How often do we look at an apple and remark "what a miracle?" The answer probably is rarely and it’s quite understandable because we have gotten used to seeing and eating apples. This is true about everything in life. It's hard to keep the excitement for something that we do and experience. However, the more we speak about it and work consciously to remind ourselves, the more we will be able to see Hashem in everything. It also happens to be that the apple has an extra connection to yetzias mitzrayim as the midrashim quote a passuk from Shir Hashirim תחת התפוח עוררתיך Hashem woke us up under the apple tree. Chazal in Maseches Shabbos also compares the Jewish People saying נעשה ונשמע to how an apple grows. There are a lot of secrets behind the apple; in fact, you can even see, when opening the apple, Hashem's names written on top.
The Ramban in Parshas Bo explains the purpose of the miracles that took place in Mitzryaim. From the super miracles we can learn that even what doesn’t seem to be a miracle is really nothing less than a miracle. So when we’re making kiddush or reciting kerias shma and mentioning yetzias mitzryaim, we should think Hashem did these miracles, so that we can view all things in life as miracles.
Tu Bishvat, as the Mishna in Rosh Hashana tells us, is the Rosh Hashana for fruit trees. On the surface it might sound very technical and physical. As Rashi says, it's when the sap of the tree goes up the branches and causes the fruits to begin to bud. However, as the Torah tells us and as Chazal explain to us, human beings are compared to fruit trees. If it’s the time for the fruits to rejuvenate, that means we can too. In fact I mentioned last week from the Chidushai Harim z"l that Rosh Chodesh Shvat is the source of all new insights of Torah. This is is based the passuk in beginning of Sefer Devarim בעשתי עשר חודש באחד לחודש הואיל משה באר את התורה "on first day of the eleventh month, which is Shvat, Moshe clarified the Torah to the Jewish people." Hence this is a time of both physical and spiritual rejuvenation.
Shvat is also the rashai taivos for שנשמע בשורות טובות we should hear good news from Israel and all over the world. And lastly Shvat also stands for שלום בית טוב: it’s a great time to make Shalom.
by Rabbi Daniel Coren
