Illustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio

The שִׁבְעַת הַמִּנִּים (shivat ha-minim), sometimes called the “seven species,” are the Torah’s favorite kinds of produce associated with Eretz Yisrael (Devarim 8:8).

You see, the other six plants on the list are agricultural products; things that farmers plant and grow (wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, and olives). So it makes sense that the devash here in this pasuk would also be something that can be grown. Rashi says devash is date honey. This is a sweet syrup that you make by boiling and squeezing dates. This is very popular in Israel, where it’s called “silan.”

But, in other places in Tanakh, devash can refer to bee honey. For example, in Sefer Shoftim, Shimshon finds a beehive (inside the carcass of a lion!) and he eats the devash there (Shoftim 14:8).

So learning Torah together might be as sweet as bee’s honey AND date honey!