Torah portion

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.

Lessons In Trust

This Torah portion covers the seven-week period between the departure of the Jews from Egypt and receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai.

This was a critical time, which included the splitting of the Red Sea. In fact, this Shabbat is called Shabbat Shira, the Sabbath of Song, which commemorates the “Az Yashir,” which was sung by the Jewish people when the sea engulfed the Egyptian army and obliterated them.

The text relates that at that moment the Jews “believed in God and in Moses His servant” (Exodus 14:31). The Talmud explains that they reached an awareness of God that enabled them to point to and identify a particular lofty level of Divinity.

The Torah portion also reveals some weaknesses in their response to stressful situations. When the Egyptians tried to crush them at the Red Sea or when they were in desperate need of water and food, the response was one of fear and complaint.

Although they had witnessed the miracles of the plagues and the other wonders, bad habits persist; as slaves in Egypt, they had gotten used to complaining.

The Torah portion describes the miraculous food known as the manna. They were never given more than a one-day supply (except for Fridays when they received a two-day supply, for Friday and Shabbat; thus, they would not have to work on the Sabbath to gather it). This was not an easy test: Would they put their trust in God and not worry about the next day or would they live lives of fear, always worrying about tomorrow? The final section of Beshallach details the battle with the nation of Amalek. In describing this, the Torah uses the Hebrew phrase asher korcha baderech, which means literally “they met you on your way out of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 25:18). The Chasidic masters interpret

Rabbi korcha to mean “cooled you Elimelech off.” The Jews came out of Silberberg Egypt all fired up. They were

Parshat on their way to Mount Sinai Beshallach: to receive the greatest gift

Exodus in God’s treasure chest, the 13:17-17:16; Holy Torah. Then Amalek Judges 4:4-5:31. attacked with the purpose of trying to extinguish their excitement. The battle against Amalek continues forever, as there is a personal Amalek within each one of us that attempts to throw cold water over the soul’s natural desire to have a love affair with the Almighty. Despite the complaints the people expressed on a number of occasions, the prophet says in the name of God, “I remember the kindness of your youth, your following Me into the desert” (Jeremiah 2:2) On the whole, God gives us a good grade for our behavior in the desert. This Shabbat of Song is a time to nurture and express our excitement about the special relationship we enjoy with the Almighty as chosen people, thereby dealing a defeat to our internal Amalek. Rabbi Elimelech Silberberg is a rabbi at Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center in West Bloomfield.