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The HAMIZRACHI GUIDE to the SEVEN SPECIES

Pomegranates Rabbi Stewart Weiss

he rimon, the pomegranate, said to contain 613 seeds. “May we be students were given light tasks that
in many ways, is the “King” as full of mitzvot as the pomegranate would not transgress any of the 39
Tof the Seven Species. Firstly, is full of seeds,” is a bracha recited melachot. Uplifted with sudden joy,
it resembles a crown; indeed, the during the Simanim Seder on Rosh the Chassidim quietly whispered the
ornaments which traditionally Hashanah. In essence, the rimon is a words of the machzor, which they
“crown” the Sefer Torah are referred connector, joining us to our ancient knew by heart, and felt some of their
to as rimonim. Rimonim also formed roots, symbolizing Torah and mitz- spirit return.
the border of the Kohen Gadol’s robe, vot, but most of all, emphasizing that
representing the blessings of love and all Jews – regardless of their back- Suddenly, a Nazi officer entered the
room, pushing a cart filled with food,
fertility: “Your lips are like a crimson ground – have a share in Jewish life
thread; your mouth is lovely. Your because they carry within them a holy the likes of which the Jews had not
brow behind your veil gleams like an neshama and the breath of G-d. seen in years: meat, bread, hot soup.
“We know what today is,” barked the
open pomegranate.”
1
This idea is brought home in a stir- officer, “now you will all eat or you’ll
Not only are pomegranates featured ring, true story recounted by the late be shot!” The Jews froze with fear,
on many ancient coins, dating back to Professor Yaffa Eliach in her mag- but then, to their shock, Schneeweiss
the Bar Kochba revolt in the 2nd cen- nificent work, “Hasidic Tales of the stepped forward and confronted the
tury, perhaps the oldest ritual object in Holocaust.” She tells of Rav Yisrael German. “This is our fast day, we will
Jewish hands today is a thumb-sized Spero, the Rabbi of Bluzhov, who was not eat from this food,” he said defi-
pomegranate made of hippopotamus imprisoned during the Shoah, along antly. The Nazi was furious. “In the
bone. Now in the Israel Museum in with several of his Chassidim, in the name of the Fuhrer, you dogs shall eat,
Jerusalem, it bears the inscription, Janowska Road slave labor camp. As and you shall eat as well, Schneeweiss,
“Holy to the Kohen of the House of in most of these horrendous places, or you will be shot!”
G-d,” and is thought by some scholars there was back-breaking work and Schneeweiss stood firm. “This is
to date back to the time of the First the ever-present danger of imminent against our tradition,” he repeated, “we
Beit HaMikdash. The rimon was also death. The beleaguered inmates were shall not eat.” With that, the officer
one of the fruits brought back by the controlled by kapos who obediently drew his pistol, shot the kapo in the
spies to indicate the amazing bounty did the Nazis’ bidding. head, and stormed out of the room.
of Eretz Yisrael. As Schneeweiss lay dying, Rav Spero
As Yom Kippur approached, the Chas- whispered to his Chassidim, “Now I
The rimon symbolizes the study of sidim approached Rav Spero and asked finally understand the words: “Even
Torah, which is paramount in Jewish if perhaps he might speak to the kapo, the transgressors of Israel are as filled
life. The verse, “Let us get up early to whose name was Schneeweiss, and ask with good deeds as a pomegranate is
the vineyards; let us see if the vine if they might be given only work that filled with seeds.” 4
has flowered, if the grape blossoms would not violate the strictures of the
have opened, if the pomegranates have day. The Rabbi knew that Schneeweiss
2
budded” refers to the little children was a harsh, anti-religious Jew and 1 Shir HaShirim 4:3.
who study Torah, who sit neatly in would not be well-disposed to helping. 2 Ibid 6:11.
rows in their class like the seeds of a But he agreed to ask anyway. 3 Shir HaShirim Rabbah.
pomegranate. 3 4 Eruvin 19a.
To his amazement, Schneeweiss Rabbi Stewart Weiss is Director of the
Most of all, the rimon is a metaphor replied that he would try to help. On Jewish Outreach Center of Ra’anana
for the mitzvot, as each rimon fruit is Yom Kippur day, the Rabbi and his jocmtv@netvision.net.il

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