What Are You Rooted In? The Secret to Lasting Growth

Tu B’Shevat is known as the “New Year for Trees,” a time when we reflect on growth, renewal, and the power of deep roots. But this isn’t just about trees—it’s about us.

The Torah tells us, “Ki ha’adam etz hasadeh”—”Man is like a tree in the field” (Devarim 20:19).

This isn’t just a poetic metaphor. It’s a powerful truth about life.

Some trees stand strong, unwavering through storms. Others, despite their height and beauty, are easily uprooted when the wind blows.

What makes the difference?

The roots.

A tree’s true strength isn’t found in its towering branches or colorful leaves—it’s in what you don’t see. It’s in the roots, buried deep beneath the surface, holding it firm when the winds rage.

And the same is true for us.

The Roots That Keep You Standing

Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers 3:22) teaches:

“Anyone whose wisdom exceeds his good deeds is like a tree with many branches but few roots: the wind comes and uproots it. But one whose good deeds exceed his wisdom is like a tree with few branches but many roots: even if all the winds in the world come against it, they will not move it from its place.”

Knowledge is important. Success is great. But without deep, strong roots, a person is easily shaken.

The question is: What are you rooted in?

Life’s Storms Will Come. Will You Stay Standing?

There will always be challenges. Winds will blow—financial struggles, health scares, doubts, and disappointments.

But if your roots are strong, you won’t be uprooted.

For 2,000 years, the Jewish people have been tossed across the world, yet we’ve never lost our identity. Why? Because our roots run deep.

Our connection to Eretz Yisrael, our emunah, our bitachon—these are the roots that have kept us standing through exile, persecution, and everything in between.

When a tree’s roots are strong, it doesn’t matter how hard the storm rages above. The tree remains standing.

And the same is true for you.

The Bamboo Principle: Why Growth Takes Time

Did you know that bamboo takes five years to show any real growth?

For five years, farmers water it, care for it, and see… nothing. No visible change.

And then, suddenly, after five years, the bamboo shoots up 90 feet in six weeks.  You could practically watch it grow in front of your eyes.

All that time, it wasn’t stagnating. It was building an unshakable foundation underground.

Sometimes in life, we feel like we’re putting in effort but seeing no results.

• You work on your bitachon, but you still struggle with worry.
• You daven, but you don’t feel connected.
• You learn, but you don’t feel like you’re growing.

But just because you don’t see results yet doesn’t mean nothing is happening.

Every moment of effort is strengthening your roots. Every tefillah, every act of bitachon, every struggle you push through—it’s all building your foundation.

And when the time is right, you will shoot up faster than you ever imagined.

My Own Roots: A Personal Journey

Reading has never been easy for me. Growing up with dyslexia, davening felt like a battle—When I davened, I was so focused on saying the words properly that I barely got through part of it and I definitely didn’t understand what any of it meant.

For years, I struggled. But I kept at it.  Off and on at times. Slowly, I improved.

When I had to learn my Bar Mitzvah parsha, it was hard. Later, when I decided to learn to lain Megillat Esther, it was even harder.

But I kept practicing. Kept showing up. Kept watering the roots.

Now, years later, I can fly through laining my parsha and the megillah like its second nature and daven with more kavana (intention).

But only because I put in the work when it felt like nothing was happening.

I have other parts of davening that I never practiced, and guess what? I’m still slow at them.

The lesson?

The areas of your life where you plant strong roots will always be there for you.

Even if you get distracted, even if you drift away—you can always come back to the roots you’ve built.

Bitachon: The Strongest Roots You Can Have

Bitachon—trust in Hashem—is the deepest, strongest root you can develop.

The world tells us to rely on ourselves. To control, to stress, to plan for every outcome. But life isn’t in our control.

When we plant our roots in bitachon, we build an unshakable foundation.

• Money struggles? Parnassah is from Hashem.
• Health worries? Hashem is the Healer.
• Fear of the future? Everything is planned for our best.

Bitachon doesn’t mean sitting back and doing nothing. It means working hard while knowing Hashem runs the world.

And just like bamboo, bitachon takes time to grow.

But when you nurture it, when you keep working at it even when you don’t see results—one day, you’ll wake up and realize you’ve become unshakable.

So, What Are You Rooted In?

This Tu B’Shevat, ask yourself:

• Where are my roots?
• Am I planting them in Torah, in bitachon, in my connection with Hashem?
• Or am I chasing the external—things that look good but don’t last?

Because when the storms of life come—and they always do—the branches won’t save you.

Only the roots will.

Plant them wisely.

---

Take Action

1. Strengthen Your Roots in Bitachon – Each day, take one moment to remind yourself that Hashem is in control.
2. Water Your Growth – Even if you don’t see results yet, keep learning, keep davening, keep showing up. Your growth is happening.
3. Ask Yourself: What kind of tree do I want to be? If you want to be strong and unshakable, start planting today.

Because one day, you’ll look back and realize—the roots you built changed your life.