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Fruitful Traditions
Fruitful Traditions
  1. The Seven Species described in Devarim 8:8 are: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates.
  2. In order to produce a good harvest, some Kurdish Jews arranged sweet fruits in rings around the bases of trees.
  3. When young Kurdish Jewish girls were ready for marriage, a mock ceremony was held to “wed” them to trees. If buds were found on a girl’s tree shortly after the ceremony, it was thought that she would marry soon.
  4. Persian Jews traditionally gave children bags of fruit that they wore as necklace pendants on Tu B’Shevat.
  5. In the wealthy villages of Morocco, elaborate feasts marked the celebration of Tu B’Shevat, where villagers ate over 100 different varieties of fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Across Morocco, wealthy villagers invited townspeople to their homes and filled their hats with fruit.
  6. In the Hasidic tradition, God decides the fate of trees and their fruits on Tu B’Shevat. Thus, on that day H. asidim pray that God will provide a beautiful etrog for the next Sukkot. Following Sukkot, the etrogim are used to make preserves to eat on the following Tu B’Shevat.
  7. In Biblical times, pomegranates were used to make wine and dye. Tradition relates that there are 613 seeds in each pomegranate, symbolizing the 613 commandments in the Torah.
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