Spring and the Almond Blossoms!

Although it is not one of the special “seven species” of the Land of Israel, the almond tree has a special place in the hearts of everyone who lives here in the Land.

The almond tree is native to Israel and can be found in the wild, and in cultivated orchards. When our kids were little we used to go into the forest near our home in Jerusalem and pick wild almonds. Invariably they were too bitter to eat, but we would make an almond scrub from the pulp in the food processor.

The almond tree has a special place in the Torah as well. When the tribes rebelled against Moses and Aharon claiming the perhaps Aaron should not be the High Priest, God instructed Moses to take a wooden staff from each of the tribal leaders as well as one from Aharon and place them in the Tent of the Pact.

Numbers [17:22]-23 reports

“Moses deposited the staff before the Lord, in the Tent of the Pact.

The next day Moses entered the Tent of the Pact, and there the staff of Aaron of the house of Levi had sprouted: it has brought forth sprouts, produced blossoms and borne almonds.”

This miracle of the almond staff calmed the rebellion and firmly established Aharon in his position of Cohen Gadol (the High Priest)