Friday, August 21, 2009

PARSHA - Shoftim

In this week's Torah portion Shoftim we find the verse, "For man is the tree of the field." What is the connection between human beings and trees?

The unique characteristic of a plant is its connection with the ground, its source of life and sustenance. Humans and animals are not bound to the earth by their roots and are free to move about. A plant, must always be connected to the ground; if it is uprooted, it will wither and die.

Bound to the earth, a tree must suffer the harsh punishment of the elements throughout the four seasons of the year. A tree has such a strong connection to its source that even the changes in season do it no harm.

It is in this respect that man resembles the tree of the field. He, too, is unable to exist cut off from his source of life. His soul requires a constant and continuous bond with the source of his existence.

The source of life for the Jew is the Torah.

He draws his strength and vitality from it. Even though most of us cannot spend our entire day in Torah study we derive meaning and inspiration for the rest of the day from the time that we actually did spend time learning Torah. When we dedicate a small amount of time in the morning and evening to learning Torah, the influence is felt throughout the day.

We must always bear in mind that "man is the tree of the field" - we are always bound by our roots to our source of life. Even as we actively pursue a life of commerce, or whatever one's profession may be, we must strive to feel that intimate bond with our Creator. The Torah that is learned during those few moments will permeate our life and create a Torah-true atmosphere.

Candle lighting time for L.A. is 7:16 pm

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