אז ירנן עץ היערים - פיוט לט"ו בשבט

There are four new years:The first of Nisan is the new year for kings and for festivals. The first of Elul is the new year for the tithe of beasts. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon say: the first of Tishri. The first of Tishri is the new year for years, for shmitta and jubilee years, for planting and for [tithe of] vegetables. The first of Shevat is the new year for trees, according to the words of Bet Shammai. Bet Hillel says: on the fifteenth of that month.

O sing unto the LORD a new song; Sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvellous works among all the peoples. For great is the LORD, and highly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. . For all the gods of the peoples are things of nought; But the LORD made the heavens. Honour and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Ascribe unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the peoples, Ascribe unto the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness; Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations: 'The LORD reigneth.' The world also is established that it cannot be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; Let the field exult; and all that is therein; Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy; Before the LORD, for He is come; For He is come to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples in His faithfulness.

Rav Giddel said that Rav said: Over this jasmine [simlak], one recites: Who creates fragrant trees. Rav Ḥananel said that Rav said: Over these spikenards, which grow next to the sea, one recites: Who creates fragrant trees. Mar Zutra said: What is the verse from which we derive that even a plant with soft stalks can be called a tree? From the verse: “She had taken them up to the roof and hidden them under the trees of flax” (Joshua 2:6); evidently, even stalks of flax are called “trees.” Rav Mesharshiya said: Over this garden daffodil one recites: Who creates fragrant trees, while over a wild daffodil that grows in the field, one recites: Who creates fragrant plants. Rav Sheshet said: Over fragrant violets one recites: Who creates fragrant plants. Mar Zutra said: One who smells a citron [etrog] or a quince recites: Blessed…who gave pleasant fragrance in fruits. On a related topic, the Gemara cites that Rav Yehuda said: One who goes out during Nisan and sees trees that are blossoming recites: Blessed…who has withheld nothing from His world, and has created in it beautiful creatures and trees for human beings to enjoy. Rav Zutra bar Toviya said that Rav said: From where is it derived that one recites a blessing over scent? As it is stated: “Let every soul praise the Lord” (Psalms 150:6). He explains the verse: What is it from which the soul derives benefit and the body does not derive benefit from it? You must say: That is scent. Even over items from which only the soul derives benefit, one must recite a blessing and praise God. And Rav Zutra bar Toviya said that Rav said: The young men of Israel are destined to emit a sweet scent as the Lebanon, as it is stated: “His branches shall spread and his beauty will be as the olive tree, and his fragrance as Lebanon” (Hosea 14:7). And Rav Zutra bar Toviya said that Rav said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “He has made everything beautiful in its time, and he has placed the world in their heart, yet so man cannot find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)? This teaches that each and every individual, God has made his work pleasant for him in his own eyes. In that way, each individual will be satisfied with his work, enabling the world to function properly. Rav Pappa said: This is the proverb that people say: Hang a heart of palm on a pig, and he will continue to perform his standard activities. Although hearts of palm are a delicacy, a pig will roll it in the mud as is his wont. Every creature has its own particular tastes, and one cannot draw conclusions with regard to one based on the standards of another. And Rav Zutra bar Toviya said that Rav said: For one walking on a dark path, if he has a torch in his hand, it is like two were walking on that path and the light of the moon is like three. The Gemara raises a dilemma: Is a torch like two including the one carrying the torch or perhaps a torch is like two besides him for a total of three? Come and hear a proof from that which Rav said: And the moon is like three. Granted, if you say three including him, it works out well. However, if you say three besides him, why do I need four, what purpose do they serve? Didn’t the Master say: To one walking alone, a demon can be seen and cause him harm. To two people, a demon can be seen and does not cause them harm. To three people, it cannot be seen at all. Four people are no better than three. Rather, can’t we learn from this that a torch is like two, means two including him. The Gemara comments: Indeed, conclude from this. And Rav Zutra bar Toviya said that Rav said; and some say Rav Ḥana bar Bizna said that Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida said; and some say Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: It is preferable, from an ethical perspective, for one to throw himself into a fiery furnace rather than humiliate another in public. From where do we derive this? From Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah, when she was taken out to be burned, as it is stated: “As she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong, and she said examine these, to whom does this seal, cord and staff belong?” (Genesis 38:25). Despite her dire situation, she did not reveal that she was pregnant with Judah’s child; rather, she left the decision to him, to avoid humiliating him in public. The Sages taught: If they brought before him both scented oil and a myrtle branch, Beit Shammai say: One recites a blessing over the oil first and over the myrtle branch thereafter. And Beit Hillel say: One recites a blessing over the myrtle branch first and over the oil thereafter. Rabban Gamliel said: I will decide this dispute in favor of the opinion of Beit Shammai, that one should recite a blessing over the oil first, as it is more significant. With regard to oil; we are privileged to enjoy its fragrance and we are privileged to enjoy it by anointing ourselves with it. With regard to the myrtle branch; we are privileged to enjoy its fragrance, we are not privileged to enjoy it by anointing ourselves with it. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of the decisor, Rabban Gamliel. The Gemara relates: Rav Pappa happened to come to the house of Rav Huna, son of Rav Ika. They brought before him both scented oil and a myrtle branch. Rav Pappa took and recited a blessing over the myrtle branch first and then recited a blessing over the oil. Rav Huna said to him: And does the Master not hold that the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of the decisor? If so, you should have recited a blessing over the oil first. Rav Pappa said: Rava said the following: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Beit Hillel. The Gemara comments: That is not so, as Rava did not issue that ruling. Rather, Rav Pappa did this in order to extricate himself from an unpleasant situation and justify his conduct. Our Sages taught in a baraita: If they brought before them both scented oil and wine, Beit Shammai say: He grasps the oil in his right hand, since he recites a blessing over the oil first, and the wine in his left hand. He recites a blessing over the oil and then he recites a blessing over the wine. Beit Hillel say the opposite: He grasps the wine in his right hand and the oil in his left hand. He recites a blessing over the wine and then he recites a blessing over the oil. And after he has recited a blessing over the oil and anointed his hands with it, he smears it on the head of the servant so that his hands will not remain perfumed. And if the servant is a Torah scholar, he smears the oil on the wall, as it is unbecoming for a Torah scholar to go out perfumed into the marketplace. Tangential to the mention of conduct unbecoming a Torah scholar, the Sages taught in a baraita: Six things are disgraceful for a Torah scholar: He may not go out perfumed into the marketplace; he may not go out of his house alone at night; he may not go out wearing patched shoes; he may not converse with a woman in the marketplace; he may not recline and participate in a meal in the company of ignoramuses; and he may not be the last to enter the study hall. And some say that he may not take long strides and he may not walk with an upright posture. The Gemara elaborates on the statements of the baraita. He may not go out perfumed into the marketplace; Rabbi Abba, son of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: This prohibition only applies in a place where they are suspected of homosexuality. One who goes out into the marketplace perfumed, will arouse suspicion. Rav Sheshet said: We only said this with regard to his clothing that was perfumed, but with regard to his body, it is permitted, as his sweat causes the fragrance to dissipate. Rav Pappa said: In this regard, his hair is considered like his clothing. And some say: His hair is considered like his body. He may not go out of his house alone at night because of suspicion of promiscuity. And therefore this was only prohibited if he does not have a set time during the night to study with his teacher, but if he has a set time, everyone knows that he is going to study with his teacher at his set time, and they will not be suspicious of him. He may not go out wearing patched shoes. This supports the statement of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, as Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: It is disgraceful for a Torah scholar to go out wearing patched shoes. The Gemara challenges: Is that so? Didn’t Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba himself go out wearing patched shoes? Mar Zutra, son of Rav Naḥman, said: It is only prohibited when the shoe has a patch upon a patch. And we only said this with regard to patches on the upper part of the shoe but if the patch is on the sole, this does not apply. And with regard to patches on the upper part of the shoe, we only said this when he is out on the road, but in his house, we need not be concerned. And we only said this with regard to the summer when the patches would be visible to all, but during the rainy season, when the mud obscures the view of the patches, we need not be concerned. He may not converse with a woman in the marketplace. Rav Ḥisda said: Even if she is his wife. This was also taught in a baraita: One may not converse with a woman in the market, even if she is his wife, even if she is his daughter and even if she is his sister, for not everyone is well-versed in the identity of his female relatives and they will suspect that he is talking to women who are not his relatives. He may not recline and participate in a meal in the company of ignoramuses. The Gemara explains: What is the reason? Perhaps he will be drawn after them and emulate them. He may not be the last to enter the study hall. The Gemara explains: Because they will call him negligent, in other words, careless and lazy. And some say he may not take long strides, as the Master said: A long stride takes away one five-hundredth of a person’s eyesight. The Gemara asks: What is his remedy if he took long strides? The Gemara responds: He can restore it by drinking the wine of kiddush on Shabbat eve. And he may not walk with an upright posture, but slightly bowed, as the Master said: One who walks with an upright posture and in an arrogant manner, even four cubits, it is as if he is pushing away the feet of the Divine Presence, as it is written: “The entire world is full of His glory” (Isaiah 6:3). One who walks in an arrogant way shows a lack of regard for the glory and honor of God that is surrounding him, and thereby chases God from that place.