Tu BiShvat – a celebration of more than just trees

Tu BiShvat, 2025

Source of Creation and Life of the Universe, we gather on Tu BiSh’vat as Jews of conscience, with a deep spiritual bond to Your natural wonders, to affirm and preserve Creation.
We are grateful for Creation in all its majesty; the ever-flowing waters, the azure blue skies, the complex life of the earth’s forests, the myriad of life forms – amoebae and falcon, black-footed ferret and wild turkey, human being and soaring eagle.
The life of all creatures and our own lives are One, profoundly dependent upon each other.
We call our ancient scroll of wisdom, the Torah, an eitz Chayim, a “tree of life”, for it, like the earth’s great forests, sustains us. Torah teaches us that Creation, in its great diversity, is harmoniously interconnected. Like the trees, we too need strong deep roots for nourishment. The uplifted branches of trees point to our future. God, let us be strong, as strong as ancient trees. The Psalmist was right in saying, “like a tree planted by the waters, we shall not be moved”.
We are grateful for the life we are lent. We pledge to lift up our voices both in praise of you and in defence of Your Creation.

Rabbi Warren G. Stone

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Tu BiShvat, often called the “New Year of the Trees,” is more than just the ecological celebration it has become in recent years—it is a portal into our mystical consciousness. Rooted in the Kabbalistic tradition, this day invites us to see nature not merely as a resource but as a sacred text, whispering divine wisdom through its leaves, roots, and fruit. It is a time to reflect on the interconnectedness of all life, the spiritual dimensions of the natural world, and the deeper mysteries we can find in the act of eating.

In the Kabbalistic mind, reality is structured through the Four Worlds—layers or realms of existence that mirror the growth of a tree and the unfolding of spiritual awareness. Through these realms, Tu BiShvat can become a portal to a journey of elevation, an ascent through the elements, and a moment to reconnect with the soul of the land.

The Four Worlds: A Mystical Tree of Life

Assiyah
The foundation of all life is the physical world—the soil, the roots, the tangible earth beneath our feet. Assiyah is the realm of action, where seeds are planted and trees take root. In this world, our relationship with nature is one of care, responsibility, and embodiment. Tu BiShvat reminds us that we are not separate from the earth; our breath is intertwined with the forests, our sustenance with the fruit of the land.

Yetzirah
In the realm of Yetzirah, the world of formation, we move from the physical to the emotional, from roots to flowing sap. Water is the element of connection, allowing life to flourish. Just as rivers carve landscapes, our emotions shape the contours of our inner world. Tu BiShvat invites us to meditate on the fluid nature of existence—how love, grief, and joy flow through us like rain nourishing the earth.

B’riah
The wind carries seeds across vast distances, just as the mind carries ideas and dreams. B’riah is the world of creation, the element of air, where the breath of divine wisdom moves through us. The whisper of the trees, the rustling of leaves, the unseen force that sustains life—all remind us of the power of thought, intention, and vision. Tu BiShvat teaches us that consciousness itself is like a tree, always growing, branching, reaching toward something greater.

Atzilut
Atzilut is the highest world, the realm of pure divine energy. Here, the element of fire represents illumination, the unseen light that nourishes all life. It is the warmth of the sun upon the earth, the inner spark that animates all beings. This is the realm where duality dissolves, where the sacred is not separate from the mundane but permeates everything. In the Tu BiShvat seder, we ascend through these worlds, tasting the fruits that correspond to each realm, symbolising our own spiritual transformation.

Sacred Reciprocity

Tu BiShvat is a reminder that the land is alive, sacred, and deeply intertwined with our spiritual well-being. Eating fruit on this day is not just an act of nourishment but a form of communion—a way to honour the divine presence within the earth. The trees, the rivers, the stones, the air—they are all speaking, waiting for us to listen. In a world that often sees nature as a commodity, Tu BiShvat calls us to return to reverence, to walk the land with humility, to plant with intention, and to give back as much as we receive.

As we celebrate this day, may we remember that we, too, are like trees—rooted in the past, growing in the present, reaching toward the infinite. The Four Worlds live within us, and the elements flow through our being. Tu BiShvat is not just a holiday; it is a doorway into deeper awareness, an invitation to see the divine in all things.