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What is the reason that we make a blessing on fruit trees which are about to blossom, known as birkat hailanot? Is there something unique about the potential blossoming of fruit trees versus any other natural phenomenon, which by and large we do not make blessings on, that necessitates a blessing?

mbloch
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  • Related (that this blessing is specific to blooming fruit trees): http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/14273/472 – Monica Cellio Apr 08 '13 at 14:46
  • To thank God for the beauties he created? – Double AA Apr 08 '13 at 16:19
  • @DoubleAA as opposed to all the other stuff? –  Apr 08 '13 at 16:31
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    nikmasi, if that (your comment) is part of your motivation in asking (i.e., you really meant to ask "God made lots of pretty stuff; why do we make a blessing only about...?"), then I suggest you [edit] it into your question. Otherwise, you may well get an answer that looks just like @DoubleAA's comment above. – msh210 Apr 08 '13 at 16:48
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    @msh210 thanks, that's a much more helpful way of conveying that message. –  Apr 08 '13 at 17:57
  • @nikmasi I still don't know why you say "by and large we do not..." Can you give me some examples? – Double AA Apr 08 '13 at 18:20
  • @DoubleAA there are billions of natural phenomenon that occur all the time. we don't make a blessing on more than 99% of them. why are we making a blessing on this one? –  Apr 08 '13 at 19:36
  • @nikmasi So...Can you give me some examples? – Double AA Apr 08 '13 at 19:43
  • @DoubleAA of natural phenomenon? Sure! 1. non-fruit trees blossoming 2. the first robin of spring 3. the first nest made by a bird or squirrel 4. the first butterfly you see 5. the first dead animal you see each day 6. the first star you see at night 7. the first bug you see 8. the first chirp of a bird 9. the first moss you see 10. the first spider you see eating a bug 11. the first wind you feel 12. the first leaf that falls off a tree 13. the first water algae you see 14. the first fungi you see 15. the first water you see 16. the first vegetable you see 17. the birth of puppies. etc. –  Apr 08 '13 at 20:13
  • And are you going to ask 15 more of these questions too? http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/16854/is-there-an-exhaustive-list-of-astronomical-environmental-events-for-which-there – Double AA Apr 08 '13 at 20:32
  • @DoubleAA I must be missing something. With one or two exceptions that is a list of rarely occurring, monumental phenomenon. Furthermore, I think it would be entirely apropos to ask why those and not the many others I could come up with. What does that have to do with my question? –  Apr 08 '13 at 20:55
  • @nikmasi I must be missing something then, because I end up saying those brachot more than I say the tree bracha, not living on a farm with an orchard but living through thunderstorms, meteor showers, and seeing oceans, lakes, rainbows, desserts and mountains at least once every few years. If you want to ask about this bracha more than the others you should explain why it is uniquely odd in its being chosen as an opportunity to thank God. – Double AA Apr 08 '13 at 22:29
  • @DoubleAA why is that a criteria for asking? – not-allowed to change my name Apr 08 '13 at 23:51
  • @vulcandeathgrip Motivation is not a criterion for asking but it is often a criterion for having a good question. – Double AA Apr 08 '13 at 23:53

1 Answers1

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The Kabala discusses the mystical reasons behind Birkat Hailanot. The Chida writes that there are different neshamot that might be locked up in the trees and by making the bracha we release them.

This is consistent with the idea that we make the bracha in Nissan and on fruit trees (because freeing up the neshamot is a parallel to the blossoming of the fruit).

See here and here.

mbloch
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  • Neshamot get locked up in fruit trees, but not carnations or zinnias? – Double AA Jan 19 '16 at 18:55
  • @DoubleAA who am I to explain the Chida? But I know that הָֽאָדָם֙ עֵ֣ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה (Man is a tree of the field) – mbloch Jan 19 '16 at 19:34
  • הָֽאָדָם֙ עֵ֣ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה is a rhetorical question, not a statement of fact. – Double AA Apr 28 '20 at 17:57