We apologize to our readers for the timing of the
appearance of this article, but it arrived after our Tu
BeShvat issue went to press. The rich content needs no
apologies, and it will certainly have much to teach and
inspire even a week after Tu BeShvat.
Rav Leff's column appears in the print edition of Yated
Ne'eman weekly. It does not usually appear on Dei'ah
Vedibur.
*
Rav Eliezer and Rav Yehoshua argue whether the world was
created in Tishrei or in Nisan (Rosh Hashonoh 10b).
Tosafos explains (Rosh Hashonoh 27a) that both
opinions are in fact valid as the world was created on the
plane of thought in Tishrei and on the plane of action, in
actuality, it was created in Nisan.
This can be explained in the following manner: Chazal related
that originally it arose in Hashem's thoughts, as it were, to
create the world with Din, judgment only. Then He
accompanied the din with mercy.
The Shloh Hakodosh explains that this original thought was
not nullified by the introduction of mercy, but rather the
world was in fact created on two concurrent levels and
dimensions. For those who can survive the pure din,
they are judged only with din. This is the ideal for
the following reason. The entire purpose of creation was a
function of G-d's will, and serves to bestow the eternal
kindness of Olom Habo. There, are the neshomos,
souls, that can receive the pleasure of basking in the
splendor of G-d's Presence in His creation.
However, in order for that kindness and pleasure to be
complete, it had to be earned. Hence the neshomoh was
placed first in the physical world, distant from G-d, so as
to be able with its own efforts to create that relationship
with Hashem by elevating the soul to be more and more G-dly
through Torah and mitzvos and from the service of Hashem that
emanates from all physical things and actions. The more one's
reward is the product of his own effort, without any
assistance or aid, the better it is. Pure judgment, where one
gets exactly what he deserves without any mercy, is ideal.
This was the level of Yaakov Ovinu (see Michtav
MeEliyahu volume 3, p. 3).
The Shloh Hakodosh says that this was also the level of Rabbi
Akiva about whom, as the Romans combed his flesh with iron
combs, the angels cried, "Is this then the reward for Torah?"
And Hashem responded, "Quiet. This is what arose before Me in
my thoughts."
The Shloh Hakodosh explains Hashem's words to mean that this
is what He originally planned, in thought, for the world to
be: totally din where one is punished severely,
without mercy, for every small sin — but the reward for
mitzvas is totally one's earned product.
However, in actuality G-d combined mercy with din for
the majority of humanity who can only survive if mercy
tempers the din. Originally, these two dimensions were
concurrent, since time did not exist at the moment of
Creation. However, following Creation and the introduction of
time these two dimensions became related to two distinct time
zones. Tishrei became the Rosh Hashonoh of judgment,
din, and hence the Rosh Hashonoh of Machshovoh
of thought. Nisan became the Rosh Hashonoh of mercy,
ma'aseh, the actuality that is based on the
fundamental necessity to temper with mercy.
Hence, Tishrei is the Rosh Hashonoh for the din, the
Yom Hadin, for the world was created in thought with
only judgment, and in Nisan is the Rosh Hashonoh of
rachamim, of the mercy of redemption.
Hence, the seforim relate that just as 40 days before
the conception of a human being various components of his
life's plan are decreed in Heaven, similarly, 40 days before
the conception of the world marked the preparatory stages of
Creation. The creation of Tishrei actually marks the Creation
of man. Hence the actual Creation began on the 25th day of
Elul, 6 days earlier and the creation of Nisan began on the
25th of Adar. 40 days prior to these days is the 15th of Av
and the 15th of Shvat, respectively, both significant days in
our calendar.
On both of these days trees are also significant. On the 15th
of Av, trees are dry, their sap evaporated by the heat of the
summer. On this day the completion of the seasonal cutting of
wood for burning the sacrifices on the Altar occurred. Tu
BeShvat, on the other hand, represents the day when the sap
begins to rise in the tree initiating the growth of that
year's fruit from the rainfall of the current year.
The tree has two names: eitz and ilan.
Eitz is the material essence of the tree itself, its
physical configuration. Hence, cut wood is also called
eitz. The word eitz is spelled ayin,
tzaddik, which can literally mean: Look at the
tzaddik. By observing the tree we can learn about the
nature of the tzaddik.
Man is compared to a tree, ho'odom eitz hasodeh. The
Maharal (commentary to Sanhedrin 92a) explains that
actually we are an inverted tree: Our limbs are downward and
our head, the root, is upward. This signifies that in this
physical world alone do we stand on our feet, for our true
rooting is in the spiritual world. Hence the medrash
relates that in the spiritual world one in fact is inverted,
head below forming the root, and base and limbs above (see
Paneiach Rozo at the end of parshas Chayei
Soroh).
According to some, this is the meaning of the gemora (Bava
Basra 10b) that the spiritual world is an inverted world,
where the upper are down and the lower are up: that everyone
stands on his head with his feet above. Perhaps this is why
most babies are born headfirst, descending into the physical
world from a more spiritual world.
The feet and legs are therefore symbols of physical and
material support. Hence the covering of the foot and the
uncovering of the head represent the physical posture where
apparently the foot is the root which is covered and the head
is the limb which is exposed. Therefore when we want to
assume a spiritual posture, we remove our shoes and let that
limb be uncovered and cover our heads, thereby imitating a
tree whose root is covered and limbs exposed and thus
emphasizing that our root is our neshomoh, our
spiritual dimension, represented by the head and mind. This
explains the removal of Moshe Rabbenu's shoes when trodding
on earth sanctified by G-d's Presence at the sneh.
Likewise the removal of one's shoes in the Beis
Hamikdosh and the removal of the Kohanim's shoes
during the priestly blessing.
This is also our posture on Yom Kippur, a day of total
spirituality, and this is also the posture that a mourner
assumes in order to be able to empathize with the soul of the
departed in its acclimating to the spiritual world.
This is also significant of the removal of the shoes in the
chalitzah ceremony of the brother who does not want to
perform yibum, who cannot or will not empathize with
the soul of his departed brother. Hence, material possessions
are called (in Devorim 11:6), hayekum asher
beragleihem, that which places a person on his feet.
Literally, this places us in the posture of standing on our
feet in this physical world and not on our true root, our
head.
On Tu B'Av, in preparation for Yom Hadin, we take the
tree which symbolizes man's essence and cut it down, offering
it in flames on the Altar in total subjugation to Hashem.
Therefore the astrological sign of the month of Av is a lion.
for the fire on the altar is likened to a crouching lion. It
is on the day of Tu B'Av that shidduchim are made,
since marriage introduces the Shechinah, symbolized by
the letters yud and hei that transform the fire
into ish and ishoh. Marriage is the symbol of
man's imperfection, the need for him to be perfected by
another. At the same time marriage enables one to be G-d-like
in perfecting another human being.
This is the preparation for the Yom Hadin that takes
place on Tu B'Av. However, once man recognizes his true
nature and subjugates himself totally to Hashem, Hashem gives
him the ability to produce his own fruit. He aids us with his
mercy to earn our reward in Olom Habo, through
utilizing this material world properly. This is signified by
Tu BeShvat, the 40-day preparation for the Rosh Hashonoh of
Nisan, the rosh hashonoh of Regolim, literally
of the feet, though really it refers to the three holidays
when we went to the Beis Hamikdash on foot.
The gemora comments (Chagigah 3a) on the verse
in Shir Hashirim, "Ma yofu pe'omayich bane'olim bas
nodiv, how beautiful are your footsteps in your shoes,
the daughter of the munificent one." How beautiful are your
footsteps when you ascend for your three yearly pilgrimages
to Yerushalayim, you the daughter of Avrohom Ovinu who was
the first convert.
Perhaps the idea is that aliya leregel means literally
the uplifting of the foot. On yom tov all the material
and worldly aspects are elevated and sublimated in the
service of Hashem through the joy of yom tov and then
one is beautiful even in his shoes, meaning even in
assuming a physical, material posture.
And where did we acquire the ability to transform the
physical world into spirituality? From Avrohom Ovinu, who
transformed his secular, physical, non-Jewish being into a
Jewish one, possessing inherent holiness.
Hence, Tu BeShvat involves the tree as an ilan, a
fruit- producing entity that utilizes the waters of mercy to
be able to function. Hence, the astrological sign of Shvat is
a Delli, a ladle for drawing water. Although we find
the term ilanei srak, to refer to ilanos that
do not produce fruit, the gemora relates that in the
future all ilanei srak will also bring forth fruit.
Hence they are in essence ilanos — fruit-bearing
trees — that for whatever reason in this world do not
bear their fruit.
The world ilan has rich symbolisms. The numerical
value of the letters yud, lamed, nun equals 90 which
is the numerical value of tzaddik. Hence ilan
is really alef, tzaddik, which can be read literally
to mean learn or contemplate the tzaddik.
Understanding the fruit-giving power of the tree will help us
to understand the tzaddik.
Fruit, specifically the fruit of Eretz Yisroel, has
the power to connect us to Hashem. The Torah in Vayikra
19:23 instructs us that when we enter Eretz
Yisroel we should plant fruit trees. The gemora
comments that since G-d in the beginning of Creation planted
trees in the garden of Eden, so too should we emulate
Him and plant trees upon our entrance to Eretz
Yisroel.
Emulating G-d usually applies to His attributes. On the
surface it seems difficult to extend emulating G-d to the
planting of fruit trees. The Medrash (Bereishis Rabbah
39:8) relates that Avrohom Ovinu was traveling after
Hashem told him to leave his home and came to Aram Naharayim,
and found the inhabitants there eating and drinking and
partying. He entreated G-d that this should not be the land
that he would receive. He came to Eretz Yisroel and
found the inhabitants weeding in the proper time and hoeing
in the proper time, and he entreated that this be the land
that would be designated to him. What impressed Avrohom Ovinu
with idol worshipers involved in agriculture over those who
were partying needs explanation.
There are two divergent philosophies of life. One can be
summed up by the following statement: The one who has the
most toys when he dies wins. This enunciates an approach to
life that presents pleasure in all its forms as the raison
d'etre of life. This outlook views life as the total of
seconds between birth and death and glorifies the material
gratification one can achieve during that period.
The Torah philosophy on life is diametrically opposed to this
approach. From a Torah standpoint, life begins for us as
souls in a spiritual world prior to our entrance into this
physical world, and it continues on for eternity in that
spiritual form after we leave this physical world. This world
is not the goal of life but rather a place to utilize as a
means to reach that goal. Enjoyment is not the purpose of
this world, but rather the purpose is the investment of
energy and effort to sanctify his natural world, in order to
ultimately create eternal pleasure in the World to Come.
According to the simple meaning of the verses, Eisov was a
hunter and Yaakov a shepherd. A hunter seeks immediate
gratification, killing a mature animal for his enjoyment that
he did nothing to raise. A shepherd, on the other hand,
invests time and effort to raise the animal until he can
ultimately enjoy its benefits.
Avrohom Ovinu observed that chutz Laaretz was
conducive to a lifestyle of eating, drinking and partying
that represents the philosophy of life that extols pleasure
as the goal of existence. Hence he found this incompatible
and not conducive to a Torah life.
Eretz Yisroel, on the other hand, was conducive to a
lifestyle where one puts in effort now for a future benefit,
represented by planting and performing the agricultural
preparations to produce fruit. The Meiri says that Olom
Habo, the World to Come, is the ultimate fruit of this
world.
Hence, when G-d created this world He planted fruit trees to
show that this world is likened to the planting of a tree
whose fruit is the product of the effort and toil of this
world and eventually harvested in the Next World. We should
likewise enter Eretz Yisroel and understand how to
utilize it properly to create a society predicated on putting
in all the necessary toil in this world to reap the spiritual
benefits of eternal bliss in the next world. Hence, fruit is
a symbol of a true Torah approach to life.
The mitzvos of Terumos and Ma'asros help to
guide us in utilizing the fruit properly. The Alef of
ilan represents the reishis, the first
bikkurim that refers to all the firsts which form the
foundation and which set the pattern for all that follows.
They must be dedicated totally and purely to Hashem.
The yud, ten, represents ma'aser rishon and
terumas ma'aser, the tenth. The number ten represents
the unifying of all under Hashem's unity just as ten is a
unit that combines and unifies all the integers preceding it.
It also represents the goal of all the many things in the
Creation to be unified in service of Hashem.
So we take the first to adjust our intent properly and the
goal (the tenth) to adjust our accomplishment properly.
The lamed represents limud, learning, and
corresponds to ma'aser sheini about which the Torah
says, lema'an tilmad leyir'oh es Hashem Elokecho.
Bringing ma'aser sheini to Yerushalayim is an exercise
in learning to fear G-d, for ma'aser sheini is brought
to Yerushalayim to teach one how to fear G-d by eating in
holiness in a holy environment and exposed to the holy
Kohanim and Leviim. Thereby, we transform our
eating, which preserves and promotes our physical being, to
an expression of service of Hashem.
Additionally, while spending time in Yerushalayim eating the
ma'aser sheini, one observed the Kohanim and
Leviim and saw their exemplary spiritual lives and
spent time actually learning from them while in Yerushalayim.
After one has clarified his intentions and goals, he must
learn how to apply his intentions to all the various
situations and components of this physical and material
world.
Finally the nun of ilan represents the 50 gates
of wisdom that correspond to all the various aspects of the
physical world and all of creation, making one recognize his
responsibility to all of the various components of creation,
to unite them and to provide them with the sustenance in
order that G-d's plan can be recognized as a united effort of
all Jews and all components of the universe. This corresponds
to ma'aser oni, to the tithe given to the poor, which
intimates one's responsibility to sustain and give to others
and enable them to serve Hashem.
Additionally, the nun represents the word
nefilloh, falling, which represents and implies the
oni, the poor man, who is falling and needs me to
support him. Hence the fruit when viewed in this perspective
teaches us to be a tzaddik.
Perhaps this relationship between the eitz and the
ilan is also brought out in parshas Beshalach.
The Torah tells us that they came to Moroh and could
not drink the bitter waters that they found and Hashem
instructed Moshe Rabbenu to cast a tree, an eitz, into
the water which would remove its bitterness.
The ability to make the waters of Torah sweet and usable
obliges one to recognize as a prerequisite one's posture as a
tree and to understand what is the root and what is the limb
— that the spiritual aspect of man is that which roots
him and gives him permanence and stability and the material
aspect is merely a limb for expansion. Once that tree is
utilized then the waters of Torah become usable and
drinkable.
There in Moroh, G-d gives the beginnings, the first mitzvos
to the Jewish people and from there the Jewish people advance
to Eilim where they find many streams of water and 70 fruit-
giving date palms. These are the ilanot which enable
man to give forth his fruit.
Tu BeShvat, therefore, is the time to contemplate our
preparation for the yearly re-creation of the Jewish people
in Nisan to be able to function ideally in bringing forth our
fruits to sustain and nurture this world as a means to create
Olom Habo.
Let us realize that those fruits can be produced in their
ideal state only when we will be in the fertile, physical and
spiritual environment of Eretz Yisroel — when
the world will be filled with the knowledge of Hashem,
kemayim layam mechasim, as the waters fill the earth,
soon, in our days.
