Tu B'Shevat – The Rosh Hashanah of Trees
“When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten. In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to Yahweh . But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am Yahweh your Elohim. (Leviticus 19:23-25)”
Tu B'Shevat, the 15th of the Biblical month of Shevat, is the New Year for the purpose of calculating the age of trees for tithing. Leviticus 19:23-25, states that fruit from trees may not be eaten during the first three years; the fourth year's fruit is for Yahweh, and after that, you can eat the fruit. Our Sages have designated the 15th of Shevat as the New Year for trees, since most of the rains of the previous year, in the Land of Israel, have already fallen. A certain percentage of the fruit has reached the stage of "begun to ripen." This is defined as from the time of blossoming until the fruit has reached one third of its full growth. Each tree is considered to have aged one year as of Tu B'Shevat. Fruit that has reached this stage is to be tithed this year.
In the Land of Israel, the almond trees are blossoming. Its blossoms are of a very pale pink colour and appear before its leaves. In Hebrew it is called shaked, meaning "wakeful, hastening," is given to it on account of it putting forth its blossoms so early, generally in January. In Jeremiah 1:11 "I see a rod of an almond tree [shaked]...for I will hasten [shaked] my word to perform it" the word is used as an emblem of promptitude. Jacob desired his sons (Genesis 43:11) to take with them into Egypt of the best fruits of the land, almonds, etc., as a present to Joseph, probably because this tree was not a native of Egypt. A’aron's rod yielded almonds (Numbers 17:8; Hebrews 9:4).
Moses was directed to make the Menorah look like an almond tree, and for the ark of carved work "like unto almonds" (Exodus 25:33, 34).
The ancient name for Jerusalem is Luz, rendered "almond." Luz denotes the wild almond, while shaked denotes the cultivated variety. This was because Jerusalem was the place of the Garden of Eden and the Temple Mount the place of the great Almond Tree of Life.
Scripture provide clues to location of the original Garden of Eden found in Ezekiel 28:13-14: ”You [Lucifer]...were in Eden, the garden of Elohim...You were the anointed Karuv (guardian) who covers, And I [Yahweh] placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of Elohim...” This is a direct reference to Mount Moriah in Jerusalem, the Temple Mount! Yahweh selected Mount Moriah as the site of His Temple... Therefore, the Scriptures clearly connects Jerusalem to the site of the original Garden of Eden, where Yahweh fellowshipped with Adam and Eve. In this regard, it is interesting that according to the Haggadah (a narrative of the Talmud), Adam was created from the dust of Mount Moriah.
“‘Mi-kedem,’ may…mean 'prior to.' …our Sages have made the statement (Talmud, Peshahim 54a): Seven things were created prior to the creation of the world... (one of those is..) the Garden of Eden, since it says, ‘Mi-kedem.’ …Just as [Yahweh] created a Gan Eden on earth... He created a Gan Eden on high’” (“Rod of An Almond Tree,” by Peter A. Michas, Robert Vander Maten and Christie Michas, Chapter 2)
Thus the Tree of Life was not originally planted in the literal Garden of Eden, but was a supernatural Tree with roots in the spiritual realm.
“‘The term 'planting (netiyah) means, in the case of the trees, placing their seeds in the earth. Our sages explain that the seeds which [Yahweh] had implanted were like locust horns, by which they are telling us that the seed which were placed in the earth were very large. Planting of large seeds can be described either by the term seeding (zriyah) or implanting (zmihah) reveals in this verse that the trees matured as soon as they were planted, within the hour sprouting leaves and producing ripe fruit. The verse also stresses that He made it to grow 'out of the ground' - which prompted our Sages to deduce that the planting had not been done in this soil of the garden but elsewhere. (Their declaration that the trees were implanted, can also be taken as saying that they were transplanted -- the word shitla meaning the latter, as well)] This concept of transplantation of the Tree of Life is highly significant, for it ties into another profound possibility: that even a branch from this tree could be successfully transplanted (“Rod of An Almond Tree,” by Peter A. Michas, Robert Vander Maten and Christie Michas, pp. 114-15)
“In Revelation 2:7, [Yahshua] states: 'To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of [Yahweh].' This Scripture seems to indicate that at the time John recorded the Book of Revelation, the Tree of Life was in Heaven and continues to be until its reappearance in the New Jerusalem. Perhaps it was the source of the Tree of Life in the earthly Garden of Eden.” (“Rod of An Almond Tree,” by Peter A. Michas, Robert Vander Maten and Christie Michas, p. 177)
Again referring to the Haggadah, Yahweh took a branch off the Tree of Life and gave it to Adam to be his staff. The staff was engraved with the Ineffable Name of YAHWEH (“Rod of An Almond Tree,” by Peter A. Michas, Robert Vander Maten and Christie Michas, p. 119)
According to Midrash Yehlamdenu, a rabbinical commentary, the staff transferred from Adam successively down the line to Enoch, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and David.
“…the staff with which Jacob crossed the Jordan is identical with that which Judah gave to his daughter-in-law, Tamar...[Genesis 32:10; 38:18]. It is likewise the holy rod with which Moses worked...[Exodus 4:20-1], with which Aaron performed the wonders before Pharoah,... [Exodus 7:10], and with which, finally, David slew the giant Goliath... (I Samuel 17:40) …” (“Rod of An Almond Tree,” by Peter A. Michas, Robert Vander Maten and Christie Michas, pp. 119-20)
“Let us not be too quick to discard information based upon legend (stories passed down through the generations)... Perhaps at some future time, a discovery will be made to verify the history of this divine rod. It seems that the rod was handed down by Adam to Enoch and then to Methuselah. From Methuselah, it would have been transferred to Shem, the son of Noah...Shem was also the head of an academy teaching [Yahweh’s] knowledge and was Abraham's tutor.” (Torah Anthology)
“Undoubtedly, David's victory was proof of [Yahweh’s] miraculous intervention. The rod, engraved with the Ineffable Name, bore witness to the authority which this miracle of redemption had been performed....The authors believe David planted the rod. The authors believe that the serpent had never been removed from the rod and, therefore must have remained attached to the almond tree as it grew. Subsequently, the serpent was removed and destroyed, but the almond tree was left intact.” (“Rod of An Almond Tree,” by Peter A. Michas, Robert Vander Maten and Christie Michas, pp. 128, 133)
“According to [Yahweh’s] command, this perpetually budding almond rod...was to be placed 'before the testimony' (Numbers 17:10). This meant that it was to be placed in front of the Ark, which contained the 'testimony,' that is the tablets of the covenant (Ten Commandments)… The placement of the miraculously budding almond rod before the Ark of the Covenant is of the greatest significance and will become very evident. At this time, it should be understood to represent the Tree of Life - both literally and symbolically.” (“Rod of An Almond Tree,” by Peter A. Michas, Robert Vander Maten and Christie Michas, pp. 124-5)
In Numbers 21:6, the Wilderness Generation of the Children of Israel were bitten by snakes as judgment from Yahweh. “Then Yahweh sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against Yahweh and against you; pray to Yahweh to take away the serpents from us.’ So Moses prayed for the people. And Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a rod; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.’ So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a rod; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look upon the serpent of bronze and live.” The Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 29a, asserts that it was not the copper serpent that healed the Israelites, but it was their finally submitting themselves to Yahweh.
During the revolt by Absolom, David fled Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley to the Mountb of olives taking A’aron’s rod – the scepter of divine power - with him. The serpent had never been removed from the rod and, therefore, must have remained attached to the almond tree as it grew.
By King Hezekiah’s reign Israel had become idolatrous even with the things of Yahweh. King Hezekiah destroyed the brass snake that had been planted on the Mount of olives as part of a campaign to return to the system of law established by the Torah.
“He removed the high places, and brake the images, and Asherah was cut up, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it נְחֻשְׁתָּן Nechushtan (a subtle play on words: heb. נָחָשׁ (nachash) means "serpent" while נְחשֶׁת (nachoshet) means "brass" or "bronze")." (2 Kings 18:4) However, the Great Almond Tree was left intact.
It was on this almond tree that King Messiah Yahshua was hung. "The Greek word xulou (or xulon) is translated 'tree' … a living tree, not a Roman cross. Even as [Yahshua] was going to His crucifixion, He made a direct reference to this act being carried out 'when the tree is green' (Luke 23:31). The descriptive Greek word means 'full of sap'; such a tree is clearly living… One may then ask: What about the 'cross' that Simon had to carry for [Yahshua] to the crucifixion site? In actuality this beam was not a Roman cross but rather a crossbar that was nailed to the crucifixion tree. It was to this plank of wood that [Yahshua] was nailed at the wrists... Another Greek word, ‘stauros,’ appears in certain passages where it has been translated 'cross.' Its primary meaning is 'upright pole' or 'stake.' However, it can also refer to a crossbar. (“Rod of An Almond Tree,” by Peter A. Michas, Robert Vander Maten and Christie Michas, p. 141)
“It is also a matter of historical record that before 326 C.E., the cross did not exist as a Christian symbol, but was derived from paganism.” (“Rod of An Almond Tree,” by Peter A. Michas, Robert Vander Maten and Christie Michas, p. 145)
Israel is likened to a Tree: “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that He may be glorified. (Isaiah 61:3)"
Unfortunately, much of Israel broke the Covenant that caused them to be righteous trees. It was during this time that Yahweh began another phase of His Plan of Salvation, He began to graft in the Lost Sheep back into the righteous olive tree of Israel whose roots are solidly into the Messiah.
“If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if Yahweh did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of Yahweh: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for Yahweh is able to graft them in again. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree! (Romans 11:17-24)”
This relationship of olive and almond can also be seen in the Menorah, as the cups that hold the olive oil are shaped in the form of the flower of the almond tree. Thus, when lit, the pressed oil in the basin of the ''flower'' lights up the Holy Place. The olive oil for the Menorah came from the first fruit of the tree, and some say that only the first drop of oil from each of those olives could be used for that lamp. The almond tree is the first to demonstrate the budding of life at the end of winter, even before springtime. At the same time, its blossoms are the sign for the husbandman to prune the olive trees, and at that time of year the branches are seen lying on the ground around the olive tree, ready to be gathered and burned. It is worth noting that the branches that get pruned are the ones in the interior of the tree, those hidden from sunlight; those that are sapping the tree of its life-giving energy; and while producing little fruit they also prevent the tree from breathing. The branches that are left will then bear larger and juicier olives. Added to the beautiful sight of the olive trees and the flowering almond trees are the carpets of violet and yellow flowers, interspersed with the red (poppy-like) anemones.
Ezekiel tells us that He is interested in uniting two trees, two houses, two kingdoms, two nations and a people, with their land (Ezekiel. 37:15-23). The Messiah came to restore the government of His Father to Israel, His firstborn nation. He will perform it and bring it to pass, but He will also prune the olive tree of Israel. ''You will say then, 'branches were broken off that I might be grafted in. Well said, because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear, for if YHWH did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of YHWH'' (Romans 11:19-22).
abridged with kind permission by Rabbi Rob Miller
