DATE PLANTATIONS:

MY ISRAEL:

DATE PLANTATIONS:

In honour of the festival of Sukkot I have decided to don my botanical hat and delve into the attributes of the Palm tree (lulav), one of the 4 species associated with the festival. The other species being the myrtle (hadass), willow (aravah) and citron (etrog). On the 25/05/2018, I wrote an article on the reintroduction of date palms into the Jordan Valley & the Arava. I view this article as an extension of the former.

Dates are one of the 7 species associated with the land of Israel. The others being wheat, barley, grapes, figs, olives and pomegranates ( Deuteronomy 8:8). Mentioned more than 30 times in the bible, dates have both physical and spiritual attributes.

On a physical level, dates have been grown for 5000 years or more. Requiring much sun, the trees enabled barren parts of the world such as deserts to be inhabited. Dates are among the very highest fruits on the glycemic scale, which measures the natural sugar content. On average, palm trees take 4 to 6 years to reach maturity & can live from between 80 to 100 years. The hot desert climate and abundance of sun allows for photosynthesis occur. This enables the plant to convert sunlight into energy and eventually into fruit. Date palms created shaded areas that provided protection against the elements.

During the desert sojourn our forefathers camped at the desert oasis of Elim (Exodus 15:27). The oasis was home to 12 springs representing the 12 tribes, and 70 date palms representing the 70 elders. In addition to creating a habitable environment, the leaves were used as a broom as well as material for the weaving of baskets. The fronds were used for the roof of the tabernacle and the trunks for the construction of both roofs and walls. The edible fruit is light in weight, resilient to heat and therefore easily portable and could be carried on journey's across the desert .Dates were and are also processed to produce both wine and honey.

On a spiritual level, the date (tamar) has according to gematria, a numerical value of 640, as does the sun. In the same way as photosynthesis converts sunlight into fruit, the kabbalist's maintain that the light of God (Torah) can be transformed into energy so as to yield the fruits of inspiration and understanding . Thus, date palms symbolize the righteous person as expressed in Psalms 92:13 – "The righteous like the date palm will flourish". Isiah 60:21 futher states " Your people are righteous, they shall inherit the land forever". In the belief that Torah gives life, the kabbalist maintain that the palm tree can be referred to as the tree of life.

Ron Traub (Tour Guide & Architect).

Website: rontraub-tours.com

Photo: Rimonah Traub.