As we start to near toward winter, it’s so appropriate to talk about oranges. You may think that oranges have no Judaic connection since they aren’t even mentioned in the Torah. In fact, the Hebrew word for orange, tapuz, is a combination of the words tapuach (apple) and zahav (gold). The fruit is a hybrid of a pomelo and mandarin trees cultivated by the Chinese.
But there is a Jewish connection to everything in life, including, of course, oranges. I always thought it was amazing that oranges are a winter fruit loaded with vitamin c and other antioxidants allowing us to prepare ourselves and defend ourselves from all the viruses that come our way during this time. Hashem has given us the season of oranges in the winter bedafka so we can tackle the winter. Hashem has given us this seasonal fruit which has precisely the medicinal benefits needed during this time of year.
