary.xml#letter-H), [Sephardic](/glossary.xml#letter-S), [Modern Orthodox](/glossary.xml#letter-M), and (in recent decades) Conservative and Reform settings. The tree-planting tradition is universal in Israel; in the diaspora it is more developed in Reform, Conservative, and [Reconstructionist](/glossary.xml#letter-R) settings.
Originally a Mishnaic minor day. The Kabbalistic seder is widespread in Hasidic, Sephardic, Modern Orthodox, and (in recent decades) Conservative and Reform settings. The tree-planting tradition is universal in Israel; in the diaspora it is more developed in Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist settings.heading
Sources
Sourcesparagraph
[Mishnah, Rosh Hashanah 1:1](https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Rosh_Hashanah.1.1).
Mishnah, Rosh Hashanah 1:1.paragraph
[Talmud](/glossary.xml#letter-T) Bavli, [Rosh Hashanah 2a, 14a](https://www.sefaria.org/Rosh_Hashanah.14a).
Talmud Bavli, Rosh Hashanah 2a, 14a.paragraph
Pri Etz Hadar (1753) — the Kabbalistic Tu BiShvat seder.
Pri Etz Hadar (1753) — the Kabbalistic Tu BiShvat seder.paragraph
[Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 131:6](https://www.sefaria.org/Shulchan_Arukh,_Orach_Chayim.131.6) — no [Tachanun](/glossary.xml#letter-T).
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 131:6 — no Tachanun.paragraph
[Tu BiShvat Q & A](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/356805/jewish/Tu-BiShvat-Q-A.htm) — Chabad.org.
Tu BiShvat Q & A — Chabad.org.paragraph
[Tu B'Shevat: New Year for the Trees](https://www.ou.org/holidays/tu_bshevat/) — OU.
Tu B'Shevat: New Year for the Trees — OU.paragraph
[Tu BiShvat - New Year for Trees](https://www.hebcal.com/holidays/tu-bishvat) — Hebcal.
Tu BiShvat - New Year for Trees — Hebcal.heading
Further Reading
Further Readingparagraph
Ari Elon, Naomi Mara Hyman, Arthur Waskow (eds.), Trees, Earth, and [Torah](/glossary.xml#letter-T): A Tu B'Shvat Anthology.
Ari Elon, Naomi Mara Hyman, Arthur Waskow (eds.), Trees, Earth, and Torah: A Tu B'Shvat Anthology.paragraph
Eilon Schwartz, Bal Tashchit: A Jewish Environmental Precept.
Eilon Schwartz, Bal Tashchit: A Jewish Environmental Precept.holidays-yamim-noraim-rosh-hashanahRosh Hashanah/articles/holidays-yamim-noraim-rosh-hashanah.xmlholidays-yamim-noraim-yom-kippurYom Kippur/articles/holidays-yamim-noraim-yom-kippur.xmlholidays-shalosh-regalim-sukkotSukkot/articles/holidays-shalosh-regalim-sukkot.xmlholidays-yom-tov-shemini-atzeret-and-simchat-torahShemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah/articles/holidays-yom-tov-shemini-atzeret-and-simchat-torah.xmlcalendar-daf-yomi-a-page-a-dayDaf Yomi: A Page a Daydeeper/articles/calendar-daf-yomi-a-page-a-day.xmlholidays-fasts-the-four-minor-fastsThe Four Minor Fastsdeeper/articles/holidays-fasts-the-four-minor-fasts.xmlAbraham Joshua Heschelאברהם יהושע השלAbraham Joshua Heschel (1907–1972), a descendant of Hasidic dynasties who became a leading voice of 20th-century American Judaism, wrote of a God "in search of man" and of Shabbat as "a palace in time"; his sense of radical amazement at the ordinary shaped a generation of Jewish theology and interfaith dialogue.essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-godHalachaהֲלָכָהJewish law — literally "the way one walks" — the legal system that develops from the Torah's mitzvot through the Mishnah, Talmud, and the great codes; the movements differ on how binding it is, not on its centrality to the tradition.essentials-essential-questions-what-is-halachaHasidismחֲסִידוּתThe mystical revival movement founded by the Baal Shem Tov in 18th-century Eastern Europe, teaching that God can be served with joy in every act and every person. Its communities, each led by a Rebbe, remain a major force in Jewish life.going-deeper-deeper-questions-hasidism-vs-mitnagdismHillelהללA leading sage of the late first century BCE, renowned for his patience and leniency in halachic debate with his rival Shammai, and for maxims such as 'If I am not for myself, who will be for me?' preserved in Pirkei Avot.going-deeper-deeper-facts-pirkei-avotKabbalahקַבָּלָהThe Jewish mystical tradition — literally "that which is received" — whose central text is the Zohar and whose distinctive teachings include the ten Sefirot and the infinite Ein Sof.going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-kabbalahMishnahמִשְׁנָהThe first great written compilation of the Oral Torah, organized by Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi around 200 CE into six orders; together with the Gemara it forms the Talmud.essentials-essential-facts-the-talmud-in-one-articleModern OrthodoxModern Orthodoxy is the stream of Orthodox Judaism that combines full Halachic observance with active engagement in general society, secular education, and often Zionism — distinct from Haredi communities that maintain greater separation from the surrounding culture.essentials-essential-judaica-kippahReconstructionist JudaismFounded by Mordecai Kaplan, Reconstructionist Judaism understands Judaism as an evolving religious civilization rather than a fixed set of supernatural commandments, and was an early adopter of patrilineal descent and full gender egalitarianism.how-to-use-this-field-guideReform JudaismReform Judaism treats Halacha as a source of values and meaning rather than binding law, emphasizing individual autonomy, ethical monotheism, and tikkun olam; it was the first movement to fully recognize patrilineal descent and ordain women as rabbis.how-to-use-this-field-guideRenewal JudaismJewish Renewal is a small but influential movement drawing deeply on Hasidism and Kabbalah, combined with feminist and ecological commitments and an experimental, often neo-Hasidic approach to prayer and spirituality.how-to-use-this-field-guideRosh Hashanahרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָהThe Jewish New Year, observed on the 1st and 2nd of Tishrei with the sounding of the shofar; it opens the Ten Days of Repentance that culminate in Yom Kippur.holidays-yamim-noraim-rosh-hashanahSephardiסְפָרַדִּיA Jew whose family traces to medieval Spain and Portugal — and, in common usage, to the broader communities of the Mediterranean and Middle East that follow Sephardic law and liturgy. The plural is Sephardim.ShammaiשמאיHillel's contemporary and rival in the late first century BCE, known for stricter rulings; the schools of Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai debated hundreds of points of law, including which date should mark the New Year of the Trees.holidays-minor-tu-bishvatShevatשְׁבָטThe late-winter Hebrew month whose 15th day is Tu BiShvat, the New Year of the Trees.TachanunתחנוןThe penitential prayers of supplication recited after the weekday Amidah, said with head lowered onto the arm; it is omitted on Shabbat, festivals, and other joyful days.TalmudתלמודThe vast rabbinic work — the Mishnah together with the Gemara's discussion of it — that develops the Oral Torah into Jewish law and thought. It is the central text of Jewish study after the Bible itself.essentials-essential-facts-the-talmud-in-one-articleThe Arizalהאר"י ז"לRabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572), the towering kabbalist of 16th-century Safed whose teachings -- including tzimtzum, shevirat hakelim, and tikkun -- reshaped Jewish mysticism; he wrote almost nothing himself, and his system survives through the writings of his student Rabbi Chaim Vital.going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-kabbalahTorahתּוֹרָהThe Five Books of Moses — the scroll at the center of Jewish life — and, more broadly, the whole of Jewish teaching. 'Learning Torah' can mean anything from Chumash to Talmud.Tu BiShvatט״ו בשבטThe 15th of Shevat — the 'New Year of the Trees' by which the age of fruit trees is counted, now celebrated with tree-planting, the seven species, and Kabbalistic-inspired seders.holidays-minor-tu-bishvatYisraelישראלYisrael, the name given to the patriarch Yaakov after he wrestled with a divine being (Bereshit 32:29), means roughly "one who wrestles with God" and became the name of the Jewish people as a whole — a people defined, on this reading, by struggle and engagement rather than easy certainty.essentials-essential-questions-who-is-a-jewma'aserמַעֲשֵׂרThe tithe — the biblical setting-aside of a tenth of one's produce, extended in later tradition to a tenth of income, for sacred and charitable purposes.orlahעָרְלָהThe Torah's prohibition on eating fruit from a tree's first three years — the law behind Tu BiShvat's role as the 'new year' for counting a tree's age.sederסֵדֶרLiterally 'order.' Most often the Passover-night ritual meal that retells the Exodus in fifteen ordered steps; the word also names the six divisions of the Mishnah and any fixed session of study.shivat haminimשבעת המיניםThe seven species — wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates — with which the Torah praises the Land of Israel (Devarim 8:8). They are traditionally eaten on Tu BiShvat.vavווThe sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, pronounced 'v'; it also serves as a vowel letter for the sounds 'o' (cholam) and 'u' (shuruk).parentSacred Time/sections/sacred-time.xmlrelatedRosh Hashanah/articles/holidays-yamim-noraim-rosh-hashanah.xmlrelatedYom Kippur/articles/holidays-yamim-noraim-yom-kippur.xmlrelatedSukkot/articles/holidays-shalosh-regalim-sukkot.xmlrelatedShemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah/articles/holidays-yom-tov-shemini-atzeret-and-simchat-torah.xmlrelatedDaf Yomi: A Page a Day/articles/calendar-daf-yomi-a-page-a-day.xmlrelatedThe Four Minor Fasts/articles/holidays-fasts-the-four-minor-fasts.xml