It’s not just about planting saplings and hugging trunks (though, hey, those are good too!). The celebration of Tu BiShvat, the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat, as a "New Year for the Trees" has deeper roots than you might think, reaching into the mystical heart of Kabbalah.

And it all starts with a pamphlet.

Specifically, the Peri Etz Hadar, "The Fruit of the Majestic Tree." This little book, first published in Venice in 1728, is the earliest known seder – a ritual order, like we have for Passover – specifically for Tu BiShvat. (You can find it mentioned in Friedberg's Beyt ‘Eqed Sefarim.) The author remains unknown, but the Peri Etz Hadar found its way into the Sefer Ḥemdat Yamim, a collection of Kabbalistic customs, compiled by Rabbi Yisrael Yakov Ben Yom Tov Algazi (1680-1756), a prominent Jerusalem mekubal – a Kabbalist.

Now, the Sefer Ḥemdat Yamim is a bit of a controversial text. Some attribute it to Natan Binyamin Ghazzati, a 17th-century mystic linked to the would-be messiah, Shabbtai Tzvi. But regardless of its authorship, Rabbi Algazi's association lent the book considerable weight, and it remains a key source for Kabbalistic minhagim – customs – practiced by those who follow the teachings of the Ari z”l, Rabbi Isaac Luria, the towering figure of Jewish mysticism.

So, what’s so special about Tu BiShvat? Interestingly, it falls during the "days of the Shovavim." These six weeks, when we read the first six portions of the Book of Exodus, are considered a time for repentance. The name Shovavim itself alludes to the verse "Return, wayward children" (Jer. 3:14). Yet, Tu BiShvat isn't a fast day. Why? Because it’s a New Year! A time to celebrate the potential for growth and renewal, symbolized by the fruit of the trees.

And here’s where the Kabbalah gets interesting. Through the tikkun – the act of repair or restoration – that we perform on this day, focusing on fruit, we awaken the sefirah of Tsaddik, "Life of the Worlds."

Okay, let’s unpack that a little. In Zoharic Kabbalah, our actions here on Earth can influence the sefirot, the ten inner aspects of the Divine. These are like channels or attributes through which God manifests in the world. In this case, our rituals involving fruit on Tu BiShvat are said to affect the ninth sefirah, Yesod, meaning “foundation.” This sefirah is often seen as the male generative principle within the divine realm and is anthropomorphically represented as… well, let's just say a phallus.

Why is this important? As the Zohar (Bereshit, v. 1. 33a; v.3. p.87a) explains, the production of fruit depends on the union of both male and female elements. The female tree bears the fruit, yes, but it relies on the male for fertilization. Think of it this way: "On the third day, the earth made fruit from the potency of that [supernal] Tsaddik. As it is written, ‘And God said, let the earth bring forth… fruit trees that produce fruit…'" (Gen 1:11).

The Kabbalists see deeper layers here. “'Fruit trees' refers to 'the tree of the knowledge of good and evil' that bears fruit" – that is, the tenth sefirah, Malkhut, which is considered female. “‘That produce fruit’ alludes to Tsaddik, the foundation of the world…” – the ninth sefirah, Yesod, which is male.

So, on Tu BiShvat, we're not just celebrating the physical fruit of the trees. We're engaging in a mystical act, helping to bring about the union of the male and female principles within the Divine, ensuring the continued flow of life and abundance into the world.

Pretty powerful stuff for a little pamphlet about fruit, right? It makes you think about the deeper connections between the natural world, our spiritual lives, and the ancient wisdom that guides us. What seeds will you plant this Tu BiShvat?