Leaves Turning - Two Derashot

An intention for the blessings before Shema, which I heard from my teacher one time when he looked out the glass wall of Bet HaMidrash and saw the trees standing in their Autumn glory, in the healing brilliance of their colors. He responded to this beauty by saying something like the following:

The trees grow through spreading their branches and adding leaves. This growth is an enhancement of the light and energy they take in.

Notice how in the forest the trees compete with each other, each one reaching higher than the other, as they attempt to access the light and not be in the shade of another. It is true that some light will filter through in any case, but how can you compare eating from the hand of the queen to receiving from ministers or from servants?

Throughout the summer, the trees are largely receivers. They take in the light, and with this energy they grow further, adding more branches and leaves with which they can take in even more energy and light.

Then, when summer ends, when the heat passes and the first frost approaches, the trees reverse their role and change their colors. Then, they pour out the light they have accumulated all summer in a new brilliance of color, for all beings to see and receive from them.

So it is with us, we who seek God’s presence and long for divine light throughout our lives. For God’s light and love are what sustain us, and into that light and love we grow (adding greater longing to our longing as we traverse through the Zohar's four hundred worlds of longing) to take the light into ourselves, to expand our horizons, to discover new possibilities every day.

This is why we preface the Shema with reminders of God’s light and love which we and all creatures receive every day.

Yet the point of this bounty that we receive, is that it turns us from receivers into givers, so that like the trees, our nature is transformed and we shine God’s light and love on all creatures.

This much I heard from him, may we merit realizing this teaching, speedily in our time, Amen.

Now my teacher is rooted in the side of Avraham-Hesed, and can speak of the transformative power of love as self-evident. But for those of lesser achievement, like myself, I will explain a possible practice implication of this teaching.

It is known that in anticipation of the cold, the trees pull their sap down into the roots. It is this contraction that changes the color of the leaves, and causes them to glow and share their light with the world. Yet the end of this process of contraction is that the leaves fall from the tree, and by doing so make room for a new reincarnation of the tree to come forth following winter.

The equivalent of this contraction in human life is the quality of humility which is derived from love. Hazal taught that there are certain years in a person’s life that are dedicated to pursuing and striving to receive (Mishnah Avot 5:21). During these years such action facilitates blessing in the world and sustains the Shekhinah. Yet one might, Heaven forbid, mistakenly think that this is life’s goal, to strive upwards, to receive more and more of God’s love and light. This can lead to grave arrogance and self-centeredness, may the merciful One preserve us from such. You should always remember that you yourself are not the ultimate goal, Rather, let all of your gathering and receiving be for the sake of the Shekhinah, to raise her from the dust.

Such an attitude is the equivalent of drawing the life-force, the sap back into the roots. Through this self-contraction you will merit becoming a channel for the light which will shine through you to all beings as it says - A person’s wisdom (Hokhmah) causes their face to shine (Kohelet 8:1)

This attitude also helps overcome the fear of death, as no soul is ever truly lost, and in every generation souls (in service of the Shekhinah) return to receive and to grow and to shine, until the time when HVYH Elohim will wipe the tears off every face (Isaiah 25:8) speedily in our time, Amen.