Sweet Endings

This week’s Haftorah is the first of a series known as the Tlasa D’Parenusa, the three Haftoros leined during the weeks of Bein HaMetzarim. These three Haftoros are followed by the Shiva D’Nechemta, the seven Haftoros that are Leined in the weeks between Tisha B’Av and Rosh Hashana. In sum, the next ten weeks are a period of time in which the Haftoros define not only our calendar but our mindset. The importance of the Haftoros to this span of the calendar can be seen from a Psak brought by the Elya Rabba in Hilchos Rosh Chodesh: if the wrong Haftorah was read on the first of the “three weeks”, the missed portion would be read the next week in addition to the regular Haftorah. In other words, Leining each of these Haftoros is so important that we would “make up” a missed one—a surprising Halacha given the general status of the Haftoros. With this in mind, it is understood that we must try each week to connect in some way the Pessukim selected by the Chachamim.

The first Haftorah of the Tlasa D’Parenusa is read on the Shabbos immediately following Shiva Asur B’Tamuz (sometimes Parshas Pinchas and sometimes Matos) and comes from the very beginning of Sefer Yirmiah. The Hafotrah can be seen as two different sections: first, some introductory Pessukim that focus on the origins of Yirmiyahu HaNavi, and the a description of the first two Nevuos he received . The words of Yermiyahu, who served as the final Navi prior to the Churban, resonate throughout this time of year—in the Haftoros and in Eicha itself—and so we would expect that the Haftorah relates to the time period in a thematic sense. It seems, however, that there is an even more direct link between the first Nevuah of Yirmiyahu and the three weeks.

After telling us about Yirmiyahu’s background, and the way in which Hashem told him of his life’s mission, the Navi speaks about his first actual Nevuah. The Dvar Hashem reached Yirmiyahu and asked: “Mah Attah Ro’eh Yimiyahu?” The Navi responds that he sees “Makel Shaked”, the branch of an almond tree. Hashem responds that this was accurate: “Hitavta Liros Ki Shaked Ani Al Divari L’Asoso”. This is the end of the first Ma’arah that Yirmiyahu saw, and clearly some explanation is needed.

At the outset, there seems to be a play on words implicit in the Nevuah. Yirmiyahu saw a Makel Shaked, an almond branch which represented the fact that HKBH was Shaked Al Divaro, which means that Hashem was watchful of his intentions. The Nevuah seems to be telling Yirmiyahu about the importance of his mission: he must communicate with alacrity to Klal Yisroel that unless they steer themselves off the path upon which they trod, disaster awaits. That said, we must always try to understand the way in which the Nevuah was given, for there is often additional meaning to be found.

The most obvious question that presents itself while learning these Pessukim is why Yirmiyahu had to see an almond branch. If Hashem wished to communicate the fact that “Shaked Ani Al Divari L’Asoso” it could have been told directly to the Navi—what is the implication of the almond branch?

Rashi addresses the symbolism present in this Ma’areh: the almond branch is the fastest, among all trees, to bloom and so the Shaked represented the speed in which the Churban approached. We see now that the linguistic connection between the Shaked and the words “Ki Shaked Ani Al Divari” is not merely a play on words—the two terms are actually connected to one another.

There is an additional meaning to this Ma’areh though. Rashi quotes the Medrash in Eicha Rabasi which teaches us an interesting fact: “Hashaked HaZeh M’Shas Chanitaso Ad Gmar Bishulo Esrim V’Echad Yom”, an almond tree takes twenty-one days to blossom into a fully ripe fruit. The Medrash points out that this is the same amount of time between Shiva Asur B’Tamuz and Tish B’Av, the period of Bein HaMetzarim. Clearly there is a connection between this Nevuah and the time in which it is read as the Haftorah, but neither the Medrash, nor Rashi, fully explain what this teaches us.

If the almond branch was shown to Yimiyahu twenty-one days before the Churban, to communicate how little time there was to avoid destruction, we would have understood the symbolism quite well. The fact is, however, that Yirmiyahu received this Nevuah more than forty years prior to the actual Churban. The Makel Shaked, with its twenty-one day period of blossom, seems to communicate something about the period of Bein Hametzarim itself, a message that would resonate until today if we could discover what it may be.

Before trying to understand the implication of Yermiyahu’s vision, we must first determine what exactly he saw. The words “Makel Shaked” mean a branch of an almond tree, but it isn’t clear from the Passuk whether that branch in fact had almonds upon it, or if it was bare. The Pirush HaRid tells us that the Makel was “Maleh Shekadim”, that it bore fruit, and in fact the Zohar Hakadosh explains the Passuk this way as well.

The Alshich HaKadosh, on the other hand, tells us that the Makel Shaked was a “Mishulal M’Pri V’Alin”, free of nuts or leaves, a “Makel Yavesh”. In fact, the Alshich uses this fact to explain the words “Hitavta Liros”. Yirmiyahu, he explains, saw a bare branch, but took the time and exerted the effort to discern which type of tree it was. HKBH complimented this effort, saying “Hitavta Liros”, that his vision itself laudatory, and in fact a boon to Klal Yisroel in his role as their Mochiach.

If the Makel was bare, as Alshich explains, the entire symbolism of the Shaked is brought into question. We established that Yirmiyahu was shown the Shaked because of its twenty-one-day blossoming process, which corresponds to the period of Bein Hametzarim. Why was he should a bare branch that required investigation to determine its breed? If the message was the almonds, why not show him almonds?

Seeing as Shekedim seem to play such a central role in this Nevuah and its attendant messages, perhaps we can use a different aspect of this fruit that is discussed in Chazal to explain their appearance here.

The Mishnayos in Chulin discuss several items that have unique qualities that affect Halachos pertaining to them. One of these items is almonds, about which the Mishna teaches us: “Hachayav B’Shekedim HaMarim Patur B’Mesukim HaChayav B’mesukim Patur B’Marim”. Generally speaking, a fruit becomes Mechuyav in Ma’aser when it is ready to eat, and this Mishna teaches us that when it comes to almonds, this stage is dependent on the type of nut. To wit: bitter almonds are Pattur from Maaser when they are at the stage at which sweet almonds become Mechuyav, and visa versa. The Gemara explains further: “Shekadim Hamarim Ketanim Chayavin Gedolim Peturim”. That is, their relative stage of Chiyuv is determined by the size of the nut: bitter almonds are Chayav in Ma’aser when they are small, and Pattur when they are large, and the opposite is true as well.

The Dubna Maagid asks a simple question on this Mishna and Gemarah: almonds that are bitter when they are large are sweet when they are small, which is why they are Mechuyav if Ma’aser at that stage. Similarly, almonds that are sweet when they are larger, are initially bitter in their smaller stage, which is why they aren’t Mechuyav in Ma’aser until they grow. This all being the case, why doesn’t the Mishna just tell us that almonds are Mechuyav in Ma’aser when they are sweet. The discussion of their relative size and taste seems extraneous, as the Halacha could be stated much more simply.

The Maagid explains that the Mishna is teaching us an important lesson: “Hakol Holech Achar G’mar HaPri”. Almonds that are sweet now, when they are small, but become bitter later on are in their essence Shekedim HaMarim. Similarly, almonds that are bitter when they are small but are sweet once fully formed, are Shekadim Mesukim. Although the Mishna could well have taught us that almonds are Mechuyav Maaser only when they are sweet and edible, the Halacha is presented so as to teach us this important lesson.

The Duba Maagid uses this Klal learned from the Mishna, Hakol Holech Achar G’mar HaPri, to explain a Medrash in Bamidbar Rabba. The Medrash there tells us that the Umos HaOlam asked HKBH why He does not accept them. the answer given was: “She’atem Chotim”, that they are sinners. The Umos HaOlam posed a rejoinder: “Yisroel Ainam Chotim?” Klal Yisroel, the Am Hanivchar, also sins, why then are they accepted by the Ribbono Shel Olam. The response to this claim was that Klal Yisroel is like a baby whose father looks past its mischief because it will one day mature.

Bnei Yisroel, explains the Dubno Maagid, are like Shekedim Mesukim: bitter in their early stages but sweeter as they mature. They are destined for greatness, and so their childish inequities are forgivable. The Umos HaOlam, however, are like Shekedim HaMarim, as time goes on they only become less palatable. Perhaps we can use this idea to explain the Nevurah received by Yirmiyahu and how it relates to the twenty-one days of Bein Hametzarim.

Each year, as the period of Bein HaMetzarim approaches, we look around and realize that another year has gone by and we are in the same place. Moshiach has not yet arrived, the Bais Hamikdash has not been rebuilt and the words of Eicha seem to echo even louder than before. The onset of this part of the calendar may therefore be accompanied by a sense of defeat or despair.

It is at this time that we learn about the Makel Shaked.

The Navi was shown a Makel, a branch that had no fruits upon it, as the Alshich explained. Upon closer examination he determined that this was in fact a Makel Shaked a branch of an almond tree. As we have seen, however, there are different types of almonds: those that start our sweet but become more bitter as they mature, and those that are bitter when they are small and grow sweeter. This entire process, however, is very fast: it takes only twenty-one days for almonds to reach full maturity at which point their taste is permanent—either sweet or bitter, as the case may be.

The message to us is clear: we must face this time period not with despair but with hope. The twenty-one days that follow can be a time of fabulous growth: just as a small bud can form into a full almond in this short time, we can achieve all that we hope for as well. Even if the “three weeks” emerge as a bitter fruit, we ought to keep in mind the Klal of “Hakol Holech Achar G’mar HaPri”. That which seems so bitter now, in just twenty-one days can turn so sweet.

We know that the day will come that Galus will seem like a dream, Hayinu K’Cholmim, and that our lives full of joy, “Az Yimalei Sechok Pinu”. Our challenge is believing that this can be a reality this very year. We have twenty-one days between Shiva Asur B’Tamuz and Tisha B’Av to turn our destiny around. The almond blossom that begins off as a bitter fruit can emerge with the sweetest taste. Our saddest day, Tish B’Av, can be our happiest, the G’Mar HaPri is not yet determined—we must knoe that is in withing our reach to write the sweetest ending to this chapter of our lives.