Fruit in Israel is different than the fruit we are used to in Western New York. Instead of apples and oranges, there are thick, yellow pomelos that look from the outside like giant grapefruits, but inside are sweet and juicy. Acorn shaped persimmons, orange and compact, that can be eaten like apples. Figs, dates, and grapes that delighted our ancestors, and continue to delight tourists and natives alike. More than the majestic mountains and deep seas, it was the fruit that brought us there in the first place and it is the fruit that has kept us coming back year after year after year.
So being told in this week’s Torah portion Behar-Bechukotai to eat from “old fruit” during the sabbatical cycle hits hard. Luckily, Israeli fruit is also delicious dried or in preserves. By holding back from the bounty of the land every seven years we acknowledge our gratitude to G-d and we discover new ways to find substance.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex