Question: I have a question about Orlah (the prohibition against eating a tree’s fruits for the first 3 years, and restrictions on eating the fruits of year 4—See Leviticus 19:23-26). Why did God give that law? Was there a cognate practice in the neighboring peoples of ancient Israel?

Answer: Nachmanides ad locum explains that one of the reasons for the commandment is that we must offer the first yield to God before we may partake of the produce ourselves. However, the fruits born in the first three years tend to be smaller and less fragrant / tasty. Therefore, they are not fitting to be used as an offering. Therefore, we are commanded to not partake of the fruits until the fourth year, after giving a proper offering to God.

Maimonides, in his philosophical work Moreh Nevuchim (3:37), explains this commandment in a more historical context. It was common practice in the ancient world for sorcerers to perform a certain type of witchcraft while a tree was being planted in the ground. The hope was that the tree would then give forth fruit quicker than normal. When the fruits would come, the sorcerers would offer the produce to the particular idol that had been mentioned in the wizardry. Therefore, the Torah commanded us to refrain from eating the fruits until the fourth year, the time when most trees naturally (as opposed to through metaphysical means) give forth fruit. Thus, this commandment would serve as a deterrent to doing such sorcery, by reversing the trend from presenting fruit to the idols, to offering the first fruits to God.

Yochai Robkin