This past Monday was Tu B’Shvat, the Rosh Hashanah of the trees. This New Year pertains to the halachos of ma’aser, as one cannot separate ma’aser from one year’s fruit for fruits of another year. The Magen Avraham (Orach Chaim 131) says people have a minhag to eat fruit on Tu B’Shvat. The Knesses Yisrael says that there is a minhag to eat fruit specifically from Eretz Yisrael, in order to show love for the mitzvos and the fruit of Eretz Yisrael.
Now that the day has passed, and we may have partaken in the custom of eating fruits, we should try to understand why it is that Hashem created fruits in general and why He gave us Eretz Yisrael, a land with such spectacular fruit, and why there is a custom to eat them on Tu B’Shvat.
Tosafos in Brachos 37a (d”h borei nefashos) explains the bracha of Borei Nefashos as follows: “Borei nefashos rabbos v’chesronan” is thanking Hashem for bread and water, necessities of life. “Al kol ma shebarasa lihachayos…” is thanking Hashem for the “extras” that He created. Tosafos explains that Hashem created things that are not necessities, such as apples, for the purpose of enjoyment.
Why did Hashem create extras? Why did Hashem create things that we do not need to live on? Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz, zt”l, (Sichos Mussa,r Parshas Vayeshev) explains that one only shows his love for another person by doing something extra, or unnecessary, for him or her. He explains that this is why Hashem arranged for the caravan transporting Yosef to Mitzrayim to smell pleasantly instead of the usual foul stench. The smell of the caravan was not necessary but that is exactly why it displayed Hashem’s love for Yosef. The Mishnah in Pirkei Avos (3:18) says, Hashem loves all of humanity, but He loves the Bnei Yisrael more than the other nations.
Hashem created things for enjoyment to show that He loves us. The reason why Hashem gave us Eretz Yisrael, whose fruits were spectacular and enormous, is because He loves us more than the other nations. Therefore, he wanted to give us the land that would produce the most “extras.” In bentching we thank Hashem for everything that he has provided for us. We begin by thanking Him for the “extras” of “eretz chemda tova u’rechava” because that is where we see His special love for us. Only afterward do we thank Hashem for the necessities— redeeming us from Mitzrayim, milah, Torah, and life.
Perhaps the reason why we eat fruit of Eretz Yisrael on Tu B’Shvat is because it is with those fruits that Hashem has shown us love. And this can be done all year as well.
Based on this we can explain why we mention eating the fruits of Eretz Yisrael in the bracha of Al Ha’michyah. We want to show Hashem that we appreciate the things that He does for us which show His love for us.
The Gemara in Sanhedrin 98a says that the greatest sign that the ketz – end (the redemption) – is imminent is when Eretz Yisrael produces fruit in abundance. For nearly 2,000 years when Bnei Yisrael were not in Eretz Yisrael in a permanent manner, the land was desolate and could not produce. Today, fruits are growing in Eretz Yisrael in tremendous abundance. Without a doubt, we have witnessed the occurrence of this sign.
So, now what? What is the purpose of Hashem sending us a sign that the geulah is imminent? The answer is simple. Imagine if Eliyahu HaNavi would come and announce today that the geulah will come next week. It is safe to believe that everyone would know what to do, and what to do teshuvah for. The purpose of giving us a sign is for us to get ready and prepare ourselves.
Perhaps the reason why the greatest sign that the geulah is imminent is Eretz Yisrael producing fruit in abundance is because fruit is Hashem’s way of showing us love, and the fruits of Eretz Yisrael show His love for us over the nations of the world.
The message of the geulah that is portrayed by this sign is complemented with the expression of Hashem’s deep love for Klal Yisrael, which is embedded in the fruit. We should reciprocate with tremendous love for Hashem, and we should begin to prepare ourselves for the geulah!
As we eat fruit this year, let us think of the wonderful land that Hashem has given us, and remember that the fruit of Eretz Yisrael have begun growing in abundance, displaying the love Hashem has for us, and the sign of the imminent geulah they represent. May we be zocheh to see the coming of the geulah, amen.