Honey

The only pasuk in the Torah that lists the seven species – “A land of wheat and barley and grape and fig and pomegranate, a land of olive oil and honey” (Devarim 8:8), raises a number of questions.

The first question is – Why this order? If the intent is to subdivide the seven items in order of food group – grains, wine, fruit, oil – then the order should be wheat, barley (grains), grapes (wine), figs, pomegranates and dates (fruit), olives (oil). However, the pasuk splits the fruit list into two parts, first the figs and pomegranates and only after the oil part, at the end, does it list dates.

Secondly, why does the pasuk repeat the word “Eretz” twice? A first “Eretz” for wheat, barley, grapes, figs and pomegranates and then a second “Eretz” for olives and dates. It is as if there are two different types of “Eretz” and not one integral “Eretz.”

The third question is – Why does the pasuk call olives “Zayit Shemen?” the fruit and the byproduct – oil. If the pasuk was listing the fruits and also the byproducts derived from them, it should have also said “wheat, barley – bread,” “grapes – wine,” “dates – honey.”

Lastly, dates are not mentioned at all in the pasuk, only the word “honey.” How do we know that the pasuk even means dates? It could be “bee honey,” or honey made from other types of fruit as well.

Our pasuk above has a definite subdivision, but it is not according to food group. The subdivision is into two distinct groups, each prefaced by the word “Eretz.” The first group contains – wheat, barley, grapes, figs and pomegranates and the second group – olive oil and honey.

What is special about the first group? The five species listed in the first group are all connected to the sin of Adam and Chava.

Wheat and barley were two (of five) fruits of the Tree of Knowledge (together with spelt, rye and oats – Meir Panim, chap. 15).

Chava squeezed grapes into wine and gave Adam to drink (Zohar, part A, 36a).

Following the sin, Adam and Chava covered themselves with fig leaves. The word “t’eina” (fig) is symbolic of “complaining for no apparent reason,” for example “mit’onenim” (Bamidbar 11:1). Adam and Chava had no reason to complain for lack of food and eat from the Tree of Knowledge which Hashem forbade.

The Mefarshim say that the “me’il” (coat) of the Kohen Gadol was an atonement for sins of speech. For this reason, the edge of the coat was hemmed by a series of “bells and pomegranates” (Shemot 39:26). The Mefarshim (Alsheich, Kli Yakar and others) say that the “pa’amon” (bell) resembles an open mouth and the “rimon” (pomegranate) a closed mouth. The sin of Adam and Chava resulted from the serpent opening his mouth and speaking lashon hara and from Chava not keeping her mouth shut and conversing with the serpent while her husband was not present/sober (Meir Panim, ibid.).

The second group, olives and dates, is typified by a completely different common denominator. Unlike the first group where only the fresh produce is listed, in this second group the byproduct (the processed result) of the fruit is listed – oil and honey. Regarding olives it lists both the fruit and the byproduct – oil and with dates, it omits the fruit completely and lists only the byproduct – honey.

How do we know that the pasuk is actually talking about dates when it says honey? Honey is made from other sources, other fruit and also bees make honey. In fact, Rashi on the pasuk “A land flowing with milk and honey” (Shemot 13:5), says that the milk is from goats and honey is from dates and figs. On the pasuk prohibiting use of honey on the altar (Vayikra 2:11), Rashi says that any sweet fruit is called honey. So how do we know that our pasuk above is specifically speaking about dates?

We know it from two Gemaras (Yerushalmi, Bikkurim chap. 1, halacha 3 and Brachot 41b) where it categorically associates honey with dates.

As we have said, the second group of “Eretz” lists the byproducts of the fruits, not the actual fruit. Even though it says “Zayit Shemen,” it is referring specifically to the oil, not the fruit. Nobody back then ate the fruit of the olive tree, only the oil made from it. The Gemara (Horayot 13b) warns that eating olives (the fruit) makes one forget the Torah they have studied, as opposed to eating olive oil which helps one to remember what they have studied.

In the second group therefore, we have two items – olive oil and date honey, processed byproducts of the fruit, made by man.

Eretz Yisrael is blessed with seven species of food. One of the joys of living in Eretz Yisrael is having the privilege of eating these special foods. However, this comes packaged with a responsibility and a warning. Just like a food product comes with warning labels on the packaging, so too do the seven species.

The first group of five have the warning label – “Beware: these foods tripped up Adam and Chava!” They are permissible and even recommended to eat, but make sure you do so without repeating Adam and Chava’s mistakes.

This second group also comes with a warning label – “Beware: These are permissible and even recommended to eat, but do not think for one minute that because you had a hand in preparing them that you are responsible for their existence.” Hashem is responsible for their existence; He gave you the skill and the intelligence to make them.

Parshat HaShavua Trivia Question: Which mitzvot is the word “Eikev” referring to?

Answer to Last Week’s Trivia Question: Why did Moshe allocate three cities of refuge over the Jordan before he died? Seemingly these were irrelevant until Am Yisrael conquered the land and only then would they become active. Moshe wanted to grab as many mitzvot as he possibly could.

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