Planting Trees
The Talmud tells the story of an old man who was planting a carob tree when a king rode by. “Old man,” the king called out, “how old are you?” “Seventy years, your majesty,” the man replied. “How many years will it take before that tree will bear fruit?” the king asked. “Perhaps seventy years,” the man answered. Mockingly, the king went on, “Do you really expect to eat of the fruit of that tree?” “Of course not,” the man said, “but just as I found fruit trees when I was born, so do I plant trees that future generations may eat from them.”
The Talmud Source: God's Echo by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso