Practices Of Judaism

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f humans because various parts of the Torah compare a person to a tree:
“A person is like the tree of a field…” (Deuteronomy 20:19)
“For as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people.” (Isaiah 65:22)
“He will be like a tree planted near water…” (Jeremiah 17:8)
“It is a tree of life for all who grasp it.” (Proverbs 3:18)
“A person whose wisdom exceeds his good deeds is likened to a tree whose branches are numerous, but whose roots are few. The wind comes and uproots and turns it upside down. But a person whose good deeds exceed his wisdom is likened to a tree whose branches are few but whose roots are numerous. Even if all the winds in the world were to come and blow against it, they could not budge it from its place.” (Pirkei Avot 3:22)
Like a human being, a tree needs the four basic elements in order to survive- soil, water, air, and fire (sun). A tree needs to be planted firmly in the earth, because the soil provides both nourishment and a place for the roots to grow. Similarly, humans require a strong home base that provides both moral and physical nourishment, and a supportive growth environment. The Torah is compared to the second basic element, water, as Moses says in Deuteronomy 32:2: “May my teaching drop like the rain.” Both rain and Torah come from the heavens and provide relief to the physically and spiritually parched. Both trees and humans require air for survival. The Torah states that “God breathed life into the form of Man” (Genesis 2:7), and it is believed that the spiritual life force comes, metaphorically, by way of air and respiration. A tree also needs fire- sunlight- to survive. The absorption of energy from the light activates the process of photosynthesis, a chemical reaction that is essential for the growth and health of the tree. Humans also need fire- warmth and sunlight- to survive. This kind of warmth refers to the power of community and bro...