Page 15 - HaMizrachi #6 TuBishvat 5779

Rav Kook's Teachings

Gael Grunewald Rabbi Chanan Morrison

Planting a Tree in Magdiel

“At every possible occasion,” wrote Rabbi Hands shaking, he reverently placed the overwhelmed with feelings of awe and
Ze’ev Gold, “I tell the story of the remarkable sapling in the ground, while murmuring reverence!”
lesson I was privileged to learn from our great his gratitude to G-d for the privilege of
master, the gaon and holy Rav Kook, may the planting a tree in the Holy Land. (Adapted from Zehav HaAretz by Rabbi Ze’ev
memory of the righteous be a blessing.” Gold, 1982; Mo’adei HaRe’iyah, pp. 222-223.)
On the trip back to Jerusalem, Rabbi
1 The town of Magdiel was founded in 1924.
Gold turned to the Chief Rabbi. “Why Rav Kook objected to the name Magdiel, as
did you exhibit such deep emotions this was the name of an Edomite chieftain
when you planted a tree into the ground? (Genesis 36:43). Even worse, ancient Jewish
Nowadays, thank G-d, hundreds of trees tradition identifies Magdiel as Rome, the
are planted every day in the Land of nation which conquered the Land of Israel and
Israel!” destroyed the Second Temple (see Rashi ad
loc, from Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer). This did not,
“As I held that young sapling in my however, prevent Rav Kook’s participation in
hands,” Rav Kook replied, “I remembered the tree-planting ceremony in the town.
how the Sages elucidated the verse, It was rumored that Rav Kook had predicted
“Follow the Eternal your G-d... and cling to that the name Magdiel would not last. And
Him” (Deuteronomy 13:5). They asked: in fact, in 1964, the town of Magdiel was
combined with its neighboring towns, and
Is it possible for flesh and blood to the new municipality was renamed “Hod
ascend to the heavens and cling to the Hasharon.”
Shechinah, about Whom it is written,
“For the Eternal your G-d is a consuming Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah Kook related that, soon
after this event, he received a letter from a
fire” (Deuteronomy 4:24)? resident of Netanya. For many years, the author
of the letter had studied his father’s books,
abbi Gold (1889-1956), Rather, understand the verse as follows: which he found very inspiring. But when he
a leader of the Mizrachi At the beginning of creation, the Holy heard a rumor that Rav Kook predicted the
R movement, once accompanied One engaged in planting, as it says, “G-d neighboring town of Magdiel would “be erased
the Chief Rabbi to the community of planted a garden in Eden” (Genesis 2:8). from the map,” he found this so disturbing that
Magdiel in the Sharon area. he stopped studying the rabbi’s writings.
1
Similarly, when you enter in the Land
The rabbis were invited to plant saplings of Israel, you should first engage in Following the 1964 municipality change, the
Netanya resident offered his apologies. He
in an official ceremony to inaugurate a planting, as it is written, “When you will now understood how Rav Kook’s prediction
new forest. come into the Land, you shall plant all types was fulfilled, as only the name Magdiel was
of fruit trees” (Leviticus 19:23). (Vayikra erased from the map, with Hod Hasharon
As Rav Kook was handed a sapling to Rabbah 25:3) taking its place. He expressed his sincere
plant, Rabbi Gold was amazed to see regrets, promising to once again study the Rav’s
the rabbi’s reaction. His face shone like “When I grasped that tender sapling writings.
a burning torch, and his entire body in my hands and prepared to plant it in
quivered with excitement. He did not the holy earth,” Rav Kook continued,
use the hoe he had been given, but knelt “I contemplated these words of the Rabbi Chanan Morrison is the author of
down to the soil and dug a hole in the Sages. I felt as if, at that very moment, I several books on Rav Kook's writings
earth with his bare hands. was clinging to the Shechina, and I was www.RavKookTorah.org

Background illustration of Rav Kook courtesy of www.gedolimcanvas.com 15