Nov 10, 20203 min read

An Introduction to Fruits in Judaism. Ft. Michael Solomonov's Pistachio and Apricot Rugelach.

I made another batch of Michael Solomonov’s Rugelach, but this time with the pistachio and apricot filling. (The recipe is the same, but the filling is 3/4 cup apricot jam+3/4 cup toasted pistachios.) Find the recipe here https://www.jewishla.org/podcast/ep050-jays-4-questions-chef-michael-solomonov/ I wasn’t sure what to write about, but thought about the ingredients and wondered about fruit in Judaism! Here is an introduction to two holidays that celebrate fruit and human connection to nature, Tu BiShvat and Bikkurim.

Tu BiShvat, meaning “the 15th of Shvat,” is one of the four Jewish new years. In olden times, it marked the date for fruit trees to start growing to determine how much tax was needed for the harvest. In the Torah, Jews were forbidden to eat the fruit of new trees for three years and could only eat them after four years of growth. In the Holy Land, the date was associated with life and became a “memorial day” for “Eretz Yisrael.” It became a day for remembering when the Jewish people ate the fruit from Israel’s earth. Today, it is celebrated with small festivals and by eating fruit that came from the Holy Land and that is in the Torah such as carob, oranges, grapes, figs, and pomegranates to remember the resources that were lacking when the Jewish people were exiled. A blessing is said after eating fruit and the Torah fruits are given a longer blessing.

Today Tu Bishvat is a day to embrace the relationship between humans and the beautiful trees and nature of the world. In earlier days some people used to work all year so that they could have fruit on this special day. This can remind Jews living in modern-day cities of how invaluable a connection to nature is. In the Torah, Isaiah says (65:22):, “for as the days of the trees shall be the days of My people,” explaining that nature gives us life. Some Jews plant trees on this day or donate to tree planting foundations.

For cooks, the day is centered around dried fruit, whose flavor is super concentrated and they are easy to use in baked goods. A tradition is to serve a meal with 15 fruits, a challenge for cooks. Commonly used dried fruits are apricots and prunes, raisins, and dates.

Fruit has lots of symbolism in Judaism. For example, a grapevine represents the Jewish nation as it has branches that grow and spread with plentiful fruit, which represents our lives. The Jewish nation is based on agriculture and not a mercantile economy. Long ago it was tradition to plant a tree when a child was born to connect the life of the child to the tree. Fruit and trees are given praise in the Torah many times to remind us of the connection that all living things share the bond of life. Life is much more than materials, it is about growth.

In the Land of Israel, the most elementary sense of faith is from the people’s dependence on God for plentiful agriculture. In the Torah, there is a passage that describes the Jewish farmers after having settled for one harvest cycle are given a commandment to take their first fruits to the temple to express their thankfulness to God. Bikkurim is what the first fruits, or seven spices, that were offered were. They were wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates. Bikkrum is a time to celebrate local culture, food, religion, ecology, and economy for our people and our planet.