We learn from the symbolism of every event and apply it to ourselves to better our lives. As we celebrate the New Year for the trees, let us consider what measures a farmer takes in order to improve the yield of his trees. An arborist will not let his trees grow unrestrained. He constantly observes every part of them and with skill determines which branches contribute to the betterment of his plants and which are a detriment. For those that, in his judgment, will grow properly and will bear good fruit he will take measures to promote further growth. Others he will partially trim. Others, he feels, that leaving them to grow would be harmful and destructive to the whole tree. These he will lop down totally. It is up to a person to restrain the raw power of nature and direct it into an orderly, beneficial entity.
We are born with natural human instincts. These are: the drive to amass wealth, the desire to enjoy sensual pleasure, the longing for honor, the urge to exercise power and the intent to relax, avoiding effort and casting responsibility upon others.
Ambition, appetite and self dignity are vital to proper human functioning. One must be involved in the orderly function of society. This takes the form of being a part of a cooperative economy in which each individual is a contributor to and a receiver of the wealth of society. He did not create it for waste; He formed it to be inhabited .(Isaiah 45:18) Appetite and sensual pleasure are forces which motivate people to maintain their health and to create a family structure. Self-respect is a force which prompts people to good human behavior.
These powerful forces must not be allowed to go forth unrestrained. The pursuit of wealth must be guided by the principle of fair, honest and ethical trade of merchandise, labor and service. And so, all those involved gain measurably. Indulgence in physical pleasures restrained by the disciplines of the Torah allow a person to live a happy, content life .
This requires us to rid ourselves of those branches of our character that would corrupt ambition into greed, appetite into lust and dignity into vanity. A tree is trimmed with sharp, hard metal tools skillfully and forcefully used to lop off its harmful parts. Parallel action must be utilized with our minds, hearts, thoughts, words and actions. The process might initially be a challenging struggle. The results though, leave us with a deeply satisfying mental, emotional and spiritual self. We will be greatly rewarded in this temporal world and so much more in the eternal world to come.
It is a tree of life for those who hold fast to it. (Proverbs 3:18)
Ohev Shalom Voice
