Throughout the Book of Bereishit, we find numerous references to God's promise to our forefathers to give Eretz Israel to them and their descendants. Yet, Bereishit ends with Yaakov and his family in Egypt, with only bad times to come. And the Book of Sh'mot begins with the future people of Israel plunged into slavery and terrible oppression.



It is in the context of this dismal situation that the Torah introduces us to Moshe Rabbeinu. In the very first prophecy to the Father of Prophets, God tells Moshe that He will go into Egypt and take the people out of that land, "to bring us to a good and expansive land, a land flowing with milk and honey," to bring us to Eretz Israel. For the patriarchs, Eretz Israel was a promise, to them and their descendants; but for us, Eretz Israel is the reason for our redemption from Egypt, the reason for our existence as a nation.



From the very beginning, God's plan was not merely to free us from Egyptian bondage and oppression. His idea was to take us from there, give us the Torah, and bring us to Eretz Israel.



If we believe in the God who said, "I am the Lord your God who took you out of Egypt," then we must also believe that He wants us in Eretz Israel.



We have delayed God's plan by behaving in such ways that brought about the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash (first and second). Today, we have the opportunity to strengthen our commitment to Torah and Eretz Israel, and do our share in bringing about the full redemption.

------------------------

Phil Chernofsky is the Educational Director of the OU Israel Center and the Editor of Torah Tidbits.