Page 10 - HaMizrachi #26 Tu Bishvat USA 2021

TORAT MIZRACHI

Rabbi Yosef Zvi and Rabbanit Sharon Rimon

Retaining

afterward go out to greet him.” (Nuscha
Bet, chapter 31)
A man stands with a sapling in his hand,
the Land and suddenly he is told that Mashiach is
coming. Every one of us would say, “drop
the sapling and go greet Mashiach.” But
Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai says that one
must first plant the sapling and only then
u BiShvat is the New Year for go and greet Mashiach.
Trees (Mishnah Rosh Hashanah To understand the Midrash, let us read
T1:1, according to Beit Hillel). from the prophecy of Amos (9:13-15):
Halachically, Tu BiShvat is a time that
ְ
affects all the laws regarding orla, teruma ך ֵ רֹד ְ ו ר ֵ צֹ ּ ק ַּ ב ׁש ֵ ר ֹוח ׁש ַּגִנ ְ ו ‘ה ם ֻ אְנ םי ִ א ָּ ב םי ִ מָי הֵּנ ִ ה
ְ
and ma’aser, bikkurim and shemitta. ל ָ כ ְ ו סי ִ ס ָ ע םי ִ ר ָ ה ֶ ה ּופי ִּ ט ִ ה ְ ו ע ַ ר ָּז ַ ה ך ֵ ׁשֹמ ְּ ב םי ִ בָנ ֲ ע
The Kabbalists instituted eating fruits, ל ֵ א ָ ר ְ ׂשִי י ִּ מ ַ ע תּוב ְ ׁש ת ֶ א י ִּ ת ְ ב ַ ׁש ְ ו .הָנ ְ ג ַ גֹומ ְ ת ִּ ת תֹוע ָ ב ְּג ַ ה
specifically the fruits of Israel, on this ת ֶ א ּות ָ ׁש ְ ו םי ִ מ ָ ר ְ כ ּוע ְ טָנ ְ ו ּוב ָ ׁשָי ְ ו תֹו ּ מ ַ ׁשְנ םי ִ ר ָ ע ּונ ָ בּו
day. On Tu BiShvat in 5750 (1890), Ze’ev ל ַ ע םי ִּ ת ְ ע ַ טְנּו .ם ֶ הי ִ ר ְּ פ ת ֶ א ּול ְ כ ָ א ְ ו ת ֹוּנ ַ ג ּוׂש ָ ע ְ ו םָניֵי
Yavetz (a teacher and historian, and a י ִּ ת ַ תָנ ר ֶ ׁש ֲ א ם ָ ת ָ מ ְ ד ַ א ל ַ ע ֵ מ דֹוע ּו ׁש ְ תָּנִי אלֹ ְ ו ם ָ ת ָ מ ְ ד ַ א
ָ
member of the First Aliyah), went with .ךי ֶ הלֹ־ ֱ א ‘ה ר ַ מ ָ א ם ֶ ה ָ ל
his students to plant trees on Tu BiShvat. “A time is coming – declares the L-rd –
Thus began the Israeli custom of plant- when the plowman shall meet the reaper,
ing trees on Tu BiShvat. Of course there and the treader of grapes him who holds
is no obligation or halachic custom of the [bag of] seed; when the mountains
planting, but it’s a beautiful act in shall drip wine and all the hills shall wave
itself, and appropriate for deep- [with grain]. I will restore My people
ening our roots and strength- Israel. They shall rebuild ruined cities
ening the Land of Israel on and inhabit them; they shall plant vine-
Tu BiShvat. yards and drink their wine. They shall till
gardens and eat their fruits. And I will
Planting and the plant them upon their soil, nevermore
Redemption will they be uprooted from their Land
There is a surpris- which I have given them – said the L-rd
ing Midrash in Avot your G-d.”
DeRabbi Natan: Amos describes the blessing of the yovel

“Rabban Yochanan in the Land as part of the process of
ben Zakkai received redemption. Beyond this, he compares
from Hillel and Sham- Am Yisrael’s return to its Land to plant-
mai. He would say… if a ing: “and I will plant them upon their
sapling was in your hand, soil.” This comparison highlights Am Yis-
and you were told, ‘Behold, rael’s strong foundations in Eretz Yisrael,
Mashiach is coming!’ – go so much so that “nevermore will they be
and plant the sapling, and uprooted from their Land.”

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