New Years Coincide

Today, the full moon represents the conclusion of the celebration for the Chinese New Year with parades and dragons and best wishes for the year of the Ox. Coinciding with this completion of the New Year is the Jewish New Year of the Trees called Tuba Shavat—the full moon in the winter month called Shavat.

The Cabalists often quote from the Torah, Aitz Chaim Ho/Man Tree of Life; the Tree of Life represents the Ten Siferot/Luminaries arranged like a tree rooted in the ground. In the Torah there is a story when the Children of Yisroel in the Wilderness came to a place where there was water but, the water was bitter. God told Moshe to throw a tree into the water and it became sweet—from this is learned if one seeps at the Torah it is bitter, but throw yourself in and it is sweet.