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| They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works. Psalm 145:5 | |
The Beautiful fruit of the beautiful tree
On the first day you are to take choice fruit of trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and rejoice before ADONAI your God for seven days.
Leviticus 23:40
I am lingering a little in the fragrance of the fruit called an etrog, which is a fruit associated with the Feast of Sukkot. It has a fragrance that reaches my heart with the love of G-d and speaks of His Majesty. I know, a heart cannot exactly `smell`, and a fragrance does not `speak`, but this fruit makes me think outside of the regular dimensions, and stretches my senses, that is how divine the fragrance is! I hope to release even a little of that fragrance here in a blog post.
In the verse that introduces the commandment to rejoice for Sukkot (Lev. 23:40 above), there is the mention of taking 4 species. One of them as you can see in the verse (and in the photos as represented by the etrog), is the "choice fruit of the trees". The Jewish sages have a discussion on this `choice fruit`, or sometimes translated as `beautiful fruit`. They ask the question, does the modifier `beautiful` describe the fruit , or does it describe the tree? That is the midrashic question around this fruit.
I don`t know the grammatical answer, but what spoke to me was the word itself in the Hebrew that describes the fruit, or the tree. The word is HADAR. It ultimately modifies and points us to the Majesty of the LORD God Almighty Himself!
This word, HADAR, הֲדַר~ which modifies the fruit or fruit tree, actually means splendor, honor, ornament, majesty!
The first time the word HADAR is used in the Torah (in all of the bible) is here in Leviticus 23:40, and after that we see this word HADAR is used to describe God`s splendor and majesty. We sometimes see it paired with HOD or KAVOD, as it speaks of God`s glory and His majesty.
הֲדַר, כְּבוֹד הוֹדֶךָ-- וְדִבְרֵי נִפְלְאֹתֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works. Psalm 145:5
The four species together are also said to represent different parts of the body. The fruit which is called an Etrog represents the heart. The palm leaves the spine, the myrtle the eyes, and the willow the lips.
Taken together we can see how they represent worshiping God with our whole self, with every part of us, as in Deuteronomy 6:4,
Love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Connecting back to the Garden and forward to the Redemption!
We recently started in a new Torah cycle from the book of Genesis. When I read about the fruit, that Eve took when tempted by the serpent, I noticed how It was described as pleasing to the eye.
I was thinking when I read it this time of this description of `pleasing to the eye`, as compared to the beauty of the fruit in Leviticus 23:40. That which represents the deepest expression of God`s majesty, and His beauty that we see from the heart, is something that He reveals when we seek after intimacy with HIm... with all our heart.
I felt that G-d was speaking about how growing in obedience to Him is a way in which we grow into seeing His majesty and splendor.
Those are some of my Succah reflections and fragrant beginnings. As we start a new Torah cycle, we are already in the third Parsha (Torah Portion)! I will hope to catch up a little to where we are now, going into `Vayera` , which means `And He appeared` and comes from the root word `To see`!!
If anyone would like to join in following the Torah portions together, please let me know in the comment or in an e-mail (ahavaprayerandmovement@gmail.com). I send out a weekly AHAVA Parsha Prayer Sheet, which gives a short introduction to the Parsha and scriptures related to the weekly portion to pray for your loved ones, schools, community, and for Israel!
Blessings and LOVE ~ AHAVA!
Love,
Shayndel
Splendor and majesty are before Him.
Strength and beauty are in His Sanctuary.Psalm 96:6
PS Interestingly, after I wrote this post, I found that it was not just my discovery about the fruit representing God`s majesty!! I saw this article on a Jewish website describing how each element is also describing an aspect of G-d, and relating to a verse in the Tanakh! I love that when the Holy Spirit leads us to our own discoveries, and then after we find the discovery that was already made!!
Each species has a particular reference to God, according to a Midrash in Leviticus Rabbah, 83: the etrog is symbolic of Psalm 104:1: “You are clothed in glory and majesty”; the palm is used because it is said Psalms 92:13: “The righteous bloom like date-palm”; the myrtle signifies Zechariah 1:8: “And he stood among the myrtle-trees”; the willow is significant because it is written in Psalms 68:5: “Extol Him who rides on the clouds (aravot), the Lord is His name.”
PS notes to myself:
put a few photos of the succah here!
Article HERE for how to make a fragrant spice box out of an etrog after Sukkot !!
Your post looks and sounds like poetry to me.
ReplyDeleteI like your photos with the beautiful and fragrant fruit, etrog, fruit associated with the Sukkot holiday.
Thank you Duta. Yes, somehow I had a poetic impulse to write it so I am glad that came across! Most of all I hope G-d`s glory and majesty is revealed in the expression of it.❤️ Love and blessings! Shavu`a Tov
ReplyDeleteHi Shayndel, this is a nice post, and I love the picture to the left of your post, of the rainbow, which speaks of God's promises - not what much of the world thinks it represents.
ReplyDeleteHi Brenda, Thank you for reading and encouraging. Yes, Praise God for His promises. May we keep our eyes always on Him! Love and blessings ❤️
Delete"I hope to release even a little of that fragrance here in a blog post."
ReplyDeleteYou did! 😊
HADAR. I like how you look to the meanings of words.
I am reading this (again) in the early hours of Wednesday. I am thinking of our conversation yesterday about Justice, rather than this side or that side winning a contest. I am clinging to that. "This Side" is not our savior and neither is "That Side." Our salvation is only in the Lord. Bless you, Shayndel.
Thank you Sandi. I am blessed to hear that the fragrance came through even all the way there to the U.S.
DeleteThank you for Isaiah 59 below, and such a perfect word coming after our conversation. Amen and amen!! Bless you, Sandi ❤️
Isaiah 59
ReplyDeleteSeparation from God
Delete59 Behold, Adonai’s hand is not too short to save,
nor His ear too dull to hear.
2
Rather, your iniquities have made a separation
between you and your God.
Your sins have hidden His face from you,
so that He does not hear.
3
For your hands are defiled with blood
and your fingers with iniquity.
Your lips have spoken lies,
your tongue mutters wickedness.
4
No one sues justly,
and none pleads a case honestly.
They trust in confusion and speak lies.
They conceive mischief,
and bring forth iniquity.
5
They hatch adders’ eggs,
and weave the spider’s web—
whoever eats their eggs dies;
crack one open, a viper breaks out.
6
Their webs will not become clothing,
nor will they cover themselves with what they make.
Their deeds are works of iniquity,
an act of violence is in their hands.
7
Their feet run after evil.
They rush to shed innocent blood.
Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity.
Violence and ruin are on their highways.
8
They do not know the path of peace,
and there is no justice in their tracks.
They have made their paths crooked.
Whoever walks in them will not experience shalom.
9
That is why justice is far from us
and righteousness does not reach us.
We hope for light, but behold darkness,
for brightness, but walk in gloom.
10
We grope along the wall like the blind.
We grope like those with no eyes.
We stumble at noon as at twilight.
We are like the dead in desolation.
11
All of us growl like bears
or moan like doves.
We hope for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
12
For our transgressions are multiplied before You,
and our sins testify against us,
for our transgressions are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
13
transgressing and denying Adonai,
turning back from following our God,
speaking oppression and revolt,
conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart.
14
Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands far off.
For truth has stumbled in the street,
and uprightness cannot enter.
15
So now truth is missing,
and whoever shuns evil becomes prey.
Now when Adonai saw it, it was displeasing in His eyes
that there was no justice.
16
He saw that there was no one—
He was astonished that no one was interceding.
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him,
and His righteousness upheld Him.
17
He put on righteousness as a breastplate
and a helmet of salvation on His head.
He clothed Himself in robes of vengeance
and wrapped Himself in zeal as a cloak.
18
According to their deeds,
so He will repay:
wrath to His adversaries,
retribution to His enemies.
To the islands He will repay as due.
19
So from the west they will fear the Name of Adonai,
and His glory from the rising of the sun.
For He will come like a rushing stream
driven along by the Ruach Adonai.
20
“But a Redeemer will come to Zion,
and to those in Jacob who turn from transgression.”
It is a declaration of Adonai.
21 “As for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says Adonai: “My Ruach who is on you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, or from the mouth of your offspring, or from the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says Adonai, “from now on and forever.”
Amen ❤️
Delete“But a Redeemer will come to Zion,
ReplyDeleteand to those in Jacob who turn from transgression.”
It is a declaration of Adonai."
💙💙💙💙
Amen!
DeleteYes, I noticed that awesome promise,
HalleluYah!
💙💙💙
We just came back from Israel and again we were reminded of the fruit of the trees everywhere! The smells and colors, just wonderful!
ReplyDeleteHi Marja, Welcome back! I love hearing your comment fresh from Israel. I receive it as a fragrant gift! I love that you sent me back some of the fragrance and beauty of the fruit trees in the Holy Land!!💛Hope you`ll share with us more about your time there!! Blessings and Shalom!
Delete