Bostoner Torah Insights Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English Parshas Lech Lecha – 10 MarCheshvan 5786
Bostoner Torah Insights - Yerushalayim
Bostoner Torah Insights
Bostoner ‘Chassidus’ in English
Parshas Lech Lecha – 10 MarCheshvan 5786
Bostoner Rebbe shlit”a – Yerushalayim
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Sponsored this week in memory of Leo, Millie and Eric Summergrad ע"ה
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A thought we’ve mentioned before is that Avraham Avinu was zocheh to acquire Eretz Yisroel in two different ways. The first was through conquest, when he fought the war described in Parshas Lech Lecha. Through that victory, Avraham essentially became the ruler over all the lands he had conquered, and those territories were considered part of Eretz Yisroel. The second way was when Avraham fulfilled Hashem’s command to walk around the borders of the land.
The Gemara in Bava Basra teaches that when someone buys a piece of land or a house, he needs to make a Kinyan, a physical act to show ownership, such as locking it up so others can’t enter, or putting up a gate or door. Rebbi Eliezer, however, holds that one can be Koneh simply by walking around the borders of the land.
The Chachomim disagree with Rebbi Eliezer and maintain that simply walking through the property isn’t enough; there must be some concrete action of taking possession. Every Kinyan requires a Koneh who acquires and a Makneh that bequeaths. The seller needs to hand over the land and the buyer must accept it. When the seller sees the buyer physically taking control, he is at ease that the transaction is complete, but just walking around the land doesn’t sufficiently demonstrate the buyer’s intent.
However, when it comes to Eretz Yisroel, the situation was different. Hashem was the Makneh and Avraham was the Koneh. Since there’s no concern of the intent of Hashem’s giving, even according to the Chachomim the act of Avraham walking through the land was enough of an act for him to acquire it.
This helps explain why the first period of Yishuv Eretz Yisroel, in the times of Yehoshua until the Beis HaMikdash Rishon, was temporary in nature. When Bavel sent the people into Galus, the original Kedusha of the land was annulled. But the second time, when Klal Yisroel came back with Ezra and Nechemia, that kedusha became permanent. Why the difference?
The Maharal explains an idea that sheds light on this. Some mefarshim say that Klal Yisroel was sent into the Egyptian exile because of something Avraham did after the war with the four kings. When the King of Sodom offered him the people he had rescued and Avraham politely refused, Avraham had squandered an important opportunity to acquire the people and bring them closer to Hashem.
As a result of Avraham’s actions, the Kinyan of the land through conquest didn’t have a lasting impact as it was weakened by the decision of Avraham to give back that which he had conquered. This is why the first conquest of Eretz Yisroel in the times of Yehoshua provided only temporary Kedusha to the land. However, when Avraham acquired the land through the second Kinyan of walking around the perimeter of Eretz Yisroel, it was done with full Emunah. Therefore, the second conquest in the times of Ezra, Nechemia, and the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah, which was rooted in that same Emunah, acquired a permanent Kedusha for the land that remains forever.
May Hashem make it clear to the entire world that He is the Creator, and that Eretz Yisroel belongs to the Jewish people forever, and send Moshiach speedily in our days.