Post Dates: A Symbol of Strength and Righteousness The date is one of the seven special species of the Land of Israel (Deuteronomy 8:8). Like each of the other species, the date, which grows from a palm tree,… Read More
Post The Fundamental Significance of the Seven Species One year, I was doing my reserve duty in the Negev on a small base. On Friday night, I was guarding the front gate. To pass the time, I began… Read More
Post Tu B’Shvat: Planting Trees as Spiritual Renewal for Mankind Tu B’Shvat, the fifteenth month of the holiday of Shevat, is, according to the Mishna (oral law), the new year for the trees. But Jews traditionally take the day as… Read More
Post Unearthing Shevat: The Month of Trees This verse from Zechariah is the very first verse in the Hebrew Bible that mentions the month of Shevat. But it’s only the second that mentions “the eleventh month.” Do… Read More
Post What can we learn from a grape? Chapter five of Isaiah presents one of the most famous parables in the Bible, known as the song of the vineyard. In it, Isaiah gathers the people together to pass… Read More
Post Olive Oil: From Noah’s Arl to the Temple Lamp The first time the olive tree is mentioned in the Bible is when Noah checked to see if the flood waters had receded. After the rain stopped falling, Noah waited… Read More
Post What is Tu B’Shevat? Tu B’Shevat, the New Year for the Trees, is considered a minor festival in Judaism. There is no reference to the holiday of Tu B’Shevat in the Bible, but the… Read More
Post Why do we eat pomegranates on the Jewish New Year? The pomegranate is one of the seven special agricultural species of the Land of Israel (Deuteronomy 8:8). It has always been a symbol of beauty. Its unique shape is a… Read More