Fruits of the Tree and of the Ground
פירות העץ והאדמה
Over fruits of the tree one recites “Borei peri ha-etz” (“Who creates the fruit of the tree”), and over fruits of the ground one recites “Borei peri ha-adama” (“Who creates the fruit of the ground”). For example, over grapes, pomegranates, apples, pears, walnuts and almonds one recites ha-etz; and over corn, lentils, peas, tomatoes and cucumbers one recites ha-adama.
A fruit of the ground grows quickly. Within a few months of its sowing or planting it produces fruit, and the simple power of the earth is more evident in it. In contrast, a fruit of the tree undergoes a complex process: in the first years the tree must grow and take shape, and afterward, in a relatively long process, it absorbs nourishment from the ground, digests it and grows its fruits. One can say that a fruit of the ground expresses basicness and simplicity, whereas a fruit of the tree expresses refinement and complexity, and generally its taste is also deeper and richer.
A tree resembles a person: both must undergo a lengthy process until they reach maturity, but afterward their fruits are superior. And just as with a tree, whose fruits of its first three years are forbidden to eat under the law of orla, so too a person must learn Torah and be educated in mitzvot before he begins to act in the world.
Originally, it was fitting for man to eat only fruits of the tree, as it is stated: “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat” (Bereishit 2:16). Even grain, which is man’s main food, grew on a tree, and according to R. Yehuda, the Tree of Knowledge was wheat (Berakhot 40a). In contrast, animals were supposed to eat fruits of the ground and grasses. After the sin, man fell from his level, and in order to repair himself he needed fruits of the ground, for simpler and more basic repairs. Grain too fell with him and became a grass. Man was charged with toiling and laboring to produce his food from the ground – plowing, sowing, reaping, grinding, kneading and baking – as it is stated: “By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread, until you return to the ground” (Bereishit 3:19). Through this toil man repairs his bad traits, and in a long and lengthy process prepares himself and the world for redemption.
And although man’s main food now comes from fruits of the ground, fruits of the tree still have tremendous importance, for they elevate and enhance the quality of his life and connect him to a higher level. In the time to come, after the world is repaired, man’s food will once again be the fruit of the tree, and there will be no toil in sowing it every year, as the Sages said (Ketubot 111b): “In the future, wheat will rise as tall as a palm tree…. Lest you say there will be difficulty in harvesting it (because of the palm tree’s height)… the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring a wind from His storehouses and blow upon it, and it will shake loose its fine flour, and a person will go out to the field and bring a handful, and from it will be his livelihood and the livelihood of his household.” And about the Land of Israel they said: “In the future, the Land of Israel will produce cakes (ready-made cakes) and garments of fine wool (beautiful clothing).” (See Pri Tzaddik, Tu Bi-Shvat 1.)
Thus a fruit of the tree has a special virtue, and a fruit of the ground also has its own importance, and for each of them one must thank God in the wording of the berakha specific to it. Through the berakha, the inner virtue of the fruit is actualized, and the holy spark within it is revealed and adds blessing to a person’s life.