The land of Israel is holy, beautiful and unique. G-d promised this land to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaacov. And our forefathers bequeathed this wonderful gift to their children thru the generations, to this very day.
The generation of Jews who left Egypt and received the Torah on Mount Sinai, dreamed of entering the promised land and settling in it. Unfortunately, after the sin of the spies that whole generation was not allowed to enter. This was devastating to them. And they mourned the loss deeply. It was only their children that were finally allowed to settle the land of Israel under the leadership of Joshua.
Today we are privileged to live in this holy land. Not only in the big cities of Tel Aviv, Haifa, Beersheva and of course Jerusalem, but also the area known as Yehuda and Shomron, Judea and Samaria. And all of this is part of the G-d given gift to the Jewish nation. Many years have passed since the destruction of the second temple, and this land has gone through many rulers and evil hands. However no matter who was in charge, the land of Israel, remained our G-d given inheritance. This is the place where the third temple will be built and we eagerly await that day.
Who are the Hill Top youth? They are the young men and women, children of those who came to settle in Yehuda and Shomron as soon as it was possible after the six- day war. They cherish this land and want to preserve it from those who try to take it away. Many of them live in primitive conditions. They don’t seek luxury. They study torah and work the land. Some of them farm, others raise animals, some play musical instruments and some of them raise special security dogs. These young people love the land with a passion. They are willing to give up many of the fancy electrical things young people all over desire. If they were not living there and their families were not there, this land would quickly be taken over by Arabs.
World politics being what it is, almost anything good in Israel is portrayed in a negative light. Sadly, some Jews in Israel also don’t understand the great things that these young people are accomplishing. Many would fight to the end if Tel Aviv was in danger but don’t realize that the same G-d that gave us Tel Aviv also gave us the ‘heart’ of the land, Yehuda and Shomron. And these young people are fighting to keep it safe.
In many shuls a special prayer is said on Shabbat for those who live in the Shomron. For all the people who cannot go and live there, at least we can appreciate these dedicated sincere young people, and let us join those who pray for their safety and well being.