TORAH PORTION
Lessons In Trust
T authorities, he and his son Eliezer hid in a cave with a stream and a carob tree, providing all their needs for years (Talmud Shabbat 33b). The Mishnah treats the carob as a tree that produces food for humans (Peah 1:5 and elsewhere) although much of the crop was used for animal fodder. Rabbinic literature uses the expression “eating carob” to mean “living in poverty” (Lev. Rabbah 13:4). An old man planting carob trees appears in several rabbinic stories (Rabbi Burton Visotsky counts at least eight versions). In rabbinic literature, the carob famously takes years to reach maturity. In one version, the Roman emperor challenges the old man, “Will you live to eat the fruit of these trees?” And the old man responds, “Early or late, I do what pleases my Master in Heaven.” The emperor mockingly offers the man a basket of gold if he lives to bring the fruit to the palace. Many years later, the man brings the fruit, and the emperor gives him a basket of gold (Leviticus Rabbah 25:5). In a parallel story, early scholar Honi challenges the old man, who says, “I found carob trees in the world; as my forefathers planted these for me, I, too, plant these for my children.” (Talmud Taanit 23a).
Author Miriam Feinberg Vamosh notes a grove of carob trees grows at Yad Vashem, which honors the memory of “righteous gentiles,” those who heroically saved the lives of Jews during the Holocaust, by planting carob trees in memory of each hero. Vamosh wondered, “Why carob trees?” She found her answer when a guide at the Rothschild Gardens in Zichron Ya’akov explained why the carob trees in that garden bear no fruit. The Rothschild Gardens carobs get too much water, the guide said: “Because we water the lawns regularly, the carobs get too much water and they don’t bear fruit — carobs only bear fruit under stress, where no other fruit will grow.” Vamosh writes, “Right then and there, I connected to the Yad Vashem carobs: They symbolize the people who ‘bore fruit’ in a desert of evil and immorality.” So, on Tu b’Shevat, we can celebrate the coming of spring and our connection to the land of Israel by eating olives, pomegranates and dates, and drinking wines, but perhaps we might also want to chew on a carob fruit. Louis Finkelman is a professor at Lawrence Tech and a rabbi at Congregation Or Chadash in Oak Park.
his Torah portion covers they put their trust in God and the seven-week period not worry about the next day between the departure of or would they live lives of fear, the Jews from Egypt and receiv- always worrying about tomoring the Torah at Mount Sinai. row? This was a critical time, The final section of which included the splitting Beshallach details the battle of the Red Sea. In fact, this with the nation of Amalek. In Shabbat is called Shabbat Shira, describing this, the Torah uses the Sabbath of Song, which the Hebrew phrase asher korcommemorates the cha baderech, which means “Az Yashir,” which was literally “they met you on sung by the Jewish your way out of Egypt” people when the sea (Deuteronomy 25:18). The engulfed the Egyptian Chasidic masters interpret army and obliterated korcha to mean “cooled you Rabbi Elimelech them. off.” The Jews came out of Silberberg The text relates that Egypt all fired up. They were at that moment the on their way to Mount Sinai Parshat Beshallach: to receive the greatest gift Jews “believed in God Exodus and in Moses His serin God’s treasure chest, the 13:17-17:16; vant” (Exodus 14:31). Holy Torah. Then Amalek Judges The Talmud explains attacked with the purpose 4:4-5:31. that they reached an of trying to extinguish their awareness of God that enabled excitement. The battle against them to point to and identify a Amalek continues forever, as particular lofty level of Divinity. there is a personal Amalek withThe Torah portion also in each one of us that attempts reveals some weaknesses in to throw cold water over the their response to stressful situasoul’s natural desire to have a tions. When the Egyptians tried love affair with the Almighty. to crush them at the Red Sea Despite the complaints the or when they were in desperate people expressed on a number need of water and food, the of occasions, the prophet says in response was one of fear and the name of God, “I remember complaint. the kindness of your youth, your Although they had witnessed following Me into the desert” the miracles of the plagues and (Jeremiah 2:2) On the whole, the other wonders, bad habits God gives us a good grade for persist; as slaves in Egypt, they our behavior in the desert. had gotten used to complaining. This Shabbat of Song is a The Torah portion describes time to nurture and express our the miraculous food known as excitement about the special the manna. They were never relationship we enjoy with the given more than a one-day Almighty as chosen people, supply (except for Fridays when thereby dealing a defeat to our they received a two-day supply, internal Amalek. for Friday and Shabbat; thus, they would not have to work on Rabbi Elimelech Silberberg is a rabbi at Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center the Sabbath to gather it). This in West Bloomfield. was not an easy test: Would
JANUARY 13 • 2022
|
35
