My Hero!

Last night was awesome! The army secured the opening of an Arab village, Timnat Cheres, to let Jews pray at the graves of two Biblical figures: Joshua and Calev (Nun the father of Joshua is buried there as well). These two greats were all about making Aliyah to Israel, and continuing to make Aliyah once they arrived. They stood up to Jewish anti-Aliyah rhetoric, and feared not their non-Jewish enemies as well.

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Here's some of the good ole' boys who showed up last night


The army was in a good mood - probably happy to secure Jewish prayer in the Holy Land


Here is one of the best monologues of all time, spoken by non other then Calev Ben Yefuneh from the book of Joshua Chapter 14:

6. Then the sons of Judah drew near to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know the word which the LORD spoke to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh-barnea.

Inside the tomb of Calev


7. "I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought word back to him as it was in my heart.
8. "Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the LORD my God fully.
9. "So Moses swore on that day, saying, `Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God fully.'



10. "Now behold, the LORD has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today.
11. "I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in.
12. "Now then, give me this hill country about which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the LORD will be with me, and I will drive them out as the LORD has spoken."
13. So Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.
14. Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day, because he followed the LORD God of Israel fully.

Elan White prays amongst Chassidim


Here is a message from Rabbi Dov Begon - Founder and Head of Machon Meir

We Must go Forth and Occupy the Land

The spies carried out their mission. They were sent by Moses, who sent them to examine the quality of the Land and its inhabitants. They returned with the following report: "We came to the land where you sent us, and it is indeed flowing with milk and honey, as you can see from its fruit" (Numbers 13:27). Their sin, however, was in their interpretation of what they saw and the conclusion they derived from their erroneous interpretation:

"The land we explored consumes its inhabitants! All the men there are huge...We felt like tiny grasshoppers and that's how we appeared in their eyes" (13:32-33). The bad conclusion that brought calamity upon their generation was this: "We cannot go forward against those people! They are too strong for us [mimenu]" (verse 31). In Hebrew, "mimenu" can mean either "us" or "him". Rashi comments that the spies were saying the Canaanites were too strong even for "Him", for G-d! Their faith in G-d's power had been shaken!

Outside of the tomb of Calev


In contrast to the ten spies who sinned and brought the people to sin, Calev ben Yefuneh stood, one man against everyone, in certain faith and said, "We must go forth and occupy the Land. We can do it" (Numbers 13:30). Nonetheless, the vast majority of the people fell prey to the spies' sin: "That night the people wept" (14:1). They were smitten with despair: "All the Israelites complained to Moses and Aaron. The entire community said, 'We wish we had died in Egypt! We should have died in the desert! Why is G-d bringing us to this land to die by the sword? Our wives and children will be captives! It would be best to go back to Egypt!" (14:2-3).



Today we are at the height of an internal struggle regarding our relationship to Eretz Yisrael. We hear the same arguments made by the spies dressed up in different garb. The disengagement camp arms itself with rational arguments, that if we do not disengage from the Land, it will claim many victims ("a land that consumes its inhabitants"). They argue that unless we establish an Arab state in the very heart of our country, America and the world will be against us ("We felt like tiny grasshoppers and that's how we appeared in their eyes").

The Tomb of Nun, father of Joshua


Opposing them are the Jews of Judea and Samaria - akin to Calev ben Yefuneh. This population rids its heart of fear and delusion. They fill our hearts with faith and trust in G-d, who commanded us through the generations, but especially for our own generation: "Clear out the land and live in it, since it is to you I am giving the land to occupy" (Numbers 33:53). Today, those holding the temporary reins of leadership are following in the path of the spies by a readiness to cut themselves off from our land. Yet those who love Eretz Yisrael, those following in the path of Calev ben Yefuneh, will be victorious in the struggle to hold the entire length and breadth of Eretz Yisrael. May we be the living fulfillment of G-d's promise, "For the L-rd will not cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance" (Psalm 94:14). Looking forward to complete salvation!