The Well, the Firstfruits, and the Land That Bears Fruit in a Day

(Lev. 19:23:) "NOW WHEN YOU COME INTO THE LAND AND PLANT ANY TREE FOR FOOD, etc." This is what Scripture says (in Zech. 8:11-12): "AND NOW I WILL NOT BE TO THE REMNANT OF THIS PEOPLE AS IN THE FORMER DAYS, etc.; FOR THE SEED SHALL BE OF PEACE, THE VINE SHALL GIVE ITS FRUIT, AND THE LAND SHALL GIVE ITS PRODUCE, etc." What is the meaning of "NOT AS IN THE FORMER DAYS"? When Israel went out from Egypt and were walking in the wilderness, He brought down the manna for them, and made the quail fly to them, and raised up the well for them. And every tribe would make for itself a channel of water [and draw from the well], and bring it in beside itself. And [each and every one] would plant fig trees and vines and pomegranates, and they would produce fruit the same day, just as it was from the beginning of the creation of the world: "a fruit tree producing fruit after its kind" (Gen. 1:11). Had the children of man been worthy, it would have remained so until now: a man would plant a tree and it would produce fruit at once. When Adam sinned, the ground was cursed, as it is said: "Cursed is the ground for your sake" (Gen. 3:17); from then on, "in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life" (ibid.). One sows wheat and it sprouts thistles, as it is said: "thorns and thistles it shall sprout for you" (ibid. 3:18). When they went out from Egypt, [the Holy One, blessed be He,] raised up the well for them, and they would plant beside its waters, and the trees would produce fruit the same day. When the well was taken away, [the bounty was taken away.] What is written there? "Not a place of seed, or fig, or vine, or pomegranate" (Num. 20:5). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Say to Israel, when you enter the Land of Israel I will restore to you all the bounty, as it is said: "For the Lord your God is bringing you to a good land, etc., a land of wheat and barley and vines and figs and pomegranates, etc., a land in which not in scarcity, etc." (Deut. 8:7-9). When they came to the Land of Israel they began to sin, as it is said: "And you came and defiled My land, etc." (Jer. 2:7), and it did not produce fruit as was fitting; they would sow much and bring in little, as it is said: "You have sown much and brought in little" (Hag. 1:6). Why? Because they nullified the firstfruits. "Eating, but never enough" (ibid.) — from when the showbread was nullified. "Drinking, but never to satisfaction" (ibid.) — from when the libation of wine was nullified. "Clothing, [but] none is warm" (ibid.) — from when the garments of priesthood were nullified. "And he who earns wages earns wages for a bag with holes" (ibid.) — from when those who did charity were nullified. "There was no wage for man" (Zech. 8:10) — from when the pilgrims were nullified. "Nor any wage for the beast" (ibid.) — from when the offerings were nullified. But in the time to come the Holy One, blessed be He, will not do so, as it is said: "And now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former days, says the Lord of Hosts; for the seed shall be of peace, the vine shall give its fruit, and the land shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew, and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things, etc." (Zech. 8:11-12).