תַפּוּחַ – Apple – Malus Pumila
Printable Version
Finding Hashem in the Apple
The Holy Apple
Orchard
The apple has rightfully
merited to receive much recognition throughout the times till today. It has come to symbolize so much more than a
crunchy fruit. Its image is significant in the corporal world, from iPhone to
the Big Apple. The apple is also central in our holy Torah, from the Bible to
our mystical tradition. We eat apples on Rosh Hashana, as a sign that we will
merit entering Paradise. Furthermore, the apple, which
is pleasing and enjoyable in every way, (taste, appearance and fragrance), is
symbolic of our hopes that the New Year will bring joy and success in all areas
of life (children, life and sustenance (Ben Ish Chai). The Zohar refers to the Garden of Eden as ‘The Orchard of Holy
Apples’ – חקל תפוחין קדישין/Chakal Tapuchin Kadishin (Zohar 3:271a). I have long been wondering about the reason for the common
misunderstanding that the Tree of Knowledge was an apple tree. While the Talmud
suggests a number of possible identities for the Tree of Knowledge – including
etrog, fig, date, grape, and even wheat tree (Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 40a),
the forbidden fruit is never identified with the apple neither in the written
or oral Torah. However, apple is loosely linked with the Tree of Life, as it is
located in the center of the apple orchard (Chatam Sofer, Vayikra 26:3).
Although I haven’t found any explicit identification of the Tree of Life in any
Torah source, at last the apple orchard is the way to the Tree of Life” (Rav
Tzaddok, P’ri Tzaddik, Parashat Mishpatim 4). So perhaps ‘apple’ became
the forbidden fruit due to a mix-up between the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree
of Life. Another explanation for how the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge Good
and Evil came to be an apple in most people’s perception could be due to the
translation of the Torah into Latin in the 4th century. Since in
Latin both ‘evil and ‘apple’ is called ‘malum,’ the misunderstanding
easily arose.
The Apple is a
Metaphor for Hashem
Just as the apple heals all,
so does the Holy One heal all. Just as the apple has various colors (white,
red, green) so does the Holy One have various supernal colors (white, red and
green corresponding to the attributes of chesed, gevurah and tiferet
(Zohar, 3:74a). The apple tree represents Hashem, Who is
distinguished from the false gods. Just as the apple tree blossoms in the
spring – in the month of Nisan, and its fruit ripens 50 days later – in the
month of Sivan, so was the sequence of Hashem’s redeeming us from Egypt and His
giving us the Torah. He redeemed us in Nissan, and gave us His Torah 50 days
after (Midrash Shir Hashirim Rabbah 2).
כְּתַפּוּחַ
בַּעֲצֵי הַיַּעַר כֵּן דּוֹדִי בֵּין הַבָּנִים בְּצִלּוֹ חִמַּדְתִּי
וְיָשַׁבְתִּי וּפִרְיוֹ מָתוֹק לְחִכִּי: (שיר השירים פרק ב פסוק ג)
“As an apple tree among the trees of the
forest, so is my beloved among the sons; in His shade I delighted and sat, and
his fruit was sweet to my palate” (Song of Songs 2:3).
Just as an apple tree is more
beloved than all the trees that do not bear fruit, the Holy One, blessed be He
distinguishes Himself above all the gods. Just as most people do not chose to
sit under the apple tree, since it has very little shade, so did all the
nations flee from the Holy One, blessed be He, at the giving of the Torah. However,
Israel chose to sit in the shade of the apple tree – in the shade of Hashem
protected by His Torah (Rashi, Song of Songs 2:3).
Hashem, Who is the Soul of
all the worlds, gives life to all, and rules everything. Yet, it is not always
easy to notice the Divine supervision, concealed by the forces of nature.
Hashem is “among the sons” – amidst the forces of nature that He imbued with
ruling powers to the extent that His Divine supervision and influence is
concealed. This is similar to an apple tree among the trees of the forest that
by their height and large branches, overshadow the much smaller apple tree
(Malbim, Ibid.).
One of my students showed me how to find Hashem in
an apple the following way: We can find G‑d’s Four-Letter Name by cutting an
apple along its horizontal axis. The letter י/yud –
with its numeric value of 10 – is alluded to by the ten dots in the pulp
surrounding the seeds. The letter ה/hei is
indicated by the five seed spaces in the core of the apple. The shape of
the letter ו/vav is drawn by
the stem. The second ה/hei is alluded by
the five seeds.
Hashem is the
Apple Tree, Israel the Apples
The main revelation of
G-dliness and the life-giving vitality from Heaven flows into the world through
the Tree of Life, which represents Hashem and His Torah. Israel is commanded to
grow in holiness, and follow Hashem. Thus, Hashem is called the apple tree,
whereas the souls of Israel are His fruits. As written in the holy Zohar “His
fruit is sweet to my pallet” – these are the souls of the tzaddikim they
are all servants of Hashem… (Zohar 1:85b). Even the congregation of
Israel are His fruits, as it states, “You are sons of Hashem Your G-d” (Devarim
14:1); (Rav Tzaddok, Tub’Shevat 2). When our Father, Ya’acov, entered
Yitzchak’s tent to receive his blessing, the scent of the Garden of Eden
entered with him. Therefore Yitzchak remarked, “My son’s fragrance is like the
fragrance of the field which is blessed by Hashem” (Bereishit 27:27). He
sensed the fragrance of the Garden of Eden, which entered with Ya’acov. The
field blessed by Hashem is the field of the holy apples (Rashi, Bereishit
27:27). The Garden of Eden is called ‘The Field of Apples,’ for the souls of
Israel are called apples. The scent of the Garden of Eden – the garden of the
holy apples emanated from Ya’acov, our father, who rectified Adam. Likewise on
Shabbat, when we receive an extra soul, then the Jewish people are called ‘Holy
Apples.’ Shabbat itself is furthermore, a taste of the World-to-Come. If not
for the sin of the Golden Calf, Israel’s receiving the Torah, would have been
the final rectification and return to the Garden. Therefore, at the revelation
at Sinai, the congregation of Israel was compared to the apple (P’ri
Tzaddik, Parashat Tzav 8).
Becoming Holy
Apples by Accepting the Torah before Hearing It
The Talmud praises Israel for accepting the Torah
with complete unquestioning emunah (faith).
מַאי דִּכְתִיב,
(שה"ש בּ) "כְּתַפּוּחַ בַּעֲצֵי הַיַּעַר" וְגוֹ'. לָמָּה
נִמְשְׁלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַפּוּחַ? לוֹמַר לְךָ, מָה תַּפּוּחַ זֶה - פִּרְיוֹ
קוֹדֵם לְעָלָיו, אַף יִשְׂרָאֵל הִקְדִּימוּ נַעֲשֶׂה לְוְנִשְׁמָע:) תלמוד בבלי מסכת
שבת דף פ"ח/א(
Why is it written “like an
apple among the trees of the forest”? Why are Israel compared to the apple?
Just as the blossoming of the apple tree precedes the formation of leaves, so
did the Jewish people say נַעֲשֶׂה/na’aseh – agreed to perform the Torah’s commandments
even before ווְנִשְׁמָע/v’v’nishma
– hearing them (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 88a). Although in my
experience the difference between the apple tree and the rest of the fruit
trees is not so noticeable in this respect, the apple
tree is often covered with flowers before many of the leaves appear. Similarly
the apple produces fruiting spurs before the leaves show. “We will do” are the fruits – keeping the Torah
and mitzvot. “We will hear” are the leaves – the aspect of awe, as in “Hear O
Israel G-d is One…” When we put it to heart that the King, of kings stands
before us and sees our deeds, then we receive awe. Even the unlearned who are
compared to the leaves merit this (P’ri Tzaddik, Parashat Shelach 7).
Apples Dipped in
Honey on Rosh Hashana
נַעֲשֶׂה/na’aseh
– means to perform the good act
by obediently following Hashem to keep the Torah and mitzvot, without feeling
the taste (meaning) of the mitzvot.
However, we still hope to achieve the level of וְנִשְׁמָע/v’v’nishma – the deeper understanding of the meaning of the Torah and mitzvot and
everything in our lives. The apple alludes to נַעֲשֶׂה/na’aseh – the aspect of good, whereas dipping of the apple
in honey alludes to וְנִשְׁמָע/v’nishma – the sweetness of the understanding of the
reasons for the mitzvot which brings
שִׂמְחָה /simcha
– joy to our hearts. When dipping the apple in honey on Rosh Hashana we pray:
יְהִי רָצוֹן
מִלְּפָנֶיךָ הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתִּתְחַדֵּשׁ עָלֵינוּ
שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה:
“May it be the will of our
Heavenly Father to renew for us a good and sweet year!”
The apple alludes to theשָׁנָה טוֹבָה /shana
tova – good year – the good deeds, which we hope to be able to do in the
new year. The honey alludes to the sweetness and understanding of the good
deeds, which we pray to be able to experience in the following year; this is
the meaning of וּמְתוּקָה/u’metukah
– sweet.
נַעֲשֶׂה/na’aseh
|
וְוְנִשְׁמָע/v’v’nishma
|
Doing
|
Understanding
|
Torah & Mitzvot –
Fruits
|
Awe of Hashem – Leaves
|
שָׁנָה טוֹבָה /shana tova – good year
|
וּמְתוּקָה/u’metukah – sweet
|
תַפּוּחַ/tapuach – Apple
|
דְּבָשׁ/d’vash – Honey
|
The apple has only one seed
core for the entire fruit. This symbolize that striving for individual
perfection is not enough, we are all unified and connected and we pray for the
new year that that will be able to play our part in the perfected community of
Israel.
שָׁנָה טוֹבָה וּמְתוּקָה – May you all be inscribed for a good and sweet year!
Nutritional
Profile of Apples
סַמְּכוּנִי
בָּאֲשִׁישׁוֹת רַפְּדוּנִי בַּתַּפּוּחִים כִּי חוֹלַת אַהֲבָה אָנִי: (שיר השירים פרק ב פסוק ה)
“Sustain me with carafes of
wine, strengthen me with apples, for I am lovesick” (Song of Songs 2:5).
It has always been the custom
to heal the sick with apples as Rashi explains COVER ME WITH APPLES for a good
fragrance, in the manner of the sick, for I am sick for his love, for I thirst
for Him here in my exile (Rashi). Ibn Ezra goes further to state directly that
apples strengthen and invigorate the sick. Today the apple still symbolizes
good health, as reflected in the old welsh proverb, “An apple a day keeps the
doctor away.” Apples are a high-antioxidant food and a very significant source
of flavonoids. One medium apple contains about: 95 calories, 4 grams fiber; 19
grams sugar; 4 milligrams vitamin C (14 percent DV); 196 milligrams potassium
(6 percent DV); 4 milligrams vitamin K (5 percent DV); 0.1 milligrams vitamin
B6 (4 percent DV); 1 milligrams manganese (3 percent DV).
Health Benefits
of Apples
In 2004, the USDA scientists
investigated over 100 foods for antioxidant concentration per serving size. Two
types of apples – Red Delicious and Granny Smith – ranked 12th and 13th
respectively. Antioxidants are important disease-fighting compounds. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, apples are cool and sweet. They affect
the liver and gallbladder meridians, stimulating the liver into action,
allowing it to release ‘heat’ (toxins, hormones, pathogens) to be bound into
its fiber.
Lowers Cholesterol
The pectin fiber found
in apples naturally lowers cholesterol. One 2003 study found that when rats
were fed a diet high in apple pectin extract and freeze-dried apples, they
experienced significantly lower levels of cholesterol absorption and
triglycerides.
Prevent Gallstones
When there is too much
cholesterol in the bile for it to remain liquid, it solidifies and become
gallstones. A high fiber diet helps control weight and cholesterol levels and
prevents gallstones. The malic acid in apples helps to dissolve cholesterol-packed
gallstones, to be removed by the body via the stool.
Detoxify the Liver
The liver is
responsible for clearing toxins from the body. Drinking lots of apple juice
before cleansing the liver is recommended because the malic acid in apple juice
softens gallstones to enable them to be flushed from the liver. The pectin found in apples has a unique ability to bind heavy
metals and slowly remove them via the intestinal tract.
Benefit the
Digestive System
Fiber found in apples
can help alleviate both diarrhea and constipation. It can either pull water out
of your colon to keep things moving along when being backed up, or absorb
excess water from the stool to slow the bowels down.
Prevent Diabetes
The soluble fibre in
apple is the key to blunting blood sugar swings. Moreover, certain
flavonoids present in apples are known to improve insulin sensitivity, which is
key to preventing both diabetes and long-term weight gain. Because apples are
high in fiber, they’re considered a fruit that’s low on the glycemic index.
Women who eat one apple a day are 28 per cent less likely to develop type 2
diabetes.
Boost the Immune
System
Red apples contain an
antioxidant called quercetin. Quercetin can help boost and fortify the immune
system, especially when suffering from stress.
Curb Cancer
Scientists from the
American Association for Cancer Research agree that consumption of
flavonol-rich apples helps reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer by up to 23 per
cent. Researchers at Cornell University have identified protective phytochemicals
in apple skin – triterpenoids – that have potent anti-growth activities against
cancer cells in the liver, colon and breast. Due to their quercetin, apples may
prevent prostate cancer. Since both cardiovascular disease and cancer are
thought to be highly related to a condition called oxidative stress, the
ability to fight off free radical damage and oxidation is what gives
antioxidant rich apples their healing power.
Hands On
Apples are delicious
to munch on as is without too many ‘hands on.’ However, unfortunately this is
not the case with the apples growing in my garden which for various reason I
rather not specify needs to be cut up before they can be served. I add them in
carrot salad, make apple sauce and apple compote with apple, raisins and
cinnamon simmered for about 15 minutes. Last week my students and I made this
raw recipe below, which was surprisingly delicious.
Gluten Free Raw
Apple Cobbler
8 Apples, peeled and chopped
¾ cup soft purple or red
plums
¾ cup raisins, soaked and
drained
2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups sunflower seeds or
walnuts or a mixture
1 cup medjool dates
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1. Place 2 apples, the plums,
raisins, one teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg in a food processor and process until
smooth.
2. Toss remaining chopped
apples with lemon juice in a large bowl. Pour apple raisin puree over apples
and mix well. Spoon mixture into a medium-sized baking dish and set aside.
3. Pulse walnuts, dates, one
teaspoon cinnamon and sea salt in a food processor until coarsely ground. Be
careful not to over-mix. Sprinkle mixture over apples and press down lightly
with your hands. Serve immediately or let sit for a few hours for the flavor to
marinate.
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