Page 32 - HaMizrachi_Tu BiShvat_AUS_5781

TU BISHVAT READING

Mi v

Ha u

Ba e

he Gemara in Masechet Kid- mitzvot that can be performed by any
dushin (37a) tells us that there individual Jew in Israel, and mitzvot
Tare two types of mitzvot: mitzvot that can only be performed when the
that can be performed anywhere, and entire nation, or at least the majority of
mitzvot hatluyot baAretz, mitzvot that Jews, are in their Land.
can only be performed in the Land of
Israel. For example, appointing a king, build-
ing the Beit HaMikdash, waging war
Although some of these mitzvot are against Amalek, and bringing bik-
rabbinically obligatory outside of Israel,
the Torah can only truly be kept in its kurim are all mitzvot that can only be
entirety in Eretz Yisrael. performed when the nation of Israel
resides in its Land.
Mitzvot hatluyot baAretz can be
divided into three categories: mitzvot Although we cannot observe many of
that deal with giving things to others these mitzvot today, we can prepare
(such as teruma and ma’aser), mitzvot ourselves for the day we will be able
that express the special holiness of to, B’Ezrat Hashem.
the agriculture of the Land (such as
orla, the prohibition of eating fruit in Chazal teach us that by learning about
the first three years after the tree was a mitzvah, we receive some of the
planted), and mitzvot which express rewards of the mitzvah itself.
the intrinsic holiness of the Land itself What better day to learn about the
(such as shemita). mitzvot hatluyot baAretz than Tu
Another way of dividing mitzvot hat- BiShvat, with its deep connection to the
luyot baAretz is into two categories: Land of Israel and its unique halachot.

32 |