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ISRAEL AND US

Rabbi David A. Israel

the land
www.mizrachi.org
office@mizrachi.org
+972 (0)2 620 9000 now blossoms!
Chairman
Mr. Harvey Blitz
Chief Executive n relatively recent years, a new with it:” it is not merely a means toward
Rabbi Doron Perez minhag of planting trees on Tu the goal of the general coalescing of the
Educational Directors IBiShvat has taken root in Israel. nation, nor of strengthening its mate-
Rabbi Reuven Taragin rial existence… [Eretz Yisrael] is an
Rabbanit Shani Taragin Does the New Year of Trees require independent unit, bound with a living
such a thing? Does the beginning of the attachment with the nation, bound
flowering of mature almond trees call with inner segulot with the nation’s
for the planting of saplings? What is the existence.”
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deeper significance of this act?
PUBLISHED BY THE MIZRACHI WORLD MOVEMENT There is a story about Rav Avraham The Torah teaches us that if Am Yisrael
HaMizrachi seeks to Editorial Team Yitzchak HaKohen Kook that when he transgresses it will be sent to exile and
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spread Torat Eretz Daniel Verbov the Land will become desolate. But the
Yisrael throughout Esther Shafier was invited to plant a tree at the new Land now blossoms!
the world. settlement of Magdiel on Tu BiShvat,
HaMizrachi also Creative Director he started to cry. When asked why, he In driving (with military escort) along
contains articles,
opinion pieces and Jonny Lipczer answered that he was overcome with a little-traveled section of the Isra-
advertisements emotion and quoted this Midrash: el-Egypt border, my Israeli colleague
that represent the Graphic Designer asked, “Do you know exactly where
diversity of views Hadas Peretz
and interests in our י ֵ ר ֲ ח ַ א :)ה:גי םירבד( ח ַ ת ָּ פ ןֹומי ִ ס י ִּ ב ַ ר ן ֶּ ב ה ָ דּוהְי י ִּ ב ַ ר the border is?” “No,” I replied. He said,
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communities. These Production and ךלֹ ֲ ה ַ ל ם ָ ד ָ ו ר ָ ׂש ָ בְ ל ר ָ ׁש ְ פ ֶ א י ִ כ ְ ו ,ּוכ ֵ ל ֵּ ת ם ֶ כי ֵ קלֹ ֱ א 'ה “Where the green foliage ends and the
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do not necessarily Advertising Manager 'ה י ֵ ר ֲ ח ַ א ר ֵ מֹוא ה ָּ ת ַ א ְ ו ... ?אּוה ךּור ָּ ב ׁשֹוד ָּ ק ַ ה ר ַ ח ַ א brown sand starts, that’s the border.”
reflect any official
position of Mizrachi Meyer Sterman תֹול ֲ ע ַ ל ם ָ ד ָ ו ר ָ ׂש ָ בְ ל ר ָ ׁש ְ פ ֶ א י ִ כ ְ ו ,ןּוק ָּ ב ְ ד ִ ת ֹובּו .ּוכ ֵ ל ֵּ ת
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or its branches. production@mizrachi.org םירבד( ֹוב בּות ָּ כ ֶ ׁש ֹותֹוא ,הָני ִ כ ְ ׁש ַּ ב ק ֵ ב ָ ּ ד ִ ה ְ ל םִי ַ מ ָ ׁ ּ ש ַ ל The Gemara and Rashi there explain
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ת ַּ ל ִ ח ְּ ת ִ מ א ָּ ל ֶ א ... ה ָ ל ְ כֹא ׁש ֵ א ךי ֶ קלֹ ֱ א 'ה י ִּ כ :)דכ:ד that a sign for the coming Redemption
If you don’t want to keep HaMizrachi, you can double-wrap it
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before disposal, or place it directly into sheimos. אּוה ךּור ָּ ב ׁשֹוד ָּ ק ַ ה ק ֵּ ס ַ ע ְ תִנ אלֹ ם ָ ל ֹוע ל ֶ ׁש ֹותָּי ִ ר ְּ ב of the Jewish people will be trees pro-
תישארב( בי ִ ת ְ כ ִ ד אּוה א ָ ד ֲ ה ,ה ָּ ל ִ ח ְּ ת ע ָּ ט ַ מ ְּ ב א ָּ ל ֶ א viding fruit in Israel.
www.rza.org ןי ִ סָנ ְ כִנ ֶ ׁש ְּ כ ם ֶּ ת ַ א ף ַ א ,ן ֶ ד ֵ ע ְּ ב ן ַּג םי ִ קלֹ ֱ א 'ה ע ַּ טִּי ַ ו :)ח:ב
office@rza.org If one sees fruit on trees in Israel, it
212-465-9234 אּוה א ָ ד ֲ ה ,ה ָּ ל ִ ח ְּ ת ע ָּ ט ַ מ ְּ ב א ָּ ל ֶ א ּוק ְּ ס ַ ע ְ ת ִ ת אלֹ ץ ֶ ר ָ א ָ ל can only mean that the Redemption is
1 .ם ֶּ ת ְ ע ַ טְנּו ץ ֶ ר ָ א ָ ה ל ֶ א ּואֹב ָ ת י ִּ כ :בי ִ ת ְ כ ִ ד
Presidium approaching. The Jewish people are
Dr. Ernest Agatstein In summary, G-d’s first act in the cre- returning to our Land.
Rabbi Leonard Matanky
HAMIZRACHI Martin Oliner ated world was to plant a garden in Returning to Israel in our generation
PATRONS Eden, so too we must deal with the is symbolized by the planting of trees
National Chairman
Martin and Reva Mr. Seymour Shapiro needs of this world first and plant trees – particularly on Tu BiShvat, the time
Oliner when we enter the Land of Israel. of year the trees begin to blossom and
Executive Vice-President
Friends of Mr. Jack Rabbi David A. Israel Planting in Israel is a G-d-like act. Trees produce fruit. This serves as the best
Nagel z’’l in Israel do not grow like regular trees proof that we have truly returned to
Lynn and Joel Mael CHICAGO grow anywhere else in the world. In our Land!
& Family
www.rzc.us Eretz Yisrael, the Land and the people
Mr. and Mrs. David office@rzc.us are connected.
Rubin 847-674-9733 1 Vayikra Rabbah 25:3.
Rosalyn and President The Ramban visited Israel in 1267. 2 Writings of the Ramban, Part 1, Iggeret 7.
Stephen M. Flatow Dr. Oren Lakser He found the Land totally deserted 3 Innocents Abroad.
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Aileen and Pace Executive Director and desolate. Similarly, in 1867, Mark 4 Orot Eretz Yisrael.
Cooper Rabbi Jerold Isenberg Twain described the Land as “...A 5 Vayikra 26.
Rose and Bruce desolate country whose soil is rich 6 Sanhedrin 98a.
Newman LOS ANGELES enough but is given over wholly to
The family of Leila office@rzla.org weeds... a silent mournful expanse... a
Bronner z’’l 209-286-7141 desolation...” 3
Isaac and Evelyn President Rav Kook explains the uniqueness of Rabbi David A. Israel is the Executive
Vice-President of Religious Zionists of
Blachor Dr. Yakov Agatstein
the Land of Israel and our relationship America–Mizrachi
2 | Cover photo: Sharon Gabay