Pt1 Eretz Yisrael’s Miraculous Agricultural Fertility: Past, Present, and Future (Ketubot 111b-112a)

This is the first part of a two-part series. The outline of the series is below.

This sugya paints a vivid and extravagant portrait of the miraculous fertility that Eretz Yisrael will display in the Messianic era.¹ Drawing on verses from Psalms, Deuteronomy, Genesis, and Exodus, the rabbis envision a land overflowing not only with abundance but with supernatural produce that transcends natural limitations.

R’ Ḥiyya bar Yosef begins with the verse “Let abundant grain be in the land” (Psalms 72:16), which he interprets to mean that in the future Eretz Yisrael will literally yield ready-made cakes and fine garments sprouting from the earth. The same verse inspires a baraita that imagines wheat stalks growing as tall as palm trees even on mountaintops. To address the practical concern of harvesting such colossal crops, the rabbis describe God sending a divine wind that shakes loose fine flour; a person needs only a handful to sustain an entire household.

Other scriptural verses support further wonders: from “with the kidney-fat of wheat” (Deut. 32:14), the sages derive that each kernel will one day match the size of ox kidneys. To forestall skepticism, they point to extraordinary natural occurrences, such as a massive turnip in which a fox once nested. Additional anecdotes highlight mustard branches producing nine kav of seed and large enough to roof a booth, and cabbage stalks so tall that one climbed them with a ladder.

Grapes and wine take on an especially wondrous role. One baraita imagines grapes so massive that a single one fills a large jug, with its wood used for kindling. Each grape will yield no less than thirty jugs of wine. Rav Dimi expands this vision: each vine will require a foal to carry its grapes, and even barren trees will produce fruit fit for two donkey-loads. The wine itself will be extraordinary—abundant, red, intoxicating, flavorful, and equally enjoyable for the young and the elderly. Stories amplify this vision, such as Rav Ḥiyya bar Adda harvesting hundreds of clusters from a single vine branch over several days.

The scriptural epithet “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exod. 3:8) is given literal expression. Rami bar Yeḥezkel observed goats grazing beneath fig trees in the town of Benei Berak, where fig honey and goat milk dripped together. Others describe wading ankle-deep in fig honey, or entire regions spanning many mil covered with the mixture. Rabba bar bar Ḥana even reports seeing such fertility spread across the whole land.

The bounty extends to fruits such as peaches, which were once so large they matched a pot of five se’a in capacity. Yet R. Elazar later encountered a drastically smaller peach in the same place, attributing the decline to the sins of its inhabitants—a sobering reminder that abundance depends on righteousness. Similarly, R. Yehoshua ben Levi cursed gigantic grape clusters when he saw them growing in non-Jewish territory, causing them to shrink by the following year.

The Talmud contrasts the fertility of Eretz Yisrael with that of Egypt. Even Egypt’s finest land, Zoan, produced far less than Israel’s poorest soil in Hebron. Where Zoan yielded 70 kor per beit se’a, Hebron produced sevenfold that amount. In years of blessing, Eretz Yisrael’s fields could produce 50,000 kor from the same measure of land. Such accounts reinforce Israel’s superiority over all other lands.

Finally, Rav Ḥisda compares Eretz Yisrael to a deer: just as a deer’s skin cannot contain its flesh, the land’s produce will exceed its own capacity. Alternatively, like the deer, the land ripens its fruit with unmatched speed. To counter the suggestion that quick ripening means poor quality, the rabbis cite the promise that its fruit will be richer than milk and sweeter than honey.

Outline

Intro

The Passage - Eretz Yisrael’s Miraculous Agricultural Fertility: Past, Present, and Future (Ketubot 111b-112a)

1. R’ Ḥiyya b. Yosef - Eretz Yisrael will (miraculously) yield cakes and fine wool clothing - Psalms 72:16

2. Baraita - Wheat will grow as tall as palm trees - Psalms 72:16

   1. To avoid the hardship of harvesting, there will be a divine wind to release fine flour, so a single handful suffices to sustain a household

   2. Wheat kernels will grow to the size of ox kidneys - Deuteronomy 32:14

3. R’ Yosei - Anecdote of mustard plant of enormous size

4. R’ Shimon b. Taḥlifa - Anecdote of cabbage stalk of enormous size

5. Baraita - Grapes so large they yield jugs of wine individually - Deuteronomy 32:14; Genesis 49:11–12

6. Rav Dimi - the extraordinary character of future grapes and wine in the messianic era (Genesis 49:11)

   1. The wine will be abundant, red, intoxicating, flavorful, and suitable for young and old alike - Genesis 49:11–12; Deuteronomy 32:14

7. Anecdote of Rav Ḥiyya bar Adda, teacher of Reish Lakish’s sons

   1. Rav Ḥiyya bar Adda spent 3 days harvesting from a single vine branch that produced hundreds of clusters daily

   2. Reish Lakish interprets the diminishing yield as a divine punishment for not showing up to teach Reish Lakish’s sons

8. Anecdote - Rami bar Yeḥezkel saw literal land “flowing with milk and honey” at Benei Berak - Exodus 3:8

9. Anecdotes of R’ Yaakov b. Dostai; Reish Lakish; Rabba b. bar Ḥana - Each reported witnessing vast areas flowing with milk and honey

   1. R’ Yaakov b. Dostai

   2. Reish Lakish

   3. Rabba bar bar Ḥana

10. Anecdote of enormous peach

11. R’ Ḥelbo, R’ Avira, and R’ Yosei b. Ḥanina saw a peach the size of a 5 se’a pot, divided into thirds for eating, animals, and hefker

12. The following year, R’ Elazar saw it diminished due to sin - Psalms 107:34

13. R’ Yehoshua b. Levi & R’ Ḥiyya - Saw grape clusters the size of calves and goats; Yehoshua cursed the land to cease producing for non-Jews

    1. The next year, R’ Ḥiyya found them the size of goats, reflecting diminished yield

14. Comparing the Fertility of Eretz Yisrael’s worst land (Hebron) vs. Egypt’s best land (Zoan) (Genesis 13:10; Numbers 13:22)

    1. Even Hebron’s rocky soil yielded seven times Zoan’s produce, showing Eretz Yisrael’s superiority (Genesis 13:10; Isaiah 30:4)

15. R’ Yosei - A se’a of wheat in Judea would produce five se’a of flour

16. Anecdote of Sadducee & R’ Ḥanina - one beit se’a of land in Eretz Yisrael produced oil, wine, produce, legumes, and sheep pasture

17. Anecdote of the Aramaean - 120 kor of dates from one date tree near the Jordan River

18. Rav Ḥisda - Eretz Yisrael compared to deer: cannot contain produce, ripens faster - Jeremiah 3:19; Exodus 3:8

    1. Alternatively, like the swift deer, Israel ripens fruit faster than other lands.

    2. To counter the idea that quick ripening means poor quality, the verse “flowing with milk and honey” affirms the richness of the produce

The Passage

Ketubot.111b.11-112a.10

R’ Ḥiyya b. Yosef - Eretz Yisrael will (miraculously) yield cakes and fine wool clothing - Psalms 72:16

R’ Ḥiyya b. Yosef posits that in the future, Eretz Yisrael will yield prepared cakes (גלוסקאות) and fine wool garments (מילת).

He derives this from “pissat bar”.²

ואמר רבי חייא בר יוסף:

עתידה ארץ ישראל שתוציא גלוסקאות וכלי מילת,

שנאמר: ״יהי פסת בר בארץ״.

And R’ Ḥiyya bar Yosef further said:

In the future Eretz Yisrael will produce cakes [geluskaot] and fine wool clothing [meilat] that will grow from the ground,

as it is stated: “Let abundant [pissat] grain [bar] be in the land” (Psalms 72:16).

The term pissat is interpreted in a similar manner to ketonet passim, Joseph’s valuable clothing of many colors, while bar can mean bread.

Baraita - Wheat will grow as tall as palm trees - Psalms 72:16

A baraita interprets the same verse to mean wheat will grow as tall as palm trees, even on mountaintops.

תנו רבנן:

״יהי פסת בר בארץ בראש הרים״,

אמרו:

עתידה חטה שתתמר כדקל,

ועולה בראש הרים.

§ A baraita states the following

with regard to the verse “Let abundant [pissat] grain be in the land upon the top of the mountains” (Psalms 72:16).

They said:

In the future, wheat will rise up and grow (תתמר) tall like a palm tree,

and ascend to the top of the mountains.

To avoid the hardship of harvesting, there will be a divine wind to release fine flour, so a single handful suffices to sustain a household

ושמא תאמר: יש צער לקוצרה!

תלמוד לומר: ״ירעש כלבנון פריו״ —

הקדוש ברוך הוא מביא רוח מבית גנזיו

ומנשבה עליה

ומשרה את סלתה,

ואדם יוצא לשדה

ומביא מלא פיסת ידו,

וממנה פרנסתו ופרנסת אנשי ביתו.

And lest you say that if wheat will grow this tall its reaper (קוצרה) will suffer discomfort,

the same verse states: “May his fruit rustle like Lebanon.”

God will bring a wind from His treasury³

and blow across,

and this will thereby induce the flour to fall (משרה) from the stalks of wheat,

and a person will go out to the field

and bring back a palmful [pissat] of flour,

from which he will provide his livelihood (פרנסתו) and the livelihood of the members of his household.

Wheat kernels will grow to the size of ox kidneys - Deuteronomy 32:14

The Talmud infers from “with the kidney-fat of wheat” that single kernels will be the size of ox kidneys.

They defend the plausibility by recalling an anecdote of a massive turnip in which a fox nested, weighing 60 litra (Tzippori measure).

״עם חלב כליות חטה״,

אמרו:

עתידה חטה שתהא כשתי כליות של שור הגדול.

ואל תתמה,

שהרי שועל קינן בלפת,

ושקלוהו,

ומצאו בו ששים ליטרין,

בליטרא של צפורי.

It is stated: “With the kidney-fat of wheat” (Deuteronomy 32:14).

The rabbis said:

In the future, each and every kernel of wheat will be as big as the two kidneys of the large ox.

And do not be surprised that this is possible,

as there was an incident involving a fox that nested (קינן) inside a turnip (לפת),

and they weighed this turnip,

and they discovered that even discounting the space dug out by the fox, it still weighed 60 litra,

as measured by the litra of Tzippori.

R’ Yosei - Anecdote of mustard plant of enormous size

R’ Yosei recalls a mustard plant branch in the Galilean town of Shiḥin yielding 9 kav of seed, with its wood used for roofing.

תניא,

אמר רב יוסי:

מעשה בשיחין

באחד שהניח לו אביו שלשה בדי חרדל

ונפשח אחד מהן

ונמצאו בו תשעה קבין חרדל.

ועציו, סיככו בו סוכת יוצרין.

Similarly, it is taught in a baraita that

R’ Yosei said:

There was an incident which occurred in the village of Shiḥin, in Eretz Yisrael,

involving one whose father had left him three branches of mustard,

one of which broke.

And they discovered on this one branch alone 9 kav of mustard.

And with the wood of its large branches they roofed a booth for artisans.

R’ Shimon b. Taḥlifa - Anecdote of cabbage stalk of enormous size

R’ Shimon b. Taḥlifa recounts a cabbage stalk so tall one climbed it with a ladder.

אמר רבי שמעון בן תחליפא:

קלח של כרוב הניח לנו אבא,

והיינו עולים ויורדים בו בסולם.

Similarly, R’ Shimon ben Taḥlifa said:

Father left us a cabbage stalk

and we would go up and down on it with a ladder, due to its great height.

Baraita - Grapes so large they yield jugs of wine individually - Deuteronomy 32:14; Genesis 49:11–12

A baraita states that unlike in this world, in the messianic era (“World-to-Come”) a single grape will supply the equivalent of a large jug of wine, with its wood usable for fuel. Each grape will yield at least 30 jugs.

״ודם ענב תשתה חמר״,

אמרו:

לא כעולם הזה העולם הבא.

העולם הזה --

יש בו צער לבצור ולדרוך

§ It is stated: “And from the blood of the grape you drank foaming wine” (Deuteronomy 32:14).

The rabbis said:

The World-to-Come is not like this world.

In this world --

there is suffering involved in picking (לבצור) grapes and in pressing (לדרוך) them.

העולם הבא --

מביא ענוה אחת בקרון או בספינה,

ומניחה בזוית ביתו,

ומספק הימנה כפטוס גדול.

ועציו, מסיקין תחת התבשיל.

By contrast, in the World-to-Come --

one will bring one grape in a wagon or on a boat

and set it down in a corner of his house

and supply from it enough to fill about the amount of a large jug [pitus],

and with its wood one will kindle a fire under a cooked dish.

ואין לך כל ענבה וענבה שאין בה שלשים גרבי יין,

שנאמר: ״ודם ענב תשתה חמר״,

אל תקרי ״חמר״

אלא ״חומר״.

And every grape you have will produce no less than 30 full jugs (גרבי) of wine, each with the capacity of a se’a.

As it is stated: “And from the blood of the grape you drank foaming wine [ḥamer].”

Do not read this term as ḥamer;

rather, read it as ḥomer, which is a measure equaling thirty se’a.

Rav Dimi - the extraordinary character of future grapes and wine in the messianic era (Genesis 49:11)

Rav Dimi expands: every vine will require a foal (עַיִר) to carry its grapes; even (currently) barren (סרק) trees will yield fruit fit for two donkeys’ loads.⁴

כי אתא רב דימי, אמר:

מאי דכתיב

• ״אוסרי לגפן עירה״ —

  • אין לך כל גפן וגפן שבארץ ישראל שאין צריך עיר אחת לבצור.

• ״ולשורקה בני אתונו״ —

  • אין לך כל אילן סרק שבארץ ישראל שאינו מוציא משוי שתי אתונות.

§ When Rav Dimi came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia, he said:

What is the meaning of that which is written:

• “Binding his foal to the vine” (Genesis 49:11), which is interpreted as a prophecy for the future --

  • It means that every grapevine you have in Eretz Yisrael requires a foal to carry the load of its harvest.

• The verse continues: “And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine [soreka]” --

  • Every barren [serak] tree you have in Eretz Yisrael will produce sufficient fruit in the future to load upon two donkeys.

The wine will be abundant, red, intoxicating, flavorful, and suitable for young and old alike - Genesis 49:11–12; Deuteronomy 32:14

1. ושמא תאמר אין בו יין,

   1. תלמוד לומר: ״כבס ביין לבושו״.

2. ושמא תאמר אינו אדום,

   1. תלמוד לומר: ״ודם ענב תשתה חמר״.

3. ושמא תאמר אינו מרוה —

   1. תלמוד לומר: ״סותה״.

4. ושמא תאמר אין בו טעם —

   1. תלמוד לומר: ״חכלילי עינים מיין״.

   2. כל חיך שטועמו, אומר: ״לי לי״.

5. ושמא תאמר לנערים יפה ולזקנים אינו יפה —

   1. תלמוד לומר: ״ולבן שנים מחלב״,

   2. אל תיקרי ״לבן שינים״, אלא ״לבן שנים״.

[...]

1. And lest you say that these trees do not contain wine,

   1. the same verse states: “He washes his garments in wine.”

2. And lest you say that the wine is not red,

   1. the verse states: “And from the blood of the grape you drank foaming wine” (Deuteronomy 32:14).

3. And lest you say that this wine does not inebriate (מרוה) those who drink it,

   1. the verse states: “And his vesture [suto] in the blood of grapes” (Genesis 49:11). This verse indicates that these wines will induce [mesit] a state of drunkenness.

4. And lest you say that this wine has no flavor,

   1. the verse states: “His eyes shall be red [ḥakhlili] with wine” (Genesis 49:12).

   2. This unusual term is read homiletically as follows: Each palate [ḥeikh] that tastes it says: This is for me, for me [li li].

5. And lest you say that the wine is good for the young but it is not good for the old,

   1. the verse states: “And his teeth white [leven shinayim] with milk” (Genesis 49:12).

   2. Do not read this expression as leven shinayim; rather, read it as le-ven shanim, one of years, i.e., an elderly person.

[...]

1. For the earlier part of this larger sugya, see my two-part series “The Greatness of Residing in Eretz Yisrael, and the Future Messianic Resurrection (Ketubot 111a-b)“, final part here.

2. Interpreting pissat as valuable garments (cf. ketonet passim) and bar as bread.

3. בית גנזיו.

For another mention of “God’s treasury”, see Berakhot.33b.24:

אמר רבי חנינא, משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי:

אין לו להקדוש ברוך הוא בבית גנזיו אלא אוצר של יראת שמים,

שנאמר ״יראת ה׳ היא אוצרו״.

R’ Ḥanina says in the name of R’ Shimon ben Yoḥai:

God has nothing in his treasury (בית גנזיו) other than a treasure (אוצר) of fear of Heaven,

as it is stated: “Fear of YHWH is his treasure (אוצרו)” (Isaiah 33:6).

4. In this section and the next, Rav Dimi homiletically interprets a part of Jacob’s blessing to Judah, in Genesis 49:11–12 (translation JPS 1985, with adjustments):

אסרי לגפן עירה

ולשרקה בני אתנו

כבס ביין לבשו

ובדם־ענבים סותה

חכלילי עינים מיין

ולבן־שנים מחלב

He tethers his donkey (עירה) to a vine,

His donkey’s foal (בני אתנו) to a choice vine (שרקה);

He washes his garment in wine,

His robe (סותה) in blood of grapes.

His eyes are darker (חכלילי) than wine;

His teeth are whiter than milk.

In keeping with the typical Talmudic approach, uncommon or poetic biblical vocabulary is interpreted according to an intuitive/folk understanding.