The passage begins with a seemingly simple verse from Leviticus (19:24) about planting fruit trees: “When you will come into the land and plant any food tree, then you shall regard its fruit forbidden; three years it shall be forbidden for you; it shall not be eaten.” But immediately, the text leaps to a verse from Proverbs (3:18): “It is a tree of life for those who grasp it.” What's the connection?
Rav Huna, citing Rabbi Aḥa, offers a powerful analogy. He warns us not to treat Torah like a desperate father trying to marry off his daughter to just anyone. Torah isn't something we’re doing God a favor by accepting. Instead, it's a precious gift, a privilege. As Proverbs 2:1 puts it, "My son, if you would take my sayings and treasure my commandments with you…” The Midrash emphasizes that "if" – if you merit it, then you can truly take hold of My sayings.
Think of it like this: Rav Huna, this time in the name of Rabbi Binyamin ben Levi, compares it to a king who tells his son to go into business. The son is afraid of robbers and pirates. So, what does the king do? He gives him a special staff, hollowed out and containing an amulet. “Let this staff be in your hand,” the king says, “and you will not fear anyone.” Similarly, God tells Moses to tell the Israelites: "Engage in Torah, and you will not fear any nation." Torah, then, is our protection, our amulet against the dangers of the world.
But here's where it gets really interesting. The text contrasts "toiling" in Torah with "grasping" it. It says that if the verse had stated "It is a tree of life for those who toil in it", there would be no survival for the enemies of Israel. "Toil" implies hard work, intensive study – something that not everyone can do. But it doesn't say that. Instead, it says "grasp." The emphasis is on understanding, internalizing, and making it your own. It's also about upholding the Torah, not just studying it. As Deuteronomy 27:26 states, the curse isn't on those who don't study, but on those who "will not uphold" the matters of the Torah.
Rav Huna offers another crucial insight. If someone stumbles and sins, what should they do to live? The answer isn't just rote memorization. If you normally read one page of the Bible, read two. If you study one chapter of Mishnah, study two. But what if you don't do either of those things? Then, the text suggests, become a leader of the community or a charity collector! Why? Because these acts of service, of upholding the community, are also pathways to life.
The text then circles back to Proverbs: "It is a tree of life for those who grasp it – for in the shelter of wisdom, in the shelter of money" (Ecclesiastes 7:12). Wisdom, in this context, refers to Torah study. Money, of course, refers to charitable giving. Both offer protection and sustenance.
Rabbi Aḥa, citing Rabbi Tanḥum ben Rabbi Ḥiyya, drives the point home. If you study, teach, observe, and perform mitzvot (commandments), and you have the ability to rebuke wrongdoing or support others in their Torah study but fail to do so, you are included among the cursed. Conversely, Rabbi Yirmeya, citing Rabbi Ḥiyya, says that even if you haven't studied, performed mitzvot, or taught others, but you do uphold the community and rebuke wrongdoing when you can, you are included among the blessed.
So, what's the takeaway? It's not enough to simply go through the motions of studying Torah. We must strive to grasp its meaning, to internalize its teachings, and, most importantly, to uphold its values in our daily lives. It's about taking action, about contributing to the well-being of our community, and about standing up for what is right. That is the true path to making the Torah a "tree of life" for ourselves and for the world.