Ilustration Credit: Rivka Tsinman
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
If you've read about the halakhah of orlah, you now how it works. But what does this mitzvah mean, and why do we observe it?
דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן פָּזִי, מִי יְגַלֶּה עָפָר מֵעֵינֶיךָ אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁלֹּא יָכֹלְתָּ לַעֲמֹד עַל צִוּוּיְךָ שָׁעָה אֶחָת, וַהֲרֵי בָּנֶיךָ מַמְתִּינִין לְעָרְלָה שָׁלשׁ שָׁנִים.
R. Yehudah ben Pazi taught: Oh Adam, the first human, if only you could see how well things turned out! You weren’t even able to follow your commandment for one hour, but your children wait to eat fruit for three years, observing the mitzvah of orlah.
R. Yehudah ben Pazi is pointing out a contrast between Adam, who could not wait to eat forbidden fruit for even one hour, and Benei Yisrael, who keep the mitzvah of orlah by not eating forbidden fruit for years.
The midrash is pointing out progress in the world; humanity seems to be getting a lot better. And wow, it’s impressive that people are able to observe a really difficult mitzvah like orlah. That’s worth celebrating!
- Growth can mean a lot of things. Trees and kids get bigger, and we also become more mature and capable. What are ways you have grown since the last Tu Bishvat? How do you think you might grow before the next one?
- What are hard mitzvot that you feel proud to be able to do?
- Part of what’s hard about the mitzvah of orlah is the need to be patient. Have you ever planted something and helped it grow? How might it feel to plant a tree and help it grow for three years, but not to be able to eat its fruit that whole time?
- What are other times when it’s useful to be patient? When is it difficult? Do you think it’s true that “good things come to those who wait”?
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