901. Rosh Hashanah for the Trees
February 7, 1955
Rosh Hashanah [New Year’s Eve] for the trees. Man is called “the tree of the field,” and Rosh Hashanah is the time of sentencing—for judgment or for mercy. Hence, the month of Shevat is the fifth of the winter months, which is regarded as Hod, when Daveh [affliction] becomes Hod [glory/majesty].
This means that when we are rewarded with walking in the quality of Hesed, he extends from the Sefira of Hesed to Hod, and all the blessing is in the quality of Hesed [mercy/kindness], as it is written, “For I said, a world of Hesed shall be built,” where through the blessing we are rewarded with fruits. It is as Baal HaSulam wrote, that this is why on the 15th of Shevat we bless on the fruits, since this is the whole distinction between Kedusha [holiness] and Klipa [shell/peel], for “Another God is sterile and does not bear fruit.”
The success in the work to be rewarded with fruits is only through Hesed, since when we work with the quality of bestowal, called Hesed, we are rewarded with Dvekut [adhesion] with the Creator, and when we are rewarded with Dvekut, we are rewarded with everything. Hence, on the 15th of Shevat, called Rosh Hashanah for the trees, we must strengthen ourselves with the quality of Hesed, for by this we will be rewarded with fruits called “A fruit bearing tree.”