TILLI spotlight
Thistles and Thorns
Israel
By Bev Huckins*
How many peace signs are in Israel’s plant history? From the peace and prosperity engendered by the fig and vine, to the quasi-universal sign of peace embossed in the dove and olive branch, to the humility of the oft trampled hyssop plant, the import of these plants cannot be underestimated. These plants helped forge our ethical boundaries. Who were the people who cared for the seedlings of Israel? Who watered them? Shaded them? Guarded them? Who were the tillers and tenders of plants? People of humility, perseverance, and a broad world vision. People who, through the years, brought an arid, sand-swept wasteland to a green, flowered, fruited, and forested oasis. In the Fall TILLI (Temple Israel Lifelong Learning Initiative) study group, Thistles and Thorns, we embarked on a hands-on, text-rich exploration of the historical and metaphorical meanings of plants as they variously colored the biblical landscape. Through reading, lecture, and
discussion of biblical as well as more current literature, art, and, where possible actual plant specimens, we explored what thistles and thorns represented. We saw how plants highlighted human frailties and showcased the nobility of the human soul; we saw which plants were aligned with good and which with evil, which with arrogance and which with humility. We discussed the prophetic role played by plants in the formulation of our values. For more leisurely reading, members of this study group took home a weekly synopsis featuring one of each of the five fruits mentioned in Deuteronomy 8:8 as being the “glory of Israel”, including the history, characteristics, and properties of each fruit.
*About the author: Long-time Temple Israel member, Bev Huckins, is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, with a MSW from Smith College, and is an avid gardener, garden design enthusiast, flower arranger, and forager of wild foods. She has lectured on herbs at local garden clubs and volunteered at the Harvard Herbarium.
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