This week we begin 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 G-d … 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), we can only influence the rest of the world when we are in Eretz Yisrael; a country where the Shechina rests, and that has Bnei Yisrael learning Torah. 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? The answer is now! The Palestinians and by means of the UN, the rest of the world, are saying that we stole Eretz Yisrael. For years now we have been condemned for occupying someone else’s land. Indeed a true fulfillment of Rashi’s prediction.
The only answer 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, secretary Mike Pompeo, Ambassador Nikki Haley, and now with Ambassador Kelly Craft, 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.
Just a few months ago, no one would believe that there would be Arab countries lining up to recognize Israel and form treaties with her. Mr. Trump and his administration have done a plethora of wonderful things. Each one should be reason enough to have voted for him, and to send him back to Washington for four more years. Regarding this aspect of legitimizing the Jewish people’s residence in Eretz Yisrael alone should make every G-d fearing Jew be extremely thankful for the President and his policies.
May Hashem allow President Trump to continue the exceptional work he has begun, and may we recognize what Hashem is sewing in front of our eyes.