Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai used to say, “If you have a sapling in your hand and you are told that the Messiah has come, first plant the sapling and then go and meet the Messiah.”

This famous quotation underscores the love and importance Judaism affords to trees and nature. After all, in the very first chapter of Genesis, Adam’s mandate is to “preserve and cultivate” the Garden of Eden.

Rabbi Yochanan’s famous quote also makes clear the importance of completing a mitzvah, a good deed, once undertaken, paying attention to the details, and staying focused, even in the midst of the loudest of distractions.