I learnt about and shared so many wonderful Torah teachings, this Tu B Shvat and was able to share in such amazing experiences, the most wonderful of all being our Tu B Shvat Seder that I was quite overcome and actually felt I had to put pencil to paper to write a poem , so here it is....
I hope you enjoy it:
Tu b Shvat sweetness
My eyes and heart opened
together with my inner eye
and before and on the day
that is a gate to joy
The judgement day for trees
I experienced the sweetness of appreciation and validation
as delicious , tasty and nourishing
as the date or raisin of which we spoke and mindfully tasted
My heart feels full to overflowing
with this abundance of gratitude , love and generous giving...
I want to make sure
that somehow the feeling is noted preserved
with words on a page
so that in the Amalyk * days
that surely will follow
despite these revelations
no less wonderous to me than the splitting of the Red Sea
I should have my shield and armor ready
to defeat the attack,
self worth
and self love intact
and my purpose abundantly clear
*Amalyk: Nation that cruelly attacked the Jews right after they crossed the Red Sea
My eyes and heart opened
together with my inner eye
and before and on the day
that is a gate to joy
The judgement day for trees
I experienced the sweetness of appreciation and validation
as delicious , tasty and nourishing
as the date or raisin of which we spoke and mindfully tasted
My heart feels full to overflowing
with this abundance of gratitude , love and generous giving...
I want to make sure
that somehow the feeling is noted preserved
with words on a page
so that in the Amalyk * days
that surely will follow
despite these revelations
no less wonderous to me than the splitting of the Red Sea
I should have my shield and armor ready
to defeat the attack,
self worth
and self love intact
and my purpose abundantly clear
*Amalyk: Nation that cruelly attacked the Jews right after they crossed the Red Sea
I was also able to watch, baruch Hashem, a small video recording of the Rebbe talking about the lessons of Tu B Shvat, emphasizing how we can learn patience and begin to see potential by the very act of eating fruit that takes time to grow and by eating it when there is still snow on the ground and a cold winter outside. Celebrating fruit from the point that just the sap begins to flow, a process that we cannot even see, but that will eventually result in a fruit...we commit ourself to a belief in the future, and all the promise that it holds, even though now we cannot see it. Even though now, anti-semitism and hate surround us, we have faith and patience that the stirrings of Redemption are well under way and very soon we will be enjoying the fruits of Geulah!
http://youtu.be/C2Kq_UxVFYA
Here in an extremely brief summary are some of the Lessons learnt from our Seder:
-That Klippah (the shells, or coverings that hide essence) can be purposeful
-Our blockages and obstacles in avodas Hashem can be compared to the pit in a fruit
-As we ascend in our spiritual practice we can appreciate more and more that what Hashem does to us is all for the good!
and finally
-The closer we get to Moshiach, the more subtle and transcendent our experiences become!
Have a wonderful shabbos
