Ichud HaRabanim L'Maan Am Yisrael V'Eretz Yisrael

[Hebron - Brith]

(Excerpts from remarks made in Hebron, by HaRav Avraham Shapiro, Rosh Yeshivath Mercaz HaRav.)

Kislev, 5757

There is Hebron and there is the valley of Hebron. In Parashath Va’yeshev the Patriarch Jacob says to Joseph, his son, “...‘ Go now, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and bring me back word.’ So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron...” (Gen. 37:14) And Rashi asks “...but is not Hebron on a hill, as is written: ‘And they went up into the South, and came unto Hebron...’ (Num. 13: 22) but it is designated thus because of the deep design of the Patriarch Abraham, who lies buried in Hebron, that the words that were said to Abraham at the time of the making of the Covenant [the Brith beyn Habetarim] might be fulfilled: ‘that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs’ (Gen. 15:13).”

Hebron is the source of the foundations of Jewish belief, since the time of Abraham - the Covenant between G-d and Abraham, the Covenant of Exile and Redemption - Galuth and Geulah. This Covenant of the Shekinah, of the Giving of the Land of Israel to the seed of Abraham, is reaffirmed in Parashath Va’yetze, which opens with the exile of Jacob from the Land. “And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba and went toward Haran.” (Gen. 28;10) This Parashah is interpreted by the Sages as alluding to all the exiles of the Children of Jacob. These are, according to the Sages, the three Exiles of Babylon, Persia and Greece. “Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east. And he looked, and behold a well in the field, and lo three flocks of sheep lying there by it...” (Gen. 29:1-2) And then, “While he was yet speaking with, Rachel came...” (Gen. 29:9) as is written, “A voice is heard in Ramah,/Lamentation, and bitter weeping,/Rachel weeping for her children...‘Refrain thy voice from weeping,/And thine eyes from tears;/For thy work shall be remembered, saith the L-rd;/And they shall came back from the land of the enemy...And thy children shall return to their own border.’ ” (Jer. 31:14-16)

Finally, they return to Eretz Israel, “And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of G-d met him. And Jacob said when he saw them: ‘This is G-d’s camp.’ And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.” (Gen. 32:2-3) [Heb. mahane = camp; mahanaim = two camps] That is, according to Rashi , two camps of angels were watching over Jacob. One camp of “angels from Eretz Israel came to meet [Jacob] and escort him into the Land.” (Gen. 32:2) The second camp was that of the angels who had accompanied Jacob into Exile. (Gen. 28:12;32:3) So too may G-d aid us and all Israel. May He fulfill our prayers and cast off the yoke of other nations from upon us. For in that place where defence and security is in the hands of the Israeli Army there is Eretz Israel. Otherwise it is the land of other nations - that is, Galuth - Exile.

Before Jacob returns with his family to Eretz Israel an incident occurs which raises a question in our minds. “And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, and said unto them:...And the angel of G-d said unto me in the dream... ‘Now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy nativity.’ And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him: ‘Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? Are we not accounted by him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath also quite devoured our price...Now then, whatsoever G-d hath said unto thee, do.” (Gen. 31:3-16) At first sight this passage appears perplexing. For how is it that only at the end do Rachel and Leah say that they are ready to fulfill G-d’s command. Is that not the essence of the matter? Why then does the passage mention this drawing up of accounts, that is, that they have nothing to lose in going up to Eretz Israel? For certainly the Torah does not intend here to note a failure upon the part of Rachel and Leah. Rather, it is here that the Torah teaches us that wherever one attempts to fulfill a command as a mitzvah, then even from the simple point of view of the advantages or disadvantages resulting from the fulfilling of the mitzvah, it is also worthwhile. One should not say I am injured by fulfilling this mitzvah, but, to the contrary, it will be in my interest.

On the face of it Rachel and Leah are being presented with a severe trial. They are being asked to uproot themselves from their home and the home of their fathers, and go to a strange land - the land from which Jacob had fled. But instead Rachel and Leah say “there is no advantage to us in continuing to dwell in the house of our father, the deceiver, for “are we not accounted by him strangers?...and he hath also quite devoured our price - and therefore we say that only good can come to us from fulfilling G-d’s command.” Thus are we taught that the fulfillment of the mitzvah of safekeeping Eretz Israel is both a mitzvah and good counsel.

We are told that agreements must be kept. It is true: agreements must be kept. And G-d made an Agreement with us concerning Eretz Israel and we have sworn to keep it, and this Agreement must be kept! And as to all other agreements concerning the Land of Israel which were brought into being and ratified through political manipulations and promises, through the use of a majority made up of those who are not Jews - a majority contrary to the halakhah - from the point of view of the halakhah we assert that our Bond with G-d takes precedent!