his son died young as a punishment for his cutting a fig tree before its time

his son died young as a punishment for his cutting a fig tree before its time

Bs''d

https://shulchanaruchharav.com/halacha/destroying-a-fruit-tree/

Rabbi Chanina stated that his son died young as a punishment for his cutting a fig tree before its time. Thus apart from the legal issue of destroying a productive tree, this law appears to carry with it severe Divine retribution.

Most authorities explain that this punishment is incurred only if a person cuts down a fruit tree without legitimate reason, but there is a minority opinion that it is incurred even if the tree is cut with good reason.

As a result, even in cases where a legitimate reason applies, people generally take an extra precaution of first selling the tree to a non-Jew, and having a non-Jew do the actual cutting. (The entire prohibition does not apply to non-Jews.) Your case is also better in that you are cutting one fruit tree to plant another, more productive one. Even with all of this, it's preferable, if possible, to leave a part of the original tree intact.

(Sources: Rambam Hil' Melachim 6:8-10, Rosh Baba Kama 8:15, Binayan Tziyon 61, Minchat Yitzchak X 69, Yabia Omer V Y.D. 12:7.)

Comments

SHIN, NOT PEH

Hence via removal of da`at, which comes via lashon har`a, which is like "motzi dibbah hu kesil/he who utters slander is a fool" [Prov. 10:18], i.e. because da`at leaves him, because of this he falls from love of Hashem Yithbarakh, to beastly loves, and then the power of imagination overcomes him, which is the power of beastliness. And by the power of imagination, the memory is blemished and he falls to forgetfulness. And now! come and see, how good and how nice is the connection of this whole scripture "nidmu `ami" etc. mentioned. "Nidmu `ami mibli hada`at" because via blemish of da`at, the power of imagination overcomes. "Because you have rejected da`at, I have rejected you from being priest to me" because via blemish of da`at, one falls from holy loves which are aspect of Kohen as mentioned. And then the power of imagination overcomes him, as in "nidmu `ami" etc. as mentioned. And this is why the verse ended "vatishkach Torat Eloheikha/since you have forgotten the Torah of your God" "you have forgotten" certainly, because via blemish of the da`at, through this the power of imagination overcomes and through this the memory is blemished and one comes to forgetfulness as mentioned. "Eshkach baneikha gam ani/I will also forget your children" because via blemishing the ZiKaRon/memory and falling to forgetfullness, via this one has no ben ZaKhaR/male child, which was brought above regarding Avshalom, who did not merit to have a ben zachar beacuse this person blemished the zikaron as mentioned. And this is the "eshkach baneikha gam ani." And therefore Par`oh decreed against the zecharim specifically, because Par`oh is the aspect of the power of imagination, which is the vain power as mentioned, which overcomes the zikaron, which is the aspect of ben zakhar as mentioned. Because the power of imagination, when in overcomes, God forbid, it damages and nullifies, God forbid, the zikaron as mentioned. And this is "vayitzav Par`oh... kol haben ha'yilod ha'ye'orah tashlichuhu/and Pah`oh commanded... every boy that is born, throw him in the river" etc. "To the river" specifically, because the river of Mitzrayim, is Pishon, where the power of imagination dwells as mentioned, i.e. he wanted to blemish the zikaron, which is the aspect of ben zakhar, via the power of imagination, which dwells "`al pi shoneh halakhot/on the mouth of one who reviews halakhah" as mentioned.

"I found a hidden roll in the bet ha-midrash of R. Ḥiyya."