?When you come to the land that the L-rd your G-d is giving you as a heritage, you must occupy and settle it. Then you shall take the first of every fruit?? (Deuteronomy 26:1-2) Rashi explains: ?This teaches that Israel did not incur the obligation to tithe the first fruits until they had conquered the Land and partitioned it.?
A person brings the first fruits and informs the high priest, even raising his voice, that he is not ungrateful, that he recognizes G-d?s kindness and thanks Him for his having been privileged to come to Eretz Yisrael. Yet, as noted, the prerequisite for achieving full recognition of G-d?s goodness, is conquest of the Land, dividing it up and settling it. It is not enough to come to the Land. We have to take control over it as well. Only through the Jewish People having control over Eretz Yisrarel is G-d?s name sanctified in the world on a large scale, and G-d?s glory and goodness are revealed in the Land, and through that, in the whole world. This jibes with the words we recite in the Grace After Meals: ?Bless the L-rd your G-d for the good land that He gave you.?
Today, ?how fortunate we are! How good is our destiny! How pleasant is our lot, how beautiful our heritage? (from the morning prayers) that we have been privileged to return to the land of our life?s blood, and that the Divine promise is being fulfilled: ?The L-rd your G-d will once again gather you from among all the nations where He scattered you?. He will then bring you to the land that your ancestors occupied, and you too will occupy it. He will be good to you and make you flourish even more than your ancestors.? (Deuteronomy 30:3,5)
The day is not far when we will see with our own eyes the continuation of that verse: ?The L-rd will remove the barriers from your hearts and from the hearts of your descendants, so that you will love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart and soul. Thus you will survive. He will then direct all these curses against your enemies and against the foes who pursued you.? (Ibid., verses 6-7)
It is true that the work of conquering and settling the Land has not yet been completed. That process is still in full swing and, unfortunately, we still have enemies who stealthily plot evil against Israel, against the Land of Israel and against Jerusalem. Yet, the day is not far off when we will once more control the whole length and breadth of the Promised Land. Through this, we will merit to see G-d?s goodness. Then, not just Israel but the whole world will concede, recognize and know that ?out of Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of G-d from Jerusalem.? (Isaiah 2:4)
A person brings the first fruits and informs the high priest, even raising his voice, that he is not ungrateful, that he recognizes G-d?s kindness and thanks Him for his having been privileged to come to Eretz Yisrael. Yet, as noted, the prerequisite for achieving full recognition of G-d?s goodness, is conquest of the Land, dividing it up and settling it. It is not enough to come to the Land. We have to take control over it as well. Only through the Jewish People having control over Eretz Yisrarel is G-d?s name sanctified in the world on a large scale, and G-d?s glory and goodness are revealed in the Land, and through that, in the whole world. This jibes with the words we recite in the Grace After Meals: ?Bless the L-rd your G-d for the good land that He gave you.?
Today, ?how fortunate we are! How good is our destiny! How pleasant is our lot, how beautiful our heritage? (from the morning prayers) that we have been privileged to return to the land of our life?s blood, and that the Divine promise is being fulfilled: ?The L-rd your G-d will once again gather you from among all the nations where He scattered you?. He will then bring you to the land that your ancestors occupied, and you too will occupy it. He will be good to you and make you flourish even more than your ancestors.? (Deuteronomy 30:3,5)
The day is not far when we will see with our own eyes the continuation of that verse: ?The L-rd will remove the barriers from your hearts and from the hearts of your descendants, so that you will love the L-rd your G-d with all your heart and soul. Thus you will survive. He will then direct all these curses against your enemies and against the foes who pursued you.? (Ibid., verses 6-7)
It is true that the work of conquering and settling the Land has not yet been completed. That process is still in full swing and, unfortunately, we still have enemies who stealthily plot evil against Israel, against the Land of Israel and against Jerusalem. Yet, the day is not far off when we will once more control the whole length and breadth of the Promised Land. Through this, we will merit to see G-d?s goodness. Then, not just Israel but the whole world will concede, recognize and know that ?out of Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of G-d from Jerusalem.? (Isaiah 2:4)