Bar-Ilan students, faculty welcome spring with a blessing
'Birkat Ha-Ilan,' the blessing for the advent of spring and blossoming of trees, may be said throughout the Hebrew month of Nissan.
By MORDECHAI I. TWERSKYBirkat ha Ilan (blessing trees)_311(photo credit: Mordechai I. Twersky)
For a brief few moments, yesterday, at Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan, the center of attention was neither the textbook nor a hi-tech laboratory, but a cluster of fruit trees scattered along its sprawling campus.On this first day of the Hebrew month of Nissan, which the Bible considers the advent of spring, scores of students and faculty streamed from university buildings to recite the special blessing, Birkat Ha-Ilan, for the blossoming of the trees.According to Jewish tradition, the blessing for the flowering tree may be recited for the duration of the Hebrew month of Nissan.
