Why is the "birthday of the trees" marked as a holiday on the Jewish calendar?

Agriculture is one of the Torah's central metaphors for our relationship with Hashem. The fruit tree holds particular significance, teaching us deep truths about the nature of Torah. Unlike grain, which sustains the body, fruit delights the palate. In the same way, Torah nourishes the soul with the deepest spiritual pleasure we can experience in connection with Hashem.

In this episode, we explore why mitzvos are like grain—necessary for survival—while Torah is like fruit, meant to be enjoyed. We trace why Torah scholars are compared to fruit trees and why Tu B'Shvat is the only Rosh Hashanah celebrated on the full moon.

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https://www.batshevalearningcenter.com/booklets

At first glance, teshuvah seems straightforward: recognize mistakes, feel remorse, resolve to change. Yet when we examine the Rambam's Hilchos Teshuvah closely, fundamental questions emerge.

The Rambam only lists viduy as a formal obligation. What about the internal, emotional process of teshuvah? Is that a mitzvah?

Some argue that teshuvah is not a mitzvah at all, just the procedure we follow when we fail in our other obligations. On a deeper level, teshuvah cannot be a mitzvah because it expresses the essence of the soul that transcends all mitzvos.

This concept gives us profound insight into the true nature of teshuvah and explains why the Rambam chose to explore free choice specifically in the context of Hilchos Teshuvah. An authentic return to Hashem from the depths of our souls cannot be mandated, because it is intrinsic to who we are—an ultimate expression of our free choice.

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In this powerful finale to our "Finding Myself in Torah" series, we sit down with Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt — journalist, Rebbetzin, and one of the most honest voices in contemporary Jewish discourse.

Avital takes us on her journey from feeling overwhelmed by serious Torah learning to becoming a woman who uses her platform to advocate for deeper spiritual engagement for Orthodox women. As both a community leader and community critic, she offers a unique perspective on the gaps between women's intellectual capacity and the limited spiritual offerings they often receive. We explore how she evolved from someone who advocated women’s engagement and influence in the frum community, to a community leader herself who lives the model of female Torah leadership she wrote about for so long. We dive into her insights on materialism in Orthodox communities and how lifestyle influence has overshadowed women's engagement with Torah.

This candid and refreshing conversation is an invitation to reimagine our relationship with Torah and the role Rebbetzins play in shaping their communities through Torah learning.

Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt is a journalist, Rebbetzin at Altneu Synagogue, and former features editor at the Forward. Her writing on Orthodox life has appeared in the New York Times, Tablet, and other publications. She lives in New York with her husband, Rabbi Benjamin Goldschmidt, and their children.

This concludes our "Finding Myself in Torah" series. Thank you for joining us on this journey of discovery, learning, and growth.

https://traditiononline.org/materialism-and-the-rise-of-modern-orthodoxy/

https://forward.com/life/437687/haredi-women-talmud/

https://www.instagram.com/avitalrachel/?hl=en

https://x.com/avitalrachel?lang=en