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The HAMIZRACHI GUIDE to the SEVEN SPECIES

Dates Rabbi Yuval Cherlow

s with any tree, and as is Land of Israel is blessed with. Most G-d. The palm not only gives shade,
integral to Torat Yisrael, there of the Torah’s fruit-related laws – and but delivers sweet fruits to everyone,
Ais first and foremost a natural the mitzvot that depend on the Land – and its fruits are not hidden among
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reality. ה ָ רֹו ּ ת ַ ל ה ָ מ ְ ד ָ ק ץ ֶ ר ֶ א ך ֶ ר ֶ ּ ד – literally, refer only to the Seven Species, includ- the leaves, but are visible for all to see.
the way of the land preceded the ing the date. In this context, the Torah
Torah. So as we look at the tamar, refers to the date as honey, determin- However, it is not just the Sages who
the date, we start with nature, reality, ing its main expression in the natural looked upon the date palm for their
and work our way up into the spiritual world: sweetness, pleasure, longing. metaphors. We too can look at the
meanings of the tree. The date’s partner is the bitter, sharp palm and eat from its fruits, and it
olive – its complete opposite. reminds us of who we should be. First
The palm is the tree of the desert: its and foremost, “righteous as a flower-
roots are very deep, it knows how to Judaism has a special and complex ing date” – to be righteous, to make
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use water and find it deep in the soil. attitude to sweetness: on the one hand, fruit, to be sweet, to strive upwards.
Consequently, the tamar grows in it is good to us, and we describe the And to view this tree as a guide that
places that need it. It gives travelers Torah and mitzvot as ת ֶ פֹנ ְ ו ׁש ַ ב ְ ּ ד ִ מ םי ִ קּות ְ מּו teaches us not only to gather within
shade and provides them with sweet, םי ִ פּוצ – “sweeter than honey dripping ourselves, but to give as much as we
full-bodied, fruit that gives them from the combs.” We raise no objec- can to others. There are many people
the strength to continue. It also has tions to the sweetness of life, and we walking aimlessly in life’s desert – and
a unique shape – a tree that strives are not a religion of monks fleeing the they are lonely, thirsty, perhaps even
upwards. Botanically it is unique in beauty and goodness of this world. tired of life – and we are called to help
that it has one main trunk that does them: give shade, share our fruits, call
not split. Even in terms of its external On the other hand, we are warned: them to rest with us.
shape, it stands out. “It is not good to eat much honey;” 1
“for no leaven or honey may be turned And when we do this in our natural
The palm tree is also the only tree into smoke as an offering by fire to the reality with one heart, and direct it to
that belongs to two systems of L-rd.” Sweetness is at once delightful our Heavenly Father, we will enjoy the
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commandments. and dangerous, an object of desire and shade and the nutritious, sweet fruit of
the danger of a slippery slope. the spiritual date palm.
The first is the holiday system: the
lulav is a part of the Four Species, When we delve into the wisdom
which we use to celebrate the Asif hol- of our Sages, the date is a powerful 1 Mishlei 25:27.
iday in the Temple. Although there are source of inspiration, for example, 2 Vayikra 2:11.
four species, and even though we usu- “Just as a palm tree has only one heart, 3 Megillah 14a.
ally see the etrog as the ‘senior part- as a palm tree does not send out sepa-
ner,’ we say “al mitzvat lulav” over all rate branches, but rather has only one 4 Tehillim 92:13.
four species together. This is because main trunk, so too, the Jewish people
the date palm frond is the most prom- in that generation (of Queen Esther)
inent. The lulav is tall, symbolizing had only one heart, directed to their
the baton of a king, or a sword to fight Father in Heaven.” The special shape
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with, and with it we thank the Sover- of the tamar is a call for all of us to
eign of the world for the great abun- unite. We have to be people with “one
dance He gave us on Sukkot. heart.” Rabbi Yuval Cherlow is a Rosh Yeshiva
and a founding member of an organization
The second system is the Shivat The tree climbing upwards symbolizes devoted to bridging the religious-secular
HaMinim – the Seven Species the Am Yisrael’s special attitude towards divide in Israel
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