A Prophetic Precedent
When Yosef, in his capacity as master of the land of Egypt, acquired all the land in that country for Pharaoh in exchange for bread in a time of famine, he made an exception of the land belonging to the priests.
This was seen by our commentaries as a hint to future generations of Jews in their own land to show deference to their own clergy.
The special consideration shown by the Israeli government in granting deferment of military service to Yeshiva students and in providing some financial support for many of their families is constantly being criticized by anti-religious elements. The lesson taught by Yosef in this week's Torah portion has apparently been ignored by those Jews who have placed "equality" above the age-old veneration that the simplest Jew always had for the Torah scholar.
The time has come for all Jews in a country facing threats to its survival to appreciate that special consideration must be shown to those whose Torah study secures Israel forever.
