(טו) וַיִּקַּ֛ח ה' אֱלֹקִ֖ים אֶת־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיַּנִּחֵ֣הוּ בְגַן־עֵ֔דֶן לְעׇבְדָ֖הּ וּלְשׇׁמְרָֽהּ׃ (טז) וַיְצַו֙ ה' אֱלֹקִ֔ים עַל־הָֽאָדָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר מִכֹּ֥ל עֵֽץ־הַגָּ֖ן אָכֹ֥ל תֹּאכֵֽל׃
(15) God ה' settled the Human in the garden of Eden, to till it and tend it. (16) And God ה' commanded the Human, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat;
(יט) כִּֽי־תָצ֣וּר אֶל־עִיר֩ יָמִ֨ים רַבִּ֜ים לְֽהִלָּחֵ֧ם עָלֶ֣יהָ לְתׇפְשָׂ֗הּ לֹֽא־תַשְׁחִ֤ית אֶת־עֵצָהּ֙ לִנְדֹּ֤חַ עָלָיו֙ גַּרְזֶ֔ן כִּ֚י מִמֶּ֣נּוּ תֹאכֵ֔ל וְאֹת֖וֹ לֹ֣א תִכְרֹ֑ת כִּ֤י הָֽאָדָם֙ עֵ֣ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה לָבֹ֥א מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃ (כ) רַ֞ק עֵ֣ץ אֲשֶׁר־תֵּדַ֗ע כִּֽי־לֹא־עֵ֤ץ מַאֲכָל֙ ה֔וּא אֹת֥וֹ תַשְׁחִ֖ית וְכָרָ֑תָּ וּבָנִ֣יתָ מָצ֗וֹר עַל־הָעִיר֙ אֲשֶׁר־הִ֨וא עֹשָׂ֧ה עִמְּךָ֛ מִלְחָמָ֖ה עַ֥ד רִדְתָּֽהּ׃ {פ}
(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? (20) Only trees that you know do not yield food may be destroyed; you may cut them down for constructing siegeworks against the city that is waging war on you, until it has been reduced.
עֵץ־חַיִּ֣ים הִ֭יא לַמַּחֲזִיקִ֣ים בָּ֑הּ וְֽתֹמְכֶ֥יהָ מְאֻשָּֽׁר׃ (פ)
She is a tree of life to those who grasp her,
And whoever holds on to her is happy.
And whoever holds on to her is happy.
(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, לַנְּטִיעָה וְלַיְרָקוֹת. בְּאֶחָד בִּשְׁבָט, רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לָאִילָן, כְּדִבְרֵי בֵית שַׁמַּאי. בֵּית הִלֵּל אוֹמְרִים, בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בּוֹ:
(1) There are four New Years, each for a different purpose: On the first of Nisan is the New Year for kings and for the Festivals. On the first of Elul is the New Year for animal tithes. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shimon say: The New Year for animal tithes is on the first of Tishrei. On the first of Tishrei is the New Year for counting years, for calculating Sabbatical Years and Jubilee Years, i.e., for planting, and for tithing vegetables. On the first of Shevat is the New Year for the tree in accordance with the statement of Beit Shammai. But Beit Hillel say: The New Year for trees is on the fifteenth of Shevat.
חָכְמָה מוֹחָא אִיהוּ מַחֲשָׁבָה מִלְּגָו, בִּינָה לִבָּא וּבָהּ הַלֵּב מֵבִין, וְעַל אִלֵּין תְּרֵין כְּתִיב (דברים כט כח) הַנִּסְתָּרוֹת לַיהו''ה אלהינ''ו, כֶּתֶר עִִלְיוֹן אִיהוּ כֶּתֶר מַלְכוּת, וַעֲלֵיהּ אִתְּמַר (ישעיה מו י) מַגִּיד מֵרֵאשִׁית אַחֲרִית, וְאִיהוּ קַרְקַפְתָּא דִתְּפִלֵּי, מִלְּגָו אִיהוּ יו''ד ה''א וא''ו ה''א, דְּאִיהוּ אֹרַח אֲצִילוּת, אִיהוּ שַׁקְיוּ דְאִילָנָא בִּדְרוֹעוֹי וְעַנְפּוֹי, כְּמַיָּא דְאַשְׁקֵי לְאִילָנָא, וְאִתְרַבֵּי בְּהַהוּא שַׁקְיוּ.
chochma (wisdom) is the brain, the seat of thought, and bina (understanding) is the heart, the heart's ability to discern. Concerning these, it is written, "The hidden things belong to G‑d our G‑d". (Deut. 29:28). Keter Elyon (Supernal Crown) is the keter of malchut, concerning which it is said, "I declare the end from the beginning". (Isaiah 46:10). the leather box of the Tefillin. Within: Yud-vav-dalet = 20, hei-alef = 6, vav-alef-vav= 13, hei-alef= 6. the way of Atzilut. This name therefore fills and saturates its "limbs" and "branches", as water irrigates and saturates a tree. It then grows in proportion to how much "water" flows through it.
רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים, אַנְתְּ הוּא עִלַּת הָעִלּוֹת, סִבַּת הַסִּבּוֹת, דְּאַשְׁקֵי לְאִילָנָא בְּהַהוּא נְבִיעוּ, וְהַהוּא נְבִיעוּ אִיהוּ כְּנִשְׁמָתָא לְגוּפָא, דְאִיהוּ חַיִּים לְגוּפָא, וּבָךְ לֵית דִּמְיוֹן וְלֵית דִּיוֹקְנָא מִכָּל מַה דִּלְּגָו וּלְבָר, וּבְרָאתָ שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא, וְאַפִּיקַת מִנְּהוֹן שִׁמְשָׁא וְסִיהֲרָא וְכֹכְבַיָּא וּמַזָּלֵי, וּבְאַרְעָא אִלָנִין וְדִשְׁאִין וְגִנְּתָא דְעִדֶן וְעִשְׂבִּין וְחֵיוָון וְעוֹפִין וְנוּנִין וּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא בְהוֹן עִלָּאִין, וְאֵיךְ יִתְנַהֲגוּן בְּהוֹן עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין, וְאֵיךְ אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָאן מֵעִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי, וְלֵית דְּיָדַע בָּךְ כְּלָל.
Eternal Hidden Master of the worlds, You are the Supreme Cause of all causes and the Origin of all effects! You water the tree with that flow. And that flow is the very life-force of the "tree" - like a soul to a body. But no "human" likeness or "bodily" image exists in Your Infinite Essence with which we might liken You to anything within or without. You alone created the starry galaxies and the earth. From the galaxies above, You brought forth sun and moon, planets and starry constellations. On the earth below, You brought forth trees and plants, the Garden of Eden and grass, living creatures, birds and fish, animals and humanity. Through them , You make known that which is Above, how all that is above and below is regulated, and how the higher worlds may be known from the lower. But knowledge of Your Essence is completely impossible.
“Once the Ba’al Shem Tov showed to his disciples a certain leaf as it fell to the ground and told them to pick it up. They did so and saw that a worm was underneath it. The Baal Shem Tov explained that the worm was suffering due to heat, so this leaf had fallen to give it shade.”
“Whereas earlier sages generally applied hashgacha pratit to the destiny of each living being, the Ba’al Shem Tov recast Hashgacha Pratit to all beings independent of their participation in the human world, and indeed to every change in the world.”
-David Seidenberg, New Hasidism, "Building the Body of the Shekhinah: Reenchantment and Redemption of the Natural World in Hasidic Thought"
“Whereas earlier sages generally applied hashgacha pratit to the destiny of each living being, the Ba’al Shem Tov recast Hashgacha Pratit to all beings independent of their participation in the human world, and indeed to every change in the world.”
-David Seidenberg, New Hasidism, "Building the Body of the Shekhinah: Reenchantment and Redemption of the Natural World in Hasidic Thought"
“Know that when a person prays in a field, all of the grasses and plants come together into the prayer, and they help him, and give him strength within his prayer. And this is what it means when prayer is called “sicha” [conversation]: it refers to “Siach Hasadeh” [the growth of the field].”
-Rebbe Nachman
-Rebbe Nachman
"Know, that each and every shepherd has his own niggun.
Know that each and every blade of grass has its own unique song.
And from the song of the grasses, the tune of the shepherd is made
How beautiful, how beautiful and pleasant it is to hear their song.
It's very good to pray among them, and to serve Hashem in great joy
And from the song of the grasses, the heart is filled and yearns
And when the song causes the heart to fill and to yearn to the Land of Israel,
a great light is drawn and goes from the Land's holiness upon it.
And from the song of the grasses a niggun of the heart is made."
-Rebbe Nachman
Know that each and every blade of grass has its own unique song.
And from the song of the grasses, the tune of the shepherd is made
How beautiful, how beautiful and pleasant it is to hear their song.
It's very good to pray among them, and to serve Hashem in great joy
And from the song of the grasses, the heart is filled and yearns
And when the song causes the heart to fill and to yearn to the Land of Israel,
a great light is drawn and goes from the Land's holiness upon it.
And from the song of the grasses a niggun of the heart is made."
-Rebbe Nachman
Contemplate the wonders of creation, the divine dimension of their being, not as a dim configuration that is presented to you from the distance but as the reality in which you live. Know yourself and your world.…[F]ind the source of your own life, and of the life beyond you, around you, the glorious splendor of the life in which you have your being. The love that is astir in you—raise it to its basic potency and its noblest beauty, extend it to all its dimensions, toward every manifestation of the soul that sustains the universe…
Rav Kook, Orot Hakodesh 1, p.83
Rav Kook, Orot Hakodesh 1, p.83
Evolution sheds light on all the ways of God. All existence evolves and ascends…Its ascent is general as it is in particulars. It ascends toward the height of the absolute good. Obviously the good and the comprehensive [whole] all go together. Existence is destined to reach a point when the whole will assimilate the good in all its constituted particulars…No particularity will remain outside, not a spark will be lost from the ensemble...The doctrine of evolution…has a greater affinity with the secret teachings of the Kabbalah than all other philosophies.
Rav Kook, Orot Hakodesh 2, p.555
Rav Kook, Orot Hakodesh 2, p.555