Tu b'Shvat begins the evening of Wednesday, January 27 this year. It's too bad more people don't know much about this lovely biblical celebration of nature. Technically, this date - the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shvat - marks the beginning of the agricultural year. When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, Jewish farmers were required to tithe a portion of their crops to support the priesthood. The middle of Shvat marks the end of the rainy season in Israel; almond trees begin to blossom, so ancient farmers used this date to designate the beginning of the new crop year.
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Kugel Chronicles
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