No more Zebras this week...
Sorry. Couldn't resist. I'll try to leave them out completely next week. I'll try. But let's get serious quickly. Rabbi Sholom Gold was our lead-off speaker on Leil Hoshana Rabba. He presented what he felt each of the seven Ushpizin would say to us in our sukkot this year. Aside from David HaMelech thanking us for the bus-stop ads suggesting that we say T'hilim for all occasions, most of the comments of the "spiritual shepherds of Israel" were very harsh and critical. Among them was Moshe Rabbeinu speaking mostly to Jews still in Chutz La'Aretz. His "complaint" to them was that he had wanted nothing more in the whole world than to go into Eretz Yisrael, but couldn't. But the Jews of Chutz La'Aretz can... So how come...?

Don't think that this is just another one of the frequent tirades about Aliya that find their way into the pages of Torah Tidbits. It is, but it will be more... hopefully.

Rabbi Gold made reference to the various disputes as to whether Living in Eretz Yisrael is a mitzva (among the 613) or not, a D'Oraita or a D'rabanan, a mitzva CHIYUVIT (obligatory) or KIYUMIT (not an obligation, but one "gets a mitzva" for living in Eretz Yisrael), applicable in our time or just at specific times in the past and future. Is it a CHUMRA (strict practice). There are also arguments as to whether a danger to one's life would exempt one from the mitzva to live in Israel or not. But let's save all of these disputes for some other time. Let us look at one other factor.

That factor is called R'TZON HASHEM. What does G-d want of us. G-d said to Avra(ha)m Avinu, LECH L'CHA, go from your land, from your birthplace, from your father's house... Is what G-d told Avraham to do a mitzva for all of his descendants, or was it a command to him alone, as was G-d's command to No'ach to build an Ark? It might not be counted here as a mitzva, but it certainly reveals what G-d wants. And not just of Avraham. Of all of us. Otherwise the Torah might not have mentioned it in the first place.

"Stories" of the Avot and Imahot usually do not contain mitzvot per se, but they most certainly are meant to teach us how to behave. They tell us R'TZON HASHEM. And that is no small part of Torah.

And then come the repeated promises of the Land to the Avot and their descendants (us). R'TZON HASHEM. And Moshe Rabeinu's first prophecy at the Burning Bush. G-d says He will take the people out of Egypt and bring them to Eretz Yisrael. And in the beautiful prophecy in the beginning of Va'eira: I will take you out... save you... redeem you... bring you to the Land I swore I'd give to your fathers... I will give it to you. R'TZON HASHEM. Lech L'cha...