Tu BiSh'vat - the New Year for Trees - has become an important feature of the Jewish calendar. The verse, "When you have come into the land and have planted..." (Lev. 19:23) turned into a commandment, "You shall plant!" Thanks to the Keren Kayemet L'Yisra'el, the J.N.F., planting trees in Israel has become a way for every Jew anywhere to make a personal contribution towards the upbuilding of the land, and every time a tree is attacked and destroyed, another is immediately planted in its place. More...

For more of Rabbi Apple's articles on Tu BiSh'vat, visit the website