But it goes deeper than planting saplings and eating dried fruit. My father, may his memory be a blessing, had a unique way of looking at things, especially when it came to Jewish texts. He noticed something special in the Mishnah, specifically in the tractate Rosh Hashanah, which discusses the new year for different things, including trees.
The Mishnah says, "New Year's Day for fruit of the tree" – singular, not plural, "trees." Why "the tree" and not "the trees?" My father believed the sages of the Mishnah were hinting at something much bigger: the Holy Tree, the Etz Chaim, the Tree of Life. According to the disciples of Isaac Luria, the great 16th-century Kabbalist, this Tree of Life symbolizes the sefirah of Tiferet.
Okay, let's unpack that a little. Sefirot are the ten emanations of God's divine energy, and Tiferet represents beauty, harmony, and balance. So, what's the connection to a tree?
Well, the Hebrew word for "tree," ilan (אילן), has a numerical value of 91. Interestingly, that's the same numerical value as the combined holy names YAH (יה) + ADONAI (אֲדֹנָי). This combination, YAHD-VNHY, represents the unification of the sefirot Tiferet and Malkhut, the king and queen, the male and female principles within the Godhead. It's a sacred union, a divine dance.
The Zohar, that foundational text of Kabbalah, tells us about this "great and mighty tree [which contains nourishment for all is called the Tree of Life], the tree that planted its roots in these living ones." (Zohar, v. 3, 58a). That's some powerful imagery!
And it gets even more intricate. Lurianic teachings state that when the word ilan is spelled out fully (א אלף יוד למד נון), its numerical value is the same as twelve permutations of the divine name YHVH (יהוה). Think about that for a moment. It equals 311 plus one for the word itself, for a total of 312. Twelve permutations of YHVH also equal 312.
What does this mean? Well, this "tree" alludes to Tiferet, the Tree of Life, which contains these twelve permutations of YHVH. The Zohar in Beshalach speaks of "twelve [supernal, engraved] regions ascended [in the scale], in the great and powerful holy Tree" (Zohar 2, 66b). We even find a hint of this in the Torah: "And they came to Elim and there were twelve springs of water there and seventy date palms…" (Exod. 15:27). The Zohar also states the Holy Tree grew strong in twelve regions (Zohar 2, 62b).
So, the next time you see a tree, or especially when you celebrate Tu Bishvat, remember that it's more than just bark and leaves. It's a symbol of divine connection, of the intricate dance of creation, and of the hidden wisdom that lies within Jewish tradition. Maybe, just maybe, we can all find our own way to connect to the Tree of Life.