January 25, 1959, Tel-Aviv<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hello and all the best to my friend, whom I love as my own soul,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I am writing to you what I said yesterday, on the 24th<\/sup> of January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Gemarah says about Rosh<\/em> Hashanah<\/em> (beginning of the year) for the trees: \u201cWhat is the reason that [it is] on the first of Shevat<\/em>? Rabbi Elazar said, \u2018Rabbi Oshaaia said, \u2018because the majority of the year\u2019s rains have fallen.\u2019\u2019\u201d And RASHI [interprets], \u201cIt is the time of rain, and the resin flows in the trees, and from now on the fruits are ripe.\u201d The Tosfot<\/em> write that the above reason also corresponds to Beit Hillel, who concur that the fifteenth of Shevat<\/em> is Rosh<\/em>Hashanah<\/em>. It is said in the Gemarah, \u201cOne who comes out on a Nissan<\/em> day and sees blooming trees says, \u2018Blessed is He who did not deny His world of anything and created in it good creations and good trees with which to delight people.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n We should understand, 1) what it means that \u201cHe did not deny His world.\u201d If one sees that the trees are blooming, what proof is this that nothing is missing? 2) What is \u201cand created in it good creations\u201d? What proof is this that the creations are good? 3) What is the connection between man and tree, which makes them interdependent? 4) Why is the passing of the majority of the year\u2019s rains a sign for Rosh<\/em> Hashanah<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n We should interpret this in ethics. It is known that Rosh<\/em> Hashanah<\/em> (beginning of the year) is a time of judgment, when the world is sentenced favorably or unfavorably. Rosh<\/em> (head\/beginning) means \u201croot,\u201d and the branches emerge from the root. The branches always extend according to the essence of the root. Thus, a root of figs will not produce branches of dates, and so forth. As the root and beginning that a person establishes for himself in the beginning, so he continues his procession of life. Also, the judgment that a person is judged in the beginning of the year means that the person judges himself, and he is the arbiter and executor, for man is the arbiter, the litigant, and the knowledgeable one, and witness. It is as our sages said, \u201cThere is judgment below, there is no judgment above.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rains are called \u201cvitality\u201d and \u201cpleasure.\u201d Man enjoys the fruits that the tree bears. Man\u2019s main work is during the winter, on the long nights of Tevet<\/em>. From Tishrey<\/em>, which is the general Rosh<\/em> Hashanah<\/em>, to the month of Tevet<\/em>, the majority of the year\u2019s rains have fallen, meaning that a person has already received vitality and pleasure from his Torah and work (since the rain comes from above, implying the abundance that comes from above, passes through the tree, and dresses in the fruit). At that time a person judges himself, if he should continue with Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> (commandments\/good deeds) through the rest of the year, or to the contrary, that it is better to focus his mind on corporeal matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By that we can interpret the abovementioned words of RASHI: \u201cbecause the majority of the year\u2019s rains have fallen, and the resin flows in the trees, and from now on the fruits are ripe.\u201d That is, if the majority of nights in Torah and work have passed and the resin flows in the trees\u2014for the tree implies man (as it is written, \u201cfor man is the tree of the field\u201d)\u2014and he sees that a fire burns in his heart, as it is written, \u201cHer flames are flames of fire, the flame of the Lord,\u201d then he decides to pursue this throughout the year. This is the meaning of \u201cand from now on the fruits are ripe.\u201d In other words, from now on he will be rewarded with abundant fruits. This is why the fifteen of Shevat<\/em> is the beginning of the year, since then he inspects himself and sees if it is worthwhile to continue with Torah and Mitzvot<\/em> or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now we will understand all the above. Since people are as trees, \u201cOne who comes out on a Nissan<\/em> day and sees blooming trees,\u201d meaning that the trees have already begun to demonstrate their power, that they wish to impart fruits in man\u2019s favor, this is the meaning of \u201cgood trees.\u201d \u201cGood\u201d means \u201cgiving,\u201d as it is written, \u201cMy heart is overflowing with a good thing,\u201d and interprets what is good: \u201cI say, \u2018My work is for the King.\u2019\u201d That is, he wishes to do all his work for the king, and this is regarded as wanting only to bestow and not to satisfy his heart\u2019s desires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, when he sees that the trees are blooming, meaning that the trees are bearing fruits, he says, \u201cand created in it good creations,\u201d for there must be good people in the world who are also giving, or the trees would not be giving their fruits. It is as our sages said, \u201cThe whole world is nourished by merit of my son, Hanina,\u201d meaning thanks to the righteous, since while there are people in the world who engage in bestowal, by that merit the trees bear their fruits, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the meaning of \u201cwho did not deny His world of anything.\u201d That is, although by nature there are dishonorable qualities in us, the Creator has prepared for us engagement in Torah and Mitzvot<\/em>, whereby engaging for the sake of the Creator we will be rewarded with all the delight and pleasure that the Creator has prepared for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I will end my letter with words of blessing: \u201cMay the Creator help us all to be rewarded with complete redemption soon in our days, Amen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n From your friend who wishes you all the best in corporeality and spirituality<\/p>\n\n\n\n Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" January 25, 1959, Tel-Aviv Hello and all the best to my friend, whom I love as my own soul, I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":6249,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"topic":[26],"class_list":["post-13765","book","type-book","status-publish","hentry","topic-rabash"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n