Tu B'Shvat reflections with Nachum Segal and Rabbi Benjy Kramer

Our Tubishvat program sponsored by and presented by our amazing friends at the Rothenberg Law Firm, injuryawyer.com. The Rothenberg Law Firm, injuryawyer.com, present our Tubishvat special. And of course, part of our Tubishvat special is checking in with Rab Benji Kramer. He is going to enlighten us with a thought or two regarding this special day. Rabbi Benji Kramer, welcome back to JM in the AM. >> Boto and Mazalto. Such a wonderful news baby. Rabbi Kramer, I need your reaction to the to the top story of the day. I need your reaction to the top story of the day. This in fact is a story that made it into the very first half hour of JM and the AM this morning. And that would be the following by Kramer. Where you and I are, it is 18° Fahrenheit. But we have been told by our good friends in Ephra and Ephra's not exactly, you know, the uh the warmest city in Israel, but we've been told by our friends in Ephra that they are enjoying a 65 degree, that's almost 50°ree discrepancy, Rabbi Kramer, a 65 degree day today in Israel in Ephraat. And I wanted your reaction because it seems that whenever Tubishvat rolls around, it never has an effect on the weather. But it does seem that whenever Tubishvat rolls around, all of a sudden things get even more pleasant. I don't want to call the rainy season not pleasant, but things become even more pleasant weatherwise in the Holy Land. Do you agree with my observation, Rabbi Kramer? >> I definitely agree. I was in Israel last week actually, Barack Hashem, a week ago actually, a week and a half ago, whatever. And just this past Sunday, I landed just before the snowstorm. Cool. >> And I missed the 75 degree or 70 degree weather they had in certain parts of Israel. I I I left just before that was uh happening down in a lot, but um but uh I missed that a little bit, but it was definitely a lot warmer than it was in New York. Tubish is like sort of the beginning of the end of the rainy season. So it's not so you know it gets very critical if it hasn't rained by now. It's like that's where comes in etc. Um it gets very critical this time because it really is towards the end of the rainy season. So it's not so bad. And there was a lot of rain hashem in Israel this year. It's never enough but uh hashem there was a lot. And you know what's funny? It's funny that simply the uh the movement of a day on the calendar can bring a special blessing and a completely different adjustment to the weather in Erit Israel. It's it's like Erit Israel has its own type of braot. These things don't happen here. There's no happen stance like that. In fact, I wish there was. Frankly, it would be it would be easier to plan if we knew that on two bishes snow season was over in Kutzlar, but it doesn't happen that way. >> Does not. It does not. I don't know that it always happens in Israel that we are fortunate today. You know that it happens. >> Hey, I've been pesak in Israel with 30°. So, you know, >> I I was pesock in Israel where it was 30° warmer in Great Adventure than in Jerusalem. So, so it doesn't always. So it doesn't always work, but you know that the truth is that there is something to it to say the least. All right, Benji Kramer, now that we're up to two Bishvat and we get to the beginning of our season of these special days, so many wonderful so many wonderful both minor and major festivals that are going to be happening over the next few months. What are your thoughts this morning Kramer? What are your thoughts on Tubishvat 5786? a couple of things that are not related actually, but I was thinking about maybe meeting Tishvat a little bit because in the in the world of in the world of Kabala, Tishvat has almost messianic uh meaning to it. So I was thinking about a couple of words in Tanakh that are actually used as a mashal as a parable for redemption for Msiah coming and those words are related to Bish they're related to growth for example the word shish we have shish meaning root we have in um a uh uh a very famous famous song. Blessed is the man who trusts in God and for whom Hashem becomes his trust which sounds repetitious first of all that the person trusts in God and God becomes his trust. The Maldin as he always does with words uh talks about how Hashem always reaches out to us through intermediaries through nature. doesn't we don't always see the the hand of God in our life directly. But if someone puts his trust in God when um and has a nature help him as it does in many ways, Hashem sometimes Hashem sometimes gets involved a little more directly than Malvin says. And the very next puk after that famous puk set there um the hay shat it's like a tree planted by the water planted right near the water. A person whose trust in God who trusts in God becomes like a tree who's planted right next to the water never has to worry about his next meal. Never has to worry because he's right by the water. He gets his he gets his nourishment directly from the water and and that is a person who places his trust in God is compared to that. Now that is um a day-to-day life not necessarily related to gulah but it does have to do with with our relationship with God and how the more we trust in God. God is like our mirror and he comes to our aid even more the more we trust in him. That's been by the way in byote the I mean in we have the days will come where Jacob Yakov meaning is will take root uh Israel they will they will bud and the they will the Jewish people, Israel will blossom and bud and pave and and the whole world will be full of of fruit that Ben is will take root and bud and and bring forth fruit and and that is really a uh a forerunner of the pukah when Msiah comes taking root in Israel. is the beginning of the time of mashia. You know, we talk about this all the time that our as always said this is not this and even the word which we're going to talk about in a second is also uh the idea of taking rooe. Mayor always said we're in the midst of the and not just uh not just the rashik we're not just in the beginning we're in the middle of it. And we see many many many miracles happening. That's in terms of taking root sh and obviously you know is all about the sh of the words the root of the words. Um so we talk about root all the time. The word as I just said is used many times in we have the days will come forerunner of Mashiach. The Radak says the Mashiach himself will will um will be a branch that will grow that will start rising in in the future. That is your ma's way of talking about the future Mashiach coming. He calls him a a plant coming up. That's why we use the word >> and we say every day. >> Every day. That's correct. That's exactly correct. And that's based on this that comes directly from this puzzle. Now the Christians we know say that a lot of these have to do with with with Jesus and there are many many people who experts more experts in Tanakh than I am who used to debate these Jews for Jesus etc. Because every time it talks about this, it says that there was says he will have justice and there will be fairness and there will be peace in the world and we know that that has not come yet and therefore we don't believe that Mashiach has come even though the Christians do. We show that all these zukim have to do with Mashiach coming only in a world that's totally peaceful and we know certainly in our day we have not unfortunately arrived at such a time although we hope for it soon in in your ma lamemed gimmel we have uh you know yo had a very torturous life your meow told everyone that we are going into galut pavil and no one wanted to believe them there were nie shekeer that said he's a liar and they put him in jail. They he almost drowned to death more than once because they didn't believe his his prophecy. It's unbelievable how he was treated. And this this peric liml it says that he gave this he was in jail. He was in the mud in the thick and he was giving this this nua that we're about to talk about and we know this because it's very famous. um wrote a song leashing out some of these right you're going to see in in the areas around and and it continues and very smartly because it wouldn't sing to the song it says that that area is it is destroyed it has no animals no people there now but you'll will see you're going to see the happiness come and right after that he says in those days when you see that andavid again and the there says again this refers to mashiach the word for mashiach is sem a a uh a growth from the ground and on two bish that's what we're talking about but in in the mash in the parable related to this um it it really has messages of mashiach and uh and it ends with we say this when we bless America we say uh that that Jews will be uh saved will be redeemed and you shall sit uh and and be will will settle and have peace. Again, the messenger Mashiach bringing peace to the world. It is uh it it it goes one hand in hand. You can't have mashiach without peace in the world. And finally, the famous pas that we read on the last day of uh of pes in only so Israelis don't get to hear the so they made it on yat mode. They also read the bring forth a shoot from the stock of Gishi meaning Davidid um and uh out of that a twig will grow forth and bring roots and that is again the message of Mashiach. So the what we're hoping for is not just the good weather connected to tubishlat but hopefully we uh will be able to maybe you could say weather the storm of our galut and hopefully see uh brighter times in our future based on uh these mishim of both Seak and Shesh in Tanak and hopefully this tishad we will see the beginning of the >> and it's interesting because uh you know one of the things we try to do and we try to learn from all of these experiences is not to take things for granted. Obviously as you mentioned we're in the midst of the period of the gula right now. We're in the midst of the period of redemption as you cited and um you know it's it's really easy especially when you're inside this miracle. It's really easy to take things for granted to have expectations that are always met. um you know one of them being the state of Israel of course and the safety of Jews because of it etc etc but it was not always like that and I think it's it also it also applies to the most simple of things you mentioned earlier how important water is to this whole process right you don't you don't have trees without water and how we take water for granted I mean some people now some people now during this nationwide storm that we had actually lost the ability you know to have water come into their homes and be in their faucets. Uh but but generally >> the water running to make sure the pipes >> correct but generally speaking we are spoiled >> by the water and it's one and one other thing by the way about the and I think it's the same topic or by Kramer I I was going to mention and I will mention now that our friends at Arts Girl have uh offered a free download of the benish fela for tubishvat which is um from what we're told it is a sigula it is a prayer to have a nice esrogue on sukus right you've heard of Is this correct? Okay. >> Yes. >> Do you know I mean do you know? Of course you know. But I'm just saying how many people in Jewish history ever had their own estrig? How many communities How many communities had to have one set of dalid minim because of the cost or the inability to get more uh in whatever community they were in? And now as we pray and we hope uh by saying the benil that again you know it's connected to the holiday of sukkot and minimum etc. or the Esrog specifically. We're hoping that we're able to in fact, you know, procure a nice esrogue, one that's beautiful, had patesar, observe the the festival properly. And we know what the story is these days with rare exception. It is really easy to get a nice esrog and it's not always been like that. So all these basic things, we're talking about estrogen today for the reason I mentioned. We talk about water today obviously because it's tishvat. We talk about living through miracles and not taking them for granted and it's so hard not to and you're living through them and you talk about sak and of course the sprouting forth of this incredible goula that's happening this incredible redemption that's going on and it is so hard not to take these things for granted. So on a day where we welcomed the seagull family welcomed the Pilichowski family welcomed a brand new granddaughter uh into the world and people you know sometimes do take for granted that today thank God someone goes to the hospital they come home with a brand new baby. It's not always been like that has always there are always been major challenges and childirth is a very difficult health situation at least it has been historically. Let's not take all these miracles for granted. Rabbi Kramer. >> Amaz. Can I say one more thing I think you'll be happy about? >> Yeah. >> I I don't want to get into this debate because I know it's a heated debate and I'm going to take your side for a moment on this debate. The carob on tubish. I saw Rabbi Neodanak, Rabbi Steven Neodanic is the real of congregation in Highland Park, New Jersey had a whole piece this week on Bxer and I wanted to share it with you because I thought you would enjoy it. The the word buxer comes from the German boxornbound, a ram's horn tree because the the uh buxer looks like a ram's horn when it's dark and long. It's shaped like a ram's horn. And the safer, which it was actually a controversial safer because they thought he might have been a sabotian, right? That you have to have buxer on tubish. Very important. >> Obviously, >> it was very it was very common because Buxer is the light. It was so easy to transport. That's probably why it was sent. He talked about the few gimmar that talked about Buxer. We know of Bayai in the cave was kept alive by Bakur and by Karu and we know how spiritual he is. He was connected to the Zohar. how connected the Zor I'm not going to get controversial now but he was definitely connected to the Zohar and uh he was also a uh person who in Brahot the beginning of the six I believe where he was into uh Torah only philosophy and many say that people tried that life and were not successful again I don't want to get into politics in Israel right now but um and uh we know also that um that Konama Ael who was who was shocked by the idea that someone's planting a carob tree and and he said what how when are you going to see the fruits and he said well I'm not going to see the fruits my children will see the fruits just like the previous generation it takes 70 years for the bxer to grow and then he slept for 70 years he said what does this mean this dream 70 years he slept for 70 years and it was all from the kar represents giving over you have a grandchild now a new grandchild giving over to the future generations where you may not even see the fruits and they will see the fruits that's represented by buxer and um finally it's fascinating someone just told me this recently that the Greek word keraton keratin is from the seed of the of the carob tree this deed is very uniform and they actually used it to measure diamonds the word carrot comes from this word. They used the carob tree seed to measure diamonds. >> It makes sense because every seed is the same size. >> They're the same size. They're pretty uniform. Almost exactly the same. So, it's fascinating how valuable your carob seeds that you obviously you don't need to see, but uh that you uh break your teeth on all the time is is actually the measurement for diamonds. It's unbelievable. Well, this is the old argument that mayor and I used to have on the air when he would sit across from me during our Tubishvat special. I of course would tell him that we're obligated to eat buxer. Uh the carob was in addition to what you said it was the you know the only thing available in kutzlar. It was a dried fruit that uh you know you couldn't get fresh Israeli fruit during this time of year in uh you know in Eastern Europe for instance or in Russia. So, of course, they would use the uh the carob, the dried um karu, which by the way is much drier init than it is in Israel. And we would have this debate. We would always talk I would say we're obligated to eat it. And the mayor said it was a conspiracy by the dentists to uh to get, you know, additional business. But I will tell you something and and it's amazing that thank god I'm married to Stacy Seagull because once mayor left us, I really gave up the whole um the whole what do you call it? the whole, you know, buckser on tubishvat thing because the whole point was just to argue with mayor about it like you know what once he once you know it's like chillingsworth and dibsdale you know once one wasn't there it was like you know what was the point of uh of continuing the whole you know debate so I was very lax over the years over these last few years very lax about whether I did or didn't have buxer and then thank god I'm married to Stacy Seagull and she she brought home one piece of buxer the other day. I think it was Arab Shabas Friday. She brought home one piece and said, "Look, you know, you're obligated. You must on Monday at some point have a little piece." So, when I get back, I should be back before sunset uh over in New York City. I will bleed that there in fact partake and be laados as they say, Rabbi. >> Yeah, exactly. >> That's very important. >> And trust me, >> very happy to hear that. >> And yes, and trust me, >> mayor's definitely looking down on you on this. Uh >> I appreciate that. And you know, it's funny because I I when whenever I visit mayor of blessed memory and I visit him in B she >> Yeah. >> I try to leave a um you know, so one time I left a wedding invitation to one of my children's weddings. Another time I left I left some of the pages of the of my book that mention him, you know, just to connect a little bit. You know how it is when you miss You know how it is when you miss a friend. You miss him as much as I do. So you know what it's like. >> So I'm thinking now that if I'm ever in Israel again during this time of year, you know what I'm going to leave there, right? >> That's great. That's great. Leaving the Buxer seed, it'll last longer. >> That's correct. >> And it's more valuable. >> All right. Kramer, I say happy to bish to you. Best regards everybody in Yeshiva of Flatbush. I'm sure they'll be celebrating today. And thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> Thank you. Thank you. Have a great day. >> Right. Benji Kramer, everybody. Our two Bishvat program brought to you by the Rotheberg Law Firm, injuryawyer.com. A big thank you to the Rothenberg family for always presenting our special programming here at the Alam Seagull Network and specifically JM and the AM. Much appreciated.