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Rabbi Isaac began one of his discourses as follows: It is written: “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, and multiply like the cedar of Lebanon.” For what reason is the righteous man compared to a palm tree? Because, just as a palm tree that has been cut down needs a long time to grow again, so, when a righteous man departs from the world, a long period of time passes before another takes his place. Another reason for this comparison may also be given: Just as the palm tree thrives only when planted male and female, that is to say, when a male tree is planted beside a female tree, so the righteous man is always accompanied by a righteous woman, as in the case of Abraham and Sara. Scripture adds: “... And shall multiply like the cedar of Lebanon.” For, just as the cedar of Lebanon rises above all the other trees, so that the other trees stand beneath it, so the righteous man rises above other men, so that all men are under his protection.
Source Zohar I, Section Lekh-Lekha, fol. 81b · 📖 Read the full passage
✨ To meditate on today
According to the Zohar, the great book of Jewish mysticism, Rabbi Isaac explains a verse from the Psalms: the righteous person is like the palm tree, which grows slowly and thrives in pairs, like Abraham and Sarah, and like the great cedar of Lebanon, under which all the other trees find shelter. Today, be a cedar for someone: offer your support or protection to a more fragile person, and say thank you to the one who walks beside you.
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