There is a lot of talk about the latest announcement in Israel that there will be more housing built in Judea and Samaria. This is newsworthy because new construction hasn't happened in a few years on such a large scale. But in truth, the same big news has been going on for the last seventy to a hundred years in particular, and in general, for the last two thousand years. How is it that the Jews have been building and rebuilding in the Holy Land of Israel long after we have been exiled?
Is it only because G-d has promised to Abraham - in this week’s Torah portion - that the Land of Israel will be an inheritance to us, his children, that we have come back over and over again?
What is interesting is that G-d promises Abraham that he will give Israel to him as an inheritance—but then he adds that he must circumcise himself. The Midrash teaches us that these verses, although juxtaposed, are connected. When we continue to circumcise our children, even while in exile, we guarantee that our connection to the Land of Israel will never be severed.
You see, the covenant that G-d makes with Abraham – that Israel will be an inheritance to the Jewish people – is a promise that has nothing to do with the actions of the inheritor; it happens automatically. However, in order for there to be a deeper connection between giver and receiver, the receiver must earn it. In order to bring this about, G-d tells us that if we circumcise our young, we will not only inherit the Land of Israel, we will earn the right to inherit it as well.
That is why it is so significant for us to be living in a time when Israel is so strong, and why it is also important for us to make Israel an important part of our lives.
If you would like to visit Israel with me in March so that you can see for yourself how Israel is a “light unto the nations,” please let me know and I will be happy to share with you more information.
Shabbat Shalom