Illustration by Julie Z. Russo
By Julie Z. Russo
We start the new year with the best intentions and resolutions to eat healthy and exercise, but after two weeks how many of us are still keeping this promise. Today we have another opportunity to renew our commitment to ourselves and our loved ones by celebrating the new year for trees, and by learning about the symbolism of fruit-bearing trees to improve our health. This January 16, 2014 is when the ancient holiday Tu B’Shevat is celebrated in the land of Israel and by Jews around the world.
Tu B’Shevat is traditionally known as a marker of agricultural laws, the time when sages determined most of the rain had fallen, and trees emerging from sleep could begin a new cycle of bearing fruit in the land of Israel. This holiday is celebrated by eating fruits as well as our relationship with vegetation in the field, remembering we are part of the tree of life.
Dr. Daniel Wasserman, a practitioner of oriental medicine in Hollywood, Florida, believes the holiday of Tu B’Shevat is a guide for human healing and has taken to the airwaves on Chabad.org to preach the gospel of eating healthy fruits and vegetables. The Torah singled out grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates to praise the bounty of the holy land, and hundreds' of years later doctors are still unraveling the miraculous healing properties of these fruits.
“One can improve health by studying biblical Talmudic fruits,” said Dr. Wasserman. Beginning with the first famous apple bite, humankind entered a special relationship with fruit. The date tree whose leaves were sewn together to make clothes for Adam and Eve restored them to wholeness. The foods that supported human health were given special status in the bible, and by the 15th century a special seder was organized by rabbis with four cups of wine to praise the fruits of the vine.
Calling it the “French paradox” in reference to those healthy Mediterraneans’ who smoke and eat tons of butter, wine serves to counterbalance their diets, Dr. Wasserman said. Today, doctors know that fruits contain antioxidants that neutralize free radicals in the body. Substances called reservatol and viniferin in wine are shown to protect cognitive function, reduce the risk of cancer, and prevent corony heart disease, Wasserman said.
The first rule of thumb for a healthy diet is to not eat anything that hasn’t been around for a hundred years, said Dr. Wasserman, noting that white-colored foods and white flour, in particular, are lacking in fiber, and therefore have had their healthy properties removed. A good guide for healthy eating is to refer to those fruits, veggies, and grains including wheat, barley, pomegranates, and olive oil praised in Deuteromy, he said.
On the holiday of Tu B’Shevat, more than 30 fruits are praised and some of the fruits are eaten to commemorate the symbolic significance of the holiday. Along with fruit, two grains—wheat and barley—are remembered as well in order to “serve G-d with all our hearts.” Dr. Wasserman said the two grains represent both our godly and animal souls that are reconciled when combined.
Both Talmudic and Chinese medicine represent the human being as a microcosm of the external world, said Dr. Wasserman, noting the analogy of arteries in our bodies being like rivers on the land. Fruits are given a symbolic meaning by faith and medical practitioners in order to elevate their importance. “Grapes represent joy, olives represent perseverance and service, figs represent being involved in the world, dates represent the future,” Dr. Wasserman said. Pomegranates are the all stars of the Jewish and health worlds: their “613 seeds” are analogous to the 613 mitzvot or good deeds required of Jews, as well as being one of the healthiest foods on the planet, he said.
Olive oil is the other super star of the holiday. Remembered as a symbol of wisdom for its role fueling the menorah in the temple, it’s also the best healthy fat.
“You are what you eat,” said Dr. Wasserman, noting that the brain and body depend on fats for energy and cognitive function. The inflammation caused by eating too much or the wrong types of fats leads to inflammation in the body, and diseases like arthritis and colitis.
On Tu B’Shevat we celebrate trees and our relationship with nature and finding ways to improve.