Love of the Land

Love of the Land - The Almost Volcano

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Love of the Land
Selections from classical Torah sources
which express the special relationship between
the People of Israel and Eretz Yisrael

THE ALMOST VOLCANO

When Yehoshua passed away he was buried in a part of Har Ephraim which is described as being "north of the volcano". (Yehoshua 24:30)

This puzzling description is explained by the Talmud (Mesechta Shabbat 105b): Insufficient eulogies were made about this great leader who brought his people to Eretz Israel, and Divine disapproval of this behavior was expressed in the mountain threatening to erupt as a volcano.

Another explanation for the volcanic threat, says the Midrash, was that Jews became so preoccupied with their settling of the land which they had divided amongst the tribes that they had to be Divinely shocked into an awareness of their primary Torah responsibilities.



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Written by Rabbi Mendel Weinbach, Dean, Ohr Somayach Institutions
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
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