Tu BiShvat is more than just a holiday about fruit—it is a celebration of Eretz Yisrael and its blessings. Reflecting on my childhood in Baltimore, I remember receiving a bag of dried fruit, including a carob, and being told it came from Israel. Whether it actually did or not, it planted a deep awareness of the land’s specialness within me.
Today, I celebrate with 15 different fruits—all from Eretz Yisrael—a testament to how the land has flourished. As Mark Twain once observed, the land was barren, but today, Jewish presence has transformed it into a place of abundance. Even the rain patterns have changed, aligning with Jewish settlement and agriculture, revealing a deep spiritual connection between the land and its people.
We also see this in the blessings we recite after eating fruit. When eating fruit from Eretz Yisrael, we say “Al pri ha’aretz” instead of the generic blessing used for fruit from outside the land. This simple distinction serves as a reminder of the holiness of Eretz Yisrael and our eternal bond with it.
Join me in exploring this incredible connection between Tu BiShvat, the land of Israel, and divine blessing.