(יט) כִּֽי־תָצ֣וּר אֶל־עִיר֩ יָמִ֨ים רַבִּ֜ים לְֽהִלָּחֵ֧ם עָלֶ֣יהָ לְתָפְשָׂ֗הּ לֹֽא־תַשְׁחִ֤ית אֶת־עֵצָהּ֙ לִנְדֹּ֤חַ עָלָיו֙ גַּרְזֶ֔ן כִּ֚י מִמֶּ֣נּוּ תֹאכֵ֔ל וְאֹת֖וֹ לֹ֣א תִכְרֹ֑ת כִּ֤י הָֽאָדָם֙ עֵ֣ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה לָבֹ֥א מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃
(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?
In this verse, why is the Torah comparing a tree to man? What is it asking us to do on behalf of the trees? What kind of trees is it talking about?
Our Rabbis explain that we can use this phrase " Is man like a tree in the field" to understand what we have in common with fruit-bearing trees. Can you think of some ways we can be compared to trees?
The Talmud relates that a man once ate from a tree, enjoyed its shade and drank from a clear running stream running near its roots. This is what he said to the tree:
אילן אילן במה אברכך?
שיהיו פירותיך מתוקין,
הרי פירתיך מתוקין,
שיהא צילך נאה, הרי צלך נאה.
אלא יהי רצון שכל נטיעותיך יהיו כמותך
Tree, tree, with what can I bless you?
That your fruit may be sweet--it is already sweet; that you should give plenty of shade--that you also do; that a spring of water may be near you, -even that you have. The one thing left me which I can wish for you is, that all trees planted from your seed may be as fruitful as you are.
If man is compared to a tree, what is a person's fruits? What do you think is the shade that we give to others? what do you think the water can be compared to? How does the man end the blessing?
Why is that the best blessing (and compliment!) a person can give to another?