Apple

Tapuach (תפוח) — the apple — holds a cherished place in Jewish tradition, especially during Rosh Hashanah when apples are dipped in honey to symbolize hope for a sweet new year. The tradition's origins trace to the mystical teaching that the Garden of Eden had the fragrance of an apple orchard. The Song of Songs uses the apple as a powerful metaphor for love and desire: 'Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men' (2:3), and 'Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am lovesick' (2:5). The Talmud also compares the Jewish people to an apple tree whose fruit appears before its leaves — a symbol of faithful action before understanding. In modern Israel, 'tapuach' has expanded beyond the fruit. 'Tapuach adama' (literally 'earth apple') means potato, and the famous Israeli expression 'tapuach zahav' (golden apple) is the Hebrew word for orange. The Golan Heights and Upper Galilee are major apple-growing regions, and Israeli apple varieties are known for their crispness and flavor. The city of Tapuach in the Samarian hills takes its name from this word, and the phrase 'tapuchei zahav b'maskiyot kesef' — 'golden apples in silver settings' (Proverbs 25:11) — describes the beauty of a well-spoken word, connecting the apple to wisdom and eloquence.