A Person Is Like a Tree: A Sourcebook for Tu BeShvat is the only sourcebook available for celebrating the Jewish holiday of Tu BeShvat, also traditionally known as the New Year of the Trees. The Tu BeShvat seder, created by kabbalists in sixteenth century Safed in Israel, is similar to the Passover seder and involves drinking four cups of wine and eating a great variety of fruits. The kabbalists sought, by their eating of fruit at the seder, to make a mystical tikkun (fixing) to repair the sin of Adam and Eve in eating fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Yitzhak Buxbaum, the author of this sourcebook, notes that whereas most Jewish holidays are biblical in origin, and while Chanukah and Purim were instituted by the ancient rabbis. Tu BeShvat is the only holiday ordained by the kabbalists..

Author Biography

Yitzhak Buxbaum is a maggid (teacher and storyteller) who teaches at synagogues and Jewish community centers. He teaches courses in Jewish mysticism and Hasidism at The New School University in New York City, where he resides. He is the author of many books, including Jewish Spiritual Practices, Real Davvening, An Open Heart: The Mystic Path of Loving People, and A Tu BeShvat Seder: The Feast of Fruits from the Tree of Life. He also has a website called The Jewish Spirit Online at www.jewishspirit.com.