Community Magazine April 2013

28 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE He paused, and waited for the inevitable question. He did not have long to wait. “That is all very well, O’ wise peach tree,” his challenger said, “but when humans will carry away our children to consume the fruit, the seeds, our precious offspring, will be digested along with the fruit!” The old tree smiled patiently. “You are correct, but your fears are unfounded.” His eyes flashed with fiery inspiration. “If we send away one seed covered with fruit, that is an only child – and an only child has to be protected. We cannot take chances. What I propose, is to encapsulate the seed with an impenetrable casing that will withstand the sharpest and strongest teeth that humans possess. People might be able to bite off their own thumbs, but when they bite on one of our steely seed protectors, they will break their teeth in the attempt!” Then with rising excitement and in a flourishing climax, he cried: “When people will come to this rock-hard casing, which, by the way, will be tasteless, colorless, rough, and rigid, they will throw it away in disgust. Our children will then be where they need to be, on the ground, ready to take root, and grow into the next generation. Our objective will then have been achieved!” The wise tree swayed with emotion, whilst waves of admiration and applause swept through the branch members. But, above the tumult, one dissenting voice rang out. “Call yourself wise? You will have achieved nothing – our little children, encased in their protective cage, will surely be imprisoned for life. If the protection is so strong, how will they, the fragile little seeds, manage to escape to germinate? Their protection will be their tomb!” “Dear friends, have no fear,” the wise old tree assured his audience. “This also has been thought of. The protective casing will be designed with a seam running along its length, which will be bounded with powerful adhesive. Not even a metal hammer will be able to crack it. However, when the case falls to the ground, there in the soil will be provided a special enzyme which will dissolve the glue and allow our precious seed the means to exit to freedom, and life.” The Super Chemist It is said that truth is stranger than fiction, and so it is. For in the above analogy lies the truth. The tree – in this case the peach – must spread its seeds, and it does so in the cunning way described above. In doing so, it demonstrates amazing knowledge. It has a cogni- zance of the crowded conditions around it and the need to scatter its seeds. It knows that humans have eyes that can detect color, have a sense of smell, a sense of touch, and the ability to differentiate between a variety of tastes. It is also aware, amazingly, which tastes appeal to humans, and thus chooses sweet rather than sour. It understands that humans have hands that can carry and teeth that bite, and most astounding of all, it knows precisely the strength of their teeth and the limit of their biting capacity. It also possesses the knowhow to manufacture superglue and its solvents. Yet, the tree has learned nothing, sees nothing and knows nothing. The tree is a super chemist capable of producing a wonderfully delectable package simply from soil, sunshine, and rain. If we had to produce anything from these ingredients, the result would be nothing but sunbaked mud. We, with our advanced intelligence, can produce nothing, yet the peach tree, which has never learnt anything, produces the goods. Logic shouts loud and clear that the Master Designer who fashioned man with the ability to see, smell and taste, was also responsible for the magnificent design of the peach tree and all its friends, together with the superglue solvent which lies patiently and humbly in the soil, awaiting its Divinely appointed task. Traveling Seeds The same pattern of design exists in so many trees. All fruits with a single seed protect their ben yahid (only child) with a hard shell. Whenever you eat a plum, date, cherry or apricot, and throw the inedible stone to the ground, please pause to admire the design. On the other hand, fruits which produce multiple seeds, such as the melon, tomato, apple and pomegranate, can afford to be less concerned about the absolute survival of each individual seed. Their seeds are covered with a slippery substance and are eaten, but some will survive their harrowing journey through the digestive system, and when they eventually fall onto receptive soil, they will live to produce a fresh tree. Look around, and you will see the manifold examples of Design in the varied methods that plants utilize to spread their seeds. Isn’t the Velcro fastener a wonderful invention? So simple and effective, just tiny hooks gripping tangled looped fibers. The idea emanates from certain seeds, such as burdock, which have rows of hooks to grip the coat of passing animals. They may be carried for miles before they are brushed off by the undergrowth, at which point they grow into new plants. There is a squirting cucumber that bursts open to shoot its seeds like bullets from a gun, and they travel as fast as 65 miles per hour. The familiar coconuts float away from their parent trees on ocean currents, drifting for several months and traveling up to 1,300 miles before reaching dry land. Special fibers around the seeds help the coconut to float. There are parachutes from the dandelion, and flying kites from the Chinese lantern plant; the list goes on and on, and the evidence grows and grows. Who was it who taught the burdock to grow hooks, or the cucumber to produce explosives that can shoot its seeds? Who instructed the coconut to fully provide its offspring with rubber rings to help them float, and the humble dandelion the intricate laws of aerodynamics? And remember, it all had to be absolutely perfect from the very beginning, as otherwise there would be nothing at all for us to see. To see, and think. To think, and with great excitement, understand how great are the works of Hashem. Tuvia Cohen is a humorist, scientist, and an accomplished author. His works include Designer World, Our Amazing World, and Our Wondrous World. d