This past week we began reading the Torah again. The first Rashi in the Chumash asks why the Torah began with Bereishis, as opposed to the first mitzvah of hachodesh hazeh lachem. Rashi answers in the name of Rabi Yitzchak that the Torah began from Bereishis so that in the event that the nations of the world should ever claim that we stole Eretz Yisrael, we can answer them that Hashem created the world and chose to give Eretz Yisrael to the Nations of the world and now has chosen to give it to us. That is why the Torah wrote the entire Sefer Bereishis and beginning of Sefer Shemos.
At face value that seems hard to understand. If someone would ask me why the Torah wrote Sefer Bereishis and the beginning of Sefer Shemos, I would have answered that there are many lessons of emunah and middos that we can learn from Bereishis and the beginning of Sefer Shemos. One would think that would be sufficient basis to write the beginning of the Torah.
The Mirrer Mashgiach, Rav Yeruchum Levovitz zt”l (Da’as Torah Bereishis 1:1) asks this question on Rashi and answers that although there are endless lessons in the Torah, in truth the entire Torah, all of Chumash from Bereishis until “L’einei kol Yisrael” is one daf Gemara, one subject which all of the other subjects revolve around; and Rabi Yitzchok teaches us that the subject is Eretz Yisrael. That is why the first Rashi in Chumash discusses this point and says that that is the reason why fourteen parshiyos had to be written. It is for us to understand that Eretz Yisrael is the subject that all of the subjects of the entire Torah revolve around. Rav Yeruchum explains that this is because the purpose of the world is to make a place for hashra’as hashechina. This is accomplished when Klal Yisrael is in Eretz Yisrael.
In Devarim (4:7-8) the pasuk says that the goyim will say, “Who is this great nation that is close to God … and who is this great nation whose laws are righteous.” By us learning Torah, the world will see that there is a Hashem and that He is righteous. But as the pasuk there says (4:5), this can only happen in Eretz Yisrael. When there is a country where the Shechina rests that has Bnei Yisrael learning Torah, it is influences on the entire world. The work of the Avos can only be accomplished in Eretz Yisrael. That is why there is an emphasis on Eretz Yisrael by the Avos in the brissim they made with Hashem. The reason why Eretz Yisrael is the subject which all of the subjects of the Torah revolve around is because it is the place where when Klal Yisrael learns Torah the world will learn of Hashem. As the Zohar says that the purpose of the creation of the world is that everyone will know about Hashem.
Let’s go back to the first Rashi in Chumash where it says that in the event that the nations of the world should ever claim that we stole Eretz Yisrael, we should answer them that Hashem created the world and chose to give Eretz Yisrael to the Nations of the world and now has chosen to give it to us. I would like to ask you- when has this ever occurred? When in the history of the world did all of the nations of the world ever claim that we stole Eretz Yisrael? In the times of the Neviim we only find that one nation made such a claim, but not all of them. The answer is now! The Palestinians and by means of the UN, the rest of the world, are saying that we stole Eretz Yisrael. Day after day we are condemned for occupying someone else’s land. Indeed a true fulfillment of Rashi’s prediction.
The only solution to these claims is, as Rashi says, that we must tell them that Hashem created the world and has now chosen to give Eretz Yisrael to us.
Until recently it was unclear which ambassador would be able to convey this message. The Israeli politicians have tried, but to no avail. Under President Trump and his ambassador, Nikki Haley, we have begun to hear the sounds of triumph in the UN in front of the entire world. Under their leadership, the world is being taught that Israel is a legitimate state belonging to Bnei Yisrael. Mr. Trump and his administration have done a plethora of wonderful things. Each one should be reason enough for people to have voted for him. Regarding this aspect of legitimizing the Jewish people’s residence in Eretz Yisrael alone should make every God fearing Jew be extremely thankful for the President and his policies.
On Chol Hamoed Sukkos there was a parade in Yerushalayim where people from many different countries marched and stated verbally and with signs that they stand with us and love us. It was indeed a beautiful sight to take in. There is no doubt that we are entering a new era in regards to our people’s residence in our homeland. There are many more Jews living there and now more people are recognizing that it is indeed our homeland. Through more Jews living there and observing the Torah, the world will come to recognize there is a moral and righteous God in the world.
May it be His will that we continue on this path, and achieve the ultimate purpose of this world: educating the world about the wonderful ways of Hashem, amen.