Like the wood of the grapevine among the trees of the forest,
which I have designated to be fuel for fire, so will I treat the inhabitants of Yerushalayim
Ezekiel 15:6 (The Israel Bible™)
כַּאֲשֶׁר עֵץ־הַגֶּפֶן בְּעֵץ הַיַּעַר אֲשֶׁר־נְתַתִּיו לָאֵשׁ לְאָכְלָה כֵּן נָתַתִּי אֶת־יֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם
Hear the verse in Hebrew
ka-a-SHER aytz ha-GE-fen b’-AYTZ ha-YA-ar a-sher n’-ta-TEEV la-AYSH l’-okh-LAH KAYN na-TA-tee et yo-sh’-VAY y’-ru-sha-LA-im
This week marks the Jewish holiday of Tu B'Shevat:
The New Year of the Trees
The Lesson of the Grape
In honor of Tu B'Shevat, Rabbi Tuly Weisz and Donna Jollay of Israel365 planted beautiful trees outside the Cave of the Patriarchs in the Biblical city of Hebron. Tu B'Shevat is the time to celebrate the trees and produce of the Land of Israel. Grapes are one of the seven special agricultural products of the Land of Israel and grow in various regions of the country. Grapes offer a valuable lesson. Grapes must be crushed, either by foot or by press, in order to produce wine. Similarly, righteous individuals are often subjected to trials and tribulations in order to bring out their full potential. In this prophecy, Yechezkel(Ezekiel) promises that the inhabitants of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) will be destroyed just like a vine that no longer produces grapes. The suffering that the children of Israel will endure however is not intended as a mere punishment. Rather, Hashem (God) hopes that the pain and anguish that the children of Israel experience will inspire their ultimate return to Him.
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