We received notification that there were trees for the taking, so I sent my husband to take a couple. The announcement said that there were evergreens and fruit trees. I didn't specify what to take. When I saw which he got, two evergreens, then I decided where they should go. And then he planted them, as you can see in the pictures.
I just have to water them. It's a good thing that I bought a second long hose. So now one is set up at one tree and the other at the second one. The tree I planted a few days ago had died immediately, but our tree maivin, who also makes wine out of our grapes, said it wouldn't survive.
Gd willing, updates to follow.
Every week in Mizmor Shir LaYom HaShabbat we talk about the planting and growth of trees. It obviously is meant as a metaphor for people, not literally, because trees planted in the courtyards of Hashem (i.e., the Temple) would be contrary to halacha. But in my humble opinion this Zemer is especially relevant to our times because it says "ע֭וֹד יְנוּב֣וּן בְּשֵׂיבָ֑ה דְּשֵׁנִ֖ים וְרַֽעֲנַנִּ֣ים יִהְיֽוּ׃", which I feel is meant to apply to the Jews who felt their nation was aged and at the end of its history. It's similar to Yechezkel's vision of the dry bones, which were explicitly identified as the Jewish people and which similarly came back to life.
ReplyDeleteWhether your actual non-metaphorical trees flourish or not, you should feel proud that your family has literally returned to chatzrot Hashem in Shiloh, and I hope that the bracha of דְּשֵׁנִ֖ים וְרַֽעֲנַנִּ֣ים יִהְיֽוּ continues to be fulfilled through your family both personally and individually, and also as a symbol of the flourishing of our people.