Ep. 579: 15th of Shevat: What Are Some Lessons We Learn From Trees?

Ep. 579: 15th of Shevat: What Are Some Lessons We Learn From Trees?

From MyLife: Chassidus Applied by Rabbi Simon Jacobson

February 4, 2026 · 1h 8m

About this episode

Rabbi Jacobson discusses the significance of the 15th of Shevat and the lessons we can learn from trees.

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: 15th of Shevat Why do we celebrate the New Year for Trees? Why don’t we celebrate it on the third day of creation, when trees and vegetation were created? How do trees celebrate their new year? What is the basis of Shammai and Hillel’s different opinions of when we celebrate the new year for trees? Can it serve as an analogy for stages in the revelation of Moshiach? Was this day celebrated in Biblical times? What is a 15th of Shevat Seder and how do we conduct one? What are some lessons we learn from trees? Is there a source that Shevat is the acronym of sheyihi besuros tovos? Why is Shevat considered a month of good news when sad events took place in it, such as the passing of the Frierdiker Rebbe and Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka? What lessons do we learn from living with the times, with this week’s Torah parsha? How do the three major events in the book Shemos – Exodus, Matan Torah, building the mishkan – reflect three key stages in our personal, collective and cosmic journey? Why is Matan Torah in Parshas Yisro? How would you describe G-d? Is G-d aware of His own existence? Why did the giving of the Torah begin with the Ten…

People in this episode

Host: Jacobson

Topics covered

  • 15th of Shevat
  • New Year for Trees
  • Lessons from Trees
  • Matan Torah
  • Spirituality

Keywords

  • celebrate New Year for Trees
  • Shammai and Hillel
  • 15th of Shevat Seder
  • good news in Shevat
  • Matan Torah

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Torah, Shemos, Exodus, Matan Torah

Places: Shevat, Parshas Yisro, Mt. Sinai, Israel, the Red Sea

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