This week’s Parshah concludes the emotional saga of Yosef and his brothers, and Yosef’s reuniting with his father [Yaakov] poignantly captures the love and devotion that they felt for each other. Just before that most climactic moment, the Torah details how Yaakov on his way to Egypt was visited by Hashem, who tells Yaakov [Bereishit 46’ 3’]:
“I am God, the God of your father’s [house]. Fear not to go down to Egypt, for I will make you there into a great nation.”
Seforno explains, Yaakov was concerned about his taking leave of Israel (even to go see Yosef after 20 years), the home of his father and grandfather. To comfort Yaakov, G-d tells him that his leaving the Holy Land will ultimately serve as a boon for his descendants, who will merit becoming a great and numerous nation in Egypt. Seforno adds, that this would have been impossible in the land of Israel at that time, for Yaakov’s descendants would have just intermarried and merged with the local population of assorted Canaanite peoples, and lost their identities as Israelites. In Egypt, however, the Verse states [Bereishit 43’ 32’]:
“They served him [Yosef] by himself, and them [the brothers] by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves; for the Egyptians could not dine with the Hebrews, since that would be abhorrent to the Egyptians.”
Hence, there would be no intermingling between the early Jews and the Egyptian population; it is for this reason that Yaakov was told that his descendants will increase in Egypt, and not in Israel.
Having just left the Holiday of Chankuah—where the Maccabees were able to re-establish Religious Jewish Control over the Temple–this Devar Torah speaks to the wonderful gift that is the land of Israel. In America, the intermarriage and assimilation rate stands at 70% [or more]; even more frightening is the fact that a recent Jerusalem Post survey found that 60% of Jewish youth under the age of 18 were supportive of terroristic ambitions of Palestinian groups [Hamas, PIJ etc.]. One can not help but thank G-d for the Jewish homeland, which acts as a natural bulwark against the raging forces of assimilation and moral decay, and preserves our status as a “Great Nation”, as G-d promised Yaakov would be the case.
For those Jews who reside outside the land of Israel, it is clear that the only way to preserve an authentic connection to Judaism and the Land of Israel is through the Mitzvot and moral guidance of the Torah–one can rest assured, that in the Religious Jewish day schools across America, there is unambiguous and ubiquitous devotion to Eretz Yisrael and the Torah being cultivated. The evidence is stark–a connection to our heritage fostered through the prism of the Torah, as well as our National History presented in the Nevviim [prophets], creates a lasting and durable bond that withstands and destroys the various baseless libels that have been thrown our way. One need not look past the first Rashi on the Torah that states:
“Rabbi Isaac said: The Torah which is the Law book of Israel should have commenced with the verse (Exodus 12:2) “This month shall be unto you the first of the months” which is the first commandment given to Israel. What is the reason, then, that it commences with the account of the Creation? Because of the thought expressed in the text (Psalms 111:6) “He declared to His people the strength of His works (i.e. He gave an account of the work of Creation), in order that He might give them the heritage of the nations.” For should the peoples of the world say to Israel, “You are robbers, because you took by force the lands of the seven nations of Canaan”, Israel may reply to them, “All the earth belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He; He created it and gave it to whom He pleased. When He willed He gave it to them, and when He willed He took it from them and gave it to us” (Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 187).”
Dedicated in memory of all those who have perished and sacrificed for Am Yisrael.
Have a Great Shabbas.