there is nothing new under the sun
ecclesiastes – Chapter 1:9
my old backyard was filled with matured fruit trees. they had been there years. persimmons, figs, tangerines, and avocados were aplenty. the word got out. the backyard became the unofficial salad bar for the neighborhood wildlife. during the day and night, they all took their turns. squirrels, possums, raccoons, crows, and others all enjoyed the offerings. the prior owner’s gardening had provided a sustained food source to the animal community for decades.
while we may not have either the time or space to plant trees to benefit our environment, there is a simple way of doing so online. the search engine ecosia.org dedicates their profits to tree planting around the world. thus, by using their service to do your searches, you are able to multi-task: you can both plant a tree and toil on your computer or device. ecosia.org can be used with the chrome browser.
the value of planting trees dates back to the beginning of humankind’s emergence into agrarian society. the wisdom of tree planting is referred to in the torah. the holiday of tu-bishvat focuses on the importance of trees. the talmud further comments on the value of trees.
a famous talmud tree story is that of the old man. “[a]n old man [in ancient israel] was planting a fig tree, when a roman general happened to pass by. the general says to the man, “don’t you realize it will take twenty years before that tree will grow enough to give fruit, and you will be long dead by then?” the old man responded, “when i was a small child, i could eat fruit because those who came before me had planted trees. am i not obliged to do the same for the next generation?”*ritualwell.
in sum, we learn how to live in the present by learning from the past. by using ecosia.org, you can help our world’s present and future.
be well!!
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