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Israel: A Land That Consumes Its Inhabitants

Author:

Rabbi Schusterman

Date:

June 27, 2024

Tags:

Challenges, Change, Faith, identity, Inspiration, Loving-Kindness, Moses, Rebuilding


It sure feels that way today. To kvetch; We can't seem to do anything right. If we do it this way the world complains, if we do it that way the world complains.

The Spies put forth this argument over 3300 years ago "It's a land that consumes Its inhabitants" they said.

However G-d sends the healing before the affliction. The affliction being our isolation from the rest of the world and a notion of self questioning if we are on the right side of history.

The way out is indeed to tap into the holiness of Israel and allow for it to be a land that consumes its inhabitants as it was intended to be.

The Midrash tells us that Eretz Yisrael is so called because it wants (rotze) to fulfill the will (ratzon) of the Creator.

This is evident in the physical reality being aligned with Mitzvos, from the miraculous in the Temple to the many Mitzvos connected uniquely with the LAND of Israel.

Being consumed by the holiness of Israel is to realize that G-d runs the world. The Spies' mistake was that they saw the land consuming them as a negative.

Our job is to see it is a positive. The isolation of Israel from the world isn't something to be afraid of. It's a reminder to us to be proud of who we are and to embrace our uniqueness as a people.

The self doubt ought to remind us to find our G-d confidence inside of ourselves not from the approval of nations.

The Spies said we were as grasshoppers in our eyes and so we were in theirs. We need to see ourselves as warriors, as G-d's People, as the Chosen People with a unique responsibility to the world. If we are in our eyes as such, we will be seen that way by them.

Let's get consumed by the holiness of Israel!

Good Shabbos!




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