There was never a question of whether it was good, the Promised Land was always full of possibilities. True it did not have the overflowing waters of the Nile or the Tigris or the Euphrates, nor the wildlife of Africa, the majestic hills of Jordan. But, in the rainy season, grapes peeled off the vine, plump figs and pomegranates drooped down from willing trees, and olives and dates hung out to anyone who stretched out their hands. On the high hills of Judea the Mediterranean Sea sparkled, the rushing water of the Banias River filled the underground aquifers. This was truly a magical place.
But, as the spies discovered in this week’s Torah portion Sh’lach, it came with a catch. Because it was so beautiful, others desired it. And, because others desired it, there would never be peace. The bargain of Israel was always a difficult one. As rockets rain down from Iran and Gaza fills with anger and strife, the conversation our ancestors had thousands of years ago continues without adequate answers. Think about it, would we ever trade its beauty for longstanding peace. Yes, maybe, I don’t know. As the psalmist tells us: “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember you, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy” (Psalm 137:5-6).
Sending prayers to our home over the sea. May peace somehow find its way to Israel.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex