My neighbor has been advertising that he's selling "TU B'Shvat fruits." I salivate at every email message on the community list.
Even though our house has been an empty nest for years and he doesn't like fruit, my husband always buys some. Temptation can be very dangerous when you're trying to control your eating. The only food type I have trouble limiting is fruit. I'm supposed to have three (maximum,) but I frequently have more. Did I tell you that I love fruit, fresh, dried, baked, compote... well, I can ignore applesauce. I need to chew.
It's not even Shvat yet. I shouldn't be obsessing about TU B'Shavt fruit. We're still suffering a serious drought here in the HolyLand. One good rain a couple of weeks ago, no matter how strong and heavy isn't enough.
This is what winter is supposed to look like. It was taken a few years ago.
This year the ground is still dry and brown. At most I see a few blades of weed when I walk around the neighborhood. The lovely green and flowered gardens are all watered artificially. Nobody can count on rain.
TU B'Shvat signifies that the winter is hardly over, but this year it hardly began. I guess that this year we'll find ourselves with more imported fruit, even though that seems to be against the intention of the holiday.
Shalom!
ReplyDeleteStick to your diet and support Israel: buy only fruits grown in Israel
www.tuv-haaretz.co.il
I forwarded an email to you with more information.
Shalom!
ReplyDeleteWe should not forget WHY the new year for trees is important. The exact age of trees, which is not always so easy to determine, is crucial for properly observing the laws of orla (not eating the fruits of a tree during its first years of growth; I forget if it's three or four) and shemita, the once every seven years sabbatical for all produce grown in Israel (there is a dispute of what exactly the boundaries are for the obligation of shemita).
Having an evening learning about relevant laws while sampling small amounts of fruit and wine during a Seder Tu B'Shevat would satisfy all the senses without overloading the body with fructose.
Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteThat picture appears to be old.
ReplyDeleteHere.
Here, too.
Of course it's old, that's what I wrote. That's how it should look.
ReplyDelete