Weekly Sidra: Ekev (Consequence)
Torah Portion: Devarim / Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25
Haftorah: Yeshayahu / Isaiah 49:14-51:3
The children you thought you had lost Shall yet say in your hearing, "The place is too crowded for me; Make room for me to settle." (Isaiah 49:20)
The majority of us dream of owning our own place. Imagine that you have a house and one day you leave for work. You return only to find that the locks have been changed and some squatters have taken over your property.
This appears to be the problem for Jews in Israel today. We were promised a Jewish homeland according to the Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917. While many Jews are avid Zionists who want a Jewish land, there are also those who do not support the idea of a Jewish nation.
This week the prophet Isaiah comforts us with these words:
“Swiftly your children are coming; Those who ravaged and ruined you shall leave you. 18 Look up all around you and see: They are all assembled, are come to you! As I live— declares HaShem — You shall don them all like jewels, Deck yourself with them like a bride. 19 As for your ruins and desolate places And your land laid waste — You shall soon be crowded with settlers,” (Isaiah 49:17-19)
Many Jews today are returning home and making aliyah to Israel. We need to be passionate about the land. Torah tells us that Israel belongs to the Jews. Whether people like it or not HaShem’s word will come true.
So we can either stand in the way of HaShem’s plan or work towards making it happen. This week’s reading is Ekev which means if you follow. The opening verse says “And if you do obey these rules and observe them carefully, HaShem your God will maintain faithfully for you the covenant that He made on oath with your fathers” (Devarim 7:12)
In essence if we follow HaShem we will be blessed; and this includes the land. So make aliyah and return to your house in the land of Israel.