Love of the Land - The Land that has Everything
Selections from classical Torah sources
which express the special relationship between
the People of Israel and Eretz Yisrael
THE LAND THAT HAS EVERYTHING
"When you enter the Land and plant a fruit tree..." (Vayikra 19:23) It is obvious, notes the Talmud (Masechta Succah 35a), that the tree under discussion in this law concerning the ban on eating fruits during the first three years is a fruit tree. Why then spell out that it is a "fruit tree"?
The answer is that the Torah hints here to the "palpalin" tree (something related to the pepper family) whose wood has the same taste as the fruit. This is to teach you that Eretz Israel is not lacking even such a rare species and is therefore characterized as "a Land which is missing nothing." (Devarim 8:9)
Written by Rabbi Mendel Weinbach, Dean, Ohr Somayach Institutions
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
HTML Design: Michael Treblow
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