In December 2022, the world has been taken by storm by the release of OpenAI's ChatGPT, a language model with 175 billion parameters that was trained on 570 gigabytes of text. It has the most uncanny ability to synthesize human creativity and combine ideas and craft writing in a unique way. For TuBishvat, I asked ChatGPT for help. In the story below, let's imagine that Reb Nachman of Breslov, was in fact Reb Nachman of Ladismith (Western Cape, South Africa) and in his fantastical style, a story that would talk about what is dear to the ReSpek Nature Community:

On the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, the Jewish holiday of Tu BiShvat was celebrated with joy and reverence. It was known as Rosh HaShanah La'Ilanot, the "New Year of the Trees," and it was customary to plant new trees to honor the holiday.

Spekboom, being the wisest of all the plants in the Karoo, was approached by a group of humans who sought its advice on how best to celebrate the holiday.

"Spekboom, we wish to plant new trees to celebrate Tu BiShvat," they said. "What is your advice?"

Spekboom replied, "My dear friends, I am honoured that you seek my counsel. You must understand that planting a tree is not just a physical act, but a spiritual one as well. It is a symbol of hope and a promise for the future. When you plant a tree, you must care for it, nurture it, and watch it grow. This is the true meaning of Tu BiShvat."

The humans were moved by Spekboom's words and they decided to plant not just one tree, but many, in honor of the holiday. They tended to the trees with love and care, and over time, they saw their small act of kindness blossom into a lush landscape.

Spekboom was proud of the humans, for they had learned the wisdom of the holiday. Tu BiShvat was not just about planting trees, it was about creating a better world for future generations, and the humans had done just that.

From that day on, the holiday of Tu BiShvat was celebrated in the Karoo with joy and reverence, and the landscape grew more lush and bountiful each year, a symbol of the power of nature and the wisdom of the ancient plant, Spekboom.