Israel Education/Advocacy/Awareness

By Honeycomb

Honeycomb Changemakers Curriculum

GUIDING INVESTIGATIONS

What does covenant have to do with Israel education and advocacy?
How have times of exile outside of the land impacted our relationship with the land?
What do the sources indicate are the obligations of descendants to the land?

CORE SOURCES

The first six texts on this sheet are intended to be taken as a whole to give a sense of the status of the Land of Israel in the Bible

בראשית י״ז:ח׳

(ח) וְנָתַתִּ֣י לְ֠ךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ֨ אַחֲרֶ֜יךָ אֵ֣ת ׀ אֶ֣רֶץ מְגֻרֶ֗יךָ אֵ֚ת כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן לַאֲחֻזַּ֖ת עוֹלָ֑ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָהֶ֖ם לֵאלֹקִֽים׃

Genesis 17:8

(8) I assign the land you sojourn in to you [Abraham] and your offspring to come, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting holding. I will be their God.”

שמות ג׳:ז׳-ח׳

(ז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ה' רָאֹ֥ה רָאִ֛יתִי אֶת־עֳנִ֥י עַמִּ֖י אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וְאֶת־צַעֲקָתָ֤ם שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ מִפְּנֵ֣י נֹֽגְשָׂ֔יו כִּ֥י יָדַ֖עְתִּי אֶת־מַכְאֹבָֽיו׃ (ח) וָאֵרֵ֞ד לְהַצִּיל֣וֹ ׀ מִיַּ֣ד מִצְרַ֗יִם וּֽלְהַעֲלֹתוֹ֮ מִן־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַהִוא֒ אֶל־אֶ֤רֶץ טוֹבָה֙ וּרְחָבָ֔ה אֶל־אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָ֑שׁ

Exodus 3:7-8

(7) And the LORD continued, “I have marked well the plight of My people in Egypt and have heeded their outcry because of their taskmasters; yes, I am mindful of their sufferings. (8) I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey

שמות ו׳:ח׳

(ח) וְהֵבֵאתִ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָשָׂ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־יָדִ֔י לָתֵ֣ת אֹתָ֔הּ לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹ֑ב וְנָתַתִּ֨י אֹתָ֥הּ לָכֶ֛ם מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה אֲנִ֥י ה'׃

Exodus 6:8

(8) I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for a possession, I the LORD.”

שמות כ״ג:ל׳

עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּפְרֶ֔ה וְנָחַלְתָּ֖ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Exodus 23:30

until you have increased and possess the land.

במדבר ל״ד:א׳-ב׳

(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) צַ֞ו אֶת־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־אַתֶּ֥ם בָּאִ֖ים אֶל־הָאָ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן זֹ֣את הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּפֹּ֤ל לָכֶם֙ בְּֽנַחֲלָ֔ה אֶ֥רֶץ כְּנַ֖עַן לִגְבֻלֹתֶֽיהָ׃

Numbers 34:1-2

(1) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Instruct the Israelite people and say to them: When you enter the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as your portion, the land of Canaan with its various boundaries:

יחזקאל מ״ז:י״ג-י״ד

(יג) כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ אדושם ה' גֵּ֤ה גְבוּל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּתְנַחֲל֣וּ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ לִשְׁנֵ֥י עָשָׂ֖ר שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יוֹסֵ֖ף חֲבָלִֽים׃ (יד) וּנְחַלְתֶּ֤ם אוֹתָהּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ כְּאָחִ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֤ר נָשָׂ֙אתִי֙ אֶת־יָדִ֔י לְתִתָּ֖הּ לַאֲבֹֽתֵיכֶ֑ם וְנָ֨פְלָ֜ה הָאָ֧רֶץ הַזֹּ֛את לָכֶ֖ם בְּנַחֲלָֽה׃

Ezekiel 47:13-14

(13) Thus said the Lord GOD: These shall be the boundaries of the land that you shall allot to the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall receive two portions, (14) and you shall share the rest equally. As I swore to give it to your fathers, so shall this land fall to you as your heritage.

Comprehension:

What is the uniting theme of all of these texts within this source?
In what ways is the land (Israel/Canaan) described throughout these texts?
To whom is the guarantee of the land given?
The words heritage, portion, everlasting holding which are used in different places throughout this source … what does this refer to?

Challenges to Grapple With:

Should biblical references to an everlasting inheritance guarantee our current generation possession of the land of Israel? Why or why not?
In Genesis 17:8, the text says that Abraham’s offspring will be guaranteed the land. One of Abraham’s offspring – Ishmael – was not Jewish. Should Ishmael and his offspring (the Arab people) be guaranteed equal land ownership? Why or why not?

רש"י על בראשית א׳:א׳

(א) בראשית. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק לֹֹֹֹֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְהַתְחִיל אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא מֵהַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם, שֶׁהִיא מִצְוָה רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ בָּהּ יִשׂרָאֵל, וּמַה טַּעַם פָּתַח בִּבְרֵאשִׁית? מִשׁוּם כֹּחַ מַעֲשָׂיו הִגִּיד לְעַמּוֹ לָתֵת לָהֶם נַחֲלַת גּוֹיִם (תהילים קי"א), שֶׁאִם יֹאמְרוּ אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם לְיִשְׁרָאֵל לִסְטִים אַתֶּם, שֶׁכְּבַשְׁתֶּם אַרְצוֹת שִׁבְעָה גוֹיִם, הֵם אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם כָּל הָאָרֶץ שֶׁל הַקָּבָּ"ה הִיא, הוּא בְרָאָהּ וּנְתָנָהּ לַאֲשֶׁר יָשַׁר בְּעֵינָיו, בִּרְצוֹנוֹ נְתָנָהּ לָהֶם, וּבִרְצוֹנוֹ נְטָלָהּ מֵהֶם וּנְתָנָהּ לָנוּ:

Rashi on Genesis 1:1

(1) IN THE BEGINNING — 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”

Comprehension:

What part of our biblical story does this Rashi commentary suggest should really have been the start of our biblical story?
What reason does he give for Creation story being the start of the bible?
Rashi equates Creation as our beginning with the land being our personal heritage. How do you interpret this?
What strong statement does Rashi assert that the Jewish people (the people of Israel) should say if anyone objects to having possession of the land?
What does it mean that God created the land and gave it to whom God pleased? (Who has God given the land to over time?)
What does it mean that God also took to from them (the non-Jews)?

Challenges to Grapple With:

In the debate over land possession, do you agree that it’s as simple as saying to the objectors that it’s God’s will to give and take the land from various peoples when God decides to? Why or why not?

דברים י״א:ח׳-י״ב

(ח) וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־כָּל־הַמִּצְוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּ֑וֹם לְמַ֣עַן תֶּחֶזְק֗וּ וּבָאתֶם֙ וִֽירִשְׁתֶּ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֛ם עֹבְרִ֥ים שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃ (ט) וּלְמַ֨עַן תַּאֲרִ֤יכוּ יָמִים֙ עַל־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨ע ה' לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶ֛ם לָתֵ֥ת לָהֶ֖ם וּלְזַרְעָ֑ם אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ... (יב) אֶ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ דֹּרֵ֣שׁ אֹתָ֑הּ תָּמִ֗יד עֵינֵ֨י ה' אֱלֹקֶ֙יךָ֙ בָּ֔הּ מֵֽרֵשִׁית֙ הַשָּׁנָ֔ה וְעַ֖ד אַחֲרִ֥ית שָׁנָֽה׃ (ס)

Deuteronomy 11:8-12

(8) Keep, therefore, all the Instruction that I enjoin upon you today, so that you may have the strength to enter and take possession of the land that you are about to cross into and possess, (9) and that you may long endure upon the soil that the LORD swore to your fathers to assign to them and to their heirs, a land flowing with milk and honey... (12) It is a land which the LORD your God looks after, on which the LORD your God always keeps His eye, from year’s beginning to year’s end.

Comprehension:

What reason is given for the people to follow the laws (Instruction)?
What does it mean to “take possession of the land”?
Who are the “fathers” that the land was sworn to? Who are the heirs?
A farmer also "looks after" his land and "always keeps his eye" on it. How does this compare to the description of God in the final verse of this text?
The Chizkuni, a medieval commentator on the Torah writes that God does not watch the Land itself but "God examines the people's morals in that land especially carefully." What are the implications of this alternate interpretation?

Challenges to Grapple With:

In both texts, there is a connection between the way the people who live in the land behave (following Torah law) and their ability to actually live there – do you think there is any merit to this connection? Why or why not?

תהילים קל״ז:ה׳-ו׳

(ה) אִֽם־אֶשְׁכָּחֵ֥ךְ יְֽרוּשָׁלִָ֗ם תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח יְמִינִֽי׃ (ו) תִּדְבַּ֥ק־לְשׁוֹנִ֨י ׀ לְחִכִּי֮ אִם־לֹ֪א אֶ֫זְכְּרֵ֥כִי אִם־לֹ֣א אַ֭עֲלֶה אֶת־יְרוּשָׁלִַ֑ם עַ֝֗ל רֹ֣אשׁ שִׂמְחָתִֽי׃

Psalms 137:5-6

(5) If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither; (6) let my tongue stick to my palate if I cease to think of you, if I do not keep Jerusalem in memory even at my happiest hour.

Comprehension:

This text has become an unofficial anthem of Jews in exile. Why do you think this oath would be important to people in exile?
What would be the implication of someone losing the ability to use their hand or to speak? Why would this be a sacrifice?
What is YOUR “chiefest joy”? What does it mean to you to set something above that joy? Could you imagine a situation where Israel is above that joy?

השגות הרמב"ן על ספר המצוות, שכחת העשין ד׳

היא מצות עשה לדורות מתחייב כל אחד ממנו ואפילו בזמן גלות כידוע בתלמוד במקומות הרבה.

Hasagot HaRamban on Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandments Omitted by Rambam 4

Settling the Land of Israel is a positive commandment for all the generations, every individual is obligated to do it, even in the time of exile, as it's written in in the Talmud in many places.

Comprehension:

If all generations are obligated to settle the land of Israel, what does this mean in our modern society?

Challenges to Grapple With;

Although North American Jews are not in exile (we are in the Diaspora), do you think this still obligates you in this commandment? Why or why not?
Are there other ways a North American Jew might fulfill the obligation to “settle the Land”?

ראש השנה ל׳ א:י״ח

"ציון היא דורש אין לה" מכלל דבעיא דרישה:

Rosh Hashanah 30a:18

"She is Zion, there is none who care for her” (Jeremiah 30:17). This verse teaches by inference that Jerusalem requires caring through acts of commemoration.

Comprehension:

The final text indicates that no one is naturally looking out for this land – do you agree or disagree?
What does it mean to “seek out” Jerusalem? In the 2^nd-4^th centuries? In the 21^st century?

Challenges to Grapple With:

Do you think that this source (taken with others on this sheet) makes the case for Jews all over the world to feel obligated to help care for Israel? Why or why not?

התקווה

כל עוד בלבב פנימה
נפש יהודי הומייה
ולפאתי מזרח קדימה
עין לציון צופיה.

עוד לא אבדה תקוותינו
התקווה בת שנות אלפיים
להיות עם חופשי בארצנו
ארץ ציון וירושלים

HaTikvah - Israeli National Anthem

As long as in the heart, within

A Jewish soul still yearns

And onward, towards the ends of the east

An eye still yearns toward Zion

Our hope is not yet lost

The hope of two thousand years

To be a free people in our land

The land of Zion and Jerusalem

Comprehension:

How important is a national anthem to its people?
Do you feel a connection to HaTikvah? Explain.
What does it mean for a heart/Jewish soul to yearn towards Zion?
How does that yearning promote hope (of 2000 years to be a free people in the land)?

Challenges to Grapple With:

Consider the non-Jewish citizens in Israel – how might this national anthem be complicated for them?

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

1. Diaspora Jews and Israel

Jewish Agency for Israel Mission Statement

Our Mission: Inspire Jews throughout the world to connect with their People, heritage, and homeland, and empower them to build a thriving Jewish future and a strong Israel.

2. The Shoah and Israel

Irwin Cotler, former Member of Canadian Parliament, Chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights (2019)

It is sometimes said that if there had not been a Holocaust, there would not have been a state of Israel, as if the establishment of a state can ever compensate for the murder of six million Jews, but the reality is the other way around. If there had been an Israel, there might well not have been a Holocaust or the horrors of Jewish and human history.