The fruits of a life in Israel

Today I realized, for the hundredth time, exactly what it means to live in the Land of Israel.

I picked some Mishmish (apricot) from a tree outside my office at Israel National Radio today - 13 fruits.





If you pick more than ten fruits from a tree in the land, you have to take tithes from it. But I wasn't so knowledgeable about the fine details, so I took the fruits back into the office and asked my colleagues. Two of them proceeded to give me an entire shiur (lesson) on terumot and maasrot (during Temple times, in present day, during Shmittah year, during this year (the 3rd year)), and a third actually said the required passages to take the maaser, while the second then took the fruits and took upon himself the duty of giving the portion required to the poor. Then I said a blessing and ate from the portion of fruit remaining.

It was amazing.

It was the Living Torah, the Torah of today's Jew, the modern ancient person in the flourishing holy land. The fruit of a 30 year old tree being sanctified as was the fruit of her great, great, great, great grandmother. The bottom line is that it's all happening out here. It's for real, not just on paper. It's just so alive.