Tu Bishvat is one of the Jewish festivals that is uniquely tied to the Land of Israel and is widely celebrated here by Jews – religious and secular – while less well known or marked in the Diaspora.
By JPOST EDITORIALThe almond tree and its blossom, according to the Haggadah, have a special significance for Tu Bishvat(photo credit: Courtesy)Tu Bishvat, the 15th of Shvat in Judaism’s lunar calendar, which we celebrate today, is also known as Rosh Hashanah Le’ilanot - “New Year for Trees.” Judaism’s arbor day celebration is a good opportunity to take stock and consider some environmental New Year resolutions.Tu Bishvat is one of the Jewish festivals that is uniquely tied to the Land of Israel and is widely celebrated here by Jews – religious and secular – while less well known or marked in the Diaspora.Tied so inextricably with nature, the festival has taken on a more universal environmental theme. Tu Bishvat is a reminder that environmental laws and precepts are not a modern invention. From the earliest times of the Bible, we have been commanded to respect the land, animals, plants and trees. Today, we face a peculiar situation in which both the means of destruction are more widespread and massive but also the ways of protecting the environment are much more advanced.Tu Bishvat expresses down-to-earth Zionism, highlighting the link of the Jewish religion and people to their homeland. While environmentalism is becoming something of a new world religion, Zionism is out of fashion. Sadly, as the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip continue to launch balloons and kites attached to incendiary or explosive devices, fire is being used as a form of ecoterrorism. Fortunately, environmental issues can also create common ground to bring Israelis, Palestinians and Jordanians together to solve problems which do not recognize man-made borders. Israeli R&D is famous worldwide for its contribution to water management, alternative energy and agriculture, to the benefit of all.This is the festival when the sentence in Deuteronomy (20:19) that “A person is like the tree of a field” most comes to mind. People, like trees, need the correct balance of natural elements including water, sunlight, clean air and good nourishment.At a time when “climate change” has become more than a buzzword, it is important to remember that these precepts aren’t new and shouldn’t be politicized. It is sometimes hard to understand just how much of an impact our lifestyle can have on the environment. Last month’s fatal floods, for instance, can be attributed to more than just the heavy rainfall. They point to the need to take into more serious consideration the effects of urban construction – due to more buildings and less open land that is available to absorb the rain, hence better drainage is needed for that purpose (and to capture, clean and recycle the wastewater.)When massive buildings are constructed on the high ground, this impacts people living or working in the area downhill, which will receive the runoff water. That needs to be taken into consideration. In addition, the need for affordable housing creates an obvious conflict with environmental interests of preserving green areas – and even non-green areas, like sand dunes with their special ecosystems and habitats. The correct balance must be struck.As it becomes increasingly likely that the deadly coronavirus outbreak started in China through the treatment and eating of wild animals, this should serve as a wake-up call to us all. What we eat and how we farm and kill it counts. A damning report this month by Animals, an Israeli NGO, pointed out that 25 years after the landmark Animal Welfare Law was passed, many of its primary recommendations have yet to be implemented or enforced. The group called for the enforcement of animal protection to be moved from the Agriculture Ministry to the Environmental Protection Ministry to avoid an obvious conflict of interests.Tu Bishvat is considered the birthday of the Knesset and every year political parties choose to make a statement by where they hold their tree-planting ceremonies. Just as with our physical security, we cannot take the land for granted if we do not protect it from environmental threats and hazards.As we head to another election next month, it is a good time to remind the country’s politicians, across the political spectrum, that we cannot afford to ignore environmental problems. As it is written in Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:13: “Beware lest you spoil and destroy my world, for if you will spoil it, there is no one to repair it after you.”
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