תַּפּוּחַ אוֹמֵר - Apple Tree Says
Shir Hashirim 2:3
ketapuach ba'atzei haya'ar ken dodi bein habanim betzilo chimadti veyashavti ufiryo matok lechiki
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the sons. In its shade I delighted and sat, and its fruit is sweet to my palate.
How beloved is the Congregation of Yisrael before the the Holy One, blessed be He, that she lauds Him in this verse. We should look into this. Why does she laud Him through the apple and not with something else or with something that has color, or fragrance or taste.
Since it is written "apple tree," it turns out she is lauding him in every manner, with color, fragrance and with taste. Just as the apple appears in colors, it has white, red green, so does the the Holy One, blessed be He, appear in supernal colors - namely chesed, gevurah and tiferet that are the secret of white, red and green. As the apple tree has a fine fragrance more than other trees, so about the the Holy One, blessed be He, it is written, "And His fragrance like the Levanon" (Hoshea 14:7). Just as the apple's taste is sweet, so also is the the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, "His mouth is most sweet" (Shir Hashirim 5:16) (Zohar)
Rebbi Chama son of Rebbi Chanina said: What is meant by the verse, "[He is] like an apple tree ("Tapuach") amongst the trees of the forest..." (Shir HaShirim 2:3)? Why were the Jews compared to an apple tree?
Just as an apple tree reverses the natural order and produces its fruit before its leaves, so too the Jews reversed the natural order [when they accepted the Torah on Mt. Sinai] by saying "We will do [what you request of us]" before saying "We will hear [what you request of us]". Normally, one must first hear what to do, and only then can he do it. (Gemara Shabbat 88a)
Rabbi Yitzchak opened with, "Like the apple tree" (Shir Hashirim 2:3). Happy is the portion of Yisrael more than all the idolatrous nations, because all the other nations were handed to appointed ministers to control them. As for holy Yisrael, happy is their portion in this world and in the World to Come that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them neither to an angel nor to another ruler, but took them for His own portion. This is the meaning of, "For Hashem's portion is His people" (Devarim 32:9), and, "For Hashem has chosen Yaakov to Himself" (Tehilim 135:4). "Like the apple tree among the trees of the wood": just as the apple tree is different in color from all the other trees in the field, so is the Holy One, blessed be He, separated and marked above all higher and lower legions. Hence His Name is Hashem Tzva'ot, WHICH MEANS He is a sign (Heb. ot) throughout the celestial army (Heb. tzava). (Zohar)
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