Our last rule said that the etrog (citron) is a fruit and is subject to the laws of the Shmita year, but that lulav (palm branch) did not have this problem. But why? If etrog is subject to Shmita, so should be the lulav! Well, lulav did not begin growing in the fifteen days between Rosh HaShanah and Sukkot, when Shmita really started. But then the same can be said about the etrog! – No, the difference is that for palm tree, its Shmita starts when it is planted – which is before Shmita, but for etrog – at the time of picking it, which is on Shmita.
The last explanation may work, but it seems artificial. Why do we even need to use it? The difference is simpler: citron is food, and palm branches are not. So the laws of Shmita apply to one but not to the other. Actually, this is not so obvious. The laws of Shmita are defined as “for you, it will be for food.” This includes foods, but it also includes anything that is for you, anything at all. How do we reconcile this? – We include anything like food. Just like with food, the act of destroying it and enjoying it comes at the same time, so for example, ointments are also included. But palm branches are excluded because we burn them now and use their hot coals for cooking later.
Art: Still Life With Lemons On A Plate by Vincent Van Gogh
No comments:
Post a Comment