Friends of Itamar

Leah’s Blog Parashat Bishalach Tu B’ishvat 2024

Beshalach – Tu Bshvat

It has been a very hard week here in Israel but before anything – “I am G-d who heals you.” Take that with you, now – especially on this day that has us planting trees- the sign of entering Eretz Yisrael and determining prophecies coming true. The dust settles, the rain drips, the temperature dips, we are in the throes of winter now. “When you come into the Land, you shall plant trees bearing fruit.” As the first man was created as the connector between heaven and earth but was later exiled from the garden- now we return to Eretz Yisrael, “to the GOOD LAND I gave you.” We are living in end times as we reestablish, there can be no greater sign than what Ezekiel prophesized 36:8- “Oh you mountains of Israel shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit for My people. “Oh to see it and partake in it- you are being healed.

In the Torah and our history we see repetitive patterns, like recurring dreams that represent repeated principles that happen over and over again. In just a few months on the full moon like today we will be in Spring on Passover night. It will be warm, the fields will be green, flowers will blanket the Land, we will begin to leave our homes to sit outside yet we will be commanded to return home, to where our doorpost holds the scroll of Shema Yisrael, and sit at our table remembering how Hashem took us out of slavery, redeemed us, saved us at sea, gave us to eat and drink and finally brought us to the Promised Land. Cloud by day, pillar of fire by night, the repetitious theme has us over the hills and far away yet home. Now as we read in the Parsha of leaving Egypt we will repeat the experience on the Seder night as each person is required to view himself as having left Egypt. We will remember being between the devil and the deep blue sea (and now too we are as well). We remember a primordial time way before this enslavement when Lavan chased Yaakov “שביקש לעקור את הכל”- that sought to destroy even then the house of Israel. When Yaakov’s son Yosef was born, he remembered home and made a vow to get there. On leaving and dealing with his father in law, he fought with the angel all night before crossing the Jordan. The end war of leaving exile is done in the dead of night.

This Parsha has Moshe carrying the very bones of Yosef into the Red Sea as it split with Pharoh, his adopted father, pursuing him and running after Am Yisrael, too similar a story pattern to ignore. Towards the end of the night Hashem struck the Egyptians- the same sky time as Yaakov limped away victorious. The attack on Am Yisrael seems to be a theme that’s syndrome hasn’t ended even today as we make our way home and now it feels like a dark and trying time. Yosef is weaved into this same theme of contention- the tomb of Yosef sits exactly in the center of the Land of Israel – make no mistake – INSIDE the very heart of the Land where nations want to obliterate our historical right and national connection to from time immemorial, from thousands of years ago when Joshua and our nation put him to rest in the plot Yaakov bought from Shechem. This can’t be anything BUT ISRAEL.

This is the generation of the watchmen on the walls- we are planted here now like the tree.

Adam was told to guard the garden. We plant trees today here in Itamar as we safeguard defend and protect the integrity of keeping and defending Israel from here at the core of this Land. This is a just war: we have no other option but to continue the revival, determined to plant and rebuild our national home even now as nations bare down upon us in spiteful belligerence and resentment that we have crossed over this Jordan and made it to the other side. In their denial- we acknowledge. In their rejection – we confirm in planting ourselves and the trees. The night is ending, the sun is rising.

Shabbat Shalom to all our dear friends- stay cozy- Leah