The goal of the erotic life is to engage every area of our lives with the mantra of lismah beating in our breasts. This means being fully present for each thing itself without needing always to justify our activity by recourse to some external gain. In the poetry of Hebrew mysticism this is referred to as taam haeitz ketaam haperi, meaning “the taste of the tree is as the taste of the fruit.” This phrase has its source in the delightful biblical creation myth where God commands the trees to be “trees of fruit which bear fruit.” The stunning implication of a precise reading of the divine instruction is that the tree itself, the bark, should also have the taste of the fruit. The point is, there should be no distinction between means and ends. A coarse tree that brought the fruit into being should share the very taste of its succulent fruit.
The Mystery of Love
Dr. Marc Gafni
Page 218