"A Tree of Life To Those Who Hold Fast To It" What do mean when we say: Eitz Haim Hi? עץ חיים היא

This past week we celebrated the New Year of Trees, Tu B'Shevat!
When we think about trees in the Jewish tradition we might immediately think of Torah which is likened to a "Tree of Life."
We also celebrate trees for just what they are - beautiful parts of God's creation that 17,000 years ago started growing along with grasses after a cold ice-age, at least here in Manhattan! We can thank the trees for oxygen we breathe and of course for sweet fruit we eat. I love their green lushness during the spring and summer as well as their artful presence in fall with yellow and red leaves. I particularly love trees in the winter skies with their maze-like networks of lines on the canvas of far away clouds - branches and twigs sometimes dancing in the wind.
Trees are an incredible part of our experience on Earth. They can connect us to the grandeur of God and creation. That's not to mention that the new year of trees always make me think of our many branched family trees. As Jews, each year on Tu B'Shevat, we can renew our relationships to the Jewish Family Tree of Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi (Middle Eastern), African and global Jewish families, as we think about the new year of trees in metaphorical terms.
But to our question as we continue the celebration of Tu B'Shevat: what do we mean when we return the Torah to the ark and sing out "The Torah is a Tree of Life! Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace?"
Here is the passage from the siddur. Let's expand on the "Tree of Life" metaphor, to deepen our connection to this aspect of our liturgy.

סידור אשכנז, ימי חול, תפילת שחרית, קריאת התורה, הכנסת תפילה, ובנוחה יאמר

(א) וּבְ֒נֻחֹה יֹאמַר שׁוּבָה יְהֹוָה רִבְ֒בוֹת אַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: קוּמָה יְהֹוָה לִמְ֒נוּחָתֶֽךָ אַתָּה וַאֲרוֹן עֻזֶּֽךָ: כֹּהֲנֶֽיךָ יִלְבְּ֒שׁוּ צֶֽדֶק וַחֲסִידֶֽיךָ יְרַנֵּֽנוּ: בַּעֲבוּר דָּוִד עַבְדֶּֽךָ אַל תָּשֵׁב פְּנֵי מְשִׁיחֶֽךָ: כִּי לֶֽקַח טוֹב נָתַֽתִּי לָכֶם תּוֹרָתִי אַל תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ: עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ וְתוֹמְ֒כֶֽיהָ מְאֻשָּׁר: דְּרָכֶֽיהָ דַּרְכֵי נֹֽעַם וְכָל נְתִיבוֹתֶֽיהָ שָׁלוֹם: הֲשִׁיבֵֽנוּ יְהֹוָה אֵלֶֽיךָ וְנָשׁוּבָה חַדֵּשׁ יָמֵֽינוּ כְּקֶֽדֶם:

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Shacharit, Torah Reading, Returning Sefer to Aron, Uvenucho Yomar

(1) And when it³⁴The Ark. rested, he³⁵Moses. would say: Return, Adonoy, to the myriads and thousands of Israel.³⁶Numbers 10:36. Arise, Adonoy unto Your resting place, You and the Ark of Your strength. Let Your priests clothe themselves in righteousness, and let Your devoted ones sing in joy. For the sake of David, Your servant, do not reject Your anointed.³⁷Psalms 132:8-10. For I have given you good instruction, do not forsake My Torah.³⁸Proverbs 4:2. It is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it, and those who support it are fulfilled and happy.³⁹Proverbs 3:18. Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace.⁴⁰Proverbs 3:17. Cause us to return to you, Adonoy, and we shall return; renew our days as of old.⁴¹Lamentations 5:21.

To our chagrin, world peace alludes us. Inner peace is a different story.
As to those battles we must fight with soldiers, the Torah tells armies to be careful not to cut down the fruit trees. If Torah is a tree of life, what is the commandment really reminding armies of the world to take into consideration, when they wage war or defend their people militarily?

דברים כ׳:י״ט

(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׃

Deuteronomy 20:19

(19) When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down. Are trees of the field human to withdraw before you into the besieged city?

The Torah's claim and phrasing is striking. "Are the trees humans that they can retreat before you?" We see from here that compassion towards God's creation is a commanded responsibility especially for soldiers waging war.
Aren't we waging war on the evil inclination every day, internally? Are not nations waging wars and having to defend themselves militarily? What trees must we leave standing? Which trees give us life?
If Torah is a fruit-bearing tree no one may wage war upon it! No one may reject her teachings. And we must come to understand that all her paths, the wisdom she shares through reflecting on the human situation and even call to arms is a pathway toward peace.
Commentators expand on the Deuteronomic passage about fruit trees to compare human beings to trees of the field. Human beings "flower" and flourish in the forests of humanity. How can we cut each other down? How can we cut off family trees and uproot fellow human beings? What we seek to understand is how Torah's commandments and lessons get us and keep us on a pathway towards peace.

....Returning to the liturgy when we put the Torah away: what personal meaning do you derive when you think about Torah being a "Tree of Life?"
How do you reconcile passages of the Torah that describe war and bloodshed and the claim of the prayer from putting away the Torah that "all Her paths are of pleasantness and peace?"
What other trees in Jewish tradition come to mind, when you start thinking about trees? How does that inform our contemplation of the tree metaphor for Torah?
What else might be compared to a "tree of life?" How is that an apt metaphor for Torah study and deriving meaning from her passages and stories - not just thinking about the words as they "sit on the scroll?"
Study the sources below to expand your conception of the "tree of life" metaphor and to think about other trees mentioned in Jewish tradition.

בראשית ב׳:ט׳

וַיַּצְמַ֞ח יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהִים֙ מִן־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה כָּל־עֵ֛ץ נֶחְמָ֥ד לְמַרְאֶ֖ה וְט֣וֹב לְמַאֲכָ֑ל וְעֵ֤ץ הַֽחַיִּים֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַגָּ֔ן וְעֵ֕ץ הַדַּ֖עַת ט֥וֹב וָרָֽע׃

Genesis 2:9

And from the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that was pleasing to the sight and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Are the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil two different trees or one in the same?

בראשית ב׳:ט״ו-י״ז

(טו) וַיִּקַּ֛ח יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּנִּחֵ֣הוּ בְגַן־עֵ֔דֶן לְעָבְדָ֖הּ וּלְשָׁמְרָֽהּ׃ (טז) וַיְצַו֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֔ים עַל־הָֽאָדָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר מִכֹּ֥ל עֵֽץ־הַגָּ֖ן אָכֹ֥ל תֹּאכֵֽל׃ (יז) וּמֵעֵ֗ץ הַדַּ֙עַת֙ ט֣וֹב וָרָ֔ע לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל מִמֶּ֑נּוּ כִּ֗י בְּי֛וֹם אֲכָלְךָ֥ מִמֶּ֖נּוּ מ֥וֹת תָּמֽוּת׃

Genesis 2:15-17

(15) The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden, to till it and tend it. (16) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat; (17) but as for the tree of knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat of it; for as soon as you eat of it, you shall die.”

What is the relationship between these verses in Genesis and the use of the metaphor "Tree of Life" for the Torah?
Read the next passage from Proverbs. Here is where the liturgist found the notion of Torah and wisdom as a tree of life. And this book of the Tanakh asserts that all her paths and teachings are for putting us on the course of peace and happiness.

משלי ג׳:י״ג-י״ח

אַשְׁרֵ֣י אָ֭דָם מָצָ֣א חָכְמָ֑ה וְ֝אָדָ֗ם יָפִ֥יק תְּבוּנָֽה׃ כִּ֤י ט֣וֹב סַ֭חְרָהּ מִסְּחַר־כָּ֑סֶף וּ֝מֵחָר֗וּץ תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃ יְקָ֣רָה הִ֭יא מפניים [מִפְּנִינִ֑ים] וְכָל־חֲ֝פָצֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִֽשְׁווּ־בָֽהּ׃ אֹ֣רֶךְ יָ֭מִים בִּֽימִינָ֑הּ בִּ֝שְׂמֹאולָ֗הּ עֹ֣שֶׁר וְכָבֽוֹד׃ דְּרָכֶ֥יהָ דַרְכֵי־נֹ֑עַם וְֽכָל־נְתִ֖יבוֹתֶ֣יהָ שָׁלֽוֹם׃ עֵץ־חַיִּ֣ים הִ֭יא לַמַּחֲזִיקִ֣ים בָּ֑הּ וְֽתֹמְכֶ֥יהָ מְאֻשָּֽׁר׃ (פ)

Proverbs 3:13-18

Happy is the man who finds wisdom, The man who attains understanding. Her value in trade is better than silver, Her yield, greater than gold. She is more precious than rubies; All of your goods cannot equal her. In her right hand is length of days, In her left, riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, And all her paths, peaceful. She is a tree of life to those who grasp her, And whoever holds on to her is happy.

Proverbs also uses the tree of life metaphor in a different way. Note how the metaphor is put to use in these two chapters and verses:

משלי י״ג:י״ב-י״ד

תּוֹחֶ֣לֶת מְ֭מֻשָּׁכָה מַחֲלָה־לֵ֑ב וְעֵ֥ץ חַ֝יִּ֗ים תַּאֲוָ֥ה בָאָֽה׃ בָּ֣ז לְ֭דָבָר יֵחָ֣בֶל ל֑וֹ וִירֵ֥א מִ֝צְוָ֗ה ה֣וּא יְשֻׁלָּֽם׃ תּוֹרַ֣ת חָ֭כָם מְק֣וֹר חַיִּ֑ים לָ֝ס֗וּר מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁי מָֽוֶת׃

Proverbs 13:12-14

Hope deferred sickens the heart, But desire realized is a tree of life. He who disdains a precept will be injured thereby; He who respects a command will be rewarded. The instruction of a wise man is a fountain of life, Enabling one to avoid deadly snares.

משלי ט״ו:ד׳-ה׳

מַרְפֵּ֣א לָ֭שׁוֹן עֵ֣ץ חַיִּ֑ים וְסֶ֥לֶף בָּ֝֗הּ שֶׁ֣בֶר בְּרֽוּחַ׃ אֱוִ֗יל יִ֭נְאַץ מוּסַ֣ר אָבִ֑יו וְשֹׁמֵ֖ר תּוֹכַ֣חַת יַעְרִֽם׃

Proverbs 15:4-5

A healing tongue is a tree of life, But a devious one makes for a broken spirit. A fool spurns the discipline of his father, But one who heeds reproof becomes clever.

Rabbinic Texts

משנה אבות ו׳:ז׳

גְּדוֹלָה תוֹרָה שֶׁהִיא נוֹתֶנֶת חַיִּים לְעֹשֶׂיהָ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּבָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי ד) כִּי חַיִּים הֵם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶם וּלְכָל בְּשָׂרוֹ מַרְפֵּא. וְאוֹמֵר (שם ג) רִפְאוּת תְּהִי לְשָׁרֶךָ וְשִׁקּוּי לְעַצְמוֹתֶיךָ. וְאוֹמֵר (שם ג) עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ וְתֹמְכֶיהָ מְאֻשָּׁר. וְאוֹמֵר (שם א) כִּי לִוְיַת חֵן הֵם לְרֹאשֶׁךָ וַעֲנָקִים לְגַרְגְּרֹתֶיךָ. וְאוֹמֵר (שם ד) תִּתֵּן לְרֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת חֵן עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת תְּמַגְּנֶךָּ. וְאוֹמֵר (שם ט) כִּי בִי יִרְבּוּ יָמֶיךָ וְיוֹסִיפוּ לְךָ שְׁנוֹת חַיִּים. וְאוֹמֵר (שם ג) אֹרֶךְ יָמִים בִּימִינָהּ בִּשְׂמֹאולָהּ עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד. וְאוֹמֵר (שם) כִּי אֹרֶךְ יָמִים וּשְׁנוֹת חַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם יוֹסִיפוּ לָךְ. וְאוֹמֵר (שם) דְּרָכֶיהָ דַּרְכֵי נֹעַם וְכָל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם:

Pirkei Avot 6:7

Great is Torah for it gives life to those that practice it, in this world, and in the world to come. As it is said: “For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:22), And it says: “It will be a cure for your navel and marrow for your bones” (ibid. 3:8) And it says: “She is a tree of life to those that grasp her, and whoever holds onto her is happy” (ibid. 3:18), And it says: “For they are a graceful wreath upon your head, a necklace about your throat” (ibid. 1:9), And it says: “She will adorn your head with a graceful wreath; crown you with a glorious diadem” (ibid. 4:9) And it says: “In her right hand is length of days, in her left riches and honor” (ibid. 3:1, And it says: “For they will bestow on you length of days, years of life and peace” (ibid. 3:2).

What other metaphors are used by the Sages of the Mishnah in Pirke Avot? Which is most powerful for you?
Learn the following passages to discover how the Rabbis put the Proverbs verses to work:

ערכין ט״ו ב:ט״ז

אמר רבי חמא בר' חנינא מה תקנתו של מספרי לשון הרע אם תלמיד חכם הוא יעסוק בתורה שנא' (משלי טו, ד) מרפא לשון עץ חיים ואין לשון אלא לשון הרע שנאמר חץ שחוט לשונם ואין עץ אלא תורה שנאמר (משלי ג, יח) עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה ואם עם הארץ הוא ישפיל דעתו שנאמר (משלי טו, ד) וסלף בה שבר רוח

Arakhin 15b:16

Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina says: What is the remedy for those who speak malicious speech? If he is a Torah scholar, let him study Torah, as it is stated: “A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but its perverseness is a broken spirit” (Proverbs 15:4). And the word “tongue” means nothing other than malicious speech, as it is stated: “Their tongue is a sharpened arrow; it speaks deceit” (Jeremiah 9:7). And the word “tree” means nothing other than Torah, as it is stated: “It is a tree of life to them that lay hold of it” (Proverbs 3:18). And if he is an ignoramus, let him humble his mind, as it is stated: “Its perverseness is a broken spirit” (Proverbs 15:4). In other words, one who perverts his tongue with malicious speech should remedy his behavior by cultivating a broken and humble spirit.

תענית ז׳ א:י״ב

אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק למה נמשלו דברי תורה כעץ שנאמר (משלי ג, יח) עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה לומר לך מה עץ קטן מדליק את הגדול אף תלמידי חכמים קטנים מחדדים את הגדולים והיינו דאמר ר' חנינא הרבה למדתי מרבותי ומחבירי יותר מרבותי ומתלמידי יותר מכולן

Taanit 7a:12

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: Why are Torah matters likened to a tree, as it is stated: “It is a tree of life to them who lay hold upon it” (Proverbs 3:18)? This verse comes to tell you that just as a small piece of wood can ignite a large piece, so too, minor Torah scholars can sharpen great Torah scholars and enable them to advance in their studies. And this is what Rabbi Ḥanina said: I have learned much from my teachers and even more from my friends, but from my students I have learned more than from all of them.

ברכות ל״ב ב:ט׳

אִינִי?! וְהָא אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: כָּל הַמַּאֲרִיךְ בִּתְפִילָּתוֹ וּמְעַיֵּין בָּהּ — סוֹף בָּא לִידֵי כְּאֵב לֵב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״תּוֹחֶלֶת מְמֻשָּׁכָה מַחֲלָה לֵב״. מַאי תַּקַּנְתֵּיהּ — יַעֲסוֹק בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְעֵץ חַיִּים תַּאֲוָה בָאָה״, וְאֵין עֵץ חַיִּים אֶלָּא תּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״עֵץ חַיִּים הִיא לַמַּחֲזִיקִים בָּהּ״. לָא קַשְׁיָא, הָא דְּמַאֲרֵיךְ וּמְעַיֵּין בַּהּ. הָא דְּמַאֲרֵיךְ וְלָא מְעַיֵּין בַּהּ

Berakhot 32b:9

The Gemara raises an objection: Is that so? Didn’t Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba say that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Anyone who prolongs his prayer and expects it to be answered, will ultimately come to heartache, as it will not be answered. As it is stated: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12). And what is the remedy for one afflicted with that illness? He should engage in Torah study, as it is stated: “But desire fulfilled is the tree of life” (Proverbs 13:12), and tree of life is nothing other than Torah, as it is stated: “It is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it, and those who support it are joyous” (Proverbs 3:18). This is not difficult. This, Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba’s statement that one will suffer heartache refers to one who prolongs his prayer and expects it to be answered; that, Rabbi Ḥanin’s statement that one who prolongs his prayer is praiseworthy refers to one who prolongs his prayer and does not expect it to be answered.

אבות דרבי נתן ל״ד:י״א

עשרה נקראו חיים. הקב״ה (ירמיהו י׳:י׳) וה׳ אלהים אמת הוא אלהים חיים. תורה נקראת חיים שנא׳ (משלי ג׳:י״ח) עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה ותומכיה מאושר. ישראל נקראו חיים שנא׳ (דברים ד׳:ד׳) ואתם הדבקים בה׳ אלהיכם חיים כולכם היום. צדיק נקרא חיים שנא׳ (משלי י״א:ל׳) פרי צדיק עץ חיים. גן עדן נקרא חיים ([שנא׳ (תהילים קט״ז:ט׳) אתהלך לפני ה׳ בארצות החיים. עץ נקרא חיים]) שנא׳ (בראשית ב׳:ט׳) ועץ החיים בתוך הגן. ארץ ישראל נקראת חיים שנא׳ (יחזקאל כ״ו:כ׳) ונתתי צבי בארץ חיים. (ירושלים נקראת חיים שנא׳ (תהילים קט״ז:ט׳) אתהלך לפני ה׳ בארצות החיים). גמילות חסדים נקרא חיים שנא׳ (תהילים ס״ג:ד׳) כי טוב חסדך מחיים שפתי ישבחונך. חכם נקרא חיים שנא׳ (משלי י״ג:י״ד) תורת חכם מקור חיים. מים נקרא חיים שנא׳ (זכריה י״ד:ח׳) ביום ההוא יצאו מים חיים מירושלים:

Avot DeRabbi Natan 34:11

Ten entities are considered truly “alive.” 1. The Holy Blessed One, as it says (Jeremiah 10:10), “The Eternal is truly God; He is a living God.” 2. The Torah is called a Living Torah, as it says (Proverbs 3:18), “It is a Tree of Life for those who hold fast to it, and all its supporters are happy.” 3. Israel are called Alive, as it says (Deuteronomy 4:41), “And you, who cling to the Eternal your God, you are all alive today.” 4. A righteous person is called Life, as it says (Proverbs 11:30), “The fruit of the righteous is the Tree of Life.” 5. The Garden of Eden is called Living, ([as it says (Psalms 116:9), “I will walk before the Eternal in the land of the living.” 6. One of the trees in the Garden was called the Tree of Life,]) as it says (Genesis 2:9), “and the Tree of Life in the midst of the Garden. 7. The Land of Israel is called the Land of the Living, as it says (Ezekiel 26:20), “I will place radiance in the land of the living.” (Jerusalem is called Living, as it says [Psalms 116:9)], “I will walk before the Eternal in the land of the living.”) 8. Acts of kindness are called Life, as it says (Psalms 63:4), “For Your kindness is better than life; my lips will praise You.” 9. A wise person is called Life, as it says (Proverbs 13:14), “The Torah of the wise is the source of life.” 10. Water is called Living, as it says (Zechariah 14:8), “On that day, living waters will come forth from Jerusalem.”

The New Yorker, The Intelligent Plant, Michael Pollen (December 23 & 30 2013) "The most bracing part of Mancuso’s talk on bioinspiration came when he discussed underground plant networks. Citing the research of Suzanne Simard, a forest ecologist at the University of British Columbia, and her colleagues, Mancuso showed a slide depicting how trees in a forest organize themselves into far-flung networks, using the underground web of mycorrhizal fungi which connects their roots to exchange information and even goods. This “wood-wide web,” as the title of one paper put it, allows scores of trees in a forest to convey warnings of insect attacks, and also to deliver carbon, nitrogen, and water to trees in need. When I reached Simard by phone, she described how she and her colleagues track the flow of nutrients and chemical signals through this invisible underground network. They injected fir trees with radioactive carbon isotopes, then followed the spread of the isotopes through the forest community using a variety of sensing methods, including a Geiger counter. Within a few days, stores of radioactive carbon had been routed from tree to tree. Every tree in a plot thirty metres square was connected to the network; the oldest trees functioned as hubs, some with as many as forty-seven connections. The diagram of the forest network resembled an airline route map. The pattern of nutrient traffic showed how “mother trees” were using the network to nourish shaded seedlings, including their offspring—which the trees can apparently recognize as kin—until they’re tall enough to reach the light. And, in a striking example of interspecies coöperation, Simard found that fir trees were using the fungal web to trade nutrients with paper-bark birch trees over the course of the season. The evergreen species will tide over the deciduous one when it has sugars to spare, and then call in the debt later in the season. For the forest community, the value of this coöperative underground economy appears to be better over-all health, more total photosynthesis, and greater resilience in the face of disturbance. In his talk, Mancuso juxtaposed a slide of the nodes and links in one of these subterranean forest networks with a diagram of the Internet, and suggested that in some respects the former was superior. “Plants are able to create scalable networks of self-maintaining, self-operating, and self-repairing units,” he said. “Plants.”

How do these sources and the article expand our conception of the "tree of life" metaphor and our relationship to Torah, to trees and to life itself?

BONUS, A song and a blessing!
For your enjoyment, check out these unique and special prayers and songs for Tu B'Shvat.
This first piyyut - liturgical prayer - is written by Rabbi Yosef Chaim - the Ben Ish Chai, an 18th Century Iraqi sage who wrote beautiful poetry in addition to halakhic responsa and Torah commentary. As Tu B'Shvat is a day to embrace our broader family tree as Jews (it was Wednesday night/Thursday of this past week) enjoy this Middle Eastern Jewish celebration of "going out to rejoice among the trees of the forest."

תענית ה׳ ב:י״ב

וכשביקש לילך אמר אילן אילן במה אברכך אם אומר לך שיהו פירותיך מתוקין הרי פירותיך מתוקין שיהא צילך נאה הרי צילך נאה שתהא אמת המים עוברת תחתיך הרי אמת המים עוברת תחתיך אלא יהי רצון שכל נטיעות שנוטעין ממך יהיו כחותך.

Taanit 5b:12

And when he wished to leave, he said: Tree, tree, with what shall I bless you? If I say to you that your fruits should be sweet, your fruits are already sweet; if I say that your shade should be pleasant, your shade is already pleasant; if I say that a stream of water should flow beneath you, a stream of water already flows beneath you. Rather, I will bless you as follows: May it be God’s will that all saplings which they plant from you be inspired, sweet and prosperous like you.