(א) אַרְבָּעָה רָאשֵׁי שָׁנִים הֵם. בְּאֶחָד בְּנִיסָן רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לַמְּלָכִים וְלָרְגָלִים. בְּאֶחָד בֶּאֱלוּל רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לְמַעְשַׂר בְּהֵמָה. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמְרִים, בְּאֶחָד בְּתִשְׁרֵי. בְּאֶחָד בְּתִשְׁרֵי רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לַשָּׁנִים וְלַשְּׁמִטִּין וְלַיּוֹבְלוֹת, לַנְּטִיּעָה וְלַיְרָקוֹת. בְּאֶחָד בִּשְׁבָט, רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לָאִילָן, כְּדִבְרֵי בֵית שַׁמַּאי. בֵּית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בּוֹ:
(1) The four new years are: On the first of Nisan, the new year for the kings and for the festivals; On the first of Elul, the new year for the tithing of animals; Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Shimon say, in the first of Tishrei. On the first of Tishrei, the new year for years, for the Sabbatical years and for the Jubilee years and for the planting and for the vegetables. On the first of Shevat, the new year for the trees, these are the words of the House of Shammai; The House of Hillel says, on the fifteenth of the month.
(כג) וְכִי־תָבֹ֣אוּ אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ וּנְטַעְתֶּם֙ כָּל־עֵ֣ץ מַאֲכָ֔ל וַעֲרַלְתֶּ֥ם עָרְלָת֖וֹ אֶת־פִּרְי֑וֹ שָׁלֹ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֗ים יִהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶ֛ם עֲרֵלִ֖ים לֹ֥א יֵאָכֵֽל׃ (כד) וּבַשָּׁנָה֙ הָרְבִיעִ֔ת יִהְיֶ֖ה כָּל־פִּרְי֑וֹ קֹ֥דֶשׁ הִלּוּלִ֖ים לַה׳׃ (כה) וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַחֲמִישִׁ֗ת תֹּֽאכְלוּ֙ אֶת־פִּרְי֔וֹ לְהוֹסִ֥יף לָכֶ֖ם תְּבוּאָת֑וֹ אֲנִ֖י ה׳ אֱ-לֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
(23) And when you come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then you shall count the fruit thereof as forbidden; three years shall it be as forbidden unto you; it shall not be eaten. (24) And in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy, for giving praise unto the LORD. (25) But in the fifth year you may eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you more richly the increase thereof: I am the LORD your God.
כי הוו מיפטרי מהדדי א"ל ליברכן מר אמר ליה אמשול לך משל
לְמַה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה: לְמִי שֶׁהָלַךְ בַּמִּדְבָּר וְהָיָה עָיֵף וְצָמֵא. צָפָה אִילָן מֵרָחוֹק, וּכְשֶׁהִגִּיעַ אֶל הָאִילָן מְצָאוֹ עוֹמֵד עַל מַעְיָן וּפֵרוֹתָיו מְתוּקִים, עֲנָפָיו נָאִים וְצִלּוֹ נָאֶה.
יָשַׁב בְּצִלּוֹ, אָכַל מִפֵּרוֹתָיו וְשָׁתָה מִן הַמַּעְיָן.
כֵּיוָן שֶׁעָמַד לִילָךְ, אָמַר לָאִילָן: אִילָן, אִילָן בְּמָה אֲבָרֶכְךָ?
הֲרֵי צִלְּךָ נָאֶה, עֲנָפֶיךָ נָאִים, וּפֵרוֹתֶיךָ מְתוּקִים! אֲמַת הַמַּיִם עוֹבֶרֶת תַּחְתְּךָ.
אֶלָּא יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁכָּל נְטִיעוֹת שֶׁנּוֹטְעִים מִמְּךָ יִהְיוּ כְּמוֹתְךָ.
When they were about to part, [R. Nahman] said: Please, Rabbi, bless me. He replied: Let me tell you a parable — To what may this be compared? To a man who was journeying in the desert; he was hungry, weary and thirsty and he lighted upon a tree the fruits of which were sweet, its shade
pleasant, and a stream of water flowing beneath it; he ate of its fruits, drank of the water, and rested under its shade. When he was about to continue his journey, he said: Tree, O Tree, with what shall I bless you? Shall I say to you, ‘May thy fruits be sweet’? They are sweet already; that your shade be pleasant? It is already pleasant; that a stream of water may flow beneath you? Look, a stream of water flows already beneath you; therefore [I say], ‘May it be God's will that all your shoots shall be just like you. So too you - with what shall I bless you. If with Torah - you already know Torah! If with wealth - you already have wealth! If with children - you already have children! Rather, may it be God's will that your descendants shall be like you.
(יח) עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ וְתֹמְכֶיהָ מְאֻשָּׁר.
(18) She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, And happy are all that hold on to her.