In this week’s parasha, Parashat Toldot, Yitzchak is faced with a similar challenge that faced by his father, Avraham, in the previous generation – famine in the land. Whereas Avraham left Israel and travelled to Egypt in search of food, Yitzchak is commanded by Hashem to stay in the land. Hashem reassured Yitzchak that He will be with him and that he will be blessed.
As Yitzchak grows in stature and in wealth, the local Philistines become jealous of his success. The pasuk says, “and he (Yitzchak) had flocks of sheep and cattle and a great deal of crops and the Philistines were jealous. And the Philistines closed up all of the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Avraham and filled them with dirt.” Avimelech, the king of the Philistines, told Yitzchak to move. Complying with his wishes, Yitzchak moved on to Nachal Gerar. In this new location, Yitzchak uncovered wells that Avraham had dug but that had subsequently been covered by the Philistines and renamed them. Yitzchak also dug a new well in this location. The Philistine shepherds fought with Yitzchak’s shepherds. When Yitzchak dug another new well, the Philistines continued the fight. Yitzchak moves on and digs another well and names it Rechovot. The Philistines ceased fighting with Yitzchak.
Yitzchak’s challenge in settling the Land is a precedent for our own challenges – ma’ase avot siman le’banim. Taken generally, these verses have a timeless quality to them and are reminis-cent of the challenges that the early chalutzim had in settling Eretz Yisrael and in establishing Medinat Yisrael. If I close my eyes, I could see Yitzchak wearing one of those hats that the early sabras would wear and I could see Yitzchak in a starring role of that early film about Israeli life in the 1960’s, Salah Sha-bati.
On a more global level, however, these verses reflect the exis-tential challenge of the Jewish People in our relationship with the Land of Israel. A couple of years ago, the European Union introduced a policy that goods produced in the West Bank, Golan Heights and East Jerusalem must be labeled “made in settlements”. Whereas Israel exports $13 billion worth of products to the EU, this subset of products represents only $10 million in annual exports to the 28 countries of the EU. On the surface, this demand seems trivial – like something that we could and maybe should ignore for the sake of harmony. The total value of these products is worth less than the aggregate budgets of all of the Jewish institutions in Memphis – spread over 28 countries in a population 50 percent greater than that of the United States!
Apparently, Yitzchak’s challenge from the Philistines was more than a practical problem; it was an existential one. The net effect of the Philistines actions, like that of the Boycott, Divest and Sanction
(BDS) movement, and the European Union policy, is to undermine of the claim of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel. Through the incident of Yitzchak and the Philistines, the Torah is teaching us about the condition of the relationship of the Jewish People with the Land of Israel. Other nations will constantly attempt to undermine our claim to the land. It was well-known that the first and second set of wells belonged to Avraham – yet the Philistines still undermined Yitzchak’s claim. The Philistines fought with Yitzchak and made claims on his wells. Finally, in Rechovot, Yitzchak experiences peace because the Philistines gave up their tactic. Yitzchak teach-es us that we will achieve peace through tenacity and through remaining resolute in our commitment to our claim to the Land of Israel.
This spring, and on the occasion of the seventieth year anniversary of our school and of Medinat Yisrael, MHA-FYOS will be sending its first group of students to Israel on a ten-day Junior High School Israel Experience. Sending a group of students to Israel is a major in-vestment of time and resources by our parents and by the community and this program has become a reality because of a major gift by the Lemsky Fund and with the strong support of the families of the Junior High students and the generosity of other supporters.
What makes this investment worth the cost?
Yitzchak teaches us that constant adversity and the undermining of our claim to the Land of Israel is a perpetual condition of life for the Jewish People. The BDS Movement and the European Union labeling-requirement are the latest global tactics to try to undermine our claim to the Land. As parents and as a community, we are obligated to confront this challenge and help our children cultivate their own connection to the Land of Israel – a connection that is strong enough to motivate them when they are adults – to be tenacious and resolute in defending our people’s claim to the Land. We, who are reading this article, are likely very connected to Israel. However, our students’ connection is not guaranteed. Our school’s Kollel Torah MiTzion, Bat Ami, Chidon HaTanach, robust Ivrit faculty and curriculum, and strong Israel-related programming are all ways that we help our students forge this connection. The MHA-FYOS Junior High School Israel Experience builds on this strong foundation and gives our students the opportunity to experience Israel through their own eyes as guided by their teachers and professional tour guides. This experience will be a capstone event for our Elementary School students and will help create high school students and Jewish adults even more dedicated to the Land of Israel and the State of Israel.
Let us pray that Hashem should give the Jewish People, and our children, the tenacity and resilience of our forefather, Yitzchak, in strengthening our connection to the Land of Israel.
As Yitzchak grows in stature and in wealth, the local Philistines become jealous of his success. The pasuk says, “and he (Yitzchak) had flocks of sheep and cattle and a great deal of crops and the Philistines were jealous. And the Philistines closed up all of the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Avraham and filled them with dirt.” Avimelech, the king of the Philistines, told Yitzchak to move. Complying with his wishes, Yitzchak moved on to Nachal Gerar. In this new location, Yitzchak uncovered wells that Avraham had dug but that had subsequently been covered by the Philistines and renamed them. Yitzchak also dug a new well in this location. The Philistine shepherds fought with Yitzchak’s shepherds. When Yitzchak dug another new well, the Philistines continued the fight. Yitzchak moves on and digs another well and names it Rechovot. The Philistines ceased fighting with Yitzchak.
Yitzchak’s challenge in settling the Land is a precedent for our own challenges – ma’ase avot siman le’banim. Taken generally, these verses have a timeless quality to them and are reminis-cent of the challenges that the early chalutzim had in settling Eretz Yisrael and in establishing Medinat Yisrael. If I close my eyes, I could see Yitzchak wearing one of those hats that the early sabras would wear and I could see Yitzchak in a starring role of that early film about Israeli life in the 1960’s, Salah Sha-bati.
On a more global level, however, these verses reflect the exis-tential challenge of the Jewish People in our relationship with the Land of Israel. A couple of years ago, the European Union introduced a policy that goods produced in the West Bank, Golan Heights and East Jerusalem must be labeled “made in settlements”. Whereas Israel exports $13 billion worth of products to the EU, this subset of products represents only $10 million in annual exports to the 28 countries of the EU. On the surface, this demand seems trivial – like something that we could and maybe should ignore for the sake of harmony. The total value of these products is worth less than the aggregate budgets of all of the Jewish institutions in Memphis – spread over 28 countries in a population 50 percent greater than that of the United States!
Apparently, Yitzchak’s challenge from the Philistines was more than a practical problem; it was an existential one. The net effect of the Philistines actions, like that of the Boycott, Divest and Sanction
(BDS) movement, and the European Union policy, is to undermine of the claim of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel. Through the incident of Yitzchak and the Philistines, the Torah is teaching us about the condition of the relationship of the Jewish People with the Land of Israel. Other nations will constantly attempt to undermine our claim to the land. It was well-known that the first and second set of wells belonged to Avraham – yet the Philistines still undermined Yitzchak’s claim. The Philistines fought with Yitzchak and made claims on his wells. Finally, in Rechovot, Yitzchak experiences peace because the Philistines gave up their tactic. Yitzchak teach-es us that we will achieve peace through tenacity and through remaining resolute in our commitment to our claim to the Land of Israel.
This spring, and on the occasion of the seventieth year anniversary of our school and of Medinat Yisrael, MHA-FYOS will be sending its first group of students to Israel on a ten-day Junior High School Israel Experience. Sending a group of students to Israel is a major in-vestment of time and resources by our parents and by the community and this program has become a reality because of a major gift by the Lemsky Fund and with the strong support of the families of the Junior High students and the generosity of other supporters.
What makes this investment worth the cost?
Yitzchak teaches us that constant adversity and the undermining of our claim to the Land of Israel is a perpetual condition of life for the Jewish People. The BDS Movement and the European Union labeling-requirement are the latest global tactics to try to undermine our claim to the Land. As parents and as a community, we are obligated to confront this challenge and help our children cultivate their own connection to the Land of Israel – a connection that is strong enough to motivate them when they are adults – to be tenacious and resolute in defending our people’s claim to the Land. We, who are reading this article, are likely very connected to Israel. However, our students’ connection is not guaranteed. Our school’s Kollel Torah MiTzion, Bat Ami, Chidon HaTanach, robust Ivrit faculty and curriculum, and strong Israel-related programming are all ways that we help our students forge this connection. The MHA-FYOS Junior High School Israel Experience builds on this strong foundation and gives our students the opportunity to experience Israel through their own eyes as guided by their teachers and professional tour guides. This experience will be a capstone event for our Elementary School students and will help create high school students and Jewish adults even more dedicated to the Land of Israel and the State of Israel.
Let us pray that Hashem should give the Jewish People, and our children, the tenacity and resilience of our forefather, Yitzchak, in strengthening our connection to the Land of Israel.
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