Page 27 - HaMizrachi #6 TuBishvat 5779

David M. Weinberg

Listen to Our Tomatoes

he oranges, eggplants and For example, in the 12th century, we Grow even in the shemita year, even
1
tomatoes of the Land of Israel heard reports that ‘they are coming.’ 300 using the heter mechira. Grow, impart
T are bearers of a Divine message: Tosafists came from the Rhineland, but your bounty, grow!’
G-d has re-juiced the Land so that all no more.
His children can come home and live in We did so in abundance. We gave forth
plenty. Here is their Tu BiShvat call to False alarms continued. Nachmanides almond, apple, apricot, banana, barely,
action; a “letter from a tomato”: arrived in 1267, Ovadia of Bartenura cabbage, cherry, chickpea, date, fig,
in 1492, Yehuda HaChassid and his grapefruit, guava, kiwi, lemon, lychee,
“We, the vegetables and fruits of the followers in 1700, then the students mango, melon, peach, pear, plum, radish,
Land of Israel, want Jews to know what of the Baal Shem Tov and the students squash, watermelon and so much more!
a dramatic transformation has been of the Vilna Gaon. But we received no
wrought over the past century in our green light from G-d to begin growing And oh, what fantastic vineyards we
subterranean world. again. have given to modern Israel, from which
world-class and holy wine is being
After the destruction of the Second So, we, the fruits of the Land of Israel, vinified! Isn’t this just amazing?”
Jewish Commonwealth in 70 CE, all waited and waited. We hoped and prayed
plants in this land received a directive for the return of this land’s indigenous
from Heaven to stop growing. A slumber people.
was slapped on the Land of Israel. We Rabbi Abba taught (Sanhedrin 98a) that
would only be allowed to rev up our Then, toward the end of the 19th “There is no greater sign of redemption
biological engines and begin producing century, rumors again began to race than the agricultural re-blooming of the
ָ
anew when the Jewish people would beneath the surface of the earth. Birds Land of Israel” (ה ֶּז ִ מ ּ ה ֶ ל ֻ ג ְ מ ץ ֵ ק ך ְ ל ןי ֵ א).
return and upon direct instruction from flying overhead and clouds cruising the Rabbi Yoel Sirkis (Bach on Tur Orach
the Almighty. skies said: ‘They are coming.’ And then Chaim 208) wrote that the Shechina,
the great command came directly from the Divine Presence, enters the Jewish
We were very sad to see our people G-d: ‘O mountains of Israel, shoot forth soul through the agricultural produce of
going off into exile, but we heeded the your branches, and yield your fruit to Eretz Yisrael.
word of G-d. We also knew that He had My people Israel; for they are at hand to
forewarned of this in Leviticus (26:32), come’ (Ezekiel 36:8). Grow! Respond The far-sighted Jerusalem educator
telling the Jews that if they messed up, to the work of their hands! Make Israel Rabbi Sholom Gold (from whom I have
exile would ensue and that He ‘would great again. adapted the bulk of the talking tomato
make the land desolate.’ narrative above) offers this razor-sharp
You should have seen the joy beneath religious advice: “If you want to speak to
Furthermore, we were told not to the surface. There hadn’t been such G-d, go to the Western Wall. But if you
respond with any enthusiasm to Israel’s activity in millennia. We awoke from want to see Him, go to shuk Machane
enemies. Over the centuries there hibernation, stretched our roots and Yehuda.”
were many foreign occupiers: Romans, smiled. We were directed to turn arid
Byzantines, Moslems, Crusaders, Turks and nearly dead Israel into a verdant,
1 A special halachic leniency for the sabbatical year.
and more. They all invaded but we did fruitful, agricultural world superpower.
not react to their attempts to bring us to
life. The land remained barren. And the Lord further instructed us: David M. Weinberg is vice president
‘Don’t check the tzitzit of these returning of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic
There were moments when we thought Jews. It makes no difference whether Studies
our misery was coming to an end. We they are religious or not. They are My www.davidmweinberg.com
thought our children were coming home. children and they are coming home. www.jiss.org.il
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