Finding Wisdom in Dates

Dates are found in many desert and tropical regions. For over 4,000 years, date palms have grown near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Dates grow in heavy clusters on date palm trees. Mature trees yield between 100 to 200 pounds of delicious fruit each year.

Whole dates are sold with the pit  inside. When we pay for dates, over one half of the weight of the fruit is  pits! Even when we buy dates that are pitted, there are still warning statements on the package that there may be pits inside the fruit.

When we decide to purchase dates, our focus is not on the pits that we may have to contend with. When we buy dates our thoughts are on the delicious fruit that we want to enjoy.   

This mind-set in buying dates would be a good attitude for us to develop as we look at other people.   Our focus should be on the good fruit that can be found in others. We need to discard their faults (the pits).

Finding fault in others and in our circumstances will leave us with a basket of pits that do not sit too well in our stomachs. We miss the sweet fruit that the L-rd has placed in others and it takes the joy out of our life.

There is a sweetness that can be found every day, even during times of sorrow; But we must look for it.

Sha’ul echoed this “principle of the dates” in his letter to the Philippians in chapter 4, verse 8. He reminds us where our attention should be.

“In conclusion, brothers, focus your thoughts on what is true, noble, righteous, pure, lovable or admirable, on some virtue or on something praiseworthy.” 

Let’s look for the sweet fruit of G-d’s Spirit  Amen