UPDATE July 2021: New photos & a quote from Rav Avigdor Miller have been added to this post.
With all the politics and just the current state of things, it's easy to forget that Eretz Yisrael is actually much bigger than Medinat Yisrael.
Here's Rav Avigdor Miller, who refused to align with the Zionist movement (out of love for Hashem, Torah principles & Am Yisrael), held a purely religious view on Eretz Yisrael & stated:
Here's Rav Avigdor Miller, who refused to align with the Zionist movement (out of love for Hashem, Torah principles & Am Yisrael), held a purely religious view on Eretz Yisrael & stated:
We have a claim to Eretz Yisroel and it’s written black on white.
We have a charter.
The Torah states openly it belongs to us.
It was given to us and we lived there.
The fact that we were driven out at gunpoint, at knifepoint, doesn’t mean we lost the rights to be there.
TAPE # 482 (December 1983)
We don't need to give up Land for 2 reasons:
1) This is the MAIN and MOST IMPORTANT reason:
UPDATE 2020: The Lubavitcher Rebbe stated that we have no right to give up Land that does not belong to us; it belongs to HASHEM:
The Lubavitcher Rebbe: Israel is Not Yours to Give Away
We are halachically forbidden from giving Land to those to whom it doesn't belong, particularly to people who despise us and want us dead. Therefore, giving away Land brings harm, not blessing. And needless to say, any reasons stated by Chazal permitting us to give up Land do not in any way apply to the situation we've been in for decades now.
If anything, the whole episode with Bnot Tzelafchad, as mentioned in the recent parshas, bring this point home.
2) We've already given up too much. Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and teeny bit of Turkey (just to name a few) are all squatting on Land that Hashem designated for Jews and command us to settle.
So which nation(s) REALLY need to compromise?
That's right! NOT us.
(Okay, and yes I know that exact boundaries are disputed by Chazal, and that Reuven, Gad, and Menashe II are outside of Eretz Yisrael proper, etc.)
Below are photos of our Tribal Lands. Keep scrolling and enjoy the view!
1) This is the MAIN and MOST IMPORTANT reason:
UPDATE 2020: The Lubavitcher Rebbe stated that we have no right to give up Land that does not belong to us; it belongs to HASHEM:
The Lubavitcher Rebbe: Israel is Not Yours to Give Away
We are halachically forbidden from giving Land to those to whom it doesn't belong, particularly to people who despise us and want us dead. Therefore, giving away Land brings harm, not blessing. And needless to say, any reasons stated by Chazal permitting us to give up Land do not in any way apply to the situation we've been in for decades now.
If anything, the whole episode with Bnot Tzelafchad, as mentioned in the recent parshas, bring this point home.
2) We've already given up too much. Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and teeny bit of Turkey (just to name a few) are all squatting on Land that Hashem designated for Jews and command us to settle.
So which nation(s) REALLY need to compromise?
That's right! NOT us.
(Okay, and yes I know that exact boundaries are disputed by Chazal, and that Reuven, Gad, and Menashe II are outside of Eretz Yisrael proper, etc.)
Below are photos of our Tribal Lands. Keep scrolling and enjoy the view!
Reuven/Reuben
Territory of Reuven - Today known as Madaba, Jordan
Territory of Reuven — Today known as Dhiban Jordan, looking at the Biblical Arnon River, today known as Wadi Mujib. (By Berthold Werner - Own work, CC BY 3.0, CC BY 3.0, )
Shimon/Simon
Territory of Shimon: Beersheva
Levi (The Levites did not receive a standard Tribal portion, but served in the Beit Hamikdash and lived in the Cities of Refuge)
The Tribe of Levi's main service: Yerushalayim (here, you can see the place of the Beit Hamikdash, Kodesh Kadoshim, and also Har Hazeitim (Mount of Olives)
Yehudah/Judah
Territory of Yehudah: Chevron including Maarat Hamachpelah (Cave of the Patriarchs) - A 1839 painting by David Roberts and Louis Haghe
More of Yehudah's Territory: Kever Rachel (Rachel's Tomb) in Beit Lechem (Bethlehem) - Photo by Irit Levy @ Pikiwiki
Territory of Yehudah: The Judean Hills/Harei Yehudah
Yissachar/Issachar
Territory of Yissachar: Yizrael (Jezreel) Valley
Territory of Yissachar: Lake Hula (Image by Александр Деревяшкин )
Zevulun/Zebulun
Territory of Zevulun: Gat Chefer and birthplace of Yonah Hanavi (Today an Arab village called Mashad) Photo: Ali abu Ismail @ Pikiwiki
Binyamin/Benjamin
Territory of Binyamin: A street in the Yemin Moshe neighborhood of Yerushalayim
Territory of Binyamin: Jericho
Dan
Territory of Dan: Yaffo
Territory of Dan II: Tel Dan in the far northern Galilee (Photo: Adrian)
Naphtali
Territory of Naftali: Lake Kinneret/Sea of Galilee
More territory of Naftali - Today known as Quneitra, Syria (Photo: Dr. Avishai Teicher @ Pikiwiki)
Gad
Territory of Gad - today known as Balqa, Jordan (Photo: Samer425)
Asher
Territory of Asher in the Biblical city of Tzidon - Today known as Saida, Lebanon
More of Asher's Territory - Today known as Hatay, Turkey
Ephraim
Territory of Efraim: Shilo
Menashe/Manasseh
Territory of Menashe I: Shechem
Territory of Menashe: Har Chermon/Mount Hermon
Territory of Menashe: Today known as Ajloun, Jordan (Photo: Smart Viral)
So please remember the actual boundaries of Eretz Yisrael and the inheritance given to the Jewish people the next time you hear talk of Land for "peace" or covetous people who have no portion in Eretz Yisrael complaining about "their" territorial rights.
May all of Bnei Yisrael be gathered into Eretz Yisrael very soon!
May all of Bnei Yisrael be gathered into Eretz Yisrael very soon!
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