IN this sidrah, Moses tells the Jews how lawfully to conquer the land of Israel. Here, he explains to them that even though they may destroy their enemies, they cannot destroy fruit trees in their battles.

When this verse is read carefully, one will see that in addition to the commandment to not cut down fruit-yielding trees, there is a positive commandment to eat from the fruit of those trees. 

This passage echoes a similar one found in the beginning of Genesis. There, too, Adam is given a tree-related negative commandment: “From the tree of knowledge, you shall not eat.” But many don’t notice that there too, it is preceded by a positive commandment, much like the positive commandment found in this week’s sidrah. “And God said to Adam, ‘From all the trees in the garden you shall eat’.” 

In the Dark and Middle Ages, Judaism was deeply influenced by other religious influences that stressed asceticism and refraining from physical pleasure.  When the Bible was translated, the above passage was mistranslated as “From all the trees in the garden, you may eat.”

Thus we see an intense focus on the negative,“you shall not”, without any accompanying positive commandment. But an honest reader of the original text must confront the clear commandments to enjoy this material and physical world.

Adam’s first mitzvah was not to avoid eating from the tree of knowledge. It was the enjoyment of all the many other fruits in the garden. Had he chosen to focus on the immense pleasure that was not only allowed, but instructed, perhaps he would not have faltered with the one single tree that was not allowed. 

Here too, the Jews are told that in their upcoming battles, they must eat from the fruit trees of the land. To enjoy and derive pleasure from their conquest.