PINEAPPLES AND CHOCLATE FOR טו בשבט

 

PINEAPPLES FOR ו בשבט ט   Many Chassidic Rebbes have at their פירות טיש (ט"ו בשבט סדר) pineapples,bananas,melons etc. (פרי האדמה). The מקור for the מנהג of also adding פרי אדמה, is from the  ספר חמדת הימים* who writes to also have פרי האדמה  and have כוונה when eating them                                                                " העץ הנחמד בן ישי חי על האדמה"  Some claim there are hidden messages in the Sefer. גמטרי' 807 + words7 =  814 -שבתי צבי                            The same Gematria as שבתי צבי by adding 7 for the 7 words (כולל). Also  בן ישי חי = 390 the same gematria as ש"צ  The publisher of the Amsterdam edition  who was aware of the controversy*, wrote poetically in the הקדמה,               אם תמצא בו פרי שאינו נחמד למראה",               "השלך הקליפה ואכול תוכו  (If you find in it (Sefer) a fruit that doesn't look good  throw away the peel and eat the inside) *Some claim , theמחבר to be נתן העזתי the right hand man of שבתי צבי & his נביא שקר Others claim it was an unknown holy man. The Steipler Zt"l wouldn't touch or look into a Sefer who quotes from the Chemdas Hayomim.     ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                    CHOCOLATES FOR ט"ו בשבט Some Poskim have difficulty understanding why our Minhag is to make a שהכל on chocolates when Halachically it should have been a פרי העץ Harav Y.S. Elyashiv zt”l & Harav S.Z. Auerbach zt”l both agree that the appropriate Bracha for chocolate should have been פרי העץ but since the velt (the common practice) makes a שהכל we follow Minhag Haolam and make a שהכל. The ספר מקור הברכה (My uncle, Dayan Harav Hagaon R. Gavriel Krausz Shlita) claims, The minhag of the velt is a mistake, It came about from the שערי תשובה ר”ב ס”ק י”ט who writes to make a שהכל  on שעקלדי (chocolate) R.G. Krausz claims the שערי תשובה  was referring to a chocolate drink and the velt mistakenly assumed he meant chocolates (solid) R.G.Krausz holds, לכתחילה to make a פרי העץ on chocolates.  * Igros Moshe 3:31  argues

The FOur Questions For Tu Bshvat

 

THE FOUR QUESTIONS  FOR ט"ו בשבט         1) Which פרי העץ fruit, if you made a האדמה on it, you were not יוצא? A fruit that was grown in a flower pot with no hole at the bottom. (based on the Chaya Adam Hl. Birchas Hanehenin 51:17- Harav Hagaon R, Dov Landau Shlita) 2) He ate from the שבעת המינים, the ברכה ראשונה was פרי העץ yet the ברכה אחרונה is בורא נפשות. A fruit salad consisting of 1/3 pomegranate(שבעת המינים) and 2/3 assorted other fruits. The רוב is a  פרי העץ and the רוב is a בורא נפשות. ( Harav Hagaon R. Avrohom Ganchovsky zt"l Sefer Bar Almogim #148:2) 3) When is the appropriate time to Daven for a nice Esrog? According to the בני יששכר on Tu B'shvat According to the Gemoro on Shavuos (בעצרת נידונים על פירות האילן) 4) There is only one single הלכה in Shulchan Aruch re Tu B'shvat, which one?   Not to say תחנון on Tu B'Shvat. (O.Ch. 131:6) Eating fruits is not mentioned in S.Aruch. It is the Mogen Avraham who quotes this Minhag Ashkenaz.     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *לא יהיה לך אלהים אחרים בגמטריה אלו ישו ומוחמד *ר' אפרים עה"ת פ' יתרו

OUT OF THE FREEZER

OUT OF THE FREEZER ON TU B’SHVAT,        was invented 400 years before Lakewood            R. Nosson Nota M'Hanover zt"l wrote a Sefer "יון מצולה" At the end of the Sefer, he describes the Yeshiva world at that time. Bein Hazemanim started on Tu B'Shvat & Tu B'Av The Rosh Yeshiva & the Bachurim travelled to the winter & summer fairs. The מהרש"א stops his Pirush in middle of a Mesechta. (Ms. Shabbos & Ms. Sanhedrin) He writes that he couldn't continue because he had to travel to the fair. Since all the Roshei Yeshivos and all their Talmidim were at the fair it turned into a Shiduchim market. Any parent who had a son or daughter of marriageable age made sure to attend the fair. Hundreds & even thousands of Shiduchim were arranged there.

A Little Background on The Tu Bishvat Seder

הכל בסדר.                               The Tu Bishvat Seder Some Mekubalim and Chasidic Rebbes have a Tu B'Shvat Seder with some similarities to the סדר של פסח Some claim The origin of the Tu Bishvat Seder is from the אריז"ל However, in the Kesovim ( כתבי אריז"ל  ) there is no mention of a Seder on Tu Bishvat. The first one to mention this Seder is the ספר חמדת הימים. There is a whole chapter instructing how to perform the Seder. "Various Perakim of Tanach and Zohar are to be said. Four cups of different colored wines are drunk. Mezonos and 30 different fruits are to be eaten. Before each fruit you have כוונה of a different צירוף of the שם Havayah." This chapter was reprinted In 1753, as a separate קונטרס called "קונטרס פרי עץ  הדר"  The ספר חמדת הימים* was printed without a Sha'ar Blatt. The יעבץ claimed that the Mechaber of this Sefer was the נביא שקר נתן העזתי, the right-hand man of שבתי צבי ימ"ש There were Gedolim who disputed the יעבץ and claimed the Sefer was written by an unknown holy man. Many Rebbes have at their (פירות טיש (סדר pineapples, bananas,melons etc. פרי האדמה. The Mokor for this is from the חמדת הימים who writes to have פרי האדמה  and have כוונה when eating them                                                                                                                                                                          " העץ הנחמד בן ישי חי על האדמה" Some claim there are hidden messages in the Sefer. גמטרי' 807 +7 =  814 -שבתי צבי                          The same Gematria as Shabtai Zvi by adding 7 for the 7 words (כולל). Also  בן ישי חי = 390 the same gematria as ש"צ The publisher of the Amsterdam edition  who was aware of the controversy, wrote poetically in the Hakdamah                                                     ואם תמצא בו פרי שאינו נחמד למראה,"                                    "השלך הקליפה ואכול תוכו  (If you find in it (Sefer) a fruit that doesn't look good  throw away the peel and eat the inside) *The Steipler Zt"l wouldn't touch or look into a Sefer who quotes from the Chemdas Hayomim.

Chocolate For Tu Bishvat

Click Here For Schmerling's 85% Cocoa Extra Dark (10 Pack), kosher for Passover Swiss Chocolate

Chocolate For Tu Bishvat

Some Chasidic Rebbes have a Minhag on ט”ו בשבט  to have pineapples decorating the fruit plate (some even eat it) at the Tish. 

There are Poskim who say not to eat any פרי האדמה with the Tu B’Shvat fruits so as not to confuse the Rosh Hashana of פירות האילן with פרי אדמה 

It might be more appropriate to have chocolates 
for Tu B’Shvat.


Many Poskim have difficulty understanding why our Minhag is to make a שהכל on chocolates when it should have been a פרי העץ

Both, Harav Y.S. Elyashiv zt”l & Harav S.Z. Auerbach zt”l held that the appropriate Bracha for chocolate should be פרי העץ   but since the velt makes a שהכל we follow Minhag Haolam and make a שהכל.

They both hold* if a פרי העץ was made on fruits
and chocolates were at the table, then you shouldn't make a שהכל  on the chocolates, being you were Yotzei with the פרי העץ.

The Mekor Habracha (Dayan R. G. Krausz shlita) says that the minhag of the velt is a mistake. 

It came about from the שערי תשובה ר”ב ס”ק י”ט who writes to make a שהכל on שעקלדי (chocolate)

R.G. Krausz says  the שערי תשובה  was referring to a chocolate drink and the velt mistakenly assumed 
he meant chocolate (solid)

R.G.Krausz holds to Lekatchila make a פרי העץ on chocolates.
    


 * Igros Moshe 3:31 seems to argue

Three Tree Rosh Hashanas

 Three Tree Rosh Hashanas (According to the Rambam)

1) א' תשרי   
2) ט"ו בשבט 
3) ו' סיון       

1 ) 1st day in Tishre -  ערלה - נטע רבעי - שמיטה*
2 ) Tu B'shvat  -   (ביכורים - תרומות - מעשרות  (*ערלה - נטע רבעי
3 ) Shavuos - fruits of the tree are judged בעצרת על פירות האילן

 

"ח. * באחד בתשרי, ראש השנה לערלה ולרבעי; ומאימתיי מונין לערלה ורבעי, משעת נטיעה... ט. ...ואף על פי כן אין פירות הנטיעה הזאת מותרין בערלה או ברבעי, עד חמישה עשר יום בשבט--שהוא ראש השנה לאילן."

— רמב"ם הלכות מעשר שני ונטע רבעי, פרק ט,ח-ט