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The Plant and the Tree
During it’s season, the plant sprouts into existence, flourishes, and brings offspring from its seed. Then it withers away, to be replaced the following year by another of its kind. Thus, it seems that the purpose of the plant is to perpetuate the existence of its species.
The tree, starts as a sapling, only to keep growing in strength from year to year. As it progresses, it begins a lifetime career of bringing forth fruit and flowers, aside from providing offspring for the continuity of it’s kind. It’s purpose then, is to enhance its own life as well as the continuation of its species.
Malbim explains, most of mankind live out their lives preparing for those who exist after them. They might bring up children, amass some wealth, and leave it over to them after their demise. Like the plant, they are living for the survival of others. "Fortunate is the man" however, who lives out his years producing the fruit of Torah and good deeds. For with this, he is bringing everlasting fulfillment to his own life, as well as to others. He is not comparable to the plant, rather "he will be like a tree..." (Tehillim 1:3).
- Last week's
"Vehaya k’eitz.../ He will be like a tree..." (Tehillim 1:3)
Man’s ability to grow, is comparable to a tree. Malbim comments, just as the roots of a tree supplies sustenance to the rest of it, the same is with man. The "roots" of the person is his mind, from which his feelings flow to the different limbs - the "branches" - of his body. The actions of man are controlled by his thoughts.
The wicked wish to share the same source of sustenance as the earthly tree. They consider the purpose of life to be one of pleasure seeking and self-gratification. Consequently, all of their actions are driven by their desire for earthly pleasure. Thus, together with the tree of the field, they derive their source of nourishment from the earth. For them, there is no difference between themselves and the tree of the ground.
The righteous, however, realize how they differ from their allegorical counterpart in respect to the source of their nourishment. While the roots of the tree derives it sustenance from the ground, the minds of the righteous and their thoughts are rooted in that which is above them. They understand that their purpose in this world is to serve G-d by living according to His will. Their actions, no matter how mundane, are stimulated by their desire to carry out their divine purpose.
Indeed, the Sages taught that the righteous are compared to a tree that is rooted in a place of purity, while its branches are in a place of impurity. The wicked, who refuse to understand the real purpose of their existence, are just the opposite. In respect to the purpose of mankind, they are like an upside-down tree.
Usher Smith has studied at Yeshiva Shaarei Torah (Monsey NY), Talmudical Academy Of Central NJ (Adelphia NJ), and Beth Medrash Govoha (Jerusalem Israel and Lakwood NJ)