אִם הָיְתָה נְטִיעָה בְּתוֹךְ יָדָךְ וְיֹאמְרוּ לָּךְ "הֲרֵי לָךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ", בּוֹא וּנְטַע אֶת הַנְטִיעָה וְאַחַר כָּךְ צֵא וְהַקְבִּילוֹ.
Rabbi Yohanan Ben Zakai used to say: "If you have a sapling in your hand and they tell you 'The Messiah is coming!' first plant the sapling and then go to greet him."[translation by Hazon]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
What values does planting the tree before going to greet the Messiah express?
Why are some reasons you might prioritize planting over the moment that the Jewish people have been anticipating for centuries?
בַּבֹּקֶר זְרַע אֶת זַרְעֶךָ וְלָעֶרֶב אַל תַּנַּח יָדֶךָ (קהלת יא, ו), רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אָמַר אִם זָרַעְתָּ בְּבָכִיר זְרַע בְּאָפִיל, שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ (קהלת יא, ו): אֵיזֶהוּ יֻכְשַׁר, אִם שֶׁל אָפִיל אִם שֶׁל בָּכִיר (קהלת יא, ו): וְאִם שְׁנֵיהֶם כְּאֶחָד טוֹבִים. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אָמַר אִם בָּא עָנִי אֶצְלְךָ בְּשַׁחֲרִית, תֵּן לוֹ. בְּעַרְבִית, תֵּן לוֹ. שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ אֵיזֶה מֵהֶן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כּוֹתֵב עָלֶיךָ הֲזֶה אוֹ זֶה וְאִם שְׁנֵיהֶם כְּאֶחָד טוֹבִים. רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר אִם לָמַדְתָּ תּוֹרָה בְּנַעֲרוּתֶךָ לְמֹד תּוֹרָה בְּזִקְנוּתֶךָ, שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ אֵיזֶה מֵהֶן מִתְקַיֵּם לְךָ הֲזֶה אוֹ זֶה וְאִם שְׁנֵיהֶם כְּאֶחָד טוֹבִים. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר אִם הָיוּ לְךָ תַּלְמִידִים בְּנַעֲרוּתֶךָ עֲשֵׂה לְךָ תַּלְמִידִים בְּזִקְנוּתֶךָ, שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ אֵיזֶה מֵהֶם מִתְקַיֵּם לְךָ זֶה אוֹ זֶה, וְאִם שְׁנֵיהֶם כְּאֶחָד טוֹבִים. וְהַעֲמֵד בָּנִים, וּמִמִּי אַתָּה לָמֵד מֵאַבְרָהָם שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ בָּנִים בְּנַעֲרוּתוֹ וְלָקַח אִשָּׁה בְּזִקְנוּתוֹ וְהֶעֱמִיד בָּנִים, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וַיֹּסֶף אַבְרָהָם וגו'.
“In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not rest your hand” (Ecclesiastes 11:6) – Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Eliezer said: If you sowed in the early season, sow in the late season [as well], as you do not know “which will succeed” (Ecclesiastes 11:6), whether that of the early season or that of the late season, “or whether they both alike will be good” (Ecclesiastes 11:6). Rabbi Yehoshua said: If a poor person comes to you in the morning, give him charity, [and if another comes] in the evening, give him [as well], as you do not know for which of them the Holy One blessed be He will record about you, for this one or for that one, “or whether they both alike will be good.” Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Yishmael says: If you studied Torah in your youth, study Torah in your old age [as well], as you do not know which of them will endure, this one or that one, “or whether they both alike will be good.” Rabbi Akiva says: If you had students in your youth, procure students for yourself in your old age [as well], as you do not know which of them will endure, this one or that one, “or whether they both alike will be good.”... Rabbi Dostai in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: If you had children in your youth, take a wife in your old age and produce [more] children. From whom do you learn this? From Abraham, who had children in his youth, and took a wife in his old age and produced [more] children. That is what is written: “Abraham took another [wife]…”
לְפִיכָךְ נִבְרָא אָדָם יְחִידִי, לְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁכָּל הַמְאַבֵּד נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ אִבֵּד עוֹלָם מָלֵא. וְכָל הַמְקַיֵּם נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ קִיֵּם עוֹלָם מָלֵא.
Therefore, Adam the first man was created alone, to teach you that with regard to anyone who destroys one soul from the Jewish people, i.e., kills one Jew, the verse ascribes him blame as if he destroyed an entire world, as Adam was one person, from whom the population of an entire world came forth. And conversely, anyone who sustains one soul from the Jewish people, the verse ascribes him credit as if he sustained an entire world.