The last few weeks have shown us a world media that is obsessed with Israel. Any channel, paper, or radio show, are bound to have some heavy ongoing coverage of the situation in Israel. Despite the many other tragic events and battles raging around the world, for some reason, Israel seems to be the one to home in on and focus on. This obsession doesn’t always seem to stem from a deep love of Israel or the Jewish people, but whatever the case, the focus is on Israel.
Personally, I love Israel and I consider it my second home, if not my first home. Growing up in England, I was always captivated and drawn to the land of Israel. It was my homeland, it was the place where our spiritual forefathers trod and began their Jewish journey, it was a holy place, and it is the modern day country in which millions of my brethren are living a flourishing life. When I was 15 years old, my parents took our family on our very first trip and since then, my love for Israel and everything that it represents has grown infinitely and continues growing with each trip I take there.
In this week’s Torah Portion, we read about Moses who pleaded and begged G-d to be allowed to enter the Land of Israel, even if just for a short quick trip. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be, and Moses was not destined to lead the Jewish people into the Holy Land. The Medrash tells us that although it had been decreed that Moses was not going to enter the land of Israel, Moses begged and pleaded with G-d hundreds of times to be allowed to enter, and he only stopped when G-d told him it was time to stop asking.
The commentaries discuss many motives to explain his intense desire to enter the Land of Israel, all of which are true in different ways. Yet a central component of Moses’s desire was precisely due to the central spiritual role that the Land of Israel plays in our cosmic mission of bettering the world and making it a spiritual home for G-d. Moses knew that everything that had happened until that point in the desert, no matter how great and no matter how challenging was only a preparation for the mission they were now embarking on of creating a holy environment in the place that was designated as the Holy Land.
Moses knew that what was to happen and occur over the next few years would have tremendous bearings not just on the Jews of that time; it would also affect the destiny of mankind as a whole and the spiritual direction of humanity. Moses knew that if this mission were to be accomplished, it would have lasting effects on not only the Jews but all of mankind, and Moses wanted to be a part of that.
3300 years later, Israel is not just our national home; it is also our spiritual homeland. It is the seat and center point of our connection with G-d and of our ability to bring G-d’s presence and message to the world around us.
Looking around, it is easy to get frustrated with the tremendous amount of attention Israel always seems to receive. Yet, perhaps we can use this as a reminder, that today too, Israel is a spiritual nerve center of the world and perhaps this is another element of why we attract so much attention.
At times like this it is challenging and difficult to see through the cloud of bias and hate, and our spiritual goals almost seemed sidelined by the battle for Israel’s very existence. Yet, as we read this week’s portion and the story of Moses’s intense desire to enter the Land and think about why he wanted to enter the land, we are reminded of the main spiritual objectives of the Land of Israel and the tremendous spiritual potential that it provides us with to serve as a beacon of light to the world.
G-d willing, Israel will overcome its foes and achieve lasting peace, so that once again we will be able to use the worldwide attention purely for purposes that benefit all mankind and make the world into a truly better spiritual world.
Shabbat Shalom
Below is a Video from Last Night's Rally in Boston