written by rabbi jill jacobs, rabbi rachel kahn-troster, · written by rabbi jill jacobs, rabbi...

Written by Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster,Joshua Bloom, and Rabbi Lev Meirowitz Nelson

REVISED DECEMBER 2013

DESIGN BY SHIRARI INDUSTRIES

3T’RUAH: THE RABBINIC CALL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS www.truah.org

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

The Seder

Part I: The world of Assiyah (action) 6

Part II: The world of Yetzirah (formation) 11

Part III: The world of B’riyah (creation) 17

Part IV: The world of Atzilut (emanation) 21

Part V: Planting for the future 23

Table of Contents


Introduction

Why plant justice?Can the world be repaired in a single day? For the sixteenth century kabbalists (mystics), Tu BiShvat was the day that held the potential for world transformation. To understand what this means, we need first to understand a bit about the kabbalists and a bit about Tu BiShvat. Lurianic Kabbalah (the theories associated with Isaac Luria, the leader of a mystical circle in sixteenth century Tsfat) posits that the world as we know it originated through a process of shattering the original divine perfection. According to this theory, God created the world by emanating aspects of the divine being through vessels designed for this purpose. When these vessels shattered, evil entered the world along with the divine sparks. The first human beings had the opportunity to repair the world, but instead sinned. This original sin led to an even more profound disruption both in the universe and in the human soul. According to these mystics, each generation of humanity inherits the responsibility of tikkun (fixing)—that is, returning the sparks to their origin by way of mitzvot, prayers, and other spiritual practices.

What does that have to do with Tu BiShvat?In ancient times, Tu BiShvat—the fifteenth of the month of Sh’vat—simply served a legal purpose. Jewish law forbids eating the fruit of a tree that is younger than three years old. And certain tithes are calculated based on when the tree gives its fruit. Since it would be a burden to keep track of the birthdates of every tree, the rabbis instituted the fifteenth of Sh’vat as the day when all of the trees aged a year. Trees play an important symbolic role in Kabbalah. The sin in the Garden of Eden, which has a central part in kabbalistic thinking, revolves around two seemingly magical trees—the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The mystical system of sefirot (aspects of God) is generally depicted as a tree. And the biblical comparison of a human being to “a tree of the field” leads to a broader imagining of the tree as a symbol of the human being. In fact, when not depicted as a tree, the sefirot are most often presented in the shape of a human being. The kabbalists built on this imagery to re-imagine the legalistic birthday of the trees as an opportunity for tikkun. The first published Tu BiShvat Seder, P’ri Etz Hadar1, revolves around eating ten symbolic fruits. The author understood the eating of these fruits to be a means of doing tikkun: “Through the special power of this tikkun, performed on this very day, through the power of the blessings and contemplation of the mystery of the fruit’s divine roots, an effect will be produced in their structure and character above.”2 In modern times, Tu BiShvat has taken on new meanings. The early Zionists reclaimed Tu BiShvat as a celebration of the land of Israel and its agricultural bounty. The environmental movement has adopted Tu BiShvat as the holiday of nature. And today, we dedicate our Tu BiShvat seder to recommitting ourselves to the protection of human rights.

1 P’ri Etz Hadar was first published in 1728, but seems to date from at least a century before. 2 Trans. Miles Krassen in Trees, Earth And Torah: A Tu B’shvat Anthology. Ed., Ari Elon, Naomi Mara Hyman, and Arthur Waskow. 148

Introduction


What’s in this seder? The T’ruah Tu BiShvat Seder begins with the mystical notion of Tu BiShvat as an opportunity for tikkun. Like the kabbalists, we believe that the world is fundamentally broken. For us, this brokenness manifests itself in the mistreatment of human beings. The very first chapter of the Torah describes human beings as creations in the divine image. As such, human beings have the basic right to a safe, secure, and dignified life. Because of our capacity to imitate God, we also inherit the obligation to ensure that every other person has access to these basic rights. In our broken world, human beings are tortured and enslaved. Billions lack economic security, access to decent health care, and protection from war and violence. Women, GLBT people, and members of religious and ethnic minorities can face discrimination, violence, or even murder. Holding a Tu BiShvat seder will not alone change any of these realities. We hope, though, that this human rights seder will inspire all of us to devote ourselves to tikkun in the next year.

What you will need for this seder; White wine or grape juice ; Red wine or grape juice ; Walnuts, pistachios, peanuts, roasted chestnuts, or other nuts in their shells. (If nut allergies are an issue in your community, you can substitute coconut, pineapple, or other fruits with hard shells and edible insides) ; Olives (not pitted) and other fruits with soft exteriors and pits inside. Examples include peaches, plums, mangos, cherries. ; Grape/cherry tomatoes and other fruits that are entirely edible. Examples include figs, seedless grapes, berries. Where possible, purchase tomatoes at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, or another supermarket that has joined the Fair Food Program. See page 18 for more information. ; Fresh herbs and spices ; Copies of the text for each participant. ; Parsley seeds, cups, and soil. ; Cups, plates, napkins. ; Slips of paper and pens

Setting the table; Set out a plate and cup for each person. You will not need utensils. ; Place each type of fruit on its own platter and put these on the table. ; Open the wine and/or grape juice and set the bottles on the table.

Introduction


The Seder The Tu BiShvat Seder moves us through the four worlds of Lurianic Kabbalah: Assiyah (action), Yetzirah (formation), B’riyah (Creation), and Atzilut (Emanation). As we move through these worlds, we move into higher and higher spiritual planes. Each world is represented by a cup of wine or grape juice (white, red, or a mixture of the two). The first three worlds are also represented by a fruit.

Part I: The world of Assiyah (action)Wine/juice: Entirely white

Fruit: Walnuts, roasted chestnuts, peanuts, pistachios or other nuts in their shells. If nut allergies are an issue in your community, substitute coconuts, pineapples, bananas, or other fruits with hard exteriors and edible interiors.

The world of assiyah is the lowest of the spiritual worlds of kabbalah. It is the world of action and material existence. This is the world with which we are most familiar. In the course of this seder, we will be challenged to break out of this world, and to imagine the world we wish to create.

3 Alternative version taken from Marcia Falk, The Book of Blessing HarperSanFrancisco 1996

The First Cup of WinePour a glass of white wine or grape juice.

This whiteness of this wine (juice) represents winter. Deep in the throes of this bleak season, we cannot yet see the potential of spring. Similarly, when we are surrounded by pain and suffering, we have difficulty envisioning how we can fix a world that seems irreparably broken.

Barukh atah Adonai, eloheinu Melekh ha-olam boreh p’ri ha-gafen.Blessed are you, Adonai our God, sovereign of the universe who brings forth the fruit of the vine.

Alternative version:

N’varekh et ein hachayim matzmichat p’ri hagafen3

Let us bless the Source of Life that ripens fruit on the vines.

The Seder: Part I


The First FruitThe world of assiyah is represented by a fruit with a hard outside shell, but a soft and edible inside. P’ri Etz Hadar, the kabbalistic seder, singles out several nuts, including chestnuts, pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnuts as examples of this type of fruit. Before eating this fruit, the kabbalistic seder instructs us to meditate on the following text:

At first glance, this text appears to be a legalistic discussion of which blessing to say on one’s appetizers. Because bread is generally considered to be the essence of a meal, a person who eats bread with his or her meal ordinarily recites hamotzi over the bread, and then does not recite additional blessings over the other food eaten as part of the meal. In this case, though, the savory appetizer—perhaps a dip or some olives—is considered to be primary, and so the blessing is recited over this food and not over the bread. Why would the kabbalists prescribe meditating on this legal discussion before eating nuts? Often, we get so caught up in unimportant but seemingly urgent pursuits that we lose sight of the ikar—what is most important. And sometimes, what is most important is not immediately obvious. In the case of the Mishnah, a person trained in Jewish law might automatically recite a blessing on the bread. It takes a bit of further contemplation to recognize that the bread, in this case, plays a supporting role to the other food. Imagine being the first person to encounter a nut. You might instantly reject it as inedible. But if you took a bit more time to crack through the hard outer shell, you would discover the delicious ikar inside. In Lurianic kabbalah, the word kelipot, which literally means shell (as in a nutshell), refers to the bits of non-holy material that get stuck to the divine sparks during the original shattering of the vessels. The process of tikkun involves freeing the sparks from their kelipot. The ikar of a human being is the reflection of the divine image. The kelipot are the various blocks—prejudice, fear, and unfamiliarity—that prevent us from seeing the ikar of each of us.

The Seder: Part I

They brought him a savory food to start, and bread with it. He blesses the savory food and exempts the bread [from needing a separate blessing]. This is the rule: when one food is the ikar (the primary thing), and there is less important food with it, one makes a blessing on the primary food and thereby exempts the less important food. Mishnah Brakhot 6:7

8T’RUAH: THE RABBINIC CALL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS www.truah.org The Seder: Part I

Pass around a nutcracker (if needed). Recite the blessing over the fruit:

Barukh atah Adonai, eloheinu Melekh ha-olam boreh p’ri ha-etz Blessed are you, Adonai our God, sovereign of the universe who creates the fruit of the tree. Alternative version:

N’varekh et ruach ha’o-lam, boreit p’ri ha’etz Let us bless the spirit of the world, which creates the fruit of the tree.

Before opening the nuts recite: As we release the essence of these fruits from their shells, we commit ourselves to building a world that recognizes the divine reflection that is the essence of each and every unique human being.

At T’ruah, we believe that rabbis have the obligation to show moral leadership in creating a world where all people enjoy the dignity that befits a creation in the divine image. In our first major North American campaign, we became the leading Jewish organization fighting torture, which we see as a desecration of the divine image. More recently, this campaign expanded to include extended stays in solitary confinement, which are a sad norm in American prisons and which is widely considered a form of psychological torture. We have also become the leading rabbinic organization standing in solidarity with Muslim communities in America. We are disturbed by the extent to which Muslim Americans are demonized, in much the same way that the first Jewish immigrants to the United States were demonized. We are disturbed by the trend that says “my ancestors were better than yours,” and work toward ensuring that all people in the United States enjoy equality. And we believe that it is a blessing that all people, though stamped from the same coin, are unique.


Text for study: Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5How are the witnesses intimidated in capital cases? Witnesses in capital cases are brought in and intimidated [in this way]: “Perhaps you are only repeating hearsay or what another witness said, or what a trustworthy person said. Perhaps you don’t know that we will check your testimony by inquiry and cross examination. You should know that capital cases are not like civil cases. In civil cases, [the witness] can make atonement [for false testimony] through payment. In capital cases, the witness is held responsible for the blood [of the convicted] and of his [potential] descendents until the end of time. We find this in the case of Cain, who killed his brother. The Torah teaches [that God says to Cain]: “the bloods of your brother cry unto me from the ground.” It doesn’t say “the blood of your brother,” but rather “the bloods of your brother.” That is to say, “his blood and the blood of his [potential] descendants.” Another interpretation: “The bloods of his brother” [is in the plural because] his blood was thrown upon the trees and the stones.For this reason was the human being created alone, to teach you that whoever destroys a single soul*, Scripture holds guilty as though this person had destroyed a complete world; and whosoever preserves a single soul*, Scripture ascribes [merit] to him as though he had preserved a complete world. Furthermore, [Adam was created alone] for the sake of peace among people, that one might not say to another, ‘my ancestors were greater than yours, and that heretics might not say, there are many ruling powers in heaven; again, to proclaim the greatness of the Blessed Holy One: for if a man strikes many coins from one mould, they all resemble one another, but the supreme Sovereign, the Blessed Holy One fashioned every individual in the stamp of the first human being, and yet not one of them resembles another. Therefore every single person is obliged to say: the world was created for my sake.*Later manuscripts add the word “of Israel.” However, the context of the conversation (which is about Cain and Abel, who predate Judaism) indicates that the more universal version is original.

The Seder: Part I

10T’RUAH: THE RABBINIC CALL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS www.truah.org The Seder: Part I

Questions for discussion 1. Why do you think the rabbis place this discussion of the value of human beings within the context of the laws of testimony in capital cases? 2. This text makes the bold statement that a person who murders another should be held responsible for all of that person’s potential descendents until the end of time. What do you think about this statement? 3. In this text, the rabbis offer two explanations of why the biblical text describes the “bloods” (plural) of Abel crying out. One of these explanations suggests that the plural indicates that Abel’s blood ended up on the trees and on the stones. What is the significance of this statement? What significance does this statement have on Tu BiShvat, when we celebrate the birthday of the trees? 4. Where in our own world do we see competition and violence among peoplewho claim to have a privileged relationship with God? What might change in our world if we all took the words of the rabbis to heart?


Part II: The world of Yetzirah (formation)Wine/juice: White with a drop of red Fruit: Olives and other fruits with a soft outside and a pit inside The world of yetzirah is the one in which we begin to see the possibilities of rebirth of redemption. But this world also frustrates us. As soon as we begin to move toward redemption, we also start to encounter obstacles to creating the world in which we want to live.

The Seder: Part II

The Second Cup of WinePour a glass of white wine or grape juice. Add a drop of red wine or grape juice.

We add a drop of red wine (grape juice) to represent the possibility of redemption that we now begin to see. The bleakness of winter is tempered by the vision of the spring to come. Our despondence about the injustice of the world is tempered by the inspiration of the courageous people who are working to create a better future.



N’varekh et ein hachayim matzmichat p’ri hagafenLet us bless the Source of Life that ripens fruit on the vines.


The Second FruitWe represent the second world by eating a fruit with a soft outside and a hard pit inside. We are no longer blocked in our search for the ikar—the delicious fruit is right in front of our eyes. However, just as we get comfortable eating the fruit, we find the inedible pit. Similarly, in the work of pursuing human rights, we often make significant progress, only to hit an unexpected roadblock. Today, our second fruit will be an olive. In the biblical story of Noah’s Ark, the olive branch symbolizes an end to the flood and a return to stability. Since then, the olive branch has become an international symbol of peace. For both Israelis and Palestinians, olives are both central symbols of the land and important economic drivers. Many individuals and families support themselves by selling olives, olive oil, and olive wood products. Unfortunately, olive trees have also become a flashpoint of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The expansion of the settlements has deprived many Palestinians of access to their land. Some Jewish settlers attack Palestinians harvesting their fields, or even poison or uproot the trees. And olive trees are also the locus for courageous acts that offer hope for a peaceful future. Almost every day of the harvest season, Rabbis for Human Rights brings volunteers to help Palestinians harvest their olives, to guard against attacks by settlers, and to plant trees to replace those that have been destroyed. Before eating the olive, read and discuss these two poems by Yehuda Amichai and Mahmoud Darwish, arguably the most important Israeli and Palestinian poets.

The Seder: Part II

13T’RUAH: THE RABBINIC CALL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS www.truah.org The Seder: Part II

Sleep in Jerusalemby Yehuda Amichai

While a chosen peoplebecomes a nation like all the nations,building its houses, paving its highways,breaking open its earth for pipes and water,we lie inside in the low house,late offspring of this old landscape.The ceiling is vaulted above us with loveand the breath of our mouthis as it was given usand as we shall give it back.

Sleep is where there are stones.In Jerusalem there is sleep. The radiobrings day tunes from a landwhere there is day.And words that here are bitter,like last year’s almond on a tree,are sung in a far country, and sweet.

And like a fire in the hollowed trunk of an olive treean eternal heart is burning rednot far from the two sleepers.Translation by Harold Schimmel in Poems of Jerusalem and Love Poems. Riverdale-on-Hudson, New York: Sheep Meadow Press. 1992. p. 229.

The Earth Is Closing In On Us by Mahmoud Darwish

The Earth is closing on uspushing us through the last passageand we tear off our limbs to pass through.The Earth is squeezing us.I wish we were its wheatso we could die and live again.I wish the Earth was our motherso she’d be kind to us.

I wish we were pictures on the rocksfor our dreams to carry as mirrors.We saw the faces of those who will throwour children out of the window of this last space.Our star will hang up mirrors.Where should we go after the last frontiers?Where should the birds fly after the last sky?Where should the plants sleep afterthe last breath of air?We will write our names with scarlet steam.We will cut off the hand of the song to befinished by our flesh.We will die here, here in the last passage.Here and here our blood will plant its olive tree.


Questions for discussion 1. What are your associations with olives and olive trees? 2. What role does the olive tree play in each of these poems? What are the similarities and differences between how the two poets describe these trees? 3. Each of these poets associates the olive tree with blood and with the human body. In Amichai’s poem, a heart burns red within the tree. Darwish writes, “our blood will plant its olive tree.” What do you make of these associations?

Pass around the olives and recite the following blessing.

Barukh atah Adonai, eloheinu Melekh ha-olam boreh p’ri ha-etz Blessed are you, Adonai our God, sovereign of the universe who creates the fruit of the tree.


N’varech et ruah ha’olam, boreit p’ri ha’etz Let us bless the spirit of the world, which creates the fruit of the tree.

You may also now eat other fruits that are soft on the outside and have pits on the inside.

The Seder: Part II


Reflections on the harvestby Miriam Farber Wajnberg, Fall 2010

In October, I went with Rabbis for Human Rights (the Israeli organization) to participate in the Palestinian olive harvest. For the past 15 years or so, this organization has been accompanying Palestinian farmers to their olive trees, in places where those olive trees butt up against Jewish settlements. The volunteers with Rabbis for Human Rights are an international presence, and are able to place calls to the police and to the army to report crimes committed by settlers that, in theory, are more likely to be answered than if the call were to be placed by the Palestinians themselves. . . Along with a classmate, a friend, and two others, we were matched up with Jamal and his family – his wife and five of his six children were out that day to pick olives, the first day of the season for them. . . They harvest the olives, press their own olive oil, and Jamal’s wife brines olives (fun fact: olives are NOT edible straight off the tree) at home. Picking itself was lots of fun – it was good to be outside, especially now that the weather is significantly cooler here, to be physically active climbing on trees. The kids were cute and wanted to play. Many of the residents of the nearby Palestinian town of Awarta were out harvesting their olives that day, families riding by on donkeys or packed into cars, greeting each other and having fun. My suburban self was thrilled with a little glimpse of rural life. And then the soldiers pulled up. . . This area was closed to us, we were told in English. We needed to leave. “You, you’re b’seder g’mur (totally OK),” the soldier explained in Hebrew to Jamal and his family. We called the RHR staff who were with us, much more well-versed in these matters. “They need a signed order to throw you out.” Well, they had a piece of paper with a lot of Hebrew and a signature on it…and anyway, our transportation wasn’t returning for another 2 hours! So we told them we were staying. To be honest, at this point, I am scared. I am not a law-breaking, let’s get arrested for the sake of social change type of activist. . . And where I come from, you don’t defiantly ignore the Israeli army. The soldiers kept driving by throughout the day, sometimes slowing down and looking at us, sometimes stopping the Jeep for several minutes. My classmate shared a cigarette with one soldier, he gave her a chocolate pudding in return. Why did they want us out of there so badly? To protect the Palestinians? To protect the settlers? Nope. Because it was Friday afternoon, and they wanted to go back to their base to nap, and they couldn’t until after we left. Lunchtime rolled around. Jamal’s wife and older daughter had cooked lunch over a little camp stove – eggs, potatoes, hummus, pickles, laffa (big flat pita), all of it drenched in delicious olive oil. The olive oil, the pickles, and the laffa were ALL homemade, and delicious. . . We picked some more olives, and soon it was time to leave, in order to return to Jerusalem before Shabbat. As we drove to pick up the other small group, the skies opened up and it POURED – for the first time! The first rain of the rainy season is something to be celebrated (and appreciated, especially after spending a day outside harvesting). When we reached the second (now soaking wet) group, we learned that a group of settlers had found some ladders in a Palestinian olive orchard, stolen them, and thrown them into an empty well. . . Olive trees are such a potent symbol. They are one of the seven species of the Land of Israel (seven plants identified biblically as being native to the Land), and everyone, everywhere associates them with peace. And for these Palestinian farmers, they’re also a livelihood. Going out and doing work like this, even though it is complicated, makes me feel like a more complete person, rather than just the part of me who sits in class. When I got back to Jerusalem that Friday afternoon (to see even more rain!), I felt that much more ready to celebrate Shabbat.

Miriam Farber Wajnberg is a member of the Hebrew Union College Rabbinical School Class of 2016

The Seder: Part II

16T’RUAH: THE RABBINIC CALL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS www.truah.org The Seder: Part II

Prayer for Planting Treesby Rabbi Larry Troster

Planting trees is an act of tikkun olam to restore the broken earth and to strengthen in ourselves the resolve to restore the moral brokenness of human society. All Creation is a single community in which the health of all its members is intertwined.

May the trees we plant remind us that:Those who follow the way of Torah are like trees planted beside streams of water, which yield its fruit in season, whose leaves never fade, and whatever it produces thrives. (Psalm 1:3). This is the tree of knowledge which tells us what is right and good and what is wrong and evil. May we never forget the wisdom of Torah in walking the paths of justice.

May the trees we plant remind us that:The righteous flourish like a date-palm tree; they thrive like a cedar in Lebanon (Psalm 92:17). As the palm is tall and straight, may we stand tall against oppression and follow the straight path of justice. As the palm gives shade and provides fruit so may we give shelter to the downtrodden and may our labor bear the fruit of integrity. As the cedar is strong and lives for generations, may we stay strong against those who subjugate the weak and the powerless, and may our efforts have a lasting effect on future generations.

May the trees we plant remind us that: Wisdom is founded on the fear of the Lord, an ethical consciousness that leads to true happiness for all people: a tree of life and a path of peace to those who hold fast to it (Proverbs 3:17-18). As the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life (Proverbs 11:30), may we live the life of peace and justice.

May it be your will, O God, that the trees we plant today, Your creation, become an inspiration for the work of our hands and hearts today and in the days to come.


Part III: The world of B’riyah (creation)Wine/juice: Red with a drop of white Fruit: Tomatoes and other fruits that are entirely edible

The world of b’riyah is the world of divine creation, as well as the world of intellectual attainment. Here, we have a glimpse of what a perfected world might look like.

The Seder: Part III

The Third Cup of WinePour a glass of red wine or grape juice. Add a drop of white wine or grape juice.

Our glasses are now almost entirely red. We celebrate the possibility of a perfected world, while still adding a bit of white wine (juice) to remind us that this world remains just outside our reach.





The Third FruitWho picks the produce you eat? How are they treated, and how much are they paid? The vast majority of the United States’ fresh winter tomatoes are grown and picked in Florida, in an industry that for years saw sub-poverty wages and poor working conditions, including cases of modern slavery. But today, a new day is dawning in the tomato fields.

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers (named for the town of Immokalee, FL, which is the center of the industry) began as a small group of farmworkers gathering in a church in 1993 to discuss their problems and how organizing might bring about change. They wanted a systemic solution to the poverty and exploitation they faced. They wanted justice and human dignity, not more charity. In 2001, they expanded their efforts into a national campaign to bring major corporate tomato buyers into a partnership called the Fair Food Program. Under the Fair Food Program, corporations would buy tomatoes only from growers who agreed to a worker-designed code of conduct, and they would pass a penny-per-pound premium directly on to the farmworkers.

Between 2005 and 2013, eleven corporations signed, including four of the five largest fast food companies and the four major food service providers that operate cafeterias around the country. Led by Jewish grower Jon Esformes of Pacific Tomatoes, in late 2010, 90% of Florida’s tomato growers also signed, completing the three-way partnership between farmworkers, growers, and corporate buyers.

In the fall of 2011, T’ruah brought its first group of #tomatorabbis to meet with the Coalition. As of Tu Bishvat 2014, more than 50 #tomatorabbis have returned from Immokalee inspired to take action. They have distribute thousands of postcards, held protests outside of grocery stories and fast food restaurants, written OpEds, and given sermons. Their example has shown the Jewish community that the model for ending labor trafficking is to stand as allies with workers fighting the exploitation and poor wages that are the root causes of this human rights atrocity.

The Fair Food Program has made a huge difference. Since implementation began in 2011, not a single case of slavery has been discovered on participating farms, despite much greater ease of reporting. Workers know their rights and can easily (and without fear of reprisal) report instances of wage theft, sexual harassment, and violence. In the first three years, $11 million in premiums was paid directly to farmworkers, which can mean the difference between earning $10,000 and $17,000 in a year. In April 2013, the White House Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships applauded the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and its collaboration with T’ruah, calling the Fair Food Program “one of the most successful and innovative programs” to eradicate slavery in supply chains.

As of late 2013, of the 11 corporate participants, only two supermarket chains, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, have signed the Fair Food Program. The Coalition continues to apply pressure strategically on national and regional targets; eventually, they hope that all corporate purchasers will join this successful partnership and that their model will expand to other crops and other states.

For updates on the national campaign and ways you can participate, visit www.truah.org/slavery.

The Seder: Part III

19T’RUAH: THE RABBINIC CALL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS www.truah.org The Seder: Part III

Song: Ki Tavo’u El Ha’aretz

When you come into the landand you plant each food-giving treeEvery tree will give forth its fruitAnd the earth its bountyIt is time to plant treesIt is time to plant and to build

Ki tavo’u el ha’aretzUn’tatem kol etz ma’achalV’natan ha’etz piryoV’ha’aretz y’vulahEt linto’a ilanotEt linto’a v’livnot

Meditation before eating the tomatoClose your eyes. Hold the tomato in your hand. Roll it around in your palm. What do you feel?

Smell the tomato. What does it smell like? What associations do you have with the smell of the tomato?

Think about the people who brought you this tomato. The worker who planted the sapling. . . the worker who picked the tomato. . . the truck driver who carried it to the supermarket. . . the supermarket employee who placed it in the bin. Imagine how it might have felt for each of these people to handle the tomato. Take a moment to thank each of these people for bringing you this tomato.

Place your tongue on the tomato. What do you feel? What do you taste?

Take a bite of the tomato. Feel the juices exploding in your mouth. How does it taste?

Swallow this bite of tomato. How does it feel going down your throat?

Barukh atah Adonai, eloheinu Melekh ha-olam boreh p’ri ha-adama.Blessed are you, Adonai our God, sovereign of the universe who brings forth the fruit of the earth.


N’varekh et ein hachayim matzmichat p’ri ha-adamaLet us bless the Source of Life that ripens fruit of the earth.


Questions for discussion 1. Why do you think God cautions the people to plant right away when they enter the land of Israel? 2. Think about what previous generations planted for you (either in the literal or metaphorical sense). For which of these plantings are you most grateful? 3. What will you commit to planting for future generations?

The Seder: Part III

Midrash Tanchuma Parshat Kedoshim 8

“When you come into the land and plant.” (Leviticus 19:23) God said to the Jewish people, “Even though you will find the land full of all good things, do not say ‘We will sit and not plant,’ but rather, you should be sure to plant.” As it says, “Plant all food-giving trees.” Just as you entered and found trees that others had planted, so too should you plant for your children. A person should not say, “I am old and may die tomorrow; why should I trouble myself for the sake of others?”


Part IV: The world of Atzilut (emanation)Wine/juice: Red Fruit: None

Other: Fresh herbs and spices The world of atzilut is the fully realized divine world. In this world, we drink a cup of wine or grape juice that is fully red, as we celebrate the full rebirth of the world.

The Seder: Part IV

The Fourth Cup of WineYou may suggest that each person at the table pour the wine/juice of another person, per a common Pesach seder tradition. Liberated people can enjoy the gift of another person pouring their wine, and also can freely share their own bounty with others.




22T’RUAH: THE RABBINIC CALL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS www.truah.org The Seder: Part IV

Barukh atah Adonai, eloheinu Melekh ha-olam boreh minei v’samimBlessed are you, Adonai our God, sovereign of the universe who creates fragrant herbs.


N’varech et ruah ha’olam, boreit minei v’samim Let us bless the spirit of the world, which creates fragrant herbs.

The Fourth FruitThere is no fruit for the fourth world, as no physical fruit can represent this fully-realized divine world.Instead, at this point, we will smell sweet spices. We can not fully taste the divine world, but can at least get a whiff of it through our efforts to make the divine presence manifest in this world.


Part V: Planting for the futureWe end the seder by planting for the future. We will plant parsley in preparation for Pesach, the holiday of liberation. In the seder, the greens represent the full flowering of spring, of hope, and of possibility. We pray that by the time this parsley blossoms, we will be able to say, with a full heart, “Now we are free.” We commit ourselves to taking action in the next few months and beyond to protect human rights throughout the world.

Pass out slips of paper and pens. Ask each participant to write one commitment that s/he will make to working on human rights issues between now and Pesach. Each participant should place the slip of paper in a cup, fill the cup with soil and plant parsley seeds in the cup. You may ask each participant to make a copy of his/her commitment to hold onto.

The Seder: Part V

A Prayer for Peace The Shemoneh Esreh for the New Year of the Trees, by Rabbi Yehudah Halevi son of Rabbi Hillel (10th or 11th century, not the famous poet by the same name of the 11th-12th centuries), was found in the Cairo genizah. It has one stanza per blessing of the Amidah, each of which ends with the chatimah, the concluding blessing. This is the last stanza.

With the fruits of trees will we be blessed, Gourd and pomegranate will blossom for this people. On the New Year of the Trees, May sycamore and wild fig grow tall, Proclaim: “For true peace will I give you in this place.” (Jeremiah 14:13)Blessed are You, Adonai, the One Who makes peace.

Translated by Rabbi Joyce Galaski (T’ruah board member) in Elon, Hyman, and Waskow, ed. Trees, Earth, and Torah: A Tu B’shvat Anthology. JPS, May 2000

,d¡f¡g¤p dkx §a ¦A zFpli ¦ i ¥g §n ¦v,d¤f m ©r§l ui ¦v oFn ¦x .mFi W Ÿx oFiwi ¦w

oli ¦ l dpW W ŸxA:d¤fM d ©A §b¦i wFxi ¦U §e mi ¦n §w ¦W

"d ¤G ©d mFwn ©A m ¤kl o ¥Y ¤ z¡n¡ mFl §W i ¦M" Ep ¥ri ¦n §W ©z(b'i:c'i edinxi)

.mFlW ©d d ¤UFr 'd dz © jExA

24T’RUAH: THE RABBINIC CALL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS www.truah.org The Seder: Part V

A Prayer for Human Rights by Rabbi David Freidenreich for T’ruah Our God and God of our ancestors, do we not all share one parent? Did not one God create us all? And you have bestowed your dignity upon flesh and blood! It is well-known and obvious in Your sight that whoever can protest against wrongdoing in this world and does not protest is held accountable for what happens in the world. May it be Your will, therefore, that we act to protect human rights and human dignity. Help us to perceive the Divine Presence in every one of your creations, so that we may find favor and good will in the eyes of God and one another.

Barukh atah ADONAI, our God, ruler of time and space, who fashioned the first human being in the divine image and endowed every descendant with human rights—for one who disgraces another person brings disgrace to the likeness of God. Barukh atah ADONAI, creator of humanity and human rights.

T’RUAH: THE RABBINIC CALL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IS A MULTI-DENOMINATIONAL JEWISH MOVEMENT THAT MOBILIZES OUR NETWORK OF 1800 RABBIS AND CANTORS, AND MORE THAN 10,000 AMERICAN AND CANADIAN JEWS, TO BRING A MORAL JEWISH VOICE TO PRESSING HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS IN NORTH AMERICA AND ISRAEL. WE BRING THE WISDOM OF JEWISH TEXT AND TRADITION, AND THE POWER OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY, TO THE SACRED WORK OF PROTECTING THE HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF ALL PEOPLE.

T’RUAH:THE RABBINIC CALL FOR HUMAN RIGHTS212-845-5201WWW.TRUAH.ORG@TRUAHRABBIS

written by rabbi jill jacobs, rabbi rachel kahn-troster, · written by rabbi jill jacobs, rabbi...

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