This blog is a forum for the posting of insights on the daf yomi (daily daf). Postings will be brief and to the point. Comments are welcome.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Ta'anis 20a - Cedars on water
This post is from R' Aaron Katz - it is a little long so i am posting as a comment.
3 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Taanis 20a – Like Arozim on Water
Bilaam Harasha blessed the Jews that they should be like Arozim, cedar trees. Since cedar trees have limitations in that they can not survive in a watery environment, its trunk does not regenerate, it does not have extensive roots and the strong southern wind (e.g. hurricanes and typhoons which come from the south) can uproot it, Hashem or the angel (rashi, tosfaos) added to Bilaam’s blessing of “arozim” – “on water”.
The obvious question is how does adding the words “on water” fix the inadequacies of being blessed like cedars? If cedars cannot thrive in a watery environment, blessing Clal Yisroel to be like cedars in water is actually dooming them, chas veshalom.
It seems that the answer is pretty simple. The gemara in R”H (23a) says that there are ten species of arez, amongst them the hados (myrtle), pine, cedar and one that the gemara calls “ksisa”, which Rashi defines as a tree that grows on the ocean floor called “coral” (in Old French). Our gemara is now easy to understand. When Hashem appended the words “on water” to Bilaam’s blessing of “like arozim”, He did not mean a cedar tree that is planted in the water, rather He meant to transform the species of erez referred to in Bilaam’s brocha from a cedar tree to a ksisa - which thrives in water.
The problem that persists with this explanation is how does ksisa - coral - fit our gemara’s description of a tree that has an extensive root system, regenerates, and withstands the southern winds (see Binyahu who explains that cedars “on water” is to rectify not only the cedar’s inadequacy to survive in a watery environment, but to cover all of the cedar’s weaknesses)? In fact, coral is below the water’s surface so it is not subjected to any winds at all and it does not seem to regenerate, hence all the environmental restrictions against harming coral reefs. Also, in R”H the gemara relates how a ship would be loaded and, after being anchored to the ksisa, it would be unloaded to uproot the tree from the ocean. This does not seem like a means of harvesting coral, which is actually a brittle material. In truth, coral is not a tree at all. It is a structure created from calcium deposits produced by sea polyps.
The most recent edition of National Geographic had an interesting article on mangroves, entitled Forests of the Tide (http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/feature5/index.html). These trees grow on the coast, both above and below the water surface. In order to survive in such a wet muddy environment they have a very intricate interlocking root system that can contain thousands of root spikes both above and below ground to hold the trees upright. The pictures of these root systems are quite amazing (http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/feature5/gallery7.html, see pictures 7 and 8). The mangrove’s interlocking roots system filters sediment from rivers emptying into bays, providing the clear water environment that offshore coral requires to survive, as well as creating a buffer against waves (even tsunamis) for coastal populations. The article states that there are 70 species of mangrove, including palm, holly and myrtle.
The mangrove fits the description of “on water”, can survive the strong southern winds and certainly has an impressively extensive root system. To pull a mangrove out of the water would likely require the efforts described by the gemara in R”H. Most significantly, due to the nature of a mangrove to provide protection and withstand harsh environments, it would seem very appropriate to bless Clal Yisroel with its qualities.
The Binyahu understands that “on water” refers to Torah, which remains with us in galus. Klal Yisroel is being blessed to thrive in the Torah like arozim along the seashore. No matter the harshness of conditions, Klal Yisroel will thrive in Torah and even provide protection for the world around it. The Ein Yaacov understands that “on water” refers to the umos haolam, as in Shir Hashirim “mayim rabim lo yuchlu l’chavos es ha’ahava”, which is understood as “the nations of the world can not extinguish the love between Klal Yisroel and Hashem”. Klal Yisroel is being blessed to thrive amongst the harsh elements that the nations of the world produce like arozim along the seashore. No matter the harshness of the environment, Klal Yisroel will survive and even provide protection for the world around it. Putting the two pshatim together, the Torah which Klal Yisroel is being blessed to grow in (even in galus) will afford the protection against the umos haolom and that same Torah learning will provide a buffer for the world against the environmental disasters which the sea threatens with.
3 comments:
Taanis 20a – Like Arozim on Water
Bilaam Harasha blessed the Jews that they should be like Arozim, cedar trees. Since cedar trees have limitations in that they can not survive in a watery environment, its trunk does not regenerate, it does not have extensive roots and the strong southern wind (e.g. hurricanes and typhoons which come from the south) can uproot it, Hashem or the angel (rashi, tosfaos) added to Bilaam’s blessing of “arozim” – “on water”.
The obvious question is how does adding the words “on water” fix the inadequacies of being blessed like cedars? If cedars cannot thrive in a watery environment, blessing Clal Yisroel to be like cedars in water is actually dooming them, chas veshalom.
It seems that the answer is pretty simple. The gemara in R”H (23a) says that there are ten species of arez, amongst them the hados (myrtle), pine, cedar and one that the gemara calls “ksisa”, which Rashi defines as a tree that grows on the ocean floor called “coral” (in Old French). Our gemara is now easy to understand. When Hashem appended the words “on water” to Bilaam’s blessing of “like arozim”, He did not mean a cedar tree that is planted in the water, rather He meant to transform the species of erez referred to in Bilaam’s brocha from a cedar tree to a ksisa - which thrives in water.
The problem that persists with this explanation is how does ksisa - coral - fit our gemara’s description of a tree that has an extensive root system, regenerates, and withstands the southern winds (see Binyahu who explains that cedars “on water” is to rectify not only the cedar’s inadequacy to survive in a watery environment, but to cover all of the cedar’s weaknesses)? In fact, coral is below the water’s surface so it is not subjected to any winds at all and it does not seem to regenerate, hence all the environmental restrictions against harming coral reefs. Also, in R”H the gemara relates how a ship would be loaded and, after being anchored to the ksisa, it would be unloaded to uproot the tree from the ocean. This does not seem like a means of harvesting coral, which is actually a brittle material. In truth, coral is not a tree at all. It is a structure created from calcium deposits produced by sea polyps.
The most recent edition of National Geographic had an interesting article on mangroves, entitled Forests of the Tide (http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/feature5/index.html). These trees grow on the coast, both above and below the water surface. In order to survive in such a wet muddy environment they have a very intricate interlocking root system that can contain thousands of root spikes both above and below ground to hold the trees upright. The pictures of these root systems are quite amazing (http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/feature5/gallery7.html, see pictures 7 and 8). The mangrove’s interlocking roots system filters sediment from rivers emptying into bays, providing the clear water environment that offshore coral requires to survive, as well as creating a buffer against waves (even tsunamis) for coastal populations. The article states that there are 70 species of mangrove, including palm, holly and myrtle.
The mangrove fits the description of “on water”, can survive the strong southern winds and certainly has an impressively extensive root system. To pull a mangrove out of the water would likely require the efforts described by the gemara in R”H. Most significantly, due to the nature of a mangrove to provide protection and withstand harsh environments, it would seem very appropriate to bless Clal Yisroel with its qualities.
The Binyahu understands that “on water” refers to Torah, which remains with us in galus. Klal Yisroel is being blessed to thrive in the Torah like arozim along the seashore. No matter the harshness of conditions, Klal Yisroel will thrive in Torah and even provide protection for the world around it. The Ein Yaacov understands that “on water” refers to the umos haolam, as in Shir Hashirim “mayim rabim lo yuchlu l’chavos es ha’ahava”, which is understood as “the nations of the world can not extinguish the love between Klal Yisroel and Hashem”. Klal Yisroel is being blessed to thrive amongst the harsh elements that the nations of the world produce like arozim along the seashore. No matter the harshness of the environment, Klal Yisroel will survive and even provide protection for the world around it. Putting the two pshatim together, the Torah which Klal Yisroel is being blessed to grow in (even in galus) will afford the protection against the umos haolom and that same Torah learning will provide a buffer for the world against the environmental disasters which the sea threatens with.
Very interesting.
great!one point, here again we find the subject of water meaning 2 opposites - spiritual torah and the "chomer" of the nations.
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