Rabbi
Doniel Staum, LMSW
Rabbi,
Kehillat New Hempstead
Social
Worker, Yeshiva Bais Hachinuch
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STAM
TORAH
SHAVUOS
5772
“ANCESTORY
AND PROGENY”
“The
true test of success in life is if one’s grandparents and grandchildren are
proud of him.” (Rabbi Berel Wein)
“The reason why grandparents
and grandchildren get along so well is that they have a common enemy.” (Sam
Levenson)
Rema writes[1],
“It is customary to spread branches of trees in our synagogues and homes (on
Shavuos) in order to commemorate that which the sages say[2]
on Shavuos the world is judged concerning (how many) fruits the trees will
produce (that year).”
The Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Yoel
Teitelbaum zt’l, questions this custom. The Mishna[3]
states that Tu B’Shvat - the fifteenth day of the month of Shevat - is the ‘New
Year for trees’. To commemorate the tree’s New Year, there is a prevalent
custom to eat a variety of different fruits on Tu B’Shvat.
It would seem that the custom on Shavuos
and the custom on Tu B’Shvat are inverted. Would it not be more logical to
partake of various fruits on Shavuos, the day when the world’s fruit supply is
judged, and to spread tree branches around our synagogues and homes on Tu B’Shvat,
the New Year for trees? Why do we do the opposite?
The Rebbe explained that the customs
are indeed appropriate. On the day when trees are “judged”, we are interested
in determining the success of the tree during the previous year. The value of a
tree is determined by what it has produced. On the other hand, when our focus
is on the fruit and we want to assess the delectability of the yet unripe fruits,
we look at the vitality and vibrancy of the tree from which it grew. If the
tree is strong and healthy, we can assume the fruits will be as well.
The lesson that emerges from this
custom is far more encompassing than mere fruits and trees. On Shavuos “we
are judged for the fruit of the trees”. The lusciousness and palatability of a fruit
is dependant on its source. If the tree is firmly rooted in the ground, exposed
to an adequate amount of sunlight, and has the necessary water and nutrients it
will to produce quality fruits.
In a similar vein, if we attach ourselves
to our roots and connect ourselves with the unbroken chain of our ancient traditions,
than we, “the fruits of their labor” will be able to become another vital link
in the eternal chain of our mesorah
(tradition). If we have an appreciation of who we are and the greatness we
possess, than it is clear that the “tree of life” is still robust and vivacious
and will continue to produce many more generations of fruits.
On Tu B’Shvat however, when the trees are
judged, the quality of the tree is determined by analyzing its fruits. If the
color of the fruit is bright and luminous and its taste is juicy and fresh, we
can be certain that the tree which it grew on is healthy and vigorous.
Similarly, if we want to evaluate whether a
person possesses love for Torah, mitzvos, and prayer, an appreciation for his
heritage, and is passionate about being a Torah Jew, we need look no further
than his children. If a man exudes a sense of joy and love for Torah and
mitzvos it is indicative of the fact that there was an appreciation for those
values in the home he was raised in[4].
A young father once asked Rabbi
Yitzchok Hutner zt’l when chinuch -
the process of educating one’s children - begins. Rabbi Hutner asked the man
how old he was. When the man replied that he was thirty two years old, Rabbi
Hutner replied that the chinuch of his
children had begun thirty-two years earlier.
The verse states, “The crown of elders
is their children’s children; and the pride of sons is their fathers.” When the
Maggid of Mezritch was a child his house burned down. When the young Maggid
asked his mother why she was weeping so bitterly she replied that in the house
were irretrievable documented records of the family’s esteemed lineage dating
back many generations. The Maggid sought to console his mother and replied that
he would initiate a new line of lineage so that their progeny would be proud to
trace themselves to him and his mother.
Our pedigree is a vital component of
our greatness. We have endured despite the travails of exile because the tree
which produced us, as it were, is still vibrant and strong. Our enemies sought
to chop it down. Beyond that, even many of our own brethren, erroneously
thought that they had to ‘redirect’ the source of our tree’s nutrition and
sustenance. But we – those who have upheld the Torah in its pristine form – are
the sole beneficiaries of the longevity and eternity of the tree. “It is a
living tree for those who grasp hold of it and those who support it will be
enriched. Its ways are ways of sweetness and all of its pathways are peaceful.”
During the holiday of Shavuos, when we
recommit ourselves to the Torah, the world’s fruit supply is judged. How is it
judged? By analyzing the tree which produced it. If the tree is yet robust and
vivacious, than we can be certain that the fruits will be delectable and
delicious as well. If we have upheld the traditions and values of our ancestors,
than we can be certain that we will merit becoming a link in the eternal continuity
of our tree.
The Mishnah[5]
relates that the world is judged on four occasions throughout the year. On
Pesach the world’s grain supply is judged, on Shavuos the world’s fruit supply
is judged, on Rosh Hashanah the deeds of man are judged, and on Succos the
world’s water supply is judged. During three of the four aforementioned times,
there is a special prayer inserted in reference to the judgment occurring that
day. On Pesach the “prayer for dew” is recited, for dew directly affects the
future production from the earth. On Succos the “prayer for rain” is recited[6],
and on Rosh Hashanah we repeatedly refer to the awesome personal judgment
transpiring in the celestial courts that day. However, on Shavuos the judgment
of the day seems to be completely omitted. Why do we not add a special prayer
for fruit during Shavuos[7]?
I humbly offer the following answer.
Parshas Bechukosai commences with a detailed list of the beautiful blessings of
prosperity and goodness G-d guarantees if we properly adhere to Torah and
mitzvos. “If you will follow My decrees and observe My commandments and perform
them. Then I will provide your rains in their time, and the land will produce
and the tree of the field will give its fruit.[8]”
Rashi explains that, “If you will follow My decrees” is a reference to engaging
in intensive Torah study. Thus, when one commits himself to rigorous and
exhaustive Torah study he is ensured that all of the blessings will follow.
If so, there is no reason to recite an
extra prayer regarding fruits on Shavuos. The holiday itself is dedicated to
our recommitment to intense Torah-study and the acceptance of the yoke of Torah
in every facet of our lives. The very essence of the holiday itself is
therefore the greatest merit for our fruits and all other blessings. “If you
will follow My decrees, the tree of the field will give its fruit.”
The holiday of Shavuos is about
bringing the past and future together in the present. When we commit ourselves
to the ideals and values of our predecessors, we simultaneously invest in
ourselves and our progeny those same ideals and values. It is the continuation
of the transmission of our heritage and the continued nurturance of the tree of
life and the fruits it produces. It is the guarantee that our past greatness
will eventually herald the greatness of the future which will overshadow all
that we have merited until now. “And I will return the hearts of fathers to
their sons and the hearts of sons to their fathers.”
“On
Shavuos the world is judged concerning fruits”
“It is a living tree for those who grasp
hold of it”
[1] Ohr
Hachaim, 494:4
[2] Rosh
Hashanah 16a
[3] Rosh
Hashanah 2a
[4] To be
sure, in our time children can be influenced by external influences – positive
or negative - beyond the home. Still, generally, to some extent, a child lives
in the footsteps of his parents.
[5] Rosh
Hashanah 16a
[6] on
Shemini Atzeres
[7] This
question was posed to me by my uncle, Rabbi Yaakov Cohn
[8] Vaykira
26:3-4
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