Refining fruit from curse to blessing through orlah

בפרשת ערלה.

Regarding the passage of orlah.

The Sefas Emes turns to the mitzvah of orlah, which forbids the fruit of a tree during its first three years.

ובשנה הרביעית כו' קודש הלולים כו' החמישית כו' להוסיף כו' תבואתו.

"And in the fourth year… it shall be holy, for praises (kodesh hilulim)… and in the fifth… to increase… its produce."

After three years of orlah, the fourth year's fruit is sanctified for praise of Hashem, and from the fifth year onward the tree's yield is blessed to increase.

כי ע"י החטא כ' ארורה האדמה כו' בעצבון תאכלנה ולכן צריכין להוציא הפרי מכלל ארור לברוך.

For through the sin it is written, "cursed is the ground… in sorrow shall you eat of it"; therefore one must bring the fruit out from the category of "cursed" to "blessed."

Adam's sin brought a curse upon the earth, so that its produce is eaten "in sorrow." The mitzvah of orlah works to lift the fruit out of that curse and restore it to the realm of blessing.

והוא ע"י ג"ש ערלה שנשתנה בכל שנה עד שיוצא ממנו הפסולת.

And this is accomplished through the three years of orlah, in which it changes each year until the waste (pesoles) is removed from it.

Over the three forbidden years, the fruit is progressively refined, year by year, until its inferior, impure element is purged away.

ואז קודש הלולים.

And then it is "holy, for praises."

Once purified, the fourth-year fruit attains the status of kodesh hilulim, fit to be brought as praise to Hashem.

כדאיתא כל הדברים שנתבררו לקדושה והוסר מהם פסולת ותערובת הרע אז הם מלאים שמחה ואומרים שירה.

As it is taught: all things that have been clarified for holiness, from which the waste and admixture of evil has been removed, are then full of joy and sing song (shirah).

Whenever something is refined and purged of its evil admixture and rises to kedushah, it becomes filled with simchah and "sings" — joy is the natural state of what has been purified for holiness.

דכתיב ברכת ה' היא תעשיר ולא יוסיף עצב עמה כי הסט"א היא עצבון.

As it is written, "The blessing of Hashem brings wealth, and He adds no sorrow with it," for the sitra achra (the other side) is sorrow (atzvus).

True Divine blessing (Mishlei 10:22) carries no sadness, because sadness itself is the domain of the sitra achra, the forces of impurity.

וכל שיש חלק לסט"א אין הברכה שורה כדי שלא יהי' תוספות לסט"א.

And wherever the sitra achra has a portion, blessing does not rest, so that there should be no increase to the sitra achra.

As long as the forces of impurity have any share in something, Hashem withholds blessing, lest the blessing inadvertently strengthen and feed the sitra achra.

רק בהסיר העצבון בא הברכה.

Only when the sorrow is removed does the blessing come.

Blessing flows in only once the "sorrow" — the impure element associated with the sitra achra — has been cleared away.

להוסיף לכם תבואתו דייקא ולא לסט"א.

"To increase its produce for you" — specifically for you, and not for the sitra achra.

The Torah stresses that the increased yield of the fifth year goes entirely "to you," the holy side, with nothing left over to nourish the forces of impurity.

ולכן ג"כ בשבת דסט"א ערקת.

And therefore likewise on Shabbos, when the sitra achra flees.

On Shabbos the forces of impurity flee entirely, removing their share from the world.

אז יש תוספות ברכה ונשמה יתירה:

Then there is an increase of blessing and a neshamah yeseirah (additional soul).

Because the sitra achra has no portion on Shabbos, blessing can flow without restraint, bringing the gift of the extra Shabbos soul.

Summary: The Sefas Emes explains that the mitzvah of orlah lifts a tree's fruit out of the curse Adam brought upon the earth and into blessing. Over three years the fruit is refined until its impure "waste" is removed; then, in the fourth year, it becomes "holy for praises," for whatever is purified of evil is filled with joy and song. Since blessing cannot rest where the sitra achra holds a portion — sadness being its domain — only after the impurity is cleared does true blessing flow. This is also why Shabbos, when the sitra achra flees entirely, brings an increase of blessing and the neshamah yeseirah.