Devarim 20: I am the Lorax I Speak for the Trees.

Chapter 20 details the various laws of war. After outlining who is exempt from battle and the rules of engagement, the Torah commands:“When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down…” (verse 19).כִּי תָצוּר אֶל־עִיר יָמִים רַבִּים לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ לְתָפְשָׂהּ לֹא־תַשְׁחִית אֶת־עֵצָהּ לִנְדֹּחַ עָלָיו גַּרְזֶן כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תֹאכֵל וְאֹתוֹ לֹא תִכְרֹת(Deuteronomy 20:19)The verse then ends with a striking phrase that can be read either as a statement or as a rhetorical question:“For is the tree of the field a human, to withdraw before you into the besieged city?”כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה לָבֹא מִפָּנֶיךָ בַּמָּצוֹרThere are two primary schools of thought on how to understand this line. Some commentators read it as a rhetorical question: Are trees of the field human? Trees are helpless and not participants in battle. They cannot fight back and pose no threat. Therefore, they must be protected. This interpretation centers on environmental preservation and the moral limits of war: the conflict is between people, not against nature.The other school of thought reads the phrase as a declarative statement: “For man is a tree of the field.” Under this reading, fruit trees are vital to human survival because they provide sustenance. Destroying them inflicts unnecessary suffering not only on the besieged city but also on future inhabitants. This interpretation is less about environmental consciousness and more about concern for human welfare beyond the battlefield.Taking this idea a step further, preserving the trees may also express faith that God will ultimately grant victory. By leaving the trees intact, the army signals confidence that the land will soon be theirs and that there is no need to destroy resources out of anger or spite. The trees will bear fruit for Israel in the future.This verse also serves as the textual source for the custom of upsherin—waiting until a boy reaches the age of three before cutting his hair. The verse explicitly compares a person to a fruit tree. This connection is reinforced by a law in Leviticus:“When you come into the land and plant any tree for food, you shall regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years it shall be forbidden to you; it shall not be eaten.”וְכִי תָבֹאוּ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ וּנְטַעְתֶּם כָּל־עֵץ מַאֲכָל וַעֲרַלְתֶּם עָרְלָתוֹ אֶת־פִּרְיוֹ שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים יִהְיֶה לָכֶם עֲרֵלִים לֹא יֵאָכֵל(Leviticus 19:23)Just as a fruit tree’s produce is not taken during its first three years, so too a young child’s hair is left uncut for three years. In both cases, growth precedes use, restraint precedes benefit, and patience is framed as a moral and spiritual value.