Thu Jan 28, 2010 at 09:59:56 AM EST
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| This Saturday January 30th is also, in the Hebrew calendar, known as Tu B’Shvat, the Jewish “new year for trees.” This day’s origins go back thousands of years, and was first marked as a way to consistently measure the age of trees for the purpose of tracking tithing obligations on the fruit. Since the Middle Ages, some Jews have marked this day with a feast of fruits that traditionally grow in ancient Israel . In the spirit of the day, I want to share a very old tree story. The Talmud – the Jewish code of laws, stories and traditions that was written in Babylonia some 1,500 years ago – tells the story of Choni the Circle Maker. Choni was what we might describe as a miracle worker or a shaman, known for his ability to make rain, and on one occasion for negotiating with God by refusing to leave a circle until there was adequate rain. When Choni was already an old man, he was walking along and saw a man planting a carob tree (aka St. John's Bread). Choni inquires: “How long does it take for a carob tree to bear fruit?” The man replies: “Seventy years.” Choni then asks: “Is it clear to you that you will live for another 70 years to enjoy the fruits of your labor?’ The man: “I came into a world full of grown carob trees. Just as my ancestors planted those trees for me, so too I plant for my children.” Choni continues on his way and, |
| Jeremy Burton :: For Jewish Arbor Day, a Rip Van Winkle story |
the story goes, fell asleep. An outcropping of rock grew from the ground and covered him and hid him from sight, and Choni slept undisturbed. Seventy years passed and finally Choni awoke from this long sleep. He rose, unaware of how much time had passed, and saw what appeared to be the same man picking fruit from the carob tree that he had seen planted so long ago.
Choni: “Are you the man who planted this tree?”
Man: “No, I am his grandson.”
Choni: “Now I realize that I have slept for 70 years.”
And Choni returned home to his family, who no longer recognized him.*
When I read this story, I can’t help but think about our lives and our work (I also can’t help wondering if Washington Irving was studying Talmud when he wrote the classic story of Rip Van Winkle).
I consider the sacrifices made by workers a century ago to fight for the right to weekend, or by those who died for the civil rights that we often take for granted. I also think about the staff, board members and others who, over 25 years, lay the foundations of the organization we are today. And I think about the work that I get to do that will not realize its full results till long after I am gone, and the struggles we fight today that will create opportunities for our children and grandchildren’s generation.
We get to eat in the gardens planted by others, even as we plant the seeds that will nourish people whom we will not ever know. In this way, we are like the man and the carob tree, sitting in the present but aware of what links us to generations before and after.
I invite you to celebrate the day of trees by considering the lesson that Choni learned and by pausing to reflect:
* How does my life and my work benefit from the fruits of others’ labors, of those who came before me?
* Where do I make space to reflect on this gift and appreciate what they have done for me?
* What can I do to pay it forward, to plant seeds that will benefit those who will come after me?
The task of creating a just, fair and compassionate America will not be achieved in a single generation. It is an ongoing struggle and we all have a contribution to make.
Have a joyous, treeish, fruity weekend!
* p.s. The full tale of Choni can be found in Tractate Ta’anit (Fasts), Folio 23A. |
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