Tu Bishvat: Perek Shirah – Wheat

The Wheat sings, “A song of ascents, from the depths, I called to You, O God.” (Psalms 130:1) The Baal HaTanya explains that the food of the wheat is hidden, for it, one of the basic staples of life, feeds the soul of a person from its highest roots above.

This is why the Talmud teaches that when a child begins to eat wheat he acquires the ability, even before he has Da’at, or awareness, to call his parent, “Father.” The wheat reveals that which is hidden above Da’at in Sechel.

This is why the wheat cries out “from the depths,” so that even a person in the lowest spiritual places has the ability to call out for God’s help.

No matter where we spiritually are, we can on Tu Bishvat, call out to God.