Page 4 - HaMizrachi #6 TuBishvat 5779

Mizrachi Educators

Rabbi Reuven Taragin Rabbanit Shani Taragin

Celebrating

A FRUITFUL RETURN

t first glance, Tu BiShvat, the In the Al HaMichya blessing we say after the Yerushalmi asserts that anyone
new year for trees and fruit, 1 eating grain products or one of Israel’s who settles in Israel, speaks Hebrew,
A seems to be of merely technical seven species, we ask G-d to return us to eats Israel’s fruit in a state of purity,
significance; the calendar marker the Land where we will be able to eat its and recites the Shema twice daily is
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pertaining to fruit-oriented yearly fruit and be satiated from its goodness. guaranteed a place in Olam Haba.
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mitzvot. Yet on Tu BiShvat we observe
customs reminiscent of a holiday, e.g. we Once we leave exile, the Torah The Bach explains that we yearn to eat
skip tachanun and avoid fasting. commands us to plant fruit trees upon Israel’s fruit because it is infused with
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arrival in Eretz Yisrael. This emulates the holiness of the Land. And the Ben
What are we celebrating? G-d, who ‘planted’ the world's initial Ish Chai says that eating Israel’s fruits
trees and our forefathers, who are each helps us appreciate the quality of G-d’s
The answer can be better appreciated in praised for having improved Eretz gift of Eretz Yisrael to us.
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the context of our historical relationship Yisrael by planting within it.
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with the Land of Israel. G-d destined That alone would be reason enough to
Israel for the Jewish people from the Like our ancestors, when Jews began celebrate Tu BiShvat.
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moment of Creation. Our ancestors returning to the Land in the 19th
showed their appreciation of Eretz century, they began planting. The Land 1 Mishna Rosh Hashanah 1:1-2.
Yisrael by planting and developing responded by once again producing fruit 2 Ibid, Bartenura.
it, and the Torah presents fruit as and, Baruch Hashem, it has continued 3 Midrash Tanchuma Reeh 8.
the Land’s reciprocal response to to offer its blessings – fruit, wines, 4 5:5.
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their efforts. When we inhabit and and more, with the best still to come. 5 26:32.
develop the Land according to G-d’s But that’s not all. Rebbi Abba, following 6 See Magen Avraham, Shulchan Aruch 131:6,16.
commandments, the Land produces the Prophets, refers to this renewed 7 Leviticus 19:23, as understood by Midrash
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for us and gives us a strong economic fruit production as the clearest sign of Tanchuma, Kedoshim 8.
backbone to enable a secure State. Redemption. 8 Sifri Devarim 8. See also Midrash Rabba,
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Indeed, the first book of Kings describes Bereishit 39:8.
the Jewish people’s security in Israel as That is why Rav Kook saw Israel’s fruit 9 See also Chatam Sofer (Sukkah 36a), who equates
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“each man under his grape and fig tree.” production as proof that the Redemption producing Israel’s fruits with wearing Tefillin!
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had begun in his time. He wrote, “It is a 10 Zechariah 8:12, Micha 4:1-4, Isaiah 65:21-22,
Our relationship with the Land of Israel mitzvah to completely enjoy the refreshed and Ezekiel 36:7-36.
is even clearer when we were exiled. holy sweetness of Israel’s fruits… We 11 Sanhedrin 98a.
The book of Leviticus predicts that need to inform the whole world, to 12 Igrot HareAya 3:155.
the Land will stop producing when the those suffering in exilic darkness, that 13 Orot Yisrael 9:9.
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Jews are exiled from it. This prevented the conduit of full life infused with 14 Shekalim 14b.
other nations from usurping our place blessed light and the sweet holiness of 15
and served as a reminder to us and to our desirous land has begun to reopen… 16 Orach Chayim 208.
See Responsa Torah Lishma 418, where he uses
the world of our eternal, immutable (By producing fruit) the sweet Land this appreciation to explain the importance of
relationship with Eretz Yisrael. seeks its children… calling out to them touring Israel to eat its fruit.
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to return to their mother’s bosom…”
Furthermore, Jews in exile always Rabbi Reuven Taragin is Educational
reaffirmed their relationship with and In light of the above, our enjoyment of Director of World Mizrachi and Religious
belief in the future fruitfulness of the Israeli fruits on Tu BiShvat is far more Zionists of America–Mizrachi. He is also
Land of Israel by celebrating and eating profound than just physical pleasure or Dean of the Yeshivat HaKotel Overseas
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its fruits on Tu BiShvat. supporting Israel’s economy. Indeed, Program

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