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February 13, 2012
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Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
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Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Jan. 25, 2005
/ 15 Shevat, 5765
Springing into Tu B'Shevat
By Andrea Simantov
When leg lifts and green tea are all part of His grand plan
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Twice a year, when I'm feeling miserable, cold and uninspired, I'm suddenly overtaken with an irrepressible desire to get fit and gorgeous. This is no small challenge, mind you, especially when the heating system is unreliable, the hot water tank blows out the electricity every time it rains and the children come down to supper wearing snorkel jackets and earmuffs. I don't suffer from the cold like the younger ones because my menopausal, inner-furnace is being hormonally stoked.
The seasonal urge — henceforth called the Tu B'Shevat Renewal — hit this morning as I lay face down on Miriam's massage table. Miriam is my good friend and neighboring reflexologist. I hadn't been to her in some time and my body was throbbing from weeks of neglect.
My absence could be blamed in part on a can of motor oil, which mysteriously fell and broke my second toe. Anyone who knew about my injury assumed that it had happened in the parking lot or at the gas station — any place where my car might have been. But I confess (only to you) that it happened in the bedroom. The motor oil was in my bed along with a week's worth of unfolded laundry, two Styrofoam wig heads, a shoebox filled with cellphone chargers and two copies of the same John Irving novel. "Why," you may ask, "were these things in your bed?" Because I was packing to move from an apartment which I hadn't yet sold to a home which I had yet to purchase. See? Logical!
As Miriam pushed and kneaded my sourdough limbs, I became painfully aware of my neglected immune system. Staring at my friend's orange and green striped socks through the flattering face-hole of the table, I resolved then and there to get my act together.
Leaving Miriam's, my body felt supple and I could sense a renewed mental energy. The day held indescribable promise. Perhaps I'd get some serious writing done; maybe I'd actually shop for food. Or — call me crazy — I might even try to sweep the house.
The steps of Miriam's complex were wet from the previous night's rain. Living in Jerusalem you learn to both respect and appreciate the rain. We respect it because we know that Jerusalem stone becomes slippery and very dangerous in the winter. And we appreciate it because we live in a desert climate. Summer showers are a thing of our pre-Aliyah past. If the rain doesn't come between Succos and Passover, it ain't coming. As a matter of fact, Lake Kineret's water level is a frequent Sabbath table topic. But I digress…
Although the sky was gray and it was still unmistakably winter, I noticed that the vines which grew along the iron railings of the walkways were sporting wee, pale buds. "How can this be?" I thought, knowing that we still had a good two months of inclement weather ahead. I listen to the meteorological forecast daily, sometimes in three languages, yet nowhere had it been announced that spring had arrived.
And then I remembered that the Jewish calendar answers to no man. G-d, in all His wisdom, has infused the pulsing earth with her own holy clock. Tu B'Shevat still falls on Tu B'Shevat. It takes a G-d-in-heaven to infuse life's breath into a tree whose branches are bare, leaves dry and seemingly dead. And if this is proven time and again in agriculture, how much more so must it be for man, the most beloved of all G-d's creations? If I choose renewal, then it's available for the asking. No one is promising that I'll look like a figure skater or suddenly begin cross training for the upcoming Maccabiah Games. But by acknowledging the dormant potential within me, I too can achieve amazing results.
It's hard to believe on a cold and dreary January morning that all choice is infused with His blessing. Even leg lifts and green tea serve to remind me that I'm not alone.
On the way home I stopped at the fruit store to purchase a few items with which to bring the message of Tu B'Shevat to my supper table. Olives, dried fruit, a few pomegranates and some whole-wheat pasta. I treated myself to a small plant, which I knew would look great in the center of the table. It was only after bounding up the stairs to my front door two at a time, that I realized my injured toe was no longer bothering me.
Ultimately, I think the real message behind this Holiday of New Fruits is: It's Alright To Be Built Like A Pear.
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JewishWorldReview.com contributor Andrea Simantov is a Jerusalem-based columnist and single
mother of six. Comments by clicking here.
Chanukah: The quintessential female holiday?
© 2005, Andrea Simantov. This column first appeared in Orange County Jewish Life
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