(19) When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by wielding an axe against them; for thou mayest eat of them, but thou shalt not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged of thee? (20) Only the trees of which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, them thou mayest destroy and cut down, that thou mayest build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it fall.
(4) One generation goes, and another generation comes, and the earth remains forever.
יומא חד הוה אזל באורחא חזייה לההוא גברא דהוה נטע חרובא אמר ליה האי עד כמה שנין טעין אמר ליה עד שבעין שנין אמר ליה פשיטא לך דחיית שבעין שנין אמר ליה האי [גברא] עלמא בחרובא אשכחתיה כי היכי דשתלי לי אבהתי שתלי נמי לבראי יתיב קא כריך ריפתא אתא ליה שינתא נים אהדרא ליה משוניתא איכסי מעינא ונים שבעין שנין כי קם חזייה לההוא גברא דהוה קא מלקט מינייהו אמר ליה את הוא דשתלתיה א"ל בר בריה אנא אמר ליה שמע מינה דניימי שבעין שנין
One day, [Honi] was walking along the way and he saw a man who was going to plant a carob tree. He said to him, how many years until it will bear fruit? He answered: 70 years. He asked, is it so clear to you that you will be alive in 70 years? He answered: I found this world complete with carob trees that my ancestors planted. So too I will plant some for my children. [Honi] sat to rest, and slept for 70 years. He saw the same man collecting carobs. he said, "Are you the one who planted this?" He answered: I am his son's son. [Honi] said "I must have slept for 70 years!...
אִם הָיְתָה נְטִיעָה בְּתוֹךְ יָדָךְ וְיֹאמְרוּ לָּךְ "הֲרֵי לָךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ", בּוֹא וּנְטַע אֶת הַנְטִיעָה וְאַחַר כָּךְ צֵא וְהַקְבִּילוֹ.
Avot de Rabbi Natan 31
Rabbi Yohanan Ben Zakai used to say: "If you have a sapling in your hand and they tell you 'The Messiah is coming!' first plant the sapling and then go to greet him."
Rebbe Nachman taught that praying in the fields is most powerful when the growing things are in their first burst of growth out of dormancy. Everything that exists—inanimate, vegetative, animal and human—wants always, at its essence, to devote the vitality that sustains it to the service of the Creator. When the human being goes out to the field to pray and can almost feel the world around him thrumming with life and longing for G-d, it stirs his own soul. Together, they make the most harmonious music before the Creator.
|
A prayer: |
|
Master of the universe, let me seclude myself in meditation and prayer every day, going out to the fields to meditate, among the trees and grass, pouring out my heart in prayer. For all the leaves and grass, all the trees and plants, will stir themselves to greet me; they will rise to imbue my words and prayers with their energy and life force… They will combine all their spiritual power and bring my words up to their supernal Source…. |
(א) לְדָוִ֨ד ׀ בָּרֲכִ֣י נַ֭פְשִׁי אֶת־ה' וְכָל־קְ֝רָבַ֗י אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃ (ב) בָּרֲכִ֣י נַ֭פְשִׁי אֶת־ה' וְאַל־תִּ֝שְׁכְּחִ֗י כָּל־גְּמוּלָֽיו׃ (ג) הַסֹּלֵ֥חַ לְכָל־עֲוֺנֵ֑כִי הָ֝רֹפֵ֗א לְכָל־תַּחֲלֻאָֽיְכִי׃ (ד) הַגּוֹאֵ֣ל מִשַּׁ֣חַת חַיָּ֑יְכִי הַֽ֝מְעַטְּרֵ֗כִי חֶ֣סֶד וְרַחֲמִֽים׃ (ה) הַמַּשְׂבִּ֣יַע בַּטּ֣וֹב עֶדְיֵ֑ךְ תִּתְחַדֵּ֖שׁ כַּנֶּ֣שֶׁר נְעוּרָֽיְכִי׃ (ו) עֹשֵׂ֣ה צְדָק֣וֹת ה' וּ֝מִשְׁפָּטִ֗ים לְכָל־עֲשׁוּקִֽים׃ (ז) יוֹדִ֣יעַ דְּרָכָ֣יו לְמֹשֶׁ֑ה לִבְנֵ֥י יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל עֲלִילֽוֹתָיו׃ (ח) רַח֣וּם וְחַנּ֣וּן ה' אֶ֖רֶךְ אַפַּ֣יִם וְרַב־חָֽסֶד׃ (ט) לֹֽא־לָנֶ֥צַח יָרִ֑יב וְלֹ֖א לְעוֹלָ֣ם יִטּֽוֹר׃ (י) לֹ֣א כַ֭חֲטָאֵינוּ עָ֣שָׂה לָ֑נוּ וְלֹ֥א כַ֝עֲוֺנֹתֵ֗ינוּ גָּמַ֥ל עָלֵֽינוּ׃ (יא) כִּ֤י כִגְבֹ֣הַּ שָׁ֭מַיִם עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ גָּבַ֥ר חַ֝סְדּ֗וֹ עַל־יְרֵאָֽיו׃ (יב) כִּרְחֹ֣ק מִ֭זְרָח מִֽמַּֽעֲרָ֑ב הִֽרְחִ֥יק מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ אֶת־פְּשָׁעֵֽינוּ׃ (יג) כְּרַחֵ֣ם אָ֭ב עַל־בָּנִ֑ים רִחַ֥ם ה' עַל־יְרֵאָֽיו׃ (יד) כִּי־ה֖וּא יָדַ֣ע יִצְרֵ֑נוּ זָ֝כ֗וּר כִּי־עָפָ֥ר אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃ (טו) אֱ֭נוֹשׁ כֶּחָצִ֣יר יָמָ֑יו כְּצִ֥יץ הַ֝שָּׂדֶ֗ה כֵּ֣ן יָצִֽיץ׃ (טז) כִּ֤י ר֣וּחַ עָֽבְרָה־בּ֣וֹ וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ וְלֹא־יַכִּירֶ֖נּוּ ע֣וֹד מְקוֹמֽוֹ׃ (יז) וְחֶ֤סֶד ה' ׀ מֵעוֹלָ֣ם וְעַד־ע֭וֹלָם עַל־יְרֵאָ֑יו וְ֝צִדְקָת֗וֹ לִבְנֵ֥י בָנִֽים׃ (יח) לְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י בְרִית֑וֹ וּלְזֹכְרֵ֥י פִ֝קֻּדָ֗יו לַעֲשׂוֹתָֽם׃ (יט) ה' בַּ֭שָּׁמַיִם הֵכִ֣ין כִּסְא֑וֹ וּ֝מַלְכוּת֗וֹ בַּכֹּ֥ל מָשָֽׁלָה׃ (כ) בָּרֲכ֥וּ ה' מַלְאָ֫כָ֥יו גִּבֹּ֣רֵי כֹ֭חַ עֹשֵׂ֣י דְבָר֑וֹ לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗עַ בְּק֣וֹל דְּבָרֽוֹ׃ (כא) בָּרֲכ֣וּ ה' כָּל־צְבָאָ֑יו מְ֝שָׁרְתָ֗יו עֹשֵׂ֥י רְצוֹנֽוֹ׃ (כב) בָּרֲכ֤וּ ה' ׀ כָּֽל־מַעֲשָׂ֗יו בְּכָל־מְקֹמ֥וֹת מֶמְשַׁלְתּ֑וֹ בָּרֲכִ֥י נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י אֶת־ה'
(1) Of David. Bless Adonai, O my soul, all my being, God's holy name. (2) Bless Adonai, O my soul and do not forget all God's bounties. (3) God forgives all your sins, heals all your diseases. (4) God redeems your life from the Pit, surrounds you with steadfast love and mercy. (5) God satisfies you with good things in the prime of life, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (6) Adonai executes righteous acts and judgments for all who are wronged. (7) God made known God's ways to Moses, God's deeds to the children of Israel. (8) Adonai is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love. (9) God will not contend forever, or nurse God's anger for all time. (10) God has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor has God requited us according to our iniquities. (11) For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is God's steadfast love toward those who fear God. (12) As east is far from west, so far has God removed our sins from us. (13) As a father has compassion for his children, so Adonai has compassion for those who fear God. (14) For God knows how we are formed; God is mindful that we are dust. (15) Man, his days are like those of grass; he blooms like a flower of the field; (16) a wind passes by and it is no more, its own place no longer knows it. (17) But Adonai’s steadfast love is for all eternity toward those who fear God, and God's beneficence is for the children’s children (18) of those who keep God's covenant and remember to observe God's precepts. (19) Adonai has established God's throne in heaven, and God's sovereign rule is over all. (20) Bless Adonai, O God's angels, mighty creatures who do God's bidding, ever obedient to God's bidding; (21) bless Adonai, all God's hosts, God's servants who do God's will; (22) bless Adonai, all God's works, through the length and breadth of God's realm; bless Adonai, O my soul.