In the Birkat Hamazon (benching), the Grace after meals, we discover an opportunity like no other to realize what is offered to us through the gift of Eretz Yisrael.
This week’s Torah portion is Eikev (Deuteronomy 7:12- 11:25) and it sure is a Land-of-Israel lover’s favorite! Is there a verse more meaningful than, “A land that God seeks out, the eyes of God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year”? What more can we ask for? Oh yeah, and I live here!!
Remember those spies? Moses sent 12 spies to spy out the land of Israel and bring back a report about what the land was like and what the Jewish people could expect to see upon arrival. The journey to Israel was intended to be completed within a few short weeks after leaving Egypt. Well, to make a long story short, the spies brought back a slanderous and even frightening report of the land. The people believed them and got scared. As a result, God punished the Jewish people with 40 years of wandering in the desert.
But here’s the question: Did the spies really do anything wrong? They were just doing their job! They were sent to bring back a report, and that’s exactly what they did. If they truly believed that the land was scary and unconquerable, they would be expected to say so! What’s going on here?