Tax and Planting by Rabbi Sandra Kviat

“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”  (Robert Louis Stevenson)

How do you celebrate finishing your tax return? Do you do a little victory dance or raise a toast? Or do you just press ‘send’ and move on to another task? Tu B'shvat - the birthday of the trees that is being celebrated this week, is at its core an agricultural tithing issue and not a festival. It is the time the farmer would assess the age of a tree, and if it was 3 years old, then it would be eligible for harvesting and tithing, (the ancient form of taxation). This agricultural new year has changed from a way of measuring trees for the purpose of harvesting, and instead turned into a celebration of nature and our role in protecting and helping it grow. The kabbalists saw its spiritual dimensions and created a seder around it, the early Israeli pioneers saw it as a way of connecting their lived reality on the land with the stories of the Torah and so what is in effect a practical issue, was turned into a spring celebration. And so we sow seeds and we plant trees for Tu B’shvatif we can.

As the sun is slowly getting stronger, even with frost still hanging in the air, Tu B'shvat helps us think about the seeds we want to plant this year. They can be physical seeds; what to plant in your garden or on your window sill, or how to keep making your life more sustainable? They can be spiritual seeds; what do you want to nourish and grow this year? What do you need to nourish and grow? 

Stevenson's wise words about focusing on sowing rather than harvesting reminds us that the fruits of our labour might take years to mature, but that is the natural cycle of life. At some point there will be a harvest that we can celebrate. But for now, as the days grow infinitesimally warmer, we are reminded to begin sowing seeds, inside and out.