“Three good gifts were presented to the Jewish people by the Holy One, Blessed be He, and all of them were given only through suffering.”

One of the gifts mentioned in this statement by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Mesechta Berachot 5a) is Eretz Yisrael. This is based on the Torah promise of “For God, your God, brings you into a good Land” (Devarim 8:7) being preceded by the assurance that “As a man chastens his son so God, your God, chastens you” (ibid. 8:5).

The great Talmudic commentator Maharsha points out that such suffering has always been necessary to avoid the nationalistic conceit described in the following passages which may cause Israel to forget its dependence on the Creator who gave Jews the Land.

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