Covenant of the Land

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1. The Ceremony of the Stones

   Rabbi Chanoch Waxman | 33 minutes

   What is the purpose and significance of the plastered stones and rough altar to be set up upon entry to the land? Comparing the ceremony at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal with the ceremony of the Covenant at Sinai, and reviewing Abraham's altars and his Covenant with God upon his entry to the Land reveals that the command in our Parsha is intrinsically connected to both.

2. You Shall Dwell in the Land in Security

   Rabbi Yair Kahn

   The Torah begins the parsha with the laws of Shmitta, noting that they were given at Har Sinai. This prompts the commentators to ask the famous question: “Mah inyan shemitta etzel Har Sinai?” Why is shemitta found alongside Har Sinai? By examining the nature of the laws of shemitta and yovel, we can understand that they describe a religious ideal of human faith reciprocated by divine providence. They contain a promise of a relationship between God and Am Yisrael. Shemitta and yovel are more than just commandments – they are a context for attaining the blessings of the covenant of Sinai. 

3. You Shall Dwell in the Land in Security (Audio)

   Rabbi Yair Kahn | 11 minutes

   The Torah begins the parsha with the laws of Shmitta, noting that they were given at Har Sinai. This prompts the commentators to ask the famous question: “Mah inyan shemitta etzel Har Sinai?” Why is shemitta found alongside Har Sinai? By examining the nature of the laws of shemitta and yovel, we can understand that they describe a religious ideal of human faith reciprocated by divine providence. They contain a promise of a relationship between God and Am Yisrael. Shemitta and yovel are more than just commandments – they are a context for attaining the blessings of the covenant of Sinai. 

4. Haftara for VaYigash - Living in the Land or Upon the Land

   Rabbi David Silverberg

5. Eretz Yisrael in Tanakh and Jewish Thought

   Rabbi Chaim Navon

   Does the Tanakh portray the Land of Israel as a homeland, or as a place of exile? What type of qualities are unique and special about the Land? Are the geographical and natural features a source of abundant blessing or of vulnerability and dependence upon God? What is meant by the various biblical descriptions of the Land as the place of the Divine Presence?  We examine the role of the Land of Israel throughout Tanakh, and explore perspectives of  midrashim and Jewish philosophers and scholars. Some of the responses may be surprising.

6. “When You Come into the Land”

   Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein

   תאריך פרסום: תשס"ח |

   When God planted a garden in Eden, this was not just a grove of trees, but rather laying the foundations of the world. We are commanded in the Land of Israel to develop agriculture and plant trees, not only to fulfill mitzvot like orla or neta revai, but also to the build the nation and to ensure its viability. Just as God constructs the entire world on the basis of the planting of trees, we are commanded to plant trees in the Land of Israel, so that there will be a healthy economy and strong society in the Land of Israel.

    

   Based on a Shiur by Harav Aharon Lichtenstein zt"l  (Adapted by Lavi Bigman and translated by David Strauss)

7. Lech Lecha: Covenant With God

   Rabbi David Fohrman |

   In this week's parsha, God and Abraham make a hugely important covenant, where God promises Abraham children and land, leading to the start of the Jewish nation. In this video, Rabbi Fohrman helps us understand what can we learn from a fascinating literary chiasm in the text surrounding this covenant.

    

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