Page 42 - HaMizrachi #26 Tu Bishvat USA 2021

TU BISHVAT READING

Mitzvot

Hat’luyot

Ba’Aretz

he Gemara in Masechet Kiddu- mitzvot that can be performed by any
shin (37a) tells us that there are individual Jew in Israel, and mitzvot that
Ttwo types of mitzvot: mitzvot that can only be performed when the entire
can be performed anywhere, and mitz- nation, or at least the majority of Jews,
vot hat’luyot ba’Aretz, mitzvot that can are in their Land.
only be performed in the Land of Israel.
For example, appointing a king, building
Although some of these mitzvot are the Beit HaMikdash, waging war against
rabbinically obligatory outside of Israel, Amalek, and bringing bikkurim are all
the Torah can only truly be kept in its mitzvot that can only be performed
entirety in Eretz Yisrael. when the nation of Israel resides in its
Mitzvot hat’luyot ba’Aretz can be Land.
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 to,
that express the special holiness of the B’Ezrat Hashem.
agriculture of the Land (such as orla,
the prohibition of eating fruit in the first Chazal teach us that by learning about a
three years after the tree was planted), mitzvah, we receive some of the rewards
and mitzvot which express the intrin- of the mitzvah itself.
sic holiness of the Land itself (such as What better day to learn about the mitz-
shemita). vot hat’luyot ba’Aretz than Tu BiShvat,
Another way of dividing mitzvot with its deep connection to the Land of
hat’luyot ba’Aretz is into two categories: Israel and its unique halachot.

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