Page 34 - HaMizrachi #6 TuBishvat 5779

Rabbanit Malke Bina

Zimrat HaAretz

ISRAEL’S CHOICE PRODUCTS

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t the end of my first year of ך ָּ ת ִ א ך ֲ ע ְ ר ַז ְ לּו ך ְ ל ם ָ ה ָ ר ְ ב ַ א ת ַּ כ ְ ר ִּ ב ת ֶ א ך ְ ל ן ֶּ תִי ְ ו “I Myself will go down with you to Egypt
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studying in Israel I was going םי ִ קלֹ ֱ א ן ַ ת ָנ ר ֶ ׁש ֲ א ךי ֶ ר ֻ ג ְ מ ץ ֶ ר ֶ א ת ֶ א ך ְּ ת ְ ׁש ִ ר ְ ל and I Myself will also bring you back.”
A back to the US for the summer. .ם ָ ה ָ ר ְ ב ַ א ְ ל (Ibid. 46:4).
I went to say goodbye to my teacher,
Rabbi Mordechai Breuer zt”l. “Malke,” “And He will grant the blessing of The psukim tell us that Ya’akov took
he said, “Take the best of the Land of Avraham to you and your offspring that ן ַ ע ַנ ְּ כ ץ ֶ ר ֶ א ְּ ב ּו ׁש ְ כ ָ ר ר ֶ ׁש ֲ א ם ָ ׁשּוכ ְ ר, “…the
Israel with you, praise Eretz Yisrael you may possess the Land where you wealth that they had amassed in the land
and tell people about its greatness.” He are sojourning, which G-d assigned to of Cana’an.” (Ibid. 46:6). Rashi explains
explained that this was the message Avraham.” (Genesis 28:4) that Ya’akov gave all he had acquired
Ya’akov gave to his sons as they went The Ramban explains that the blessings in Padan Aram to Esav, in payment
down to Egypt for the second time to of prosperity will be fulfilled in the for his share of Ma’arat HaMachpelah.
meet Yosef: Possessions he obtained outside the
Land of Israel and that it will belong to Land were of no value to him.
“Then their father Israel said to them, Ya’akov. After leaving Beer Sheva and
‘If it must be so do this: take some of setting out for Charan, Ya’akov stops Today we are incredibly blessed to be
the choice products of the land in your for the night and has his famous ladder living in a time when we have Eretz
baggage and carry them down as a gift for dream. Why was this stop so significant? Yisrael and Medinat Yisrael, something
the man – some balm and some honey, Perhaps Ya’akov was reluctant to leave our grandparents and great-grandparents
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gum, ladanum, pistachio.’” Israel without a promise that he would could only dream of. Tu BiShvat reminds
return. G-d, present at the top of the us of that blessing every year – we
Ya’akov chose gifts that symbolized the ladder, understands his fears and assures witness the land renewing itself and
best of the Land – miZimrat haAretz – him he will. we observe halachot that can only be
products home grown in Cana’an. performed here.
Twenty years later, G-d tells Ya’akov
As Rabbi Breuer said to me, we must to return to the Land of his fathers and Like Ya’akov, we should always bring
always praise our Land and rejoice promises to be with him (Ibid. 31:3). the ‘wealth’ of Eretz Yisrael and zimrat
in its bounty. That’s what we do on When Ya’akov arrives in Shechem, he haAretz with us wherever in the world
Tu BiShvat, when we celebrate the immediately purchases the land where we may be. For me that includes not only
beginning of a “new year” for trees, when he pitched his tent (Ibid. 33:19): the produce, products, innovations and
the earliest blooming trees in the Land spirit of Israel, but Torat Eretz Yisrael.
of Israel emerge from their winter sleep . ֹול ֳ ה ָ א ם ָ ׁ ש ה ָ ט ָנ ר ֶ ׁש ֲ א ה ֶ ד ָ ׂ ּ ש ַ ה ת ַ ק ְ ל ֶ ח ת ֶ א ן ֶ קִּי ַ ו Matan brings opportunities for growth
and begin a new fruit bearing cycle. Through this concrete act, he was in Torah scholarship and leadership
Every year I notice with excitement the staking claim to the Land and for women in Israel and worldwide. My
white and pink blossoms of the almond demonstrating its status as homeland to fervent wish is that like the blossoms on
trees beginning to appear – ה ָּי ִ ד ֵ ק ְ ׁ ּ ש ַ ה Am Yisrael. the trees at the time of Tu BiShvat, Am
ת ַ ח ַ ר ֹו ּ פ – and the laws connected to the Yisrael will continue to renew itself and
holiday come alive. The second time Ya’akov and his family flourish through Limmud Torah in Eretz
leave Cana’an is at Yosef’s behest, Yisrael and beyond.
Let us return to Eretz Yisrael and Ya’akov and to save the family from famine.
Avinu. Although living in Eretz Yisrael is Again it seems he is not prepared to 1 Genesis 46:11.
central in his life, he has to leave twice. leave without reassurance that future
First, Yitzchak and Rivka instruct him to generations will return. He stops in Beer
go to Padan Aram, to escape from Esav Sheva where G-d tells him: Rabbanit Malke Bina is the founder of
while taking the opportunity to find a the Matan Women's Institute for Torah
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suitable wife. Yitzchak promises: .הלֹ ָ ע ם ַ ג ך ְ ל ַ ע ַ א י ִ כֹנ ָ א ְ ו ה ָ מְי ַ ר ְ צ ִ מ ך ְּ מ ִ ע ד ֵ ר ֵ א י ִ כֹנ ָ א Studies
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