The Tree of Life

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The Central Tree of Creation

TANAKH

The Tree of Life, central to the creation narrative, symbolizes the potential for immortality and spiritual vitality. The book of Genesis, the first book of the Torah, introduces the Tree of Life and its significance in the creation story.

And from the ground God יהוה caused to grow every tree that was pleasing to the sight and good for food, with the tree of life in the middle of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and bad.

Genesis 2:9

Guarding the Tree of Life

TANAKH

The Torah explains that after gaining the knowledge of good and evil, humankind was expelled from the Garden of Eden to prevent them from accessing the Tree of Life and achieving eternal life. In Genesis 3:22-24, God sends Adam and Eve out of Eden and places cherubim with a flaming sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life, ensuring that they cannot return to it and live forever.

And God יהוה said, “Now that humankind has become like any of us, knowing good and bad, what if one should stretch out a hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever!” So God יהוה banished humankind from the garden of Eden, to till the humus from which it was taken: it was driven out; and east of the garden of Eden were stationed the cherubim and the fiery ever-turning sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Genesis 3:22-24

The Tree of Life as Torah

MIDRASH

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, an eighth-century midrashic work, identifies the 'tree of life' specifically as the Torah itself. The expression 'to dress it and to keep it' in the context of the Tree of Life signifies being occupied with the words of the Torah and keeping all its commandments.

What then is the meaning of this expression: "to dress it and to keep it"? (The text) does not say "to dress it and to keep it" except (in the sense) of being occupied with the words of the Torah and keeping all its commandments, as it is said, "to keep the way of the tree of life" (Gen. 3:24). But the "tree of life" signifies only the Torah, as it is said, "It is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon it" (Prov. 3:18).

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 12:3

The Joy of Wisdom

TANAKH

The Book of Proverbs uses the metaphor of the Tree of Life to describe the profound joy and fulfillment that come from embracing wisdom. Proverbs 3:18 personifies wisdom as a tree that grants life and happiness to those who hold onto it.

She is a tree of life to those who grasp her,
And whoever holds on to her is happy.

Proverbs 3:18

Guardians of Paradise and the Source of Life

MIDRASH

The cherubim and the ever-turning sword of flames guard the entrance to Paradise, while the Torah, described as a Tree of Life, offers Adam a source of wisdom and sustenance. Instead of the physical Tree of Life, God provided Adam with the Torah, allowing him to dwell near Paradise. Louis Ginzberg’s Legends of the Jews blends traditional teachings with imaginative storytelling to expand on these biblical narratives.

To guard the entrance to Paradise, God appointed the cherubim, called also the ever-turning sword of flames, because angels can turn themselves from one shape into another at need. Instead of the tree of life, God gave Adam the Torah, which likewise is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and he was permitted to take up his abode in the vicinity of Paradise in the east.

Legends of the Jews 1:2:70

The Reverence for Torah Scholars

JEWISH THOUGHT

Torah scholars, revered and protected even amid judgment and turmoil, are likened to the Tree of Life, embodying spiritual sustenance and divine protection. Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin's early 19th-century work, Nefesh HaChayim, underscores the profound significance of Torah study, emphasizing that Torah scholars are essential to maintaining the spiritual vitality and moral compass of the community.

And in parshat Ba-lahk (202a): “Observe how well appreciated are those who involve themselves with Torah before the Holy One (blessed be He), for even when judgment is hanging over the world and permission is granted the destroyer to destroy, the Holy One (blessed be He) commands them regarding those who are involved with Torah and thus said the Holy One (blessed be He) (D’varim 20:19): ‘When you besiege a city…’, because of their many sins…, come and I’ll command you regarding the members of my household…

Nefesh HaChayim, Gate IV 19:5

The Mystical Tree of Wisdom

TARGUM

The Tree of Life, more than a mere symbol, embodies profound wisdom that enables discernment between good and evil. The Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, an Aramaic translation and interpretation of the Torah, offers a detailed and mystical account of this tree, highlighting its extraordinary role in granting insight and understanding.

And the Lord God made to grow from the ground every tree that was desirable to behold and good to eat, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, whose height was a journey of five hundred years, and the tree of whose fruit they who ate would distinguish between good and evil.

Targum Jonathan on Genesis 2:9

Hanukkah Lamp, Eastern Europe early 19th century (?), Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman (?), The Jewish Museum, New York.

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The Tree of Knowledge

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