One day
when Honi, the righteous man, was out walking, he came upon a man planting
a carob tree.
"How
long will it be before this tree bears fruit?" Honi asked.
"Seventy years," the man replied.
"How do you know you'll be alive in seventy years?"
"Just as I found carob trees when I came into the world," answered
the man, "so I am now planting carob trees for my grandchildren to
enjoy." [1]
A man
was journeying in the desert. He was hungry, weary and thirsty, and he lighted
upon a tree, the fruits of which were sweet, its shade pleasant, and a stream
of water was flowing beneath it. He ate of its fruits, drank of the water
and rested under its shade.
When he was about to continue his journey he said:
"Tree, oh tree, with what shall I bless you?
Shall I say to you: May your fruits be sweet? They are sweet already.
That your shade be pleasant? It is already pleasant.
That a stream of water may flow beneath you. Lo, a stream of water flows
already beneath you.
Therefore, I say, may it be God's will, that all the shoots taken from you
be like you." [2]
