×
Friend,    With Purim right around the corner, Sefaria is busy preparing for the “Purim bump” — the increase in users who visit Sefaria to celebrate the holiday. Last year, more than 100,000 people visited the library or used the app to connect with the holiday or read along with Megillat Esther. This year we’re expecting even more.    To help with our text and tech preparations ahead of this busy time, a generous Jewish foundation is matching all gifts to the library up to $36,000.    Please give today to help us meet your learning needs!     
Notable Sources
All Sources
A
The Blessing Over Date Honey
TALMUD
The blessing recited over date honey is different from the blessing recited over dates themselves because date honey is considered merely moisture that drips from the ripe fruit and not the essence of the fruit. The Babylonian Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism, in tractate Berakhot explains the reasoning behind the specific blessings recited over different foods, including date honey.
Israel's Nurturing Abundance
COMMENTARY
The phrase 'flowing with milk and honey' not only describes the fertility of the Land of Israel but also symbolizes the nurturing qualities of key women in Jewish history. Tamar Weissman’s work explores the symbolic connection between the land’s abundance and the nurturing roles of Devorah the nursemaid and Devorah the prophetess including their associations with date honey and bee honey, as well as milk.
The Halachic Validity of Canary Island Date Palm Lulavim
HALAKHAH
The physical differences between the Canary Island date palm and the common date palm raise important halachic questions about the ritual validity of using its lulavim for Sukkot. Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, in his contemporary presentation of Jewish law, Peninei Halakhah, addresses these concerns and reviews different opinions on the matter.
The Permissibility of Transformed Foods
HALAKHAH
The transformation of food items can affect the applicability of vows, allowing for the consumption of derivatives like date honey and vinegar from late-season grapes. The authoritative 16th-century code of Jewish law, the Shulchan Arukh, addresses the nuances of vows related to food items and their derivatives.
The Distraction of Dates
REFERENCE
Babylonia was known for being abundant in dates during Talmudic times. Gershom Bader’s early 20th-century work recounts how Rabbi Jochanan and his pupil Rabbi Chiya bar Aba viewed the impact of dates on scholarly pursuits.
A Land Flowing with Milk and Honey
JEWISH THOUGHT
The interconnectedness of agricultural abundance in the Land of Israel is beautifully illustrated through the production of date honey and milk. Dr. Erica Brown explores how increased vegetation leads to more date honey and better grazing conditions for cattle, resulting in greater milk production.
The Righteous Like a Date Palm
LITURGY
The righteous are compared to a date palm, symbolizing their growth and flourishing. Psalm 92, recited during the Kabbalat Shabbat service, celebrates the sanctity and peace of the Sabbath.
The Many Benefits of Dates (As Long As You Don't Eat Too Many)
TALMUD
Even beneficial foods like dates can cause harm when consumed in excess. The Babylonian Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism, in tractate Gittin, includes teachings on the balance between the benefits and potential harms of consuming dates.
The Legal Status of Date Honey
TOSEFTA
The halachic debates about date honey reveal the complexities of Jewish law regarding tithing and ritual purity. The Tosefta, an ancient collection of rabbinic laws and teachings from the land of Israel, delves into these intricate legal discussions.
The Size of Date Pits
TALMUD
The comparison of the volume of dates and their pits to the volume of an egg-bulk highlights the significant size of date pits relative to the fruit itself. In the Gemara, there is a discussion about the volume of food required to be eaten in a sukka, using dates and their pits as a point of comparison.
The City of Date Palms
COMMENTARY
Jericho is known as the 'city of date palms' due to the exceptional quality of its dates. The medieval Torah commentary Chizkuni by Rabbi Hezekiah ben Manoah provides historical and geographical context to Deuteronomy 34:3, highlighting Jericho's agricultural richness.
The Ripening of Dates
COMMENTARY
Jewish agricultural laws include leniencies for dates that were not ripened and harvested in the standard way, as explained in the Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law from the early third-century land of Israel. Ovadiah Bartenura’s 15th-century commentary on the Mishnah explains different opinions on what exactly a phrase in the Mishnah describing non-standard dates refers to.
Boiled Delicacy Debate
TALMUD
The rabbis debated whether it was permissible to consume boiled dates of an Aramean, focusing on the flavor of the dates. In the Gemara, Rabbi Asi cites his teacher Levi’s ruling on the matter, specifically excluding sweet and bitter dates from the discussion.
Blessings for the Bounty
HALAKHAH
Jewish tradition provides different blessings to recite after eating different foods, including dates, or combinations of foods. In his famed 12th-century code of Jewish law, Mishneh Torah, Maimonides details the comprehensive blessing recited after consuming a meal or snack including many different categories of foods together.
Joyous Festivals 5720 stamp, The Seven Species: Dates. Issued: September 9, 1959. : Israeli postage stamp catalog, Catalog Number: 199.  Designer: Zvi Narkiss.
Joyous Festivals 5720 stamp, The Seven Species: Dates. Issued: September 9, 1959. : Israeli postage stamp catalog, Catalog Number: 199. Designer: Zvi Narkiss.
We use cookies to give you the best experience possible on our site. Click OK to continue using Sefaria. Learn More.OKאנחנו משתמשים ב"עוגיות" כדי לתת למשתמשים את חוויית השימוש הטובה ביותר.קראו עוד בנושאלחצו כאן לאישור