LOVE OF THE LAND Selections from classical Torah sources which express the special relationship between the People of Israel and Eretz Yisrael by Rabbi Mendel Weinbach =========================================================================== This publication is available in HTML format on the internet at http://www.ohr.org.il/special/pesach/dayenu.htm =========================================================================== Don't let your Passover Seder turn into a cliche. Ohr Somayach has dozens of tips, tricks, and insights waiting for you at: http://www.ohr.org.il/special/pesach =========================================================================== ENOUGH TO BE THANKFUL FOR "DAYENU!" This is the title of the most popular song of the Passover Seder, in which we enumerate the historical kindness bestowed on our people by our Creator. After mentioning each kindness - from the Exodus from Egypt to the building of the Beis Hamikdash - we declare in melodic fashion that any one of them would have been enough for us (Dayenu) to be thankful for. The final pair of this long list is arranged in a pattern which teaches an important lesson in our scale of values: "Had He given us the Torah and not brought us into Eretz Yisrael - it would have been enough." Torah without Eretz Yisrael is a viable formula for the fulfillment of our identity as a chosen people. For thousands of years Jews have preserved their identity in lands not their own. Eretz Yisrael without Torah, on the other hand, can degenerate into the empty nationalism of other peoples. Once we have the Torah, however, Eretz Yisrael becomes the ideal setting for the development of our spiritual potential, and the Beis Habechira - the house in Jerusalem chosen by Hashem as the dwelling place for His presence - becomes the sacred shrine for facilitating total development of our human potential to connect with our Creator. Today, when all Jews have the Torah and the opportunity to come to Eretz Yisrael - even if we have not yet merited having the Beis Habechira in our midst - we can joyously sing: Dayenu! =========================================================================== You can receive Rav Weinbach's essay "Love of the Land" each week via E-Mail. To subscribe, see the page http://www.ohr.org.il/web/sub.htm to subscribe to the "weekly" list. Or send the message "subscribe weekly {your name}" to listproc@virtual.co.il. =========================================================================== To write E-mail to Rav Mendel Weinbach, address it to "office@ohr.org.il" and set the subject to "att: Rav Weinbach" =========================================================================== Do you link to us? Let everyone know about the Ohr Somayach Home Page by dropping the following text into the HTML document of YOUR home page: The Ohr Somayach International Home Page =========================================================================== SUBSCRIBE! to one of the many weekly "lists" published by Ohr Somayach Institutions: yossi - Yossi & Co. comic strip in PDF Format ohrnet - Torah Weekly, Q&A, Ask the Rabbi & Daf Yomi in PDF Format ohrnews - Keep up-to-date with the Ohr Somayach Web Site weekly - Summary of the weekly Torah portion dafyomi - Rav Mendel Weinbach's insights into the Daf Yomi ask - The Rabbi answers YOUR questions on Judaism parasha-qa - Challenging questions on the weekly Torah portion os-special - All the SPECIAL publications produced by Ohr Somayach os-alum - "B'Yachad" - the Ohr Somayach Electronic Alumni Newsletter judaismo - Spanish-Language newsletter on the Parsha & Judaism judaismo-p - Portuguese-Language newsletter on the Parsha & Judaism month - Seasons of the Moon - The Jewish Year through its months Ohr Somayach NEVER charges for any of the above lists. To subscribe, send the message: subscribe {listname} {your full name} to listproc@virtual.co.il or see the page http://www.ohr.org.il/web/sub.htm =========================================================================== General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman Production Design: Lev Seltzer =========================================================================== Prepared by the Jewish Learning Exchange of Ohr Somayach International 22 Shimon Hatzadik Street, POB 18103 Jerusalem 91180, Israel Tel: 972-2-581-0315 Fax: 972-2-581-2890 E-Mail: info@ohr.org.il Home Page: http://www.ohr.org.il =========================================================================== (C) 1998 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved. This publication may be distributed to another person intact without prior permission. We also encourage you to include this material in other publications, such as synagogue newsletters. However, we ask that you contact us beforehand for permission, and then send us a sample issue.