Welcome to the short, practical Lelamed Weekly Dvar and Daily Aliyah. As always, you can Order The Daily Aliyah <https://mosaicapress.com/product/the-daily-aliyah/> and receive your hard copy of these daily practical and relevant Torah thoughts (all proceeds go to Daily Giving), or join this Whatsapp group <https://chat.whatsapp.com/GFRNDpSWoFHGhHYziqAGYv> to receive one per day. I hope you find this meaningful... _______________________________________________ Parshiyot Acharei Mot and Kedoshim discuss many rules involving morality, justice, and empathy. Nestled in the middle of Parashat Kedoshim are the instructions to plant fruit trees and not enjoy their fruits until the fourth year (19:23). Why did the Torah insert this law right between laws about kindness? While most may focus on the rules regarding the tree’s fruits, Rabbi Henoch Leibowitz points to the commandment of planting the tree itself as an opportunity for growth. By planting fruit trees, we are considering the future and planning for it. Not only that, but the fact that we’re paying it forward also reflects our recognition for all the kindness shown by those who came before us. While the various commandments are meant to inspire within us a sense of morality, justice, and empathy, the placement of this commandment is meant to allow us to recognize those who have performed kindness for us and to compel us to relay those values forward. Shlomo Ressler _____________________________________________ Quotation of the week: "Sow a thought, and you reap an action; sow an act, and you reap a habit; sow a habit, and you reap a character." — Ralph Waldo Emerson