Small tidbits and Sparks of wisdom

The claim of Klal Yisrael to Eretz Yisrael is not subject to the approval of the world, international courts, or even internal consensus. It is not about politics, diplomacy, or public relations. It is rooted in one eternal reality: Hashem is the Creator and Owner of the world, and He gave Eretz Yisrael to His people.

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1. Why the Torah Begins with Creation

The Torah begins with:

> בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ

Rashi, quoting R’ Yitzchak, asks: Why not begin the Torah with the first mitzvah, which is:

> הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם (שמות י״ב:ב׳)

Instead, it begins with Creation to teach the pasuk:

> כֹּחַ מַעֲשָׂיו הִגִּיד לְעַמּוֹ לָתֵת לָהֶם נַחֲלַת גּוֹיִם (תהילים קי״א:ו׳)

So that if the nations of the world say to Israel:
“You are thieves, you conquered the land of the seven nations!”,
Israel will answer:

> כָּל הָאָרֶץ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא; הוּא בְּרָאָהּ וּנְתָנָהּ לַאֲשֶׁר יָשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו. בִּרְצוֹנוֹ נְתָנָהּ לָהֶם, וּבִרְצוֹנוֹ נְטָלָהּ מֵהֶם וּנְתָנָהּ לָנוּ.

This is not emotional. It’s not political. It’s not historical.
It’s truth — because Hashem said so.

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2. Ibn Ezra: Moshe’s Yearning Was a Teaching Tool

Ibn Ezra (on דברים ג׳:כ״ד) explains that Moshe’s heartfelt tefillah to enter Eretz Yisrael was not only personal. He wanted to teach the nation how deeply one must love the Land. His longing was meant to inspire חיבת הארץ in the people before they entered.

He understood that the success of their mitzvah observance depended on their emotional bond to the Land. Without that love, they would lose their foothold.

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3. Sefer HaChareidim: Chavivus Is Part of the Mitzvah

Sefer HaChareidim (ch. 59) teaches that the mitzvah of יישוב ארץ ישראל includes חביבות ארץ ישראל — to actively cherish and yearn for the Land. It is not enough to live there passively. One must desire it, feel connected to it, and recognize its spiritual elevation.

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4. Al HaRishonim: Not for Scenery, but for Shechinah

> “Not a love for the physical beauty of Eretz Yisrael, but rather a love for the spirituality and special closeness with Hashem that exists in Eretz Yisrael more than in any other place.”

That’s why the Torah says:

> אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר עֵינֵי ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ בָּהּ, מֵרֵשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית שָׁנָה (דברים י״א:י״ב)

Eretz Yisrael is unique not because of its climate or landscape — but because it is the place where Hashem’s Presence and supervision are most revealed.

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5. Why Moshe Was Not Allowed to Enter

Had Moshe Rabbeinu led Bnei Yisrael into the Land and established its foundation, then any future sin would have demanded complete destruction — not exile. There would be no allowance for failure. A nation brought in by Moshe would be held to an absolute standard.

Hashem, in His mercy, denied Moshe entry so that Klal Yisrael could survive even when it fails.
Exile would remain an option. Annihilation would not.
Better to lose the Land temporarily than to lose the nation eternally.

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6. We Are Not in Israel for Safety or Utility

And that is why the spiritual life in Eretz Yisrael is the primary purpose.

We are not there because we were refugees after the war. We are not there because no one else would take us. That is not the reason. There are plenty of places in the world Jews can live — the U.S., Canada, Australia. Those who think Israel is just another Western democracy — a place to build, work, manufacture, and “live like everyone else” — are mistaken.

To live in Eretz Yisrael correctly requires Torah, emunah, and hashkafah yesharah. Not just tefillin and Shabbos — but a clear understanding that this land is different, and we are different.

Sadly, many living in Israel today — including even some religious Jews — are confused about why they’re there. They think it’s about security, nationalism, or cultural pride. That warped, modern Zionistic idea is empty and false.

We are in Eretz Yisrael only because Hashem allows us to be there, and only to serve as a shining example of what a true life in His service looks like. The Jewish people in Eretz Yisrael are meant to reflect קדושה, משפט, and דרך ה׳ — to live as the model that brings the world toward Geulah and Olam Haba.

That is why we want to be there — when Hashem says so, and under His guidance — not to feel “safe,” but to live meaningfully, truthfully, and spiritually aligned with our mission.

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Conclusion: We Don’t Need Permission — Except From Hashem

Our right to Eretz Yisrael is not subject to permission from the U.N., the European Union, or the world. But neither is it subject to our own choice. We don’t go when we want. We don’t stay because we decide. We are there — or not — only if Hashem allows it.

If He allows us to live there — it is because He permits it.
If He throws us out — that too is by His decree.

Those who believe that our presence in Eretz Yisrael today is based on secular legality or political sovereignty are deeply mistaken. That is not the permission Rashi refers to. The permission to live in Eretz Yisrael is from the Creator alone. Everything else is an illusion.

Living there in a secular, nationalistic way — governed by Western ideologies and stripped of Torah values — is not a return to the Land of our forefathers. It is not גאולה. It is not the redemption we were promised.

It is no different than Jews settling in the Netherlands, Australia, or Taiwan — places where Hashem may let us live for a time. But once the Torah disappears from our lives, and mitzvot become optional, and chilul Hashem becomes normalized — Eretz Yisrael becomes just another polluted land.

To insist that we belong there no matter what, even when Hashem is ignored, Torah is violated, and morality is redefined — is not a zechut. It is a chilul Eretz Yisrael.

We Are Guests of the King

We do not own the Land.
We are guests — and the Host is watching.

Let no one misunderstand:

> הוּא נָתַן. הוּא נוֹטֵל. וְרַק הוּא מַחְזִיר.

Until we fulfill the Torah’s vision — until we are what Hashem intended us to be —
we are still in galut, even inside the Land.