Rabbi Abba said: "When you see the trees in Israel giving off their fruit, know that there is no greater sign that the Redemption of the Jewish people is at hand." Our rabbis comment that during the entire time that the Jewish people are not in their Land, the trees do not give off fruits as they should, and when they will give off their fruits - once again this will be at the Redemption of the Jewish people.

We also find by our Forefathers, that when they came into the Land they planted, as it is written: Avraham planted an Eshel tree in Beersheba. Concerning Yitzchak: And Yitzchak planted in the Land, Re Ya'akov: And he (Ya'akov) worked the field.

On the importance of planting in the Land, we find that Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakai stated that if you have a tree in your hand and are told that the Mashiach has come, you should first plant the tree and then greet the Mashiach.

The Gr”a, who sent many of his students to the Land of Israel in the mid-1800’s, always desired to plant a tree in the Land, as he wrote to his students: If only Hashem would grant me the merit to plant a fruit tree in Jerusalem, and to fulfill the sentence: When you come into the Land and plant trees...

May it be His will that in the merit of planting fruit trees in the Land, that we will fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah: “And G-d will comfort Zion and rebuild its remains and make its desert bloom."

Rabbi Yehuda Kroizer

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