Emet Inspire - Rabbi Binyamin Yuhanan - Parashat Kedoshim

[Music] Welcome back to this week's EMTT inspired. Rabbi, so I had a question for you. In this week's para, they talk about that you can't eat fruit from a tree from the first 3 years. Why is that? Very good question. The Torah tells us that after you plant a tree, you cannot eat from the fruit for the first 3 years. And then in the fourth year, you have to take the fruit, bring it to Yurushalime, eat it there, and afterwards you can eat the fruit freely. And this law applies to the land of Israel. And surprisingly, it applies also to our country outside of Israel. Even though any other law that is connected to the land is only applicable to the land of Israel. This is an exception. The law of order applies even in America. But it's a good question. Why for the first 3 years I cannot touch the fruit? So first of all the first 3 years there's not much of the fruit to talk about. first three years, maybe four or five years, the fruit is small, is not so much because the tree is just maturing. So, you're not giving up so much. But the concept we see all over when you have a baby boy, you have to give a little piece of his skin to Hashem. When you have the first baby boy, you have to redeem him from a cohand. When you have the first first fruits, you have to what we call burim. You have to collect them, bring them to your say thank you to Hashem. When you harvest your field, before you take for yourself, separate a little portion, give it to Cohen. Separate a little portion, give it to Levi. It seems that throughout our life, we are constantly giving something from us and giving it to Hashem. And in reality, this is something that Hashem is telling us, I am giving you life. I'm giving you children. I'm giving you money. I'm giving you food. All I'm asking is that you should recognize where all these gifts are coming from and give a little bit back as a token as a sign of thank you. And therefore for 3 years we don't eat fruit from the tree to recognize that the land comes from God. the plants, fruits, sunshine, our health all come from Hashem. And therefore, we want to dedicate the first fruits to Hashem. Very good question. Thank you so much, Rabbi. You're welcome. You're welcome. Shabbat shalom. [Music]