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Parshat Behaalotecha
By: Rabbi Moshe Goodman, Kollel Ohr Shlomo, Hebron

בס"ד

לשכנו תדרשו

Connecting to the Holy Presence in Our Holy Land 

נוסעים אנחנו אל המקום אשר אמר ה'... לכה אתנו והטבנו לך

"Blessed are You HaShem... Who is Good and provides good to others.”

This blessing is said by an individual when good fortune comes upon himself and also upon others, as the blessing implies in the words 'providing good to others'. This terminology can also been seen in this week's parsha, when Moshe offers his father-in-law Yitro to come with the People of Israel on their journey to the Land of Israel so that the 'good 'bestowed upon Israel be also bestowed upon Yitro and his family. Indeed, this promise was kept, as our Sages interpret this 'good' to refer to a plot of Land in the Land of Israel, 500 cubits on 500 cubits in Jericho, that was given to Yitro and his descendants. They explain that the descendants of Yitro were granted this plot of land in parallel to the exact measurements of the Temple Mount (500 cubits etc.) for the period of 440 years after Israel's entrance into the Land when the Bais HaMikdash was still not built on the Temple Mount. During this period the Temple Mount was primarily in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. When the Bais HaMikdash was built, the Temple Mount became sanctified on a global level, and thus Benjamin 'lost' this portion of land. In compensation, the Benjaminites were given the plot of land 'safe-guarded' for 440 years by the offspring of Yitro, who apparently received this land for a limited amount of time.

One matter we can learn from this episode is that the general term 'good' can refer to a plot in the Land of Israel, as can be strengthened by the Torah's terminology in Dvarim (4, 21-22 and more) 'the good Land'. Indeed, the poskim determine that there is especially more allowance to bless 'shehiyanu' and the fore-mentioned blessing on 'providing good to others' - 'hatov vehameitiv'(if there is benefit to others, etc.) if one purchases a house/apartment in the Land of Israel, where there is a mitzva attached to this purchase, i.e settling the Land of Israel. In addition, the poskim add that a meal attached to praising HaShem on buying such a house in the Land of Israel is also considered a 'seudas mitzva' (a 'mitzva meal').

In addition to the Land of Israel, another place that is called 'good' is the Temple Mount and the Bais HaMikdash itself, as it says 'the good mountain', explained by our Sages to refer to the Temple Mount. As we have shown in the past, Hebron and the Temple Mount are deeply linked, as can be seen for example in the Mishna Yoma (ch. 3) that the Kohanim on the Temple Mount on Yom Kippur would ask if dawn has reached 'till Hebron' in order to awaken the merit of the Patriarchs. We can explain this connection by noticing the first time the term 'good' is used in the Torah, in the context of the light of dawn of the first day of Creation. In addition, Midrashic literature strongly links the concept 'good' to Torah, as it says 'a good portion I have given you, the Torah...', and also to the righteous figure - Moshe Rabeinu, on whom it is said 'he is good'.

The crossroads of all these inferences most naturally becomes apparent in Hebron. Hebron according to the Zohar is synonymous with Torah. Hebron is also the resting place of the the 'good' righteous figures, our Patriarchs, and also according to Midrashic literature, Moshe Rabeinu (miraculously taken from Mount Nebo). This is Hebron, Beacon of the Good Land, Gateway to the Temple Mount, the Dawn of the Redemptive Future.  

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Real Stories from the Holy Land #121:

"One Friday night we were learning at Maaras HaMachpela while one of the participants suddenly asked the rest of the learners how to relate to Jews who want to conduct their lives solely according to Rambam's rulings and, in a sense, negate other stances in Judaism on a personal level. Our conclusion was that it is good to give legitimacy to such a stance as a good basis for halachic observance, but on the other hand to stress that Rambam's rulings should not negate one's trust and even observance upon other sources such as Shulhan Aruch, rulings and customs based on Kabbalah, etc. as being sources that can work in harmony with and in addition (or even enhancement) to the observance of Rambam's rulings. It 'turns out' that the very next week at the very same hour on Friday night, a visitor from outside Kiryat Arba-Hebron 'happened' to come and present his stance exactly as we had described the previous week, so we were just ready to explain our stance as we deliberated the week before..."    

Sources: Piskei Tshuvos 223, 3, Zohar Shlah, Sifri Vezot Habraha

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