Jewish Holidays: Tu B'Shevat New Years' Day for Trees in Israel
The Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat is the New Years' Day for trees in the Land of Israel. It is a day of planting trees and enjoying the fruits of The Holy Land of Israel.
"The Marty Roberts Show" explains to you, in the way that only Marty can, just what this holiday is all about and how we enjoy it here, in Israel.
CLICK HERE to Listen to "The Marty Roberts Show" About the Holiday of Tu B'Shevat
Today, Tuesday, 15 Shevat 5765 (25 January 2005), is the new year for trees in Israel. It is a unique holiday in Israel which has been celebrated since Biblical times. On Tu B'Shevat the people of Israel plant trees throughout the land and celebrate with a special family meal which is also called a "seder". The main part of the meal is the eating of all kinds of fruits which are grown in the land of Israel. During this meal we also bless G-d for the fruits that He gave to His people and for making Israel a land of milk and honey.
Soldiers planting a tree in the land of Israel. As in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah on one hand they hold their weapons to protect the people and land of Israel and with the other hand they are building the land of the G–d and people of Israel by planting trees as G–d commanded.
Trees were planted today all over the Land of Israel, in the settlements in Judaea, Samaria, and Gaza, in the cities, towns and forests of ALL of Israel. The Jewish settled areas in Judeaea, Samaria and Gaza are the main Biblical areas of the ten tribes in Samaria and the land of the tribe of Judah in the mountains of Judaea, and Gaza, the land which G-d redeemed from the Philistines and gave back to Israel.
The planting of trees by the Israelis in the land of Israel is one of the most important commandments of G-d to His people. In the first redemption of Israel, when G-d gave them the Torah at Sinai, He commanded them: "And when you shall come into the land, and shall have planted all kinds of trees for food" (Leviticus 19:23a) This important commandment of G-d was fulfilled by the Israelites in Biblical time and the land became covered with trees, especially fruit trees. G-d blessed the trees and they produced much fruit.
The beauty of G-d covered the land and made it the most beautiful land in the world. This commandment was especially fulfilled after times when enemies destroyed the land. When G-d brought His people back to the land one of the first things His people did was to plant trees as G-d commanded them.
This commandment was also intensively fulfilled in our time when G-d started to regather the Jews to the land. This was done through Zionism. Again the land started to be covered by forests and fruit trees after almost 2,000 years of destruction when the foreigners who occupied the land — especially the Arabs — cut down the trees and used their foliage as food for their flocks and the wood to warm their houses. When the Jews started to return to the land about 100 years ago, they found the land desolate, no longer with trees and forests.
Immediately they started to fulfil this commandment of G-d and today the land is covered with forests and orchards after a long time when the land was devoid of trees. There is still much planting to be done and the Israelis plant every day of the year but especially on Tu B'Shevat.
A small Israeli girl born in Israel from a Jewish family regathered from Russia planting a tree in the land of Israel for the honour of her forefathers who were exiled from the land 2000 years ago and now have come back. She is planting it in thanksgiving to the G–d of Israel for the great miracle that He did with His people.
In the prophetic Word of the G-d of Israel, when He spoke of the endtime redemption of Israel — the Zionist redemption of Israel in the time in which we are now living, G-d connected the redemption of Israel with the redemption of the land, the rebuilding of houses, and the replanting of trees. All the prophets of Israel spoke of the exciting godly time in which we are now living in Israel. Isaiah described it in special and exciting words. The climax of this redemption is the redemption of the holy mountain of G-d, the Temple Mount:
"And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat; for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and my chosen ones shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the L-rd, and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, says the L-rd." (Isaiah 65:21-25)
Since the liberation of the holy Biblical areas of the land in Judaea, Samaria, Gaza, the Golan Heights, and Jerusalem, these holy areas of the land of Israel were settled by the descendants of the tribes of Israel who were taken from the land thousands of years ago. It was the biggest godly miracle in the life of Israel and all mankind; that a nation which was exiled from its land was regathered again by G-d to the land which G-d had given them in an eternal covenant and did not become lost in the exile.
Even the ten "lost" tribes were rediscovered over the past years and have also started to be regathered to the land. The promises of G-d to His people through His prophets have become a reality in these exciting days in which we are now living. Today, when one travels in these areas which for so many years were desolate and settled by Arab foreigners who occupied the land and never cared about rebuilding and planting it, you will see the beautiful villages and cities — which for thousands of years were in ruins — covered with trees and orchards. Small Israeli children who were born there play among the trees. Israeli farmers again share their fruits with the people of Israel and even with all the world.
It is so exciting to see how the endtime Word of G-d to His people through His prophet, Amos, becomes a daily reality in the these Biblical areas of the land as in other areas which G-d again blessed to be a land of milk and honey once He regathered his people to the land:
"Behold, the days come, says the L-rd, when the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink their wine; they shall also make gardens, and eat their fruit. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them, says the L-rd your G-d." (Amos 9:13-15)
This Word of G-d should be learned by all the world and especially by the American Administration which is pressurising Israel to remove settlements and stop the rebuilding of houses and the planting of trees by the people of G-d. They want to give the holy land of Israel, which G-d gave only to His people, for their anti-godly plan of establishing a foreign so-called "Palestinian" state.
It is so sad that the world does not want to accept what G-d is doing with Israel today in the holy land and His clear word:
"And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be plucked up out of their land which I have given them, says the L-rd your G-d." (Amos 9:15)
Who can change the determination of G-d at this exciting and critical time to redeem Israel and their land and to again plant them and their trees in the land as a condition for the redemption of all the world? G-d alone is sovereign over all the world and all His creation. All the anti-godly human plans to prevent Him from fulfilling His prophetic endtime plans with Israel will never work.
The holy land of Israel will continue to be covered with the children of Israel. Many rebuilt houses, many replanted trees and small Israeli children will play among them as a godly testimony to all the world and history.
"Thus says the L-rd: I have returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth; and the mountain of the L-rd of hosts the Holy Mountain. Thus says the L-rd of hosts: Old men and old women shall again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for the fullness of days. ... Thus says the L-rd of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be my people, and I will be their G-d, in truth and in righteousness. Thus says the L-rd of hosts: Let your hands be strong, you who hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, who spoke on the day that the foundation of the house of the L-rd of hosts was laid, saying that the temple might be built. ... For there shall be the seed of peace; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her produce, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. ... Thus says the L-rd of hosts: It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities; And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to entreat the favor of the L-rd, and to seek the L-rd of hosts. I will go also. And many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the L-rd of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the L-rd. Thus says the L-rd of hosts: In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men from the nations of every language, shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, We will go with you; for we have heard that G-d is with you." (Zechariah 8:3,4,7-9,12,20-23)
The beauty of G-d covered the land and made it the most beautiful land in the world. This commandment was especially fulfilled after times when enemies destroyed the land. When G-d brought His people back to the land one of the first things His people did was to plant trees as G-d commanded them. 
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