Two of the 51 mitzvot in the Torah portion of Kedoshim are that one may not eat or receive benefit from the fruit grown in the first three years after a tree is planted and that the fruit of the fourth year must be eaten in Jerusalem. The fruit of the first three years are called orlah, which normally means “a foreskin” or “a covering,” while the fruit of the fourth year are called Neta Reva’i (plantings of the fourth year). By eating Neta Revai’i in Jerusalem we are expressing our appreciation to G-d for the new orchard and its fruit.
Although the mitzvah of Orlah seems like one that is beyond comprehension (this type of mitzvah is called a chok), the commentaries offer several explanations as to the meaning of “orlah” in our context:
Meaning of Orlah
- Covered
Rashi says it means that we should consider the fruit to be covered up (like a foreskin that covers over the male organ) and forbidden to us. This alludes to the fact that it’s forbidden to either eat or benefit from these fruits. The Ramban explains that this expression alludes to the fact that during the first three years we should consider these fruits as if they’re still covered up in the tree and haven’t yet emerged. - Distance It/Consider it Useless
The Targum Onkelus says it means “distance yourself from it,” that is, since it’s useless, one should stay away from it. Similarly, the Ibn Ezra translates it as “consider it useless (like a foreskin).” - Cut it Away
The Targum Yonatan translates it as “cut it away (as one does to a foreskin).”
Although the Torah doesn’t give any explicit reason for this mitzvah, the commentaries suggest several reasons. Here are ten of them:
1) Health Reasons
The Ibn Ezra writes that the fruit of the first three years are of no benefit to one’s body and are, in fact, harmful. The Ramban explains that they contain too much moisture and can damage the body just like eating sea creatures which have no fins and scales. (This doesn’t explain why one may not even benefit from the fruits.)
2) First Fruits Go to Hashem
Many of the commentaries explain that the objective of the prohibition of Orlah is to make sure that we thank G-d for His bounty by bringing the first worthy produce to Jerusalem and eating it there. In this sense, this mitzvah resembles that of Bikurim, the first fruit. Eating them in Jerusalem will lead to fearing G-d and praising Him as it says concerning Maaser Sheni (the second tithe), “You shall consume the tithes of your new grain and wine and oil... in the presence of the L-rd your G-d, in the place where [G-d] will choose to establish the Divine name, so that you may learn to revere your L-rd, G-d, forever.” Since many trees don’t produce fruit during the first three years and the ones that they do produce are usually of inferior quality, we are commanded to wait until the fourth year to bring the first worthy fruits to G-d’s holy city. In addition, since it’s inappropriate to benefit from the fruit before thanking G-d for them, we may not benefit from them during the years prior to the fourth when we do the mitzvah of Neta Reva’i.
3) Refrain from Idolatrous Practices
The Rambam writes that in ancient times, there was a common pagan practice to sacrifice the first fruits of every tree to the pagan god and to eat some of them in the house of pagan worship. The pagan priests would warn people that if they didn’t do this, their trees would dry up and not produce fruit. The Torah wished to uproot this practice and it commanded that the fruit of the first three years be destroyed and that the fruit of the fourth year be brought to the city where the one G-d is worshiped. This also explains why these fruits are also forbidden in terms of benefit since many of the items that the Torah prohibits because of pagan worship are forbidden both from eating and from receiving benefit. Yayin Nesech (wine poured for idol worship), items sacrificed to idols, and Kilay HaKerem (a mixture of grapeseed and certain other seeds) are three such examples. The Torah wants us to distance ourselves completely from such practices.
The Torah promises that observing this mitzvah will not diminish the fruit of the tree as the pagans claim, but that, on the contrary, “In the fifth year you may use its fruit—that its yield may be increased.” In addition, some pagan worshippers would perform certain rituals which they claimed would enhance the tree’s growth and cause it to produce fruits earlier than the normal time. The Torah therefore forbids consumption of the fruits of the first three years to ensure that one does not engage in such practices, since these fruits are forbidden.
4) To Remember Creation
The Kli Yakar writes that observing this mitzvah is a reminder of how G-d created the world. During the first three days, there was no visible vegetation or trees. (Although the verse says that the vegetation and trees were created on the third day, they did not emerge until the fourth day when the sun and moon were created.) On the fourth day they grew but weren’t yet consumed or appreciated since there were no animals or people yet. As such, the trees and their fruit only existed as a sign of G-d’s might. On the fifth day the birds were created which began to consume the vegetation. To commemorate this process, we keep the fruits covered (i.e., forbidden) for the first three years, use them to praise G-d in the fourth year, and consume them as usual in the fifth year.
5) Permission Not Yet Granted
Rabeinu Bachaye explains that the growth of a tree depends on the nourishment it receives both from the heaven (in terms of sun and rain) as well as from the earth (in terms of the nutrients). During the first three years, the tree isn’t mature as it has not yet received the full nourishment from either the heaven or the earth. If one consumes the fruit at this stage, it appears as if he’s taking them before G-d intended them to be ready and it is as if he were taking it without permission. (Perhaps any use of the fruit is considered inappropriate which is why one may not benefit from them.)
6) Fixing the Original Sin
According to our sages, the prohibition for Adam and Eve in Gan Eden to eat from the Tree of Knowledge was only supposed to last until Shabbat, at which point all of its fruit would have become holy. Since man was created in the ninth hour on Friday, he only needed to refrain from eating the fruit for three hours. The mitzvah of orlah, which involves waiting three years before partaking of the fruit, is a tikun (rectification) for the three hours which Adam failed to wait before partaking of that fruit.
The fourth year, when we eat the fruit in a manner that “praises G-d” alludes to the original Shabbat when we were supposed to eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge in a manner that would praise Him.
The verse alludes to these three hours by repeating the word orlah three times (וַעֲרַלְתֶּם עׇרְלָתוֹ אֶּת פִּרְיוֹ שָלֹש שָנִּים יִּהְיֶּה לָכֶּם עֲרֵלִּים לֹא יֵאָכֵל). In addition, in reference to orlah, the Torah describes the tree as an etz ma’achal (וּנְטַעְתֶּם כׇל עֵץ מַאֲכָל ), an expression that the Torah uses regarding the Tree of Knowledge (וַתֵרֶּא הָָֽאִּשָה כִּי טוֹב הָעֵץ לְמַאֲכָל).
7) Four Levels of Impurity
The Kabbalistic sources explain that the energy that a fruit tree receives in the first three years of its growth is from the three levels of impurity which cannot be elevated. These are called (in Ezekiel 1:4) 1) רוּחַ סְעָרָה/storm wind 2) עָנָן גָדוֹל / great cloud 3) and אֵש מִּתְלַקַחַת / flickering fire.
The energy of the fourth year is from the level of impurity called נֹגַהּ/nogah/radiance (see ibid) that can be elevated to holiness, which is why one may eat them only in Jerusalem and under certain conditions, to ensure that this energy is elevated. From the fourth year and on, the tree receives its energy from the realm of holiness which is why these restrictions and limitations are lifted.
8) To Encourage Aliyah to Jerusalem
The Sefer HaChinuch writes that the Torah forbids consumption of the fruit until the fourth year when we can bring the choice fruit to Jerusalem and praise G-d while eating them (see above). This will, in turn, elicit Divine blessing upon the person and upon his crops.
In addition, spending time in Jerusalem might cause a person or his sons to move to that holy city and learn Torah there. This is where the main Torah teachers are (were) and is the best place to acquire wisdom.
9) To Teach Us to Be Generous
Rabbi Klonimus Kalman Epstein of Krakow explains that this mitzvah helps train us to give generously to the poor. Naturally, people find it difficult to give away their hard-earned money to others. The Torah teaches us that, even after all one’s efforts, their produce doesn’t belong to them, but rather to G-d A-lmighty.
As such, when He says so, we must discard them, and when He instructs us to eat them in a certain place and in a certain way, we do so. Once this is ingrained in us, we will be able to give plenty of the rest of the produce to those less fortunate than ourselves, having internalized the lesson that everything is Divine property and we are only the custodians.
10) To Teach Us to Be Mindful
The Midrash relates this mitzvah to the verse “[The Torah] is a tree of life to those who grasp onto it.” Another Midrash relates this mitzvah to the education of a child which begins (formally) at the age of three. This indicates that this mitzvah relates to the entire Torah. Rabbi Yosef Tzvi HaLevi of Tel Aviv writes that by observing the mitzvah of Orlah one trains oneself not to act hastily and indulge in pleasures that are easily available. While the mitzvah of Neta Reva’i trains a person to follow the dictates of the Torah even while enjoying this physical world. These lessons are essential for keeping the entire Torah and for teaching our children to do the same, which is why the above Midrash relates these mitzvot to keeping and teaching the Torah.
May we merit to plant both trees and Torah scholars in the Holy Land!
Copyright 2024 by Rabbi Aryeh Citron
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom Umevorach!
