לקראת יום המסוגל:
יום ט”ו בשבט ה’תשע”ד

האדם עץ השדה

Reb Nosson writes in Chayei Moharan
that all special times in the year like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur,
Succus, Hoshanah Rabah, Shminei Atzeres, Chanukah, Tu B’Shvat, Purim,
Pesach and Shavous bring a new beginning to each individual, along
with the ability to attain a completely new level of knowledge. Rebbe Nachman
said about himself that when Tu B’Shvat came, he attained a completely
new level of knowledge.

Toras Hachsidus teaches us a message of encouragement that we can
learn from the day of Tu B’Shvat. The lesson is that even though a
person is going through bad times, one shouldn’t give up. Even though one has
feelings of dejection and sadness, there is always hope. It might be that each
tragedy and suffering pursues the next tragedy and suffering, each day its
curse is greater than the previous days. With all this going on we still have
the power to change the bad days to good days. We have the power to bring the
redemption, the redemption is starting, and it is at the doors ready to come. Hope
exists, the salvation is right here.

To understand this message we must look
into the connection between this teaching and Tu B’Shvat. Chazal teach
us that when Tu B’shvat comes it shows that most of the winter days have
passed. Chazal therefore teach us that we should make this day a holiday
for the trees, and we should ‘tell’ them “Congratulations, happy new year,
happy new year trees.”

It seems to make no sense! To come to
the trees now in middle of the cold bitter winter days when all trees are bear
of leaves, color and fruit. It is the worst time of year for them and seems to
make no sense. And we go to the tree when they are in such a bad state, and we
tell them “happy new year, congratulations”. How is this not considered making
fun of the trees? Chazal teach us don’t look at your friend in the time
when he is in a bad state. If we would come to the trees in the spring or summer
when they are blossoming, full of leaves, fruits and colorful and we would tell
them then “congratulations, happy new year”. That would be the ideal time to
celebrate for them.

Over here lies a great message of encouragement
for us. Specifically now when it seems to everyone that the trees are having
its worst days, nonetheless the opposite is true. Specifically now, when the
winter moths are behind us, once Tu B’Shavt comes, the sap starts to burst
forth from the ground and enters into the trees, leaves and branches. Slowly
the sap will cause the tree to produce delicious sweet fruits.

Therefore now when the tree is starting
to produce delicious sweet fruits we congratulate it. We tell the tree to
strengthen itself through the winter months. Because the sap is coming and the
tree is going to start producing sweet fruits. Therefore we tell the tree now “congratulations,
happy new year”. Now is when it will start the process to regain its beauty and
fruits.

The Seforim teach us that the auspicious
day of Tu B’Shvat is in order to remind us of the Mitzvos that
have to do with the land of Eretz Yisrael in order to remind us about Eretz
Yisrael. Just like nowadays when Eretz Yisrael is empty of most of
the Jewish nation, and the Jewish nation is spread out between all the nations,
the Beis Hamikdash is destroyed, and we are being ruled by a foreign
government to the Jewish beliefs. It appears that there is no hope, and there
is no consolation about the situation in Eretz Yisrael as it is now.

However we must believe that even though
the winter nights of the exile is cold hard. The gloomy dark days with feelings
of dejection and sadness, turn around when we thin k of this idea that the
inside ‘sap’ certainly exists. The salvation, redemption and good times are
right at the door.

<![if !supportFootnotes]>[3]<![endif]>“האדם עץ השדה” – “Man is
like a tree in the field”.

Each and every person on this auspicious
day of Tu B’Shvat has to take this message we learn from the sap coming
on Tu B’Shvat as a message of encouragement. Even when everything appears
hopeless, we must realize that the ‘sap’ inside is certainly there. Torah, Mitzvos,
Davening and good deeds are like the sap that they bring up a person from
the depths of depths, to a high level where they are spiritually beautiful.  If the person will apply this message to
themselves they will see themselves in beauty and in the proper state with an
ability to come close to Hashem and true Tzadikim.

.

א ליכטיגער ט”ו בשבט

מוטה

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