In Parshat Masei (Bamidbar
33:52-53), we learn about the Mitzvah of settling the Land of Israel which includes
purchasing property:

You shall drive out all the inhabitants
of the Land before you; and you shall destroy all their prostration stones; all
their molten images shall you destroy; and all their high places shall you
demolish. You shall possess the Land and you shall settle in it, for to you
have I given the Land to possess it.

According to Rashi, we must drive
out the inhabitants and then we will be able to dwell in it and endure there.
If we don’t drive out the inhabitants then we won’t be able to dwell there.

We learn about how buying a home in
Israel is connected to the mitzvah of settling the Land of Israel in the
Talmud, Bava Kama 80b:

In the case of one who is purchasing
a house in the Land of Israel (from a non-Jew), we may write a sales contract
for it even on Shabbat.

The Gemara asks: Can it enter your
mind that the contract is actually written on Shabbat? Rather, it is like what
Rava stated: One may ask a non-Jew and he will write it. Here too in our case
of purchasing a house in Eretz Yisrael: One may ask a non-Jew to write the
contract and he will do it.

The Gemara explains: Even though
asking a non-Jew to perform forbidden labor on Shabbat is a Shabbat prohibition,
the rabbis did not prohibit it in this case because of the importance of
settling the Land of Israel.

Rashi comments (Gitin 8b) that this
leniency of writing the document on Shabbat is when one is buying land from an
idolater and one can’t wait until after Shabbat to write the document of sale
because the idolater wants to leave while it is still Shabbat.

Tosafot clarify that asking a
non-Jew to perform a Biblically forbidden labor (such as writing) on Shabbat is
permitted only for the mitzvah of settling the Land of Israel, but not for
other mitzvot.

The Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim
306:11 states: It is permitted to buy a house from a non-Jew on Shabbat, and
seal and go to the non-Jewish courts. The Rama quotes the Or Zarua: In their
script (not in Hebrew) since writing in their script is only forbidden
Rabbinically, and in the case of settling the Land of Israel, they did not
decree.

The Mishna Brura points out that the
Jewish person who is buying the property would show the non-Jewish seller where
the money is so that he could take it, but the Jew would not handle the money
on Shabbat.

We see from here that normally one
would not be allowed to ask a non-Jew to write a document for them on Shabbat.
However, since the mitzvah of settling the Land of Israel is so important, if a
Jewish person’s only opportunity to buy a piece of land or a home in Israel
would be on Shabbat since the non-Jewish seller would no longer be available
later, then one would be permitted to do so.

In Parshat Masei, Bamidbar 33:53, we
are commanded to settle the Land of Israel: “Drive out the inhabitants of the Land
and settle in it, because I have given this Land to you to possess.”

According to Ramban, Nachmanides, it
is a Mitzvah to settle the Land of Israel and inherit it.

Rashbam explains that it is
forbidden for a person to move out of the Land of Israel because they will remove
themselves from the observance of the Torah’s commandments (as they won’t be
able to observe the mitzvot hatluyot baaretz- the mitzvot that only apply in
the Land of Israel such as Truma and Shmita).

If we are obligated to settle the Land
and live there, are we permitted to leave and move elsewhere?

In the Talmud, Bava Batra 91a the
Sages taught: One may not leave the Land of Israel to live in Chutz La’Aretz
(outside of the Land of Israel) unless food prices have risen so sharply that two
se’ah of wheat cost a sela (double the usual price).

From here it would seem that one could
leave the Land if they find the products to be too expensive.

The Gemara then brings Rabbi Shimon’s
dispute of the first opinion: When is it permitted to leave Israel? One is
permitted to leave if there is no wheat to purchase. But when one is able to
find wheat to purchase, then even if the wheat is so expensive that a se’ah
costs a sela (four times the original price), one may not leave.

According to Rabbi Shimon, it is
about the availability of the wheat, regardless of its price. If food is
available, there is no reason to leave. Therefore, if there is enough food
available and one can afford to feed their family, they may not leave even if
the food is very expensive.

The Gemara continues: Similarly,
Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai used to say: Elimelech, Machlon and Chilyon (Naomi’s
husband and sons who left the Land of Israel during a famine and moved to Moav
where they died) were the great men and caretakers of their generation. Why
were they punished? Because they left the Land of Israel to go live outside the
Land even though they had grain available to them. As it says (Megilat Ruth 1:19) “And it was when they (Naomi and Ruth) arrived in Bethlehem, that
the entire city was in an uproar over them, and they said ‘Could this be Naomi?’”

The Gemara explains: What did they
mean when they said, “Could this be Naomi?” Rabbi Yitzchak said: They said, “Have
you seen Naomi who left the Land of Israel to go live outside the Land, and
what happened to her?

The people were struck by the irony
that they had remained in the Land of Israel and survived the famine while
Naomi’s family who went to Moav to escape the famine died there.

We see from here that one is only
permitted to leave if they can’t afford to put food on the table.

In Israel today, there is plenty of
food. Many products such as fruits and vegetables and a lot of the basics are
inexpensive yet other items are extremely expensive. If you shop at discount
supermarkets and open air markets, you can get some very good deals. On the
other hand, if you go to a more local grocery store and buy fancy imported
products you will be spending a lot more.

If a person makes aliya and wants to
make it work, they may have to give up some products that they are used to which
are unavailable in Israel as well as other products that are available but overpriced.
For example, a box of Shoprite brand “Crispy Corn Squares” (a generic brand, not
even Corn Chex!) is 26 Shekels ($7.50) while a much larger box of Kellogg’s
Corflakes is 13 Shekels, half the price! Although I love and miss Corn Chex, I
can’t bring myself to spend so much unless they are on a very good sale. Yet I
don’t feel like I have to move back to the United States because the cereal is
expensive.

Anyone who makes aliya knows that
they are not going to have the exact same job that they had abroad (unless they
are working remotely from their old company) so they come with an understanding
that they must be flexible and may need to be retrained or work in a totally
different field including something “below” what they were doing before aliya.
Many native Israelis don’t have that transition as they are privileged to have
studied in Israel, have connections, speak fluent Hebrew and get jobs in the
field that they pursued.

With the onset of the coronavirus,
many Israelis are beside themselves after losing the jobs that they have been
doing their whole lives. Every day for the last three months, the newspaper,
Yediot Achronot has been highlighting Israelis who have lost their jobs and are
now sitting around waiting for the government to help them out. It has been
extremely sad and depressing to read these articles.

Today, for a change, there was an
article about Israelis who can’t work in their regular fields right now due to
the pandemic so they are creatively finding other ways to support themselves,
even if they are lower paying, less glamorous jobs. I give the people who were
featured a lot of credit for finding new ways to support their families. This
is what new immigrants do when they get to Israel and this is what our grandparents
and great grandparents did when they arrived in the US and Canada over 100
years ago.

If we want to make aliya work, we
have to do everything that we can. For many, it will not be the same lifestyle
that we left behind although someone must be buying the Crispy Corn Squares or
else they wouldn’t be importing them. Those who want to stay must make a plan
in order to remain here. But it is possible to make it work, even during a
pandemic. If the Zionist dream and the mitzvah of settling the Land is more
important to you than a box of cereal, then we hope that you will join us here
in the Modern State of Israel.

In Parshat Masei (Bamidbar 33:53) we
learn about the mitzvah of settling the Land of Israel:

You shall possess the Land and you
shall settle in it, for to you have I given the Land to possess it.

The Mishna in Ketubot 110b discusses
the right of a person to require their family to relocate to Israel:

A person can force all the members
of his household to make aliya, go up to Eretz Yisrael to live there, but he
can force none of them to leave Eretz Yisrael. A person can force all the
members of his household to go up to Jerusalem, but he can force none of them
to leave Jerusalem. The same is true for both men and women.

A braita records the rulings that
apply when a husband and wife disagree about moving to Eretz Yisrael or
Jerusalem:

If he wants to go up to Eretz
Yisrael or Jerusalem and she wants them not to go up, we force her to go up
with him. But if she will not go up with him, then she must accept a divorce
without receiving the additional entitlements written in her Ketuba. If she
wants to go up and he does not want them to go up, we force him to go up with
her. But if he will not go upwith her then he must divorce her and give her the
Ketuba payments.

The braita continues regarding a
husband and wife who disagree about leaving Eretz Yisrael or Jerusalem:

If she wants them to leave and he
wants them not to leave, we force her not to leave. But if she will not remain
in Eretz Yisrael or Jerusalem, then she mast leave him (accept a divorce)
without receiving a Ketuba. If he wants them to leave, but she doesn’t want
them to leave, then we force him not to leave. If he does not want to remain in
Eretz Yisrael or Jerusalem, he must divorce her and give her the Ketuba.

We see from here how serious the
mitzvah of making aliya and staying in Israel has always been.

It is important that couples who are
dating discuss the potential of making aliya in the future. If one of the
partners is against aliya, then it may not be a good match. The same is true
for those already in Israel. If one has their eye on moving abroad at some
point then the relationship may not work out.

May all who strive to make aliya
have the opportunity to do so!

The Talmud in Bava Batra 119b quotes a Braita which teaches:

The daughters of Tzelophchad were wise, they were expounders of the
Torah and they were righteous.

We see from here, that the rabbis gave the daughters of Tzelophchad a
lot of credit for approaching Moshe and asking if they can inherit their father’s
land as they had no brothers to inherit it.

What we don’t see in the Tanach or in the Midrash is an explanation of
the meaning of the names of the daughters of Tzelophchad (who are mentioned
four times in the Tanach), and listed in Parshat Masei (Bamidbar 36:11) in the
following order: Machla, Tirtza, Hogla, Milka and Noa.

Ba’al HaRokeach, Rabbi Elazar of Germaiza (12-13^th c.), one
of the greatest scholars of Hasidei Ashkenaz, came up with his own interpretation
of what their names mean. Professor Ephraim Hazan interprets Ba’al HaRokeach’s
commentary:

Machla and Noa mean song with dance. He sees in the names, Machla and Noa
movement within song and dance, prayers to God and trust in Him as it says in
Tehillim 37:7 “Wait silently for the salvation of
God and wait longingly (vehitcholel) for Him…” He adds another explanation for
the name Noa, she moves like an instrument that you shake, like it says in
Shmuel Bet, 6:5 “And David and all of B’nai Yisrael were rejoicing before God
with all kinds of cypress wood instruments, with harps, lyres, drums, timbrels (b’mina’anim)
and on cymbals”, in other words, an instrument which is used to praise God.
Milka, (from the root melech, king/queen) caused Moshe to be coronated as king
by God. When she and her sisters asked the question about their inheritance,
Moshe had to consult with God. Hogla, means a circle dance. Tirtza, happy
(merutza) and wants (rotza) what God wants (retzon kona), these are all plays
on the root (ratza) in her name. She is happy with what she has and respects
what God gives her.

Ba’al HaRokeach teaches us that from
their names, we learn about their love of God, connection to Him, wisdom, joy, and
appreciation of themselves and of God. We can also learn about their agility,
diligence and accomplishments.

Unfortunately, Rabbi Elazar’s wife,
Dolcea of Worms, whose name means agreeable, pleasant and kind in Latin and
their two daughters were murdered in their home, right in front of him. Dolcea
was a true woman of valor who ran the home, was a businesswoman and a Torah
scholar. In Dolcea’s honor, Rabbi Elazar wrote a tribute to her and her
accomplishments.

May we gain strength from learning
about the daughters of Tzelophcahad and Dolcea and may there be many more
female leaders in Israel.

In Parshat Masei (Bamidbar33:53) we
are commanded: “Drive out the inhabitants of the land and settle in it, because
I have given this land to you to possess.”

Ramban (Nachmanides) believes that
it is a positive commandment to dwell in the Land of Israel and inherit it. Why?
Because God gave it to them and they should not reject the inheritance of God.
Thus if the thought occurs to them to go and conquer the land of Shinar or the
land of Assyria or any other country and to settle therein, they are thereby
transgressing the commandment of God.

Nehama Leibowitz points out that
Ramban’s reasoning does not mention that the obligation to settle the Land is
because it is a good land, better than the desolate lands of the other nations.
Rather, because the Land was given to the Jewish people “and they should not
reject the inheritance of God.”

Nehama Leibowitz adds: If you check
Sefer Breisheet, you will not find the good properties of the Land or the
concept of “a land flowing with milk and honey” mentioned at all to our
forefathers. Avraham was not brought to the land to “eat from the fruits and be
satisfied from all of the goodness.” Rather, all three of our forefathers encountered
a famine during the time that they lived in the Land. The Patriarch’s loyalty
to the Land was tested. Avraham left the Land during the famine but learned his
lesson when he went down to Egypt and immediately came back. Yitzchak was not
allowed to leave, even when there was a famine. The reason: “For unto you, and
unto your seed, I will give all these lands.”

Nehama Leibowitz continues, God determines
the boundaries of the nations. God allotted Israel its place in the world just the
same as He did for the other nations. However, the Jewish people are aware that
God granted the Land to them. This is not a matter of history but involves a
religious mission, a moral obligation, the responsibility to observe a
particular way of life in the Land.

Israel was the Land given to the
Jewish people and we are therefore commanded to settle it. Everything else- the
delicious fruits, the beautiful scenery etc. is a bonus. This is our gift from
God. As the popular song by Ehud Manor goes, “Ein li eretz acheret”, “I have no other land, even if my earth is
burning.” As we have been watching the fields next to the Gaza strip set on
fire by kites from Gaza, that song resonates with us now more than ever. May we
see the end to the fires and return to the days when kites were used for fun
and not for war.

This week’s Haftara (Yirmiyahu
2:4-28, 3:4, 4:1-2), the second of the three Haftarot of destruction speaks
about how God is bitter and angry at the Jewish people for worshiping other gods.

They are told in 2:22, “Even were
you to wash yourself with neter and use much borit upon yourself,
your iniquity is the mark of a stain before me, says the Lord, God.”

Both neter and borit
were laundry detergents that were used at the time of the Tanach and Talmud
which were able to remove the toughest of stains such as bloodstains.

There is a dispute as to what
exactly neter is. According to Yerushalmi, Shabbat 9:5, neter is
natron, a naturally occurring form of sodium carbonate (commonly used in Egypt).
Rashi in Avodah Zarah identifies neter as alum (which is white). Rambam
translates neter as tafal in Arabic which is a type of chalk.

There is also a question as to what
exactly borit is. The Talmud, Nida 62a states that it isn’t sulpher, as
it is a plant. The Talmud suggests that it may be a type of aloe (not the common
aloe), an herbal cleanser (possibly Mesembryanthemum). Rashi in Sanhedrin 49b
says that neter is soapwort (Saponaria), a plant which is used to make
soap.

The metaphor from Yirmiyahu 2:22 leaves
no hope for repentance. No matter how much we scrub our laundry with the best
detergents, we are not going to get the stains out. No matter how much we try
to repent, our sins will still not be forgiven, the stains will remain.

This is very different from the
quote that we find two chapters later in Yirmiyahu 4:14, “O Yerushalayim, wash
your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your thoughts
of calamity lodge within you?”

Abravanel explains the difference:
If you are wicked in secret but pious in public, God will know your inward evil
and it will not count as repentance.

Nehama Leibowitz points out that 4:14
refers to washing your heart (true repentance that God will accept) while 2:22
depicts the laundering of a garment.

The nine days leading up to Tisha
B’Av which begin today are a time that we traditionally refrain from washing
our garments. Wouldn’t this be an appropriate time to focus on spiritually
cleansing our hearts from any wrong that we may have committed?

In Parshat Masei we read about the
land that will be given to the Leviim, Levites (Bamidbar 35:2-5):

Instruct B’nei Yisrael and have them
give to the Leviim for their hereditary possession, cities in which to settle;
and open space (migrash) for the cities all around you shall give to the
Leviim. These cities shall be theirs for dwelling, and their open space shall
be for their animals, their property and all of their necessities to live. The
open space for the cities that you shall give to the Leviim shall extend from
the walls of the city outward…This shall be the open spaces for the cities.

We see the word migrash (open space
or clearing) used four times in these four sentences.

Rashi explains that a migrash is an
empty area surrounding the city, to beautify the city. One is not permitted to
build a house there or plant a vineyard or sow seeds.

The last mishna in Arachin teaches:

We may not make a field into a
clearing nor a clearing into a field, nor a clearing into a city nor a city
into a clearing. Rabbi Elazar said: With regards to what cities are these
rulings stated? They are stated with regard to the cities of the Leviim. But
with regard to the cities of the Yisraelim, we can make a field into a
clearing, a clearing into a field and a clearing into a city but not a city
into a clearing lest they destroy the cities of Israel.

We see here the importance of urban
planning even in Biblical times. It was crucial not to destroy the farmland on
the one hand, and not to impair the beauty of the city on the other hand. It is
also important to make sure that people have a place to live. Therefore, we are
not permitted to turn a city into a clearing (even when it comes to other cities
in the Land of Israel that do not belong to the Leviim).

The Biblical term migrash refers to
an empty piece of land outside the city where the shepherds took their sheep to
graze.

In Modern Hebrew, a migrash means a
plot of land that can eventually be built on. Migrash is also the word used for
a field that is used to play sports.

For the past two weeks many of
Israel’s fields were put to good use by the Maccabiah games. It was a pleasure
to meet so many dedicated athletes who chose to combine their love of sports
and their love of the Land of Israel out on our playing fields.

What makes Israel so beautiful is
the fact that there are many open spaces. It is important that when new cities
are built that the beaches and nature reserves are preserved and that parks and
playing fields are constructed for the community.

In loving memory of David B. Schwartz,  Dov Ber ben
Tzvi Zev z”l, 

on his Yahrzeit, 29 Tammuz 

Sponsored by his sister, Judy Schwartz Floam

In Parshat Masei, Bamidbar 33:53 we are commanded: “Drive
out the inhabitants of the land and settle in it because I have given this land
to you to possess.”

According to the Ramban (Nachmanides) we learn from this
verse that settling the Land of Israel is one of the
613 commandments from the Torah.

Nechama Leibowitz points out that “there can be no complete
observance, in all spheres of life of the mitzvoth of the Torah outside of the Land of Israel. The Torah cannot be observed in
its entirety except in a society wholly governed by its precepts and not in an
alien framework ruled by other ideals. There are personal religious obligations
that can be observed anywhere…but the Torah as a whole implies a complete
social order, a judiciary, national, economic and political life. That can only
be achieved in the Holy Land and not outside
it.”

In an ideal world, this would bring about a Kiddush HaShem
(sanctification of God’s name). However, today there is an abuse in power in Israel and
instead of the ideal there is also corruption which ends up causing a Chilul
HaShem (desecration of God’s name).

Many of the religious problems in Israel
today have to do with the Chief Rabbinate being stricter than necessary in the
areas of conversion, marriage, divorce, funerals, Kashrut and the Temple Mount.

In Jewish law there is a range of varying opinions which can
all be valid. It doesn’t make sense that only a few opinions are accepted and
everyone else is shut out.

In fact, that is one reason why we have both a Sepahrdic and
an Ashkenasic Chief Rabbi.

Israel
has a lot to learn from the Diaspora where members choose their own community
rabbi who presides over the conversions, weddings, divorces, funerals etc.

An individual who is converting, getting married or divorced
will not be comfortable going through this process with a rabbi that they have
no connection to.

There are a wide variety of points of view in the laws of
keeping kosher, some stricter and some more lenient. There is no reason that
every restaurant has to conform to more rigid and more expensive standards than
Jewish law requires.

There are also different viewpoints on the issue Jews ascending
the Temple Mount. Both assessments should be
respected without the Chief Rabbinate choosing sides.

The good news is that many Jewish leaders who are originally
from North America are bringing American values to Israel.

Rabbi Seth Farber of Itim is helping sincere converts handle
the bureaucracy of dealing with the Chief Rabbinate and the Ministry of
Interior.

Rabbi Aaron Leibowitz started an independent kosher
certification called Hashgacha Pratit (pivate supervision) with his own set of
mashgichot that certify that the food is Kosher.

Tzohar Rabbis help make brides and grooms who are not
necessarily observant feel comfortable having a religious wedding service.

Rabbi Yehuda Glick has been active in trying to ensure that
Jews can observe Jewish law while visiting the Temple Mount.

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin trains toanot (female rabbinic
advocates) to represent women who are going through a divorce in the rabbinic
courts.

The list can go on and on…

What we learn from here is that it is no use to sit around complaining
about the Chief Rabbinate. Those who want to make a change must come and settle
the Land of Israel and help make changes from within.

In Bamidbar 33:50-56 we read:

God spoke to Moshe in the plains of Moav along the Yarden
near Yericho saying:

“Speak to B’nai Yisrael and say to them: ‘When you cross the
Yarden to the Land of Cnaan, you must drive
out the inhabitants of the land before you. You must destroy all their
carved stones and demolish all of their cast metal idols and tear down their
altars. Drive out the inhabitants of the land and settle in it
because I have given this land to you to possess. You shall give the land as
an inheritance to your family by means of a lottery; to the large family
you shall increase its portion, to the small family you shall decrease its
portion. To whomever the lottery system ordains, it shall be his; according to
the paternal tribes shall you shall inherit. But if you do not drive out the
inhabitants of the land before you, those whom you will leave over will be
spikes in your sides and they will persecute you upon the land which you settle.
And it shall be that what I intended to do to them I will do to you.’”

According to Rashi, the words “Drive out the inhabitants of
the land” mean make it vacant of its inhabitants and then “you shall dwell in
it”, you shall be able to endure there. If not, you shall be unable to endure
there.

It is not enough to just conquer the Land of Israel.
After we conquer it we must settle it so that the Land of Israel will remain in our hands.

According to Rabbi Saul Berman, today, those who are not
Jewish are viewed as observers of the Seven Mitzvot of Noach. They are in the
category of Ger Toshav (Resident Alien). They are not forced out of the Land of Israel and are welcome to live
peacefully with us.

However, according to the law of Ger Toshav, those who
transgress the Seven Mitzvot of Noach (which include not committing murder) may
not remain in the Land of Israel.

The Torah is very specific with the fact that if we allow
these inhabitants to stay they will be “spikes in your sides and they will
persecute you upon the land which you settle.”

These verses ring true today. Nine years ago, for the sake
of peace we gave away the Gaza
strip. Instead of bringing safety and security we were rewarded with endless
rockets being shot at Israel as well as numerous terror tunnels being dug to
try to murder as many Israelis as possible. The Hamas leadership that has taken
over Gaza is clearly not acting as a Ger Toshav,
rather they are acting as murderers that must be removed from the Land of Israel.

Unfortunately, we lost many wonderful soldiers this week
while fighting the war against Hamas. Three of the soldiers who specifically
stand out are St.-Sgt. Jordan Bensemhoun z”l, 22, Sgt. Sean (Nissim) Carmelli
z”l, 21 and St.- Sgt. Max Steinberg z”l.

These three young men were lone soldiers. Jordan was from France
and Sean and Max were from the United
States. Each of them made a decision to
leave their families behind and join the Israeli army. They understood the
importance of conquering the land so that we may settle in it.

Some were afraid that very few people would attend their
funerals. Despite the security situation, over 5,000 people attended Jordan’s funeral in Ashkelon,
a coastal city that has been pounded by rockets. Sean’s funeral was in Haifa, a relatively safe
area and was attended by over 20,000 Israelis from all over the country. Max’s
funeral was in Jerusalem which thankfully has not been hit by rockets and was attended by over 30,000
people.

Israelis are in awe of the fact that someone who is not
required to fight on behalf of Israel
would join the Israeli army. They appreciate the fact that someone from
overseas would want to help and even ultimately give their life in order to
insure the safety and security of all Israelis.

As we read this week’s Parsha, we must remember that in
order to observe the mitzvah of dwelling in the Land of Israel we must drive out the inhabitants who want to destroy us no matter what the
rest of the world might think. 

In Parshat Masei, Bamidbar 33:50-52 we read: “God spoke to
Moshe in the plains of Moav along the Yarden (Jordan) near Yericho (Jericho) saying: Speak to B’nai Yisrael and say to them:
when you cross the Yarden to the land of C’naan, you must drive
out all of the inhabitants of the land before you…”

Rashi asks: How many times do B’nai Yisrael have to be
warned to drive out the inhabitants and not worship their idols?

Rashi’s answer is that specifically while they are crossing
the Yarden there is a condition: If you want to cross the Yarden on dry land
(as opposed to drowning in it) you will have to have the intention that you
plan on driving out the inhabitants.

In Masechet Sotah 34a, we read a Braita which fills in what
Yehoshua said to B’nai Yisrael when they were actually crossing the Yarden:
“Know on what condition God is miraculously parting the waters to allow you to
cross. It is on the condition that you will drive out the inhabitants of the
land from before you. If you do this, good; but if not, then the water will
come and drown both me and you.”

When asked what her favorite part of her year in Israel was, one of my students at Midreshet
Devora mentioned having the opportunity to get her feet wet in the Jordan River and study these passages from the TaNaCh at
the spot where they actually took place.

How much more meaningful must it have been for B’nai Yisrael
to see the splitting of the Jordan River and
trust in God that they would make it to the other side.

We learn from here that each person who comes to Israel comes on
a condition that they will do their part to help our homeland. There is so much
that still needs to be done and every person can make their own contribution
but if we work together we can make an even larger contribution.

The Gemara in Sotah adds: We have an oral tradition that the
burden a person is capable of lifting onto his shoulder by himself is 1/3 of
the weight  of the burden he can support
if others help him load it on.

Lets all work together in helping build up and hold on to
the modern State of Israel.