“Because humanity is like a tree in the forest” (Deuteronomy 20:19)
This verse is a perfect verse to lead us into this joint MLK and Tu B'shvat Shabbat. This weekend we remember the power and inspiration of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and at the same time, the spiritual clarion call of Tu B'shvat, the Jewish New Year for the Trees. Reverend King’s work and writings remind us to continue to heal our society from racism and inequality. Tu B'shvat commands us to honour and repair our planet.
Andrés Spokoiny, the CEO of Jewish Funders Network, wrote a beautiful piece about the relevance of the Aspen tree for us this weekend. He wrote:
‘Aspens are connected by their roots to other aspens, making aspen forests not a collection of individual trees, but one single organism.
The interconnectedness of the aspen trees makes them incredibly resilient. Nutrients and water circulate freely among the trees, and the stronger help the weaker to the entire forest’s benefit.
Of course, sometimes interconnectedness can be a problem. Due to climate change, a fungus called the Aspen Leaf Blight hijacks the trees’ DNA. Since all the trees in the forest share a genetic code, when a single tree gets infected, the whole forest is at risk.
We too are connected at the roots, which is, in great measure, the secret to our resilience. We are all linked in an inextricable network of mutuality and that has allowed us to endure and outlive the challenges that history has thrown at us.
Like the aspens, which combine a collective genotype with an individual phenotype, we need to find an equilibrium between our collective identities and our individuality. Yes, we are all linked, but unity is not the same as uniformity. Belonging to one body is our strength; being different from one another is our richness. We share roots, but each of us branches individually towards the sky.
And yet, those characteristics that we share with aspens are in crisis. Our interconnectedness is threatened by increasing polarization and animosity; by viewing our diversity as a problem rather than a source of richness and by demonizing those that aren’t like us. The delicate balance between individuality and collectivity has been broken by a culture that sees individuals as independent agents, that glorifies selfishness and suggests that we owe no solidarity…to our fellow humans.’
Trees are a powerful metaphor for us. All humanity is connected and interdependent. We all need each other, lean on each other, and affect each other in macro and micro ways. When we ignore that fact, and try to cut some out of the universal tapestry due to our own greed, prejudice or selfishness, we become the blight on civilization. Racism infects us all and diminishes human capability and success.
This Shabbat our services will reflect the confluence of MLK weekend and Tu B'shvat. Tonight our services will be led by the energetic and passionate African American cantor Joshua Nelson. We are lucky to have him back with us, in collaboration with the synagogues across the country that we have joined with during the pandemic. He will have us clapping and dancing throughout the service.
On Shabbat morning, following our service, we will focus on nature and the land of Israel, as well as the planet, at a brief Tu B'shvat zoom seder, at 11.00 am.
Please join us as we show kavod to the diversity of our society, which is its strength, and the richness of the earth. May the sounds of both reach our hardened hearts (like the heart of Pharoah in this week’s parasha), and turn us toward each other in healing and love.
May this Shabbat fill our homes with joy and sustenance of the body and spirit,
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Marcia Plumb
