Pomegranates
Why this ancient fruit is a Jewish
symbol.
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Images of pomegranates are mainstays
of Rosh Hashanah cards, Jewish jewelry and a range of Jewish ritual objects, and the fruit itself makes frequent appearances in Jewish
cuisine. But what’s so Jewish about this ancient treat? Quite a lot!
1. The Pomegranate Is One of Israel’s
“Seven Species.”
The pomegranate is one of the seven species of Israel (along with wheat, barley, grapes, figs,
olives, and dates) listed in the Torah in Parashat Eikev (Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25).
2. Pomegranates Traditionally
Symbolize Fertility and Love.
In Jewish tradition, pomegranates are
a symbol of fertility and love, winning them frequent mention in, among other
biblical texts, the Song of Songs. For example (Song of Songs 4:3): “Your lips are like a crimson thread; your mouth is
lovely. Your brow behind your veil [gleams] like a pomegranate split open.”
3. Pomegranates Decorate Many Torah
Scrolls.
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The decorative ornaments at the top of
many Ashkenazi Torah scroll covers are often shaped like pomegranates and are
called rimonim, the Hebrew word for pomegranate.
4. Pomegranates Are Part of the
Sephardic Rosh Hashanah Seder.
The pomegranate is one of several
symbolic foods incorporated into the Rosh Hashanah
seder, a Sephardic ritual. Before
eating the pomegranate seeds, Jews traditionally say, “May we be as full of
mitzvot (commandments) as the pomegranate is full of seeds.”
5. A Pomegranate Is Often the “New
Fruit” on the Second Night of Rosh Hashanah.
Many Jews use pomegranates on the
second night of Rosh Hashanah, for the custom of saying a blessing over a “new
fruit,” one that people have not eaten in a
long time.
6. Pomegranate Seeds Are Associated
With the 613 Mitzvot (Commandments).
The pomegranate is often said to have
613 seeds, corresponding to the 613
mitzvot (plural of mitzvah ) derived
from the Bible. While this is not actually true (the number of seeds in each
pomegranate varies widely), some have
theorized that this belief stems from a
misinterpretation of a passage in the Gemara (Berachot 4), which
concludes that even “the empty ones among the Jews are full of mitzvot like a
pomegranate is [full of seeds.]”
7. Pomegranates Continue to Grow in
Israel.
8. Pomegranates Are Frequently
Mentioned in Jewish Texts.
- In Parashat Sh’lach (Numbers 13:1-15:41) in the Torah, a pomegranate is one of the items
brought back by the 12 spies when they return from scouting out the Land
of Canaan.
- Images of pomegranates adorn the
robes of the high priest, as described in Parashat
Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20 –
30:10) of the Torah.
- In one story in the Talmud, the
wife of a rabbi (Hiyya Bar Ashi) tests him by disguising herself as a
prostitute and then seducing him, demanding he pay her with a freshly
picked pomegranate. (Kiddushin 81b)
9. Pomegranates Are Found on Ancient
Judean Coins.
An image of a pomegranate decorated
some ancient Jewish coins, including a recently discovered
one from the era of the Bar Kochba revolt (second century CE).
