!ט״ו בשבט הגיע

(1) The four new years are: On the first of Nisan, the new year for the kings and for the festivals; On the first of Elul, the new year for the tithing of animals; Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Shimon say, in the first of Tishrei. On the first of Tishrei, the new year for years, for the Sabbatical years and for the Jubilee years and for the planting and for the vegetables. On the first of Shevat, the new year for the trees, these are the words of the House of Shammai; The House of Hillel says, on the fifteenth of the month.

(23) And when you come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then you shall count the fruit thereof as forbidden; three years shall it be as forbidden unto you; it shall not be eaten. (24) And in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy, for giving praise unto the LORD. (25) But in the fifth year you may eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you more richly the increase thereof: I am the LORD your God.

~~~~

Mishnah – the early Rabbinic work upon which the Gemara comments.

~~~~

Mishnah: What blessings are said over fruit? Over fruit of the tree, one says: “Who creates the fruit of the tree,” except for wine, over which one says, “Who creates the fruit of the vine. Over that which grows from the ground, one says: “Who creates the fruit of the ground,” except over bread, for which one says, “Who brings forth bread from the earth.” Over vegetables, one says: “Who creates the fruit of the ground.” Rabbi Judah says: Who creates diverse kinds of herbs.

Gemara: What’s the source for this?

~ This is the question we will be trying to answer ~

As our Rabbis have taught: “The fruit thereof shall be holy, for giving praise to the Lord.”(Leviticus 19:24) This teaches that they require a blessing both before and after partaking of them. Based on this, R. Akiva said: A man is forbidden to taste anything before saying a blessing over it.

~Answer #1: Verse that may be used to prove we bless before and after eating.~

But is this the lesson to be learnt from these words ‘Holy for giving praise’? Surely they are required for these two lessons

~ Challenge: Maybe that’s not what this verse really means?

This is no difficulty, being learnt a fortiori: If he says a blessing when he is full, how much more should he do so when he is hungry?

~ Solution: it’s logical to say that if you need a blessing after, you must need one before. ~

Rather, it is logic: It is forbidden to a person to enjoy anything of this world without saying a blessing.

~ Answer: It’s just logical to say that you can’t eat without making a blessing first. ~

Our Rabbis have taught: It is forbidden to a person to enjoy anything of this world without a blessing, and if anyone enjoys anything of this world without a blessing, he commits me’ilah (improper use of a sanctified item).

~ Final answer: We have a baraita (early rabbinic teaching) that clearly states that one may not get benefit from the world without a blessing. ~

When they were about to part, [R. Nahman] said: Please, Rabbi, bless me. He replied: Let me tell you a parable — To what may this be compared? To a man who was journeying in the desert; he was hungry, weary and thirsty and he lighted upon a tree the fruits of which were sweet, its shade
pleasant, and a stream of water flowing beneath it; he ate of its fruits, drank of the water, and rested under its shade. When he was about to continue his journey, he said: Tree, O Tree, with what shall I bless you? Shall I say to you, ‘May thy fruits be sweet’? They are sweet already; that your shade be pleasant? It is already pleasant; that a stream of water may flow beneath you? Look, a stream of water flows already beneath you; therefore [I say], ‘May it be God's will that all your shoots

shall be just like you. So too you - with what shall I bless you. If with Torah - you already know Torah! If with wealth - you already have wealth! If with children - you already have children! Rather, may it be God's will that your descendants shall be like you.