The Drashos Chassam Sofer tells us it is known that in a pomegranate there are 613 seeds corresponding to the 613 mitzvos. Similarly, the Malbim writes that a pomegranate hints to the 613 mitzvos like the number of seeds it has.
However, if one opens up a pomegranate today, he may not find 613 seeds. How do we explain that? Nowadays due to sin, there aren’t 613 seeds there, as R’ Yitzchak Isaac Yehuda Yechiel Safrin of Kamarna (1806–1874) writes that if one doesn’t find 613 seeds there, it is because of a curse as in zanoh sizneh ha’aretz, the land is straying completely.
Rabbi Alt merited to learn under the tutelage of R’ Mordechai Friedlander ztz”l for close to five years and received semichah from R’ Zalman Nechemia Goldberg ztz”l. Rabbi Alt has written close to 2,000 articles on numerous topics for various websites and publications and is the author of nine books including the recently released “Exhilarating Torah Insights on Recreation and Vacation.” His writings, many of which have been translated into Yiddish, Hebrew, German and French, inspire people across the spectrum of Jewish observance to live with the vibrancy and beauty of Torah. His shiurim can be found on various websites including Kol Halashon’s. Rabbi Alt lives with his wife and family in Kiryat Yearim (where the Aron was for 20 years [Shmuel 1, 7:1,2]) where he studies, lectures, writes and teaches. The author is passionate about teaching Jews of all levels of observance.
Fascinatingly, in Samoa (Samoa is a small island country in the central South Pacific Ocean, and is about halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii), for forgetting a wife’s birthday, a husband could face up to five-year prison sentence, according to the law of the country. Husbands in Samoa are warned the first time when they forget their wife’s birthday. If he repeats the mistake for a second time, then he is fined or could face a jail sentence of up to five years. There is a special team at the police level to ensure that this law is enforced and followed.
We have many examples of sin changing nature:
1) With the sin of Adam, thorns and thistles among other things came about (See Bereishis 3:17-18 with Rashi).
2) During the generation of the mabul, three Tefachim deep into the ground were also dissolved and washed away (Bereishis 6:13, Rashi), since due to people steeping so low spiritually, it affected the earth.
3) The Trisker Magid (Magen Avraham, Bereishis, s.v. va’yomer) writes that the reason for illness in the world is due to the change in climate, air. Air is classified under ruach which is categorized as dibbur, speech, as in Targum Onkolos who says ruach mi’malela, speaking spirit (Bereishis 2:7). Through damaging one’s speech (with falsehood, mockery and the like), it negatively affects the air (speech is done through air—the breath of our mouth) and sickness comes to the world. Through sanctifying one’s speech with Torah and tefilla, it fixes up the climate and removes illness from the world (See also Drashos Chassam Sofer, volume 2, p. 376, s.v. amru chazal). Incidentally, if we rearrange the word refuah we get ohr peh, light of the mouth.
