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1 Chaim on 2009 02 08

Very Nice. Thank You.
I once heard from the Djemigrhader Rebbe Zatzal, that Tou Bishvat is a time for a person to examine his own “peiros” and see if he’s able to make a Sheechiyanou on any of them.

Hearty appetite

2 micha on 2009 02 09

Then comes the Litvak and rains on the parade…

The source of the Tu biShvat “seder” is Chemdas haYamim. The same source as saying LeDavid Hashem Ori in teshuvah season.

However, R’ Yonasan Eibeshitz discredited the book for its “obvious” (to someone who knows Qabbalah as he does, I suppose) Sabbatian influence.

More recently, 20th century academics (both observant and non) found reason to attribute to Nasan of Gaza, Shabbatai Zvi’s “Elijah” figure, or at least his school.

As I wouldn’t suggest giving up saying “LeDavid”, I’m not saying this is sufficient reason to question Tu biShvat customs. But it does make one wonder: If we knew as must as RYEibshitz did, which side of the line would we have put this “seder”? Are we following some practice designed to mimic a belief in Shabbetai Zvi’s return?

-micha

3 Sender on 2009 02 09

The Moroccan scholar Rabbi Yissachar Shussan records the custom of eating fruits in his work “Tikkun Yissachar” printed in 1564.

4 micha on 2009 02 09

Sender,

And hos did it grow from eating extra fruit (and perhaps aiming for a shehechiyanu) as is common minhag even in the rationalist bastions of Yekke and Lithuanian communities to having a “seder”?

I believe it’s that step in particular that is associated with the Chemdas haYamim.

-micha