Plant the tree first, the Messiah can wait!
You don't need the Messiah for shalom...(credit: author's picture)
If you are holding a sapling in your hand and someone says:
‘Come quickly, the Messiah is here!’, first finish planting the tree and only then go to greet the Messiah.
(Avot d’Rabbi Natan 31b)
This midrash encourages a focus on the present moment and fulfilling our responsibilities before rushing toward something unknown or distant. It reflects the idea that we should not neglect our duties for the sake of something that might be speculative or supernatural.
By urging us to plant before rushing to greet the Moshiach, it insists that true redemption is achieved through human effort, not by waiting for miracles.
Furthermore, it teaches that hope for redemption can inspire us, but should not distract us from the hard work of tikkun olam—eliminating poverty, protecting the environment, and ending the Occupation.
Notice how the midrash keeps the planting of the tree and the arrival of the Messiah as two separate events that don’t mix: the Messiah is not told about or invited to the tree-planting, and the toiling of the land is not infused with any Messianic significance. This important concept should be interpreted more broadly: a warning against infusing any earthly matters—including political entities, Jewish or otherwise—with Messianic significance.
Happy Tu Bi’shvat!
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