I write this on the universal first day of school here in Israel. It always makes me a little sad at this crazy time of year because I want to be thinking Elul, but this is “tax season” for principals and work tends to take over much of my time and head space. And yet, there is something that happens in Israel that makes it impossible to forget the time of year and all that it connotes: pomegranate trees are everywhere.
When I made aliyah, I dreamed of having a pomegranate tree. My husband is a little more practical (and clean) and he protested, claiming that birds pick at pomegranates and they fall and make a mess in a yard. My parents have a pomegranate tree and in addition to seeing that my husband is correct, I also see that not all pomegranates come out edible. And yet, there is something about the beautiful red pomegranates (especially the ones that grow attached to each other) that become ripe around the country at exactly Rosh Hashana time that makes it feel magical; yet another reminder that the chagim are meant to be spent in Eretz Yisrael.
Of all the Rosh Hashana simanim, the pomegranate is the one that stands out most aligned with Rosh Hashana – be it from the fabled 613 seeds it holds (has anyone actually ever checked that?) or its majestic crown, reminding us that Hashem is the ultimate king. Seeing pomegranates everywhere is a reminder that no matter what we have going on – school, work, or whatever else – “haMelech ba’Sadeh,” the king is in the field and fully accessible to us.