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Yes. No. Maybe. Ready? I apologize that we're moving fast. We have a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time. But hopefully we'll still be able to make it meaningful. If you take a look in the source sheet We're looking at a couple of psukim here. I'm not going to go through them inside, but you can see in the psukim. You can see in the psukim that. We are dealing with the halachos of arla Netaravai, the fifth year, and not eating the blood from an animal. Explain what each one of these things mean. The first thing is that a farmer grows fruits for the first three years. There's a halacha called arla. And you're not allowed to eat those fruits. Everyone familiar with this? The first three years, that's called arla. In the fourth year, there's a halacha called Netaravai, which is we take the first fruits from that fourth year, and where do we eat those fruits? In Yerushalayim.
In the fifth year, the farmer can eat the fruits at home. So for the first three years, you're not allowed to eat the fruit. In the fourth year, we eat the fruit, but where do we eat it? In Yerushalayim. In the fifth year, the farmer can eat the fruits at home. And finally We'll see in a moment. There's a halacha that you're not allowed to eat meat before all the blood is drained from the animal. And the questions that we're going to be dealing with today are basically one fundamental question and then one ancillary question. What is the inner meaning behind this halacha of arlo? Why is it that you're not allowed to eat fruits? From the first three years, why do you have to wait until the fourth year and eat those fruits in the Beis Hamikdash or Mishkan, and then ultimately in the fifth year you can eat them at home?
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And tangentially, does this have anything to do with the halacha of draining all the blood from an animal? Since they're right next to each other, we would assume that there is some reason for this juxtaposition. So we're dealing with number one. What's the inner meaning behind Arla? Why can't we eat fruit for the first three years? You'll see on the source sheet over here. You're not going to look at it inside. I have it in the English and the Hebrew for you. You can take a look at it later. The Ramban brings down two reasons. Two reasons for why we don't eat fruit for the first three years. He brings his own reason, and then he brings the reason of the Rambam. Brought in the Moranavuchim and the Guide for the Perplexed. First, we'll do we'll go out of order, even though the Rambam gave his reason first. We'll do the Rambam's reason. The Rambam says that it used to be It used to be. It's very interesting. It used to be in ancient times. It was common for sorcerers and priests to come and bless new trees.
And then because they would bless them because they wanted to get good fruit out of them, and then they would take the fruit and bring it to their pagan gods as an expression of thanks for the bountiful crop. So the Rambam, like he does in many places, says the reason why the Torah said specifically we can't eat fruit from the first three years is because that's exactly what the Balyavodazara did. So whenever the Balyavodazara do something, we go the exact opposite way. So since the Balyavodazara's first fruits were given over to the pagan gods, we specifically don't eat fruits because their fruits were given over to the pagan gods for the first three years. That's the Rambam's reason. Know it, file it away. It's not what we're going to be discussing at length, but it's important to know. The Rambam gives a different reason. The Rambam says, in order to understand the reason for our law You have to look at it in the context of Netaravai, the fourth year. Remember, in the fourth year, where do we eat the fruits? In Jerusalem.
In Jerusalem. The Ramban says as follows: For the first three years, the fruits aren't really so good. They're generally too small, he says, and therefore they don't give off good flavor. And he says sometimes the moisture from the tree attaches itself to the fruit in the beginning when it's still young, and the fruits themselves don't taste good. So we want to bring the first fruits. They should be your best fruits. When will that be? In the fourth year. So the Ramban says the reason why we make the first three years usher is so that the fourth year will be quote unquote the first fruits, and then the fourth year will bring those fruits to the Beis Hamikdash. The Ramban is bringing them. So there's the Ramban and the Ramban. Maimonides and nachmanides. This Rambam. The Rambam. This the Ramban. The Rambam was the first reason. Maimonides was the first reason. He says it's because of sorcerers and priests and pagan idolatry. The Ramban says it's because we want our best fruits to be in the fourth year, so those will be our first fruits, and we'll eat those in Yerushalayim.
Those answers, while very beautiful, are not going to be the answers we're going to be discussing today. The answer we're going to be discussing today is from the Medrash. Take a look in your source sheet if you have it. The Medrash here is quoted from Bamidbar Raba. This is a Medrash in Bamidbar, not a Medrash over in VaYikra, but a Medrash in Bamidbar says as follows: Bamidbar Raba Yud Alef. See on the top Bamidbar Raba Yud Alef. It says Kedushat Medrashas Meiachareyem. So the Medrash is asking the question that we asked beforehand. We seem to have two separate topics here. Topic number one: Don't eat fruits the first three years. Topic number two: Don't eat the blood from an animal. Drain all of the blood from the animal first. The Medrash says, 'What's one got to do with the other? Why is the Torah putting them together? Listen to the words of the Medrash.'
What does one have to do with the other? The Medrash says a fascinating answer. Arla comes to teach you patience. Patience. There's a time when you eat your fruit. There's a time when you don't. You wait three years, and what does that teach you? It teaches you patience. Therefore, when you're married, you'll only be with your spouse when it's an appropriate time. You don't eat from the meat until all the blood is drained out of the meat. You wait three years. What does it teach you? Patience. That's a nice mussar shmos. But I imagine that you girls know by now that that's not what we're going to spend the night talking about. That would not be an exciting Thursday night class in sharpness. The value of patience, while very meaningful, I don't think that's necessarily what we're going to spend our time talking about. So we have to ask ourselves now.
Now that we know there's this union of patience, we have to ask ourselves: Is there something deeper? Is there a deeper reason why we're being taught? Specifically, here when it comes to the halachos of the trees Patience. You hear the question? In other words, patience. We could learn from anything. Specifically, when it comes to the trees giving off fruit, what does the Torah tell us? The trees give off fruit to teach you to be patient. What? Why is that the area where the Torah teaches us patience? Listen to this. It is unbelievable. I'm so excited to teach you this piece of Torah. It's such a special piece of Torah. There's a question. It's a very well-known question. Take a look at the pasuk in Bereshis, chapter one, verse twenty-nine. In Bereshis, Adam Rishon is told, 'Vayomer lo Kim, inein asati lechem as kol Eitz of Zorei Azerah asher al penei kol Aretz v'es kol Eitz Hashemol creates Zorei Azerah lechem yela achla.' What does Hashem tell Adam? He's allowed to eat from what?
From any tree in the entire Gan Eden. He's allowed to eat from any tree. Is that a problem? You girls don't have a problem with that. What's the problem with that? Because if you take a look in chapter two, Verse sixteen and seventeen, what does Hashem say? He says, "Ume'etsadas tovura lo tochol mimenu. Ki be yoma chachamimenu most hamus." You're not allowed to eat from the eitz adas. So in chapter one of Baruches, what does Hashem say to other Baruches? You can eat from any tree. In chapter two, what does he say? Except for the eitz adas. I thought you told me. You do my favorite. We close the window. It's pretty loud. I thought you told me that I am allowed to eat from any tree. And now you're coming later and telling me that I'm not allowed to. You hear the contradiction? This contradiction is spoken about by the Arachaim Hakadosh. It's a very small Arachaim.
I cut it down so you'll just have the one line. It's a stunning Arachaim. This Arachaim you have to know for the rest of your life. He says, "Yomer daafilu eitzadas bechlam." The reason why Hashem says that you can eat from every single tree is because Hashem meant it. Really, Adam Harishon was able to eat from every single tree. Ay, how could you say that? We know that in chapter two it tells us that he's not allowed to eat from the Eitz Hadas. He says, 'Va'gam shematzinu shemitzdav alav.' And even though we find out later that Adam Harishon is not allowed to eat from the Eitz Hadas. Kvar amru zechreinum zechrein kvar amru zechreinum levracha. Our sages already said Sheim hayumamten at erev Shabbos hayemekadish alayin. If Adam Rishon would have waited patiently until Shabbos He would have been allowed to eat from the eitz adas. That's what the medrash says.
Girls, I want to make sure you connect the dots. In the very beginning, in chapter one, what does it tell? What does God tell Adam Rishon? You can eat from any tree. What does that include? Ayesha. Aye, but in chapter two, he says you're not allowed to eat from the Eitz Hadass. That is a temporary condition. You're only not allowed to eat from the Eitz Hadass as long as it's Friday. But come Shabbos, you're going to be allowed to eat from the Eitz Hadass, and not only that, girls. There's many different shittas. What was the Eitz Hadass? One thing it's for sure not is an apple tree. That's a Christian idea. There are many different things discussed in Chazal. What type of tree it was. One possibility is that it was a grapevine. And here, the Aruch HaYam quoting the Medrash says, "What would they have done? They would have made Kiddush" Meaning he would have sanctified Shabbos itself from what?
From the very grapes that he squeezed from the etz adas. This is a mind-blowing, radical new way of understanding the eitz adas. When you were growing up, what were you told? Adam Rishon could eat from any tree except for the eitz adas. Now we're being told Adam Rishon could eat from every tree, including the eitz adas. In fact, had he waited, he would have made kiddush on Shabbos from the vine, from the grapes that were on the eitz adas. Wild, wild, wild concept. So far, so good. What midah was Adam Rishon lacking in? Lacking in patience. All of a sudden, girls, you should start to see things starting to click. Because a moment ago we asked the following question: Why do we learn the midah of patience when it comes to trees giving off fruit? Now what do we know? What's it really connected to?
It's really connected to the Eitz Hadas. It's really connected to a different tree giving off fruit. Since Adamarishon wasn't patient with that tree We counterbalance that and we're patient with our trees, waiting three years. Is there any reason we have to wait specifically three years? Take a look. I wrote it for you out here in the footnotes. In the not the footnotes in the notes The Talmidei HaRizal say There's twelve hours in the day, girls. What hour was Adar Rishon told 'You shall not eat' from the Eitz Hadas? He was told in the ninth hour. Which means when was Shabbos? In the twelfth hour, which means how many hours did Adar Rishon need to wait? Three. Three hours. The reason, the Talmidei Chachamim, I'll say, the reason why we have to wait three years to eat those fruits is connected to the three hours that Odomarishon wasn't patient to make Kiddush on Shabbos. Girls, every single thing in the Torah has layers and layers of depth to it. I remember when I first learned the halachos of Arla and Netteravai, I remember being bored. I allowed you for the first three years. Then you could in the initial year you could eat the fourth year.
And then the fifth year you could eat at home. Once you start to learn the depth of Torah, Torah becomes exceptionally inspiring because you realize it's not just on the surface level. There's very deep things here. All of the halachos are connected to each other. So there's a halacha that we wait three years to eat the fruit because we have to counteract another three, which was the three hours that other marishon didn't wait. To make Kiddush on Shabbos with the grapes from the Etz Hadas, instead he ate them early. And in fact, if you take a look in the Medrash The Medrash says this. Beferish, Darish Rav Yehuda ben Pedaya, miyegale afar mei necha Adumarishon. Who will remove the dust from your eyes? Meaning, who's gonna rectify the sin of Adumarishon? Look what it says. Literally, what we're saying. Other Marishon, once he was told right away, "Don't eat from the Eitz Hadass." What did he do right away?
He ate from the Eitz Hadass. He couldn't even wait a little bit. But don't worry, the children will wait three years to rectify the sin of Adam Marishon. Girls, pretty good. Now we understand some deep things here. That Adam Harishon was in fact able to eat from any of the trees in the field. He had to wait until Shabbos. As soon as he was told it's usher, what did he do right away? He ate from it. He didn't wait three hours. What questions do we have left? Two questions. Two very important questions. What questions? You guys can think of this on your own. What about the meat? The meat was the same concept. The meat was draining. The blood. You have to learn to be patient to drain the blood. As we wait three years, you'll surely be patient. It doesn't have a deeper meaning. What was that? It doesn't have a deeper meaning.
It does, but we're not going to do it for now. That's a good point. But just within the framework of the Adamarishal story, anything bother you? Why couldn't like why could he eat it on Shabbos? Very good. That's number. That's my second question. What's the other one? And then why didn't like tell him he could eat it on Shabbos? Ridiculous. He did. He didn't say he. He said, "Don't eat it now. You can eat it on Shabbos." So, your first question was excellent, and that's something I want to harp on. The first question, which was beautiful, was, "Why are you allowed to eat it on Shabbos?" Is the eitzadas good or bad? If it's bad, you can't eat it at all. If it's good, you should be able to eat it right away. Sounds like it's bad for now. It's good in a minute. And once you can eat it, by the way, once you can eat it on Shabbos, then you can eat it forever. It was only usher for three hours. It's wild.
What is it about Shabbos that all of a sudden the etzadas becomes permissible? That's question number one. Is an obvious question. I'm shocked you girls aren't asking it. Why? Why did he wait? Why was he so impatient? This is other marishon we're talking about. Other marishon is so impatient. It's like girls. I hate to say it like this, but other marishon is not. He's not us. He doesn't have oppositional defiant disorder. It means that any time somebody tells you to do something, you automatically do the opposite. God says you can't eat from it; He takes from it right away. Chas v'shalom. That's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about a very deep thing. So listen to what the chassam sofer says—an unbelievable chassam sofer—and we'll finish with this. We know We know. Will you girls have rov gav coming in? You girls know that the Nachash told Chava.
On the day that you eat from the Eitz Hadass, your eyes will be opened, and you'll know tov v'ra. You'll know the difference between good and evil. Which means what? Which means until Adam Rishon ate from the Eitz Hadass Did he have a yitzahara? No. So in a certain way, if he doesn't have a yitzahara Is he actually serving God? It's an interesting question to think of. It's an interesting question to think about, but perhaps we can suggest as follows: This is what Chazamsov says. It's a very deep idea. I hope you're all with me. It's not impressive to do the right thing when you have no choice. It's impressive to do the right thing when you have something pulling you to do the wrong thing. It's like kaviyachol in Judaism. There's something called divorce. It's not impressive to stay married if you're in a religion that doesn't allow you to get divorced.
It's impressive to stay married when you have the opportunity for divorce, but you say no. I want to stay and work on this. Free choice is an amazing thing because it's what allows you to participate in the relationship. Other Marisheh is sitting there looking at the Eitz Hadass, and he says Hashem says you can eat from it on Shabbos. You can't eat from it yet. Other Marisheh goes. What's in it? The Nachash says, "On the day you eat from that" You'll have free choice." Other Marishlam says, "Sign me up! I want to serve Hashem. I don't want to wait three hours to serve Hashem. I want every single moment of my life to be meaningful. And unless I have choice My life is not meaningful. You hear what other Marishlam is thinking? So where was his mistake? That sounds pretty good to me. Except he made one mistake.
If we're serving someone On whose terms do we serve? We have to serve the other. Sometimes husbands want to be good husbands, not because they love their wives, but just because they want to be good husbands. You know what I mean by that? There's a rabbi whose name is Ravmanis Friedman. Have you ever heard of Ravmanis Friedman? So he wrote a very famous book called Why Doesn't Anyone Blush Anymore? The original title of that book, Rabbi Friedman says, was Shut Up, I Love You. If you'll just shut up I'll love you. But that's not a relationship. In a relationship, you don't say 'Shut up, let me love you.' In a relationship, you say, 'What do you need from me?' See, sometimes we're so creative. That we're serving Hashem not because of Hashem but because of our own creativity. It's like imagining if your creativity was stifled. Imagine how hard that is.
If you're a dancer and you can't dance, if you're a singer and you can't sing, it's so hard because you. It's like we're not human beings are naturally exceptionally creative. So other Marishon has all this creativity. He says, 'Let me Adam. I want to serve you with my creativity.' Hashem says, 'Are you serving me, or are you serving yourself?' Is it your need to be creative? Or is it about me? Is it about serving the other? So Hashem says to other Marisheh, "Here's the deal: If you'll wait until Shabbos Then you can eat from the Eitz Hadas. Girls? What's Aser on Shabbos? What's Aser on Shabbos? Melacha is off on Shabbos. Which melachos? The thirty-nine melachos that we did to build the Mishkan. These are called the thirty-nine creative activities. On Shabbos, what are you not allowed to do? You're not allowed to be creative.
Shabbos means Hashem. During the week, I serve you. But I'm going to prove to you that during the week, it's not about me. It's not about my own ego. It's not about my own creativity because on Shabbos I'll serve you by doing nothing. I'll serve you without creativity. So Hashem says to Adam Rishon, "I'm going to give you the gift of free choice." You'll have the gift of free choice, and you'll be able to serve me with your creativity as long as your free choice is rooted in Shabbos, the lack of creativity. Because then you'll really be serving me. It's like if you're buying your husband a gift. You buy the thing that you want. That's your gift. And you might have put all your creativity into it. Imagine you have a girl who's an artist. And she says, "What I would want more than anything is for my husband to paint me a gorgeous picture."
So you spend weeks and months painting this exceptional painting with all of your creativity for your husband. There's only one problem: your husband wanted tickets to the Knicks game. Your husband didn't want your picture. Who were you serving with your creativity? You were serving yourself. In order to know if you're actually participating in the relationship, the question is: Can you be with that person without being creative? Can you give yourself over to them where you're not expressing your creativity? Because creativity is the essence of all things. So this was the mistake. Other Bereshit says there's an opportunity for free choice. There's an opportunity for strength. There's an opportunity for creativity. Sign me up. I'm doing it right away. What does Hashem say? Then you're serving yourself. You're not serving me. If you would wait, then you could use free choice to be Mekadesh the Shabbos.
You could use free choice. To drink in Shabbos, you could merge your creativity with the absence of creativity. You could merge your creativity with humility. And then we would have been in the perfect relationship. But Admorishon was impatient because all he wanted to do was serve Hashem For himself. So now we have to rectify the sin of Admorishon. So what do we do? How do we rectify the sin of Adam Rishon? You're a farmer. Girls. How much creativity is involved in being a farmer. You prepared the ground. You dropped the seeds, you covered them up, you watered them. You did everything. You took care of them. You protected them from the winds, from the rains, and these beautiful fruit trees started to grow. And you wanted to jump to grab them, right? That's my fruit. That's my creativity. What does Hashem say to us? You have to rectify the sin of Adam Harishon. Who are you serving?
So what do we do? We wait. A second year comes, new fruit trees. You can see the apples are getting bigger. They're getting more delicious. What do we do again? We wait. Then a third year, we wait again. And finally, when the fruits are at their ripest and they're delicious, and this is the big fourth year, where do we take our fruits? To Yerushalayim. We say, all of my creativity, Hashem. It belongs to you. And girls, this is why not everybody has this minig But this is why some people have a minig to have an upsher A chalaka. It means that we let our son's hair grow long, and then when they turn three years old We give them a haircut. Why do we wait? Why do we wait three years? First of all, sometimes it doesn't look so good. Other times it looks amazing.
You ever see those beautiful little kids with their long, beautiful hair, and then they have that chalak, and all of a sudden they look like big boys? All of a sudden they're walking around, they're so proud of themselves. Why do we wait those three years? Because what's the first message that we teach a little child? How are we mechanech our children? We're teaching our children to have patience. Why is patience so important? I should give a shmuuz on patience on a Thursday night. Chas v'shalom. We're not just talking about patience. The patience to serve another on their terms, not to be arrogant and egocentric, and to serve on our terms. That's what patience is about. Patience is about being able to submit to something else, and that's no easy thing to do because human beings are so creative that we're chomping at the bit. We just want to go. We want to do. We want to be. We're creative, right?
But sometimes the avodah is to pull ourselves back To be patient To allow our husbands to be who they are, to allow our children to be who they are. How many parents are impatient with their children? We want to allow things to unfold on their own accord and be in service of another. Girls have a wonderful Shabbos.
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