It is surely significant that Rav Chaim of Volozhin, zt”l, didn’t sign on the famous cherem of the Vilna Gaon against the chassidim. Some posit that this was for technical reasons. But Rav Shalom Schwadron, zt”l, explains the real reason. “Rav Chaim of Volozhin refrained from signing due to his gratitude to a certain great rebbe. He held that just as Moshe rabbeinu did not hit the Nile due to having received a favor from it, the same held true regarding himself and the chassidim. “Once when he was just a young man he went wandering in exile, much like his rebbe the Vilna Gaon. When he arrived in Alik, a chassidic town, he went to the beis midrash and began learning—without even asking for food. The people saw that he was learning with diligence and sent him food, as was normal in those days. Shortly after he arrived in the city, he became violently ill. Rav Hirsch of Alik, zt”l, the rebbe of the city, ordered his chassidim to send for a doctor and deal with all of Rav Chaim’s needs. They paid the high doctor’s fees and procuring everything necessary for Rav Chaim’s convalescence in the town’s hospital. Even when Rav Chaim felt somewhat better, Rav Hirsch insisted that he remain in the hospital until he was entirely recovered. Because of their efforts, Rav Chaim felt that signing the cherem would be forbidden since it is a marked lack of hakaras hatov.’

The Meaning of the Fig Tree

The obligation of gratitude is truly staggering. The Akeidas Yitzchak, zt”l, writes, “The worst and most damaging character trait is a lack of gratitude.”
Rav Meshulam Dovid Soleveitchik, shlit”a, uses this concept to explain an interesting Rashi. “In Zevachim 58 we find that we offer the incense from the second ma’aracha on fig branches. Rashi explains the aggadaic reason for this practice. ‘We use specifically a fig branch since it was through this branch that Adam covered his nakedness.’ This teaches the real extent of hakaras hatov. Even though the fruit of this very tree caused death to Adam and all of his descendants, it does not detract from our obligation to express hakaras hatov to this tree since our earliest ancestors fashioned chaguros from its leaves.”
But the Tiferes Yisrael, zt”l, understood this Rashi in a very different manner. “Adam Harishon sinned since he and Chavah accepted the snake’s words of slander against Hashem. Since the incense atones for lashon hara, we use the branches of the fig tree which covered Adam’s nakedness then.”
But it may be possible to suggest a third explanation. The verse tells us, 'נוצר תאנה יטול פריו'—“He who guards the fig tree will eat its fruit.” Our sages explain that the fig tree produces fruit in small batches, so that if someone misses a day, he is unable to harvest the entire crop. The same is true with Torah. If one is like Yehoshua, who always was in the tent, he will eat of its fruits. But one whose commitment is haphazard will not succeed like one who is more committed.
Specifically a fig leaf covered Adam’s nakedness to teach that only through Torah could what he lost be regained. We use this wood for the ketores to teach the very same lesson. Only through Torah will we merit to transform our negative character traits, alluded to in the chelbonah, into good.