A
Delightful Tu b'Shvat Custom for Families
The
great Sephardic Torah authority and Kabbalist, Rabbi Haim Palachi
(1788-1869) of Izmir, Turkey, records a custom that each member of the
family should say the blessing over a specifically-designated fruit:
Father: should
say "mezonot" over a grain product, related to his wish for
success in earning a livelihood, which is represented by wheat,
as in the verse, "He shall satisfy you with the fat of wheat."
(Tehilim 147:14).
Mother/wife:
should say the blessing of "ha'etz" over grapes, as the
verse in Tehilim (128:3) compares the wife of a G-d fearing man to a "fruitful
vine."
Sons: should
eat olives in accordance to the above verse which too likens the
sons of G-d fearing man to young olive trees.
Daughters:
should eat pomegranates and walnuts which are covered by
an outer shell or covering, symbolic of tzeniut -modesty- that
is required of all Jewish girls.
Young children:
should eat apples, in honor of the courageous women of Bnei Yisrael
during the Egyptian bondage who secretly delivered their babies in the
apple orchards.
(And perhaps adult
singles looking to get married should eat dates on this night!
--Ascent-of-Safed staff)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the e-book, ""TREE
OF LIFE" (Sefer "Eitz Hayyim Hee") by Rachmiel-Hayyim
Drizen -- available from our KabbalaOnline-shop
site.
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