When Sun and Soil Sync: The Tu B’Svhat and Human Dynamic of Giving and Receiving As we have been preparing for Tu B’Shvat we have been spending lots of time focusing on the famous verse,כִּ֤י הָֽאָדָם֙ עֵ֣ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה, “for humans are like the tree of the field” (Dev. 20:19), and discussing the ways in which we, as are similar to trees in our physical traits— our arms, our bodies, our trunks and our branches. However, after studying R. Kook, I was given a different angle in understanding this powerful comparison between plants and humans. It can be best explained through three elements: Netina- נתינה- Giving-Part of the critical lifeblood of the tree are the sources that nourish. Sunlight, CO2, and water are gifts of generosity that sustain help trees grow from their small seeds to their great heights. This dynamic happens with humans as well. The righteous, the tsadik, gives to others--reaching out and giving physical, emotional or financial support to help others grow and flou
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Showing posts from January, 2021