Words From Rabbi White

Dear congregants, Chevra Shaas and Spanish/Portuguese

THE TAMARISK AND MACHPELA

In last week’s parasha, we read that Avraham planted in Be’er Sheva an “‘eshel,” which is translated as a tamarisk tree. (See Bereishit, 21:33) Why an ”’eshel”? Well, since the 3 Hebrew letters of the word “‘eshel” are “‘aleph, shin, and lamed,” Hazal saw an allusion to the words “‘achila, shetiyya, and lina” meaning “eating, drinking, and spending the night:” that is, he built an inn, so that weary travelers could rest, and then bless God for all of His goodness.

However, on a more basic level of “peshat,” a tamarisk is a tree that, although small, is able to survive in harsh conditions, such as the desert area of Beer Sheva. This shows Avraham’s commitment to the Land, later to be known as the Land of Israel: a commitment for himself and for his descendants. His descendants will pass by, see the tree, and be reminded that this is the Land for which our ancestor Avrham suffered so many trials and tribulations to follow God’s directions and to settle in that Land.

This idea is concretized in this week’s parasha. Avraham must find a burial plot for Sarah. He saw a suitable area known as Machpela, in Hebron. Having already established himself as a great warrior, when he and a small band of followers defeated a mighty coalition, he could have negotiated an amazing deal with Ephron the Hittite: a beautiful plot for free! But he insisted on paying top dollar. Why? Because he wanted to establish forever, and to quote the Megama song, (influenced by Woodie Guthrie) “this land is my land, from the Negev valley to the heights of Golan.”

When I was in college, I read a short Hebrew fictional story by Yitschak Shenhav, titled “The eshel,” or in English translation: “the Tamarisk.” The story made a great impression on me. It was about an ancient tamarisk, that had been in the Land of Israel for many, many generations. Developers wanted to chop down the tree, to clear the path for construction. There was much opposition to the plan, as the residents were concerned that they would lose the connection to their roots. Soldiers had fallen at the spot, and their blood had seeped into the ground, showing forever our connection to the Land.

The brave soldiers who have given their lives for the defense of Israel have proven that the Land of Israel is indeed the land of Am Yisrael.

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We were saddened to hear of the passing this week of two dear Montreal friends: Rev. Yitschak Lebovics from Zichron Kedoshim, and Rabbi Danny Elkin: an outstanding educator/rabbi. May their memories be for a blessing.

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Thursday, 29 Cheshvan, is the day of the Sigd, the great holiday of our dear Beta Israel community. Chag Sigd sameach!!!

Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Menahem White, Chevra Shaas