Pomegranate

The rimon (רימון) — pomegranate — is one of the seven species of the Land of Israel and one of the most symbolically rich fruits in Jewish tradition. According to the Talmud, the pomegranate contains 613 seeds, corresponding to the 613 commandments (mitzvot) of the Torah. While this is more legend than botany, the teaching reflects the pomegranate's deep association with abundance and righteousness. Pomegranates appear throughout the Bible. The spies sent by Moses into Canaan brought back pomegranates as evidence of the land's bounty (Numbers 13:23). The High Priest's robe was adorned with golden pomegranate bells (Exodus 28:34), and the pillars of Solomon's Temple were topped with pomegranate carvings (1 Kings 7:18). The Song of Songs uses the pomegranate as a metaphor for beauty: 'Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your temples are like a piece of pomegranate' (4:3). On Rosh Hashanah, eating pomegranate is one of the traditional symbolic foods (simanim), accompanied by the prayer: 'May it be Your will that our merits increase like the seeds of a pomegranate.' The fruit's crown-like calyx has also connected it to royalty and sovereignty in Jewish art. In modern Israel, pomegranate motifs appear everywhere — in jewelry, art, home decor, and on the emblem of several Israeli cities. Pomegranate season in the fall coincides with the High Holy Days, making it both a seasonal delight and a spiritual symbol.