Part III
This is the third of three parts of an essay that
explains many important and deep concepts that underlie the
"minor" holiday of Tu BeShevat.
The first part noted that the occurrence of Rosh Hashanah
of the Trees in Shevat prevented the destruction of Klal
Yisroel by Haman in that month. It also noted that the
Chidushei HaRim says, "During Shevat, Heaven allots a Jew
the chidushei Torah that he will innovate during the
whole year," and generally "even today the wellsprings of
Torah open during that month for every Jew." These two
points are explained in this third part.
Also, a connection was noted between the mitzvos of the
arba minim on Succos and Tu BeShevat. Finally, it was
noted that there is a din on trees in Shevat. These
two points were explained in the second part.
HaRav Shapira explained that the key of Odom Horishon's
sin in eating of the Eitz HaDaas was that Odom did
not accept Hashem's will as it was given to him, but rather
was "overwise" and attempted to do something better to
create a greater kiddush Hashem. The trees did the
same thing in not growing so that their wood and leaves
taste like their fruit. The esrog, which did fulfill
Hashem's command as given, atones for Odom Horishon's sin
and also has special connection to Tu BeShevat when the sin
of the trees is recalled. The lesson is that all should have
just obeyed Hashem's command as given.
Where is Haman Mentioned in the Torah?
As mentioned in the first part of this article, the
Targum Sheini writes that the unique significance of
the Rosh Hashanah for Trees is what guarded the generation
of Mordechai and Esther from Amoleik's evil power. The
gemora (Chulin 139b) writes: "Where is Haman
mentioned in the Torah? -- hamin ho'eitz (from the
tree)" (Bereishis 3:11). The Maharsha explains that
"hamin ho'eitz is written concerning the incident
with the nochosh, since [Haman] is a poisonous root
coming from Esav and Amoleik, who drew their power from the
nochosh hakadmoni (the primordial serpent who seduced
Chavah)."
The Maharam Shif, in Derushim Nechmodim, writes,
"Haman descended from Amoleik, the twisted serpent, as is
written, `For out of the serpent's root shall come forth a
tzefah (viper)' (Yeshaya 14:29), and
tzefah (tzadi-90 + pei-80 + ayin-
70 = 240) in gematria is Amoleik (ayin-70 +
mem-40 + lamed-30 + kuf-100 = 240)."
We see from the gemora that Esav's and Amoleik's
origin was evil, the power of desire, that came into being
by the sin of the Eitz HaDaas, as mentioned above.
This is explicitly written by the Vilna Gaon (Or Yohel,
parshas Nosso): "The heart has a continuous war with
Amoleik, who is [represented in man by] the liver. The liver
always fatigues [the heart] with desire for food, as the
Midrash HaNe'elam writes on the posuk, `And
Esav said to Yaakov, hal'iteini no, I pray you, some
of this red, red pottage, for I am faint' (Bereishis
25:30). Hal'iteini no is the gematria of
Hashem Amoleik."
Yisroel sinned because "they enjoyed the feast of that
rosho" (Achashverosh). Their sin was their deriving
pleasure from the feast. Heaven's grievance was not because
they ate since they were forced to eat, but because they
enjoyed doing it. By doing so they increased Amoleik's power
in that generation. (I learned this understanding of
Chanukah from the Yemei Purim, who deduced the
significance of Purim -- KePurim from the Vilna
Gaon's explanation.)
It was impossible for the power of Amoleik to increase
during the month of Shevat. The essence of the Rosh Hashanah
for Trees is that it is a tikkun for the sin of the
Eitz HaDaas. Since the entire power of Amoleik
becomes intensified only through the damage done by this
sin, therefore the Targum Sheini wrote, "The lot
would not fall on Shevat since the Rosh Hashanah for Trees"
occurs during it.
Tu BeShevat -- A Special Time for Torah
The inner meaning of Tu BeShevat is, as we have mentioned,
accepting Hashem's commands simply, without any additional
personal calculations. Through this we can understand what
our Sages wrote about Tu BeShevat having a special quality
of aiding in understanding Torah.
In the brocho of Ahavoh Rabbah we appeal to
Hashem, "Our Father, our King, for the sake of our
forefathers who trusted in You and whom You taught the
decrees of life, may You be equally gracious to us and teach
us" (translation: ArtScroll Siddur). Where do we find
that through the merit of our forefather's emunah and
trust in Hashem they were privileged to Torah? The gemora
(Shabbos 88a) writes, "There was a Tzeduki who saw Rovo
studying while his finger was under his leg and blood was
flowing from it. The Tzeduki said to him: `You are an
impulsive people, who placed your mouths before your ears,
and you continue being rash. You should have first listened
to see whether you could fulfill the Torah, and if not, you
should not have accepted it.' Rovo answered, `About us, who
act simply, it is written: "The integrity of the upright
shall guide them" (Mishlei 11:5).' "
Rashi explains, "We went with Him with simple hearts, just
like those who act out of love. We relied upon Him that He
would not mislead us by endowing us with something we could
not uphold."
This seems to be the explanation of our request "for the
sake of our forefathers who trusted in You and whom You
taught the decrees of life." Yisroel accepted the Torah with
faith and trust in HaKodosh Boruch Hu that He would
not mislead them by commanding them to do things they could
not fulfill. (After writing this I saw that the Iyun
Tefillah, printed in Otzar HaTefilos, had already
written this explanation.)
However, after a deeper look, we will understand that this
explanation is insufficient. The above explanation, based
upon the gemora, just says that the Jews believed and
trusted in Hashem, but does not indicate that through the
merit of their belief and trust they were privileged to
receive the Torah. The tefilloh of Ahavoh
Rabbah states that through that zechus they
merited to receive the Torah.
We should add to the above what the Meshech Chochmah
writes on the posuk, "See, Hashem has called by name
Betzalel the son of Uri the son of Chur of the tribe of
Yehudah, and He has filled him with the spirit of Elokim, in
wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all
manner of workmanship" (Shemos 35:30). "Self-
sacrifice must be done without excessive questioning or
analyzing. Yehudah threw himself into the ocean with
mesirus nefesh (as written in the Tosefta of
Sotah), and Chur sacrificed his life over [the events
which led to] the eigel. The Chossid Yaavetz
testifies that deep analysis of Hashem's command prevents a
person's inner will from reaching self-sacrifice for the
sanctification of Hashem's Name. Since Chur [who was the
grandfather of Betzalel] and Yehudah [his forefather]
carried out Hashem's command in a simple way and were not
overwise, Hashem therefore filled [their descendant
Betzalel] with wisdom and understanding."
In my work Chazon LaMo'ed (1:25) I interpreted the
Meshech Chochmah according to the principle that the
Beis HaLevi (parshas Ki Siso) wrote concerning the
sin of the eigel. The Beis HaLevi wrote: "They
attempted to designate a distinct place where the
Shechinoh could rest, as there actually was later in
the Mishkan, and through their knowledge of
kabalah understood what they are required to do . . .
Yisroel's intent was virtuous, since they wanted through
their efforts to be granted a place for the Shechinoh
to rest, but were mistaken in one point. Although it is true
that what a person does in this lowly world causes
tikkunim . . . that is only if the Torah commanded us
to do that act. Even with the Mishkan, only when
Hashem had commanded us to make it with all its details, and
Bnei Yisroel fulfilled this command, did the
tikkunim materialize. If a person decides to do
something the Torah did not command, that act is fruitless
and will not cause any Shechinoh to rest in the
world. The main tikkun is the fulfilling of the
Creator's will, and anything besides that is only mortal
invention that will be considered a great sin. Bnei
Yisroel therefore sinned in their actions and an
eigel emerged."
We learn from the Beis HaLevi that the cheit
ho'eigel lay in the people's not accepting Hashem's
commands simply. Chur opposed this overwise behavior with
self- sacrifice. He rebuked bnei Yisroel and told
them that they should carry out what they were commanded
simply. Moshe would later return from Shomayim and
everything would be as it was before.
The Torah's rule of "measure for measure" decrees that those
who do not try to be overwise and instead follow Hashem's
will simply, deserve to receive "wisdom and understanding."
Chur was therefore privileged that Betzalel, whom Hashem
filled with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, descended
from him. Because of Chur the Shechinoh dwelled among
bnei Yisroel after Hashem commanded to make the
Mishkan. In the cheit ho'eigel Yisroel had
attempted to be overly wise and make a place for the
Shechinoh before being commanded to do so.
Now we know our source for saying that our forefathers were
privileged to receive the Torah by the merit of their belief
and trust in Hashem. Only the zechus of their
accepting Hashem's command simply and saying, "We will do
and we will listen" (Shemos 24:7) guaranteed their
receiving wisdom and understanding to understand the Torah
like Betzalel the son of Uri the son of Chur. The
tikkun of the sin of being overwise leads to the
understanding of the Torah's wisdom.
Our Portion in Your Torah on Tu BeShevat
We will now cite the main theme of what the Chidushei HaRim
zt'l wrote about Tu BeShevat. The Yerushalmi (Rosh
Hashanah 1:2) writes that a tree that ripens before Tu
BeShevat is growing on rain water that descended from before
Rosh Hashanah. A tree that ripens after Tu BeShevat is
growing on rain water from after Rosh Hashanah (see also the
Bavli, Rosh Hashanah 14, Tosafos, and Turei
Even). "Rain" actually refers to all the kinds of
abundance that descend from heaven, and this shefa of
life is sent each year from Rosh Hashanah until Shemini
Atzeres and distributed to each person according to his
needs, both spiritual and material (benei, chayei,
umezonei -- children, life, and livelihood).
The beginning of the revelation of that shefa
is on Tu BeShevat, just as blossoming is the revelation of
what the rain did after Rosh Hashanah. "For as the rain and
snow descend from heaven . . . So is My word that goes forth
out of My mouth" (Yeshaya 55:10-11). Just as a "tree
of the field" blossoms due to that year's rainwater and its
ripening is gauged according to Tu BeShevat, likewise
concerning a person who is compared to a "tree of the
field," his Eitz HaChaim, the Torah within him,
blossoms at that time.
The Written Torah is the tree and the Oral Torah the
branches and fruit that grow and are nourished from the
Written Torah. "And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in
the eleventh month . . . beyond the Jordan, in the land of
Moav, Moshe began to explain this Torah, saying . . . "
Until the fortieth year Moshe received the Written Torah.
Chazal infer from this that a talmid only really
understands his Rebbe after forty years. On Rosh Hashanah of
the fortieth year Moshe was sent a shefa of the
combined Written and Oral Torah whose blossoming was on
Shevat.
(The Chidushei HaRim further explains the difference of
opinion between Beis Hillel and Beis Shamai whether the Rosh
Hashanah for Trees is on the first or the fifteenth of
Shevat.)
On Rosh Hashanah a person receives his annual spiritual and
material allotment. Just as his material needs blossom and
give fruit on Tu BeShevat, so too he receives his spiritual
shefa on the Rosh Hashanah for Trees, since "a person
is a tree of the field." This is the meaning of the
Chidushei HaRim's statement that "one can discern which
chidushei Torah were said before Tu BeShevat and
which afterwards." The chidushei Torah are the new
fruit sent to a person on Rosh Hashanah in potential and
they actually materialize on Tu BeShevat.
The mussar and guidance we wrote above follow the
same lines as what the Chidushei HaRim zt'l teaches
us. The way to receive the ability to innovate chidushei
Torah -- wisdom and pilpulim -- so that they will
blossom on Tu BeShevat is by accepting what Hashem commands
simply, without being overwise. This is the only way to be
sure to have the privilege of understanding the Torah's
wisdom. Chur, through his self-sacrifice in following
Hashem's command simply, merited to have Betzalel who was
given a shefa of wisdom, come forth from him.
The Reason We Eat Fruit from Eretz Yisroel on Tu
BeShevat
There is still another reason to eat the fruit of Eretz
Yisroel on Tu BeShevat. Chazal write that since Eretz
Yisroel is a superior country for the dwelling of the
Shechinoh, therefore its inhabitants have a unique
capability of understanding the Torah. "`The chief among the
dust of the world' (Mishlei 8:26) -- Eretz Yisroel is
the most beloved of all lands and was created for all
people. It was called a `world' (teiveil) because of
the spice (tavlin) found within it. That spice is the
Torah, as is written, `Among the nations there is no Torah'
(Eichah 2:9), from which we learn that the Torah is
only in Eretz Yisroel" (Sifrei, parshas Eikev).
Becoming saturated with the spiritual quality of Eretz
Yisroel, which is especially advantageous for Torah study,
is not achieved by merely living in Eretz Yisroel. Only if
one takes pleasure in its fruits can he obtain that benefit.
The Bach (Orach Chaim 208) explains that the reason
why we add, in the brocho mei'ein sholosh, "to eat of
its fruit and to be satisfied with its goodness," is because
"the kedushah of Eretz Yisroel, which emanates from
the kedushah of its celestial counterpart, emanates
also from its fruits, which are nourished by the kedushas
haShechinah."
See the Sha'ar HaChotzer, who writes in the name of
the Yalkut HaRo'im that "according to what the
kabbalists write, this means that when Eretz Yisroel was in
its kedushah state and the mizbeiach existed,
the kedushah of Eretz Yisroel's fruits and their
taste was greater than the kedushah of the manna and
its taste. The manna therefore fell in the desert and not in
Eretz Yisroel, since Eretz Yisroel did not need the
kedushah of the manna."
It is general knowledge that the eating of the manna helped
purify bnei Yisroel to be able to receive the Torah
(see the Shev Shemaatsa in the introduction). Since
Tu BeShevat is the day when the power of innovating
chidushei Torah is awarded to each person, there is a
special interest then in eating Eretz Yisroel's fruit. By
doing so we are nourished with the shefa of
understanding the Torah's wisdom that pours out into Eretz
Yisroel, where the Shechinoh dwells.
HaRav Aryeh Leib HaCohen Shapira is the author of Chazon
LaMoed and mashgiach of Chevron Yeshiva, Geulah,
Yerushalayim.
