Feature Tidbit He Means US! When G-d told No'ach to build the Teiva, He was taking to No'ach and, via the Torah, we listen in on the conversation, and hopefully learn something from it. When G-d commanded No'ach, as He had previously done to Adam, to "be fruitful and multiply", He was taking to all of us. In either case, and similarly throughout theTorah, there are lessons to be learned, but there is a difference between the two types of utterances by G-d. And we have to understand the difference, and respond accordingly. Adam and No'ach were individuals, and they were prototypes of all human beings. Avraham Avinu was an individual, and he is the prototype of theJew. In many cases, he is us and we are him. (I know it should be he is we and we are he, but I have a problem saying that.) G-d told Avra(ha)m to leave his land, his birthplace, his father's home and go THE LAND which G-d will show him, Eretz Yisrael. G-d is saying that, not just to Avraham, but to every single Jew who starts his life outside of Israel. In fact, Parshat Lech L'cha is usually marked as SHABBAT ALIYA in many communities. But that's not the main point of this "tidbit". It's what G-d says to Avra(ha)m a bit further on in the sedra. "To your descendants I will give this Land". And again, after Lot to leave of Avra(ha)m, G-d tells him to look in all directions,for all the Land you see, I will give to you and your offspring FOREVER. And again. And again. G-d's promise of the Eretz Yisrael is repeated over and over to Avraham and to Yitzchak and to Yaakov and to Moshe Rabeinu and the People of Israel... and to each of US. And that is the point. Our claim to the Land is not based on conquest in 1967 nor in any other period of history. Our claim, our right, our exclusive right to Eretz Yisrael comes from G-d's promises. We have "strings attached" concerning our hold on the Land, but not our title of it. We must keep the Torah and be faithful to G-d, or He will expel us from the Land, G-d forbid.But the Land is always ours. It has been that way for a very long time, and will IY"H continue forever, as G-d has promised. Again, I say, this point has to be understood by us, the Jewish People, long before any non-Jew can be expected to understand it. If there are Jews who really believe that G-d gave us the Land of Israel and that only we have a right to it, and they also really believe that we have to give up some of that Land to the Arabs in order to hope for a chance for peace and security, then I think they are wrong, but I accept their point of view as legitimate. However, I believe that the overwhelming majority of those Jews who are happy about the Peace Process with its repeated concessions on Israel's part, really don't believe that we have the right to all of Israel. They think the Biblical claim is to mythical to hold water; they believe the Arabs have a legitimate claim to arts of Israel and Jerusalem too. Some even believe that the Arab claim is stronger than ours. It is with this segment of the population that I have a serious problem. I cannot feel that they can even be part of a decision-making process. This needs more explanation, but alas there is no room. I await your feedback. [The Lech L'cha Homepage] |
