The problems associated with the cursing of the fig tree

 From a Karaite perspective—which demands that any "prophetic" sign or teaching be measured against the Unchanging Law and the Peshat (literal meaning)—the account of Jesus cursing the fig tree is viewed as a highly problematic narrative that contradicts the character of God and the biological "Source Code" established in the Torah.

1. The Violation of the "Source Code" (Nature)

In Matthew 21:18-19, Jesus curses a fig tree because he is hungry and finds no fruit, despite it not being the season for figs (as noted in the parallel account in Mark 11:13).

• The Karaite Critique: In the Torah, God is the Author of Nature. He established the seasons and the "Seed-time and Harvest" (Genesis 8:22). To curse a creation for behaving exactly as God designed it—resting and not producing fruit out of season—is seen as an act of arbitrary frustration, not divine justice.

• The "Hacked" Logic: If the "Word" was through whom all things were made, the "Word" would not expect a tree to violate its own biological "Source Code."

2. The "Law of Fruit Trees" (Deuteronomy 20:19)

The Torah explicitly forbids the destruction of fruit-bearing trees, even during a time of war: "For is the tree of the field a man, that it should be besieged by you?"

• The Legal Refutation: By causing a fruit tree to wither away and die simply because it didn't have a snack ready, the action appears to violate the spirit and the letter of the Bal Tashchit (the prohibition against needless destruction). To a Karaite, a true representative of God would uphold the Law of the Trees, not destroy them for a symbolic point.

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3. The "Power of Faith" vs. The "Test of a Prophet"

In verses 21-22, Jesus tells the disciples that if they have faith, they can tell a mountain to be cast into the sea.

• The Karaite Standard: Faith (Emunah) in the Tanakh is not a "magic power" to move mountains or kill trees; it is steadfastness in the Law.

• The Test: If a teacher uses "faith" to perform a sign that is destructive or contradictory to the Torah’s values (like killing a tree), the Karaite applies Deuteronomy 13. A sign or wonder, no matter how impressive, does not validate a teaching that moves away from the established Commandments.

4. The "Symbolic" Defense

Christians often argue the tree represented Israel's "lack of fruit."

• The Rebuttal: The Tanakh uses the fig tree as a symbol of peace and security (Micah 4:4). To "wither" the symbol of peace because it wasn't "ready" for a specific individual's hunger is viewed as a "hacked" allegory that serves the needs of the New Testament narrative rather than the eternal promise of the Covenant.

Summary

For the Karaite, this passage is a "System Error." It portrays a figure who acts against the biological laws he supposedly created and the ethical laws he supposedly came to fulfill. In the "Source Code" of the Torah, God doesn't curse trees for being trees.