A Very Good Land

“For the L-rd, your G-d is bringing you to a good land. It is a land that lacks nothing. You will eat and be filled up, and bless the L-rd, your G-d.”

This is an abridged description of the beautiful land that was promised to the Jewish nation. We are to cherish it, and appreciate its beauty and holiness.

Anything of value is acquired through difficulties and hard work. The Talmud tells us that the immediate Pasuk before the description of Israel, speaks of the word, יסורים, or suffering.

It mentions that just as a father disciplines his son, so does Hashem disciple or rebuke His children. The word for rebuke is ייסר, which is the same root as the word, יסורים.

This is the source for the phrase, ארץ ישראל נקנית בסיורים, that the land of Israel is acquired through hardships.
It was never meant to be easy to live in Israel on a physical level. The attraction to the Jewish people is the holiness contained even in the air of this special land.

We make our homes in Israel because it is a Mitzva to live in Israel. Many Mitzvot are difficult to observe, but we observe them because we know that this is Hashem’s decree. Clearly, the intention was for all of the Jewish people of the world to be living in Israel. This is inevitable. The path of returning to our Jewish homeland, is a recognition that it is, “a very good land lacking nothing!”