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TORAT MIZRACHI

Our forefathers read these verses for The Gemara (Bava Batra 14b) says Planting trees in Israel does not only
thousands of years but did not merit to Rabbi Yannai planted 400 vineyards represent Am Yisrael holding onto and
see their fruition. We merit to read these in Israel. The Rashba says he did this becoming rooted in Eretz Yisrael. It also
verses in Eretz Yisrael, as we experience for the purpose of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael, allows for the continued existence of the
the process of redemption for ourselves settling the Land of Israel. world and its fertilization – just as G-d
– the Land is producing a wealth of fruit planted in Gan Eden, planting connects
and Am Yisrael is solidifying its roots in These ideas have halachic implications man to the earth.
the Land. Chazal’s words in the Midrash too. The Shulchan Aruch (Choshen We will end with a story about Rav
fit in with this idea: planting itself is part Mishpat, 168:1) rules that if a person Kook (which we heard from Rav Chaim
of the redemption and hence is no less planted olive trees in his field in Israel, Druckman, who says many things in
important – perhaps even greater than and a river burst its banks and uprooted praise of planting in the Land of Israel).
– greeting Mashiach, because it itself them, sweeping them away into his When Rav Kook was in Magdiel, he
is a harbinger of the Mashiach’s arrival. neighbor’s garden, the neighbor does
not need to return the trees to their attended a tree-planting celebration.
He was given a hoe to plant a sapling
Holding on to the Land owner. Instead, he can pay for them but refused it. He got down on his knees
and keep them.
An additional meaning to planting is and planted the sapling by hand, filled
retaining the Land. The Torah deter- The Gemara (Bava Kama 101a) explains with emotion. When he was asked why
mines that one who planted a vineyard that the reason for this is because of he did that, he replied that through
and had not yet consecrated it does the mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael. planting trees in Israel, one clings to
not go to war (Devarim 20:6, Mishnah The sefer Meirat Einayim explains that G-d, and so he wanted a direct connec-
Sotah 8:7). The Gemara clarifies that the original owner of the olive trees tion, through his own two hands.
this is referring to planting any fruit tree will certainly plant new trees, since he How blessed we are that we live in
in Israel. Planting a tree is a significant obviously needs olives, but the man a generation of redemption! How
act of holding on to the Land, so much into whose garden the trees were swept blessed we are to return to Israel
so that it exempts one from going out to would probably not plant olive trees if and see it blossoming with trees,
war. We can see this in the words of the the trees were taken away, and there- agriculture and myriad branches of
Midrash which stress the importance of fore the trees are left by him. This is technology, medicine and business.
planting in Israel: a surprising halacha and proves how We can truly see G-d’s gracious hand
important planting in Israel is, so much
אלא ה"בקה קסעתנ אל םלוע לש ותיירב תלחתמ so that the normal halachic ruling with and b’ezrat Hashem we will merit to see
םיהל־א ‘ה עטיו“ ביתכד אוה אדה ,הלחת עטמב Israel’s complete redemption.
וקסעתת אל ץראל ןיסנכנשכ םתא ףא ,”ןדעב ןג regards to monetary law is changed.
לא ואבת יכ“ ביתכד אוה אדה ,הלחת עטמב אלא
.”לכאמ ץע לכ םתעטנו ץראה Summary
“In the beginning of the Creation, G-d The custom of planting trees in Israel,
did not involve Himself at first with developed by the pioneers upon the
anything but planting, as it says, ‘And return to Israel, is a very meaningful
the L-rd G-d planted in the Garden of and literally a deeply-rooted act of faith. Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon is Rosh Yeshiva of
Eden…’ Thus you, too, when you enter Today, when most people are not farm- JCT–Machon Lev and Head of Mizrachi’s
the Land, should not involve yourself in ers and do not plant trees, Tu BiShvat is Educational Advisory Board.
anything but planting, as it says, ‘When the only day that practically symbolizes Rabbanit Sharon Rimon teaches Tanach
you come to the Land, and plant fruit the idea of planting in Israel, and its and is Content Editor for the HaTanakh
trees…’” (Vayikra Rabbah, Vilna 25) great significance. website.

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