כִּֽי־תָצ֣וּר אֶל־עִיר֩ יָמִ֨ים רַבִּ֜ים לְֽהִלָּחֵ֧ם עָלֶ֣יהָ לְתָפְשָׂ֗הּ לֹֽא־תַשְׁחִ֤ית אֶת־עֵצָהּ֙ לִנְדֹּ֤חַ עָלָיו֙ גַּרְזֶ֔ן כִּ֚י מִמֶּ֣נּוּ תֹאכֵ֔ל וְאֹת֖וֹ לֹ֣א תִכְרֹ֑ת כִּ֤י הָֽאָדָם֙ עֵ֣ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה לָבֹ֥א מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃
Kapag kinubkob mo ang isang lungsod nang maraming araw upang makipaglaban dito at masakop ito, huwag mong sisirain ang mga punongkahoy nito sa pamamagitan ng pagtaga rito ng palakol, sapagkat mula rito ay makakakain ka, at huwag mo itong puputulin. Sapagkat tao ba ang punongkahoy sa parang, upang ito rin ay mapasailalim sa iyong pagkubkob?
Kli Yakar
A fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind. For every tree is called a fruit tree and they all produce fruit — some for eating and some for healing. And regarding what it says: yielding fruit after its kind, it seems appropriate to explain that man is [like] a tree of the field and resembles it both in terms of his upright stature and in terms of having eternal continuity like man, as it is written For there is hope for a tree (Job 14:7). And all grasses relate to other living creatures both in terms of their low stature and in terms of not having root and branch, but rather like a flower that emerges and withers (Job 14:2). The Holy One, blessed be He, created each type of food to be suitable for the constitution of the one who eats it, and paired each kind with its kind, as it is written and satisfies every living thing with favor — meaning, with something that is favorable to it by being close to its nature and constitution. Therefore it says and to every beast of the earth… every green herb for food, because herbs are only suitable specifically for the non-speaking, material living creatures. But to man He said Behold, I have given you every herb… and every tree… because from the material aspect of man, herbs are suitable for him, and from the mixture of spirituality within him, tree fruit is suitable for him. Thus each kind goes to its kind, therefore it says: yielding fruit after its kind — to that which is its kind, namely man. And regarding herb yielding seed, it doesn’t mention “after its kind” because it is also for man even though it’s not entirely of his kind. However, in the making [of vegetation] it mentions “after its kind” because from one aspect it is according to its kind — namely, for the material aspect of man.
Taanit
Said Rabbi Yirmiya to Rabbi Zeira, "Let the master bring a teaching." He said [back] to him, "My heart is faint and I can not." "Let the master say a homiletical teaching (aggada)." He said to him, "Rabbi Yochanan said like this, '[About] that which is written (Deuteronomy 20:19), "as man is a tree of the field," and is man a tree of the field?