We began this week with Rosh Chodesh Shevat and we began to explore the origins of the Tu B’Shvat celebration. The first Mishna in Rosh Hashana tells us that there are ארבעה ראשי שנים, four “Rosh Hashanas”. Each Rosh Hashana, including Tu B’shvat functions as a “cutoff point” that has halachic ramifications. For example, the Mishne tells us that Rosh Chodesh Tishrei is, among other things, Rosh Hashanah for shemitah and planting. For every year of the six years of the Shemitah cycle, the farmer must separate out a tenth of his produce as מעשר. He then takes a second מעשר from what remains. In years 1,2,4, 5 of the Maaser cycle, this becomes מעשר שני. The owner must bring this product to Yerushalayim and eat it there. In years 3 and 6, it is designated as מעשר עני and must be given to the poor as tzedaka.
If wheat ripens before Rosh Hashana of Year 3 (even if it is gathered in Year 3), we separate מעשר שני. If it ripens after Rosh Hashana of Year 3, we separate מעשר עני. And so we need to know Rosh Hashanah in order to know which Maaser is relevant.
The Torah tells us that the objective of this מצוה is למַעַן תִּלְמַד, לְיִרְאָה אֶת ה’ אלקיך
So that you may learn to “fear” Hashem, your G-d, all the days. ( דברים יד, כב)
The Sefer Hachinuch explains that people naturally put their energies into physical pursuits. “In His Wisdom, Hashem lured them….so that they would study [&] draw moral teachings... to the place where involvement with wisdom and Torah is found; that is Jerusalem, where is the Sanhedrin of those who master knowledge and understand information ...The owner of the produce will either go there and study Torah himself, or send one of his sons to study there and to be sustained by that produce. “
The Torah devised many means of encouraging Jews to study Torah in Yerushalayim, under the guidance of our תלמידי חכמים. This pilgrimage is designed to help them to maintain a Torah focus when they return home to regular life with all its responsibilities. It is our hope that the learning that takes place as our students enter שערי בינה will help our students navigate “normal life” as if they entered the שערים of ירושלים.
Shabbat Shalom!
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