The child’s legend of a Messianic Era where candy grows on trees (some adults may also be secretly enticed by this prospect) comes from the Talmud, which details a whole array of wonderful promises that will happen in the future. Commentaries go on to explain the reasons for this supernatural shift in the world as we know it.

Here, we will examine the relevant Talmudic text and commentary of the famed author of the Haflaah to better understand this phenomenon.

The Talmud relates:

Rabbi Chiya, the son of Yosef, said: In the time of the Future Redemption the Land of Israel will produce pastries and fine wool clothing, as it says in Psalms, “Let abundant grain (pisat bar) be in the ground”1 (pisat can mean “fine garments” and bar alludes to bread).2

Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz, 18th-century Talmudist, explains in the Haflaah, his commentary on the Talmud, what will cause this miraculous change:

It could be explained as follows: This is on account of the fact that the curse that the land will produce thorns was a consequence of the sin of the Tree of Knowledge by Adam, the first man. And as a result, it was decreed upon him that he will eat bread by the sweat of his brow. Therefore, in the Future Redemption, when the sin of Adam will have been rectified, and death will be swallowed forever, automatically the curse too will end, [and the earth will revert back to its original state] and produce ready-to-eat pastries.3

Moshiach Magic

The blossoming cakes, and its modern iteration—the candies growing on trees—feature heavily in the imagery of Moshiach’s times. Yet, the Talmud has many more miraculous projections. From gigantic grapes, each producing gallons of the finest dry wine with ease, to barren trees producing the most delectable and juicy fruits, the Talmud’s list is as expansive as it is fantastic.

So fantastical are these predictions, the Talmud recounts, that when Rabbi Gamliel, the leading Halachic authority of his generation, was teaching his students about the era of Moshiach, and mentioned that “the land of Israel will produce delicious pastries,” one student began to scoff: “Your teaching contradicts the explicit verse in Ecclesiastes: ‘There is nothing new under the sun!’” Rabbi Gamliel took him outside and pointed to a patch of mushrooms, round like cakes of bread and ready to eat, which took but one night to grow. “It happens already,” he pointed out.4

There is, however, a much easier answer to the skeptic’s problem. Many commentaries understand the seemingly implausible prophecies of the future era of Moshiach in a non-literal way.5 Why did the great Rabbi Gamliel go so far to prove that these wild ideas are practical?

To answer this question, we need some background information.

Revealing the Energy Within

For the human race to survive, we must rely on the resources of the world around us. This natural process, however, is but a cover for the true reality: life’s sustenance is a gift from G‑d. The entire physical universe is animated by Divine energy.

Back on the sixth day of Creation, the world’s dependence on its Creator was fully visible. But then Adam sinned, and the pure G‑dly consciousness was retracted. Since then, a system of refinement is required to tap into this life-sustaining energy.

This process is reflected in the arduous preparation required to make bread and other basic foodstuffs. The timeline from when a farmer begins to plow the wheatfield until a fresh loaf is served is many long months!

The Future Redemption will be defined by a restoration of the original Divine reality. No more will we toil to uncover the G‑dly energy in the world; it will be readily apparent—eliminating the need for a long refinement process. This will manifest in the world's physical state, and we will see fresh bread sprout from the ground ready for consumption.6

So, this new feature isn't actually that fantastical and fits well with the workings of the world. But, now a new question arises:

If redemption means G‑dly consciousness, why is there an emphasis on abundant resources at all? Surely the focus should be on transcendence, outgrowing humanity’s reliance on the physical altogether?

Don’t Transcend, Permeate

To explain this, we need to look at a Chassidic discourse delivered in 1882 by the fourth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Shmuel, where he explains the focus on material promises in the future and how it coincides with the ultimate spiritual consciousness:

All the future guarantees are specifically physical. To understand all this, discern the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory: “The world was created in its complete state,” for the ultimate purpose of the creation of the world was that there be a revelation of G‑dliness specifically below, so much so, that originally the main residence of G‑d was down here.7

The inner meaning of life is not found on a distant, intangible plane for a detached, supernatural experience. If G‑d desired an existence of unadulterated G‑dliness, He could have stopped after He created angels—beings that exist entirely in a spiritual realm, without the constraints of physical form. But the ultimate plan is a bond between the infinite, transcendent Divine and the finite, human experience. This connection is embodied in the physical world, in the everyday actions of people, in the very fabric of material existence, and will be fully realized with the Final Redemption.

A Cosmic Symphony

These concepts weave between the spiritual and physical realms. Perhaps an analogy will help bring them into focus:

A skilled musician is commissioned to compose a magical symphony. This is the biggest gig of her life. She spends many long hours notating and revising, trying this note and that, the first verse, then the next, one instrument then another. Moving on to the chorus, she repeats the process; long, strenuous months devoted to this project, perfecting the harmonies and virtuosic solos, weaving between the different sounds to strike perfect orchestration.

Finally, the big day arrives. The performance is live! Each note that took weeks of fine-tuning combines seamlessly in an other-worldly melody.

Exile is the practice stage, refining physical life so that its G‑dly light can shine through. Each object, every interaction, is individually defined and the focus of human effort, one at a time. Some take days, some weeks, some months, some years, even decades and centuries to reach perfection.

Then: redemption, opening night. Each note falls into place, none skipped, but neither noticed, only part of the greater composition of sheer magnificence.

In the Messianic era, all the material elements fine-tuned over the course of history will finally express their ultimate potential. The toil and effort of the long exile will be but a memory. At that time, every material object, every physical action, will be recognized as a vehicle for expressing G‑dliness. Indeed, each perfect pastry, every non-factory-produced garment, is vital in achieving musical harmony. Each is a background note, effortlessly contributing to the fulfillment of the cosmic symphony.8