Almond Tree

The Almond tree is among the first trees to awaken in spring. The beautiful, delicately scented blossoms were so lovely after winter, that G-d directed Moses to place them at the top of the Menorah (which is itself a depiction of The Tree of Life), decorating the cups in which the oil, or candles, is lit.

At Tu B’shevat, we eat almonds to celebrate the return of spring. In Hebrew, the word almond comes from a word whose root means to watch or to wake (Jer 1:11-12)