Many years ago my family planted a garden. We prepared the soil spread the fertilizer and planted the seeds. The entire family watched with delight as the vegetables began to sprout. The children excitedly plucked the ripened vegetables and we all enjoyed the incomparably delicious flavor of homegrown tomatoes cucumbers green beans and more.
I have often thought about planting a garden again. However other projects always beckoned and the idea invariably fell by the wayside. The land in the backyard remained just that — land. No tomatoes no cucumbers no green beans. Just land.
As we know everything in the spiritual world has a parallel in the physical world. A plot of land can be used to grow a garden — or it can lie dormant. A human being can plant the seeds of growth within himself and accomplish outstanding results — or he can remain undeveloped and achieve little of value with his life.
When Hashem created the first man He named him Adam. The Torah explains the reason for this name: “Because he was taken from the adamah the ground.” The choice of the name Adam is certainly puzzling. Isn’t a name the expression of one’s essence? And isn’t the essence of a human being his soul? Why then was Adam named for the adamah and not for the neshamah?
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