The mystics certainly did. And what was their water, their sunlight, their very soil? The Torah.
Midrash Tehillim, a beautiful collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms, opens a window into just that image. It starts with the verse, "And he shall be like a tree planted," connecting it to Proverbs 3:18, which reads, "She is a tree of life to those who hold onto her." (Prov. 3:18). Why, Rabbi Yitzchak, son of Rabbi Chiya, asks, is the Torah called a tree of life? His answer? "Because it is beloved to all life."
But Rabbi Yudan goes even deeper. Why is the Torah compared to a tree of life? His answer points to the cosmic scale of the idea. Just as the original tree of life in the Garden of Eden spread its branches to all the inhabitants of the world, so too, the Torah is spread out for all of life, bringing them to eternal life in the world to come. Imagine that: the Torah as a source not just of wisdom, but of immortality!
The Midrash even tells us that this tree of life stands for five hundred years, with all the days of creation somehow connected to it. Think of it as the central axis, the very heartwood of reality itself.
Now, Rabbi Shmuel, son of Rabbi Yitzchak, took this idea to heart. He moved from teacher to teacher, from group to group, absorbing wisdom from every source. Why? To fulfill Psalms 119:99: "From all my teachers, I have gained understanding." He knew that to truly flourish, he needed to draw from a wide range of perspectives, just like a tree drawing nutrients from the soil around it.
And then there's this vivid image: The tree of life stands by the waters of Tiberias, that ancient, holy lake in Israel, and its fruits are produced in their season. What does this mean? The Midrash explains: The students of a person who toils in Torah study, who sets aside time for reading, Mishnah (oral law), and Talmud (commentary on the Mishnah), will also flourish. Their leaves will not wither, because everyone needs their conversation and study. In other words, dedicated Torah study bears fruit, not just for the individual, but for the entire community.
And whatever he does will succeed, because everyone needs his counsel. Why? Because he speaks from a place of wisdom, grounded in the eternal truths of the Torah.
The Midrash then brings in the example of Rabbi Elazar ben Arach, whose advice was so successful that people called him a prophet! But he demurred. "I am not a prophet," he said, "nor am I a son of a prophet, but this is what I have received from my teachers: Any advice that is for the sake of Heaven will eventually be fulfilled."
Rabbi Menashe adds to this, citing Proverbs 19:21: "And the counsel of the Lord shall stand." (Prov. 19:21). Any advice that contains the word of God will eventually be fulfilled. That’s the power of Torah—it’s not just a set of laws or stories, but a source of guidance that can shape our lives and the world around us for the better.
So, what does this all mean for us today? Are we rooted in something meaningful? Are we drawing sustenance from sources of wisdom and truth? Are we striving to be like that tree, bearing fruit for ourselves and for others? It’s a question worth pondering.