Lately, I have been noticing the differences in the many Israeli maps hanging in different parts of our Jewish community. There are biblical versions from the time of David and Solomon, early versions featuring the green line from the first nineteen years of the State of Israel, and there are smatterings of those with the West Bank and Gaza Strip separated from the main body of Israel in the way Israel’s borders exist today. The majority by far are the map of Israel from 1979 until 1993 with the triangular shape we still associate as the borders of the Jewish state. In truth, while Israel has relatively clear natural borders – the Sinai desert and the Cedars of Lebanon at the top and the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River on its sides – the actual human borders have changed dramatically over the years. For example, in Biblical times the Jews settled in the mid-section, controlling the mountains and deserts, jutting out into modern Jordan and Syria. A very different picture than the one we have today.
The promise given to Abraham and his progeny changes based on the chapter and verse of the Torah you are looking. Israel was never meant to be one firm geographic region. As we learn in this week’s Torah portion, Vayishlach, the name Israel means God wrestlers, referring to the late night wrestling match between Jacob and the angel. Israel is the name Jacob is blessed with by the angel, his family later known as the children of Israel. Over the next week, I will be traversing this ancient land with a group of mostly non-Jewish clergy. Yes, we are there to see the historical sites and to revel in places our ancestors once lived and developed their identities. But, we are also there to form a relationship with the people who currently live there, noting the tensions that exist, and learning what it means to be God wrestlers. I am grateful to our local Jewish Federation and National Federation of Just Communities for making the trip possible. I look forward to telling you all about it when I am back in town.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Alex
Last Updated on 12/01/2017 by wpadm