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Why does the Mishna in Avos set age five for beginning Torah (תורה) study? The shiur develops the concept that man is compared to a tree through the orlah laws - both trees and humans need time for their independence to mature. At five, a child's natural drive for autonomy can be channeled toward Torah learning as personal growth rather than imposed obligation.
Rabbi Zweig begins with a Mishna in Pirkei Avos stating that at age five, a child should begin learning Chumash. He questions why the Sages chose this specific age and traces the source to a Midrash on orlah (the prohibition against eating fruit from a tree's first three years), which also serves as the source for the custom of a boy's first haircut at age three. The connection seems absurd until Rabbi Zweig explains the verse 'ki adam etz hasadeh' (man is a tree of the field) from Parshas Shoftim. He develops this through an analysis of the six days of creation, showing how the four elements (fire, water, earth, air) appear in pairs across the days, with each element having male and female counterparts that 'marry' to produce creation.
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Pirkei Avos 5:21 - Ben chamesh shanim l'mikra
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