The Connection Between The Land of Israel and The Jewish People - Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein

Don't just think about Israel as being a home for the Jewish people, which it is, but it's also a beacon, a blessing for the rest of the [Music] world. Israel is not just a geographic location in the world, but Israel is a spiritual. The epitome of spirituality rests in this specific land. God created earth. God created the land that we walk on. And God has decided what parts of the world will be designated to whom. There's such a big world with over 8 billion people living everywhere. But there is one specific geographic area that God has dedicated and designated it to be what we know is the Holy Land. There's no other place in the world that has that name, the Holy Land or the name Israel. So is Israel a country? Is Israel a land? Is Israel a possession of God? What is Israel? Israel is a place where God has designated to be the geographic location where God's presence will be revealed in a revealed way. No, there's no other place on earth that has that designation. This is a land as God writes in the Bible. When Abraham first recognized God as being the omnipotent and the omnipresent was, is, and will be. And Abraham introduced monotheism to the world. It is at that time God said, "I want you, Abraham, to leave where you're living now. Leave your family. Leave your birthplace. And I'm going to send you to a place that I'm going to show you where that is. And this land that I am going to send you to is going to be a land that you are going to settle there. Your descendants will be living there. And this is going to be a land that's going to be a blessing to the whole world. And that is what Israel is truly all about. Israel is not just about the Jewish people. The Jewish people doesn't need Israel. Israel needs the Jewish people. Israel needs the Jewish people just as Jewish people are one with Israel. It's not a need. We don't need Israel. Israel is part of us. It's who we are. It's where our birthrights were. This was a land that was given to us by God Almighty as an inheritance. Just like a child cannot say to his parents, "I'm not your child. I'm not your inheritor." Well, if you are your parents' child, there's nothing you could do about it. You could scream from today to tomorrow and denounce your relationship with your parents, but you're still their child. You are still an inheritor of your parents. And this is why Israel is not just for the Jewish people, but Israel is for the whole world. As a matter of fact, when the temple was standing before it was destroyed by the Babylonians and the Romans, when the temple stood in its tall true days of glory, every high holidays, we would bring 70 sacrifices specifically representing the 70 nations of the world because that is what Israel is about Israel is about being a light unto the nations. Israel is about being setting an example for the rest of the world because Israel is the place the only place as recorded in the Bible that God's eyes is upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. God took it and gave it to us. This is a gift to the Jewish people and to the world. The history that has in Israel is parallel to none. If you have ever visited Israel and have been able to walk the streets of Jerusalem or go to Israel from the north to the south, from the east to the west, you are walking on thousands of years of history. Think of how old America is since 1776 and here we are in 2024. We're just talking about a few hundred years compared to thousands of years that Israel has been in existence. And truly, there's no other place in the world like Israel. Jerusalem is the highest level above sea level. And within a short amount of time, you can reach the Dead Sea, which is the lowest part of sea below sea level in the world. There's no other place in the world that you can go so quick from the highest level above sea level to the lowest. The Dead Sea is considered the lowest place on earth below sea level. There's so many blessings that are naturally in Israel that has been there because that is a country that was blessed by God. If only the world would allow us to flourish the way God in intended it for us to be, to allow us to live in peace and to allow us to continue on turning that holy land into greater holiness and to utilize the wisdom, knowledge and understanding that God blessed us with to be a source of inspiration to the rest of the world. What Israel has done since 1948 till today has gone from a desolate country that we have been away for 2,000 years. And look what we turned that country into. We turned that country into a superpower. A superpower to do what? A superpower of creations. the creativity, the accomplishments that came out of Israel in all areas of life from agriculture to communication to technology to medicine to travel to arms. In all those areas, no one has come close to what Israel has been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time. The neighbors around Israel had the same amount of potential since 1948 to do the same thing, but they rather chose to fight, to murder, to massacre and to focus the life on death instead of life. Versus Israel, which is smaller than the state of New Jersey, has dedicated itself to what else can we do for the world? The modern technologies that we are enjoying today, the modern medicines that are keeping us alive, the tremendous amount of marvels and accomplishments that have been based in Israel is mostly unknown to the world to realize that from this small country, so much knowledge, so much wisdom, so much accomplishments, so much creativity, so many miraculous accomplishments have come and still come out of Israel. If only the neighbors would allow us to continue on doing what we do best is to be a light unto the nations. And yes, and this is indeed answers the question, do Jews need Israel? It's not a question if we need Israel. The Jews are Israel. Israel is the Jews. We have inherited it not by choice, but because God wanted us to. We are the inheritors of this land, and we need to maintain it. and secure it and protect it so that it maintains its holiness that God's divine presence will continue to rest there. Golden mayor said it so perfectly. If Israel puts down their arms, there would be bloodshed. If the enemies put down the arms, there would be peace. How true that is. Even right now with the war that has been raged since October 7, it could end in a moment. If Hamas were to release the hostages and surrender, there would be peace immediately. Gaza can be rebuilt and reestablished. But when the enemies are seeking for our blood and our annihilation, then we must do what we need to do to protect the land that God has given us. It's not just about the Jewish people in Israel. It's about the rest of the world to recognize that God Almighty has designated a country to be a holy land. It is our responsibility to protect it at all means and to be able to survive and thrive to continue on accomplishing whatever we can for humanity, not just for the Jewish people, but for all humanity. and given us the opportunity, we will continue to excel. We'll continue on accomplishing and in uncovering a tremendous amount of miracles that God has given us in our generation that we can reveal to help the whole world in all areas to help people's lives live better to relieve hunger in the world to have the finest medicines and treatments for any ailment. There is nothing that we cannot accomplish. Just give us the opportunity. So when you think about Israel, don't just think about Israel as being a home for the Jewish people, which it is, and it will be, was, is, and will always be, but it's also a beacon, a blessing for the rest of the world. It's a blessing for many religions who come annually by the millions to show respect of this holy land because the land is not only holy, it is soaked with thousands upon thousands of millions of people who have sacrificed themselves to preserve this holy land because God Almighty in heaven chose this land to be the holy land, the land where God's presence and eyes will be upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. Plan your next trip to Israel as you will be inspired. There's no other place in the world as Israel. Not only the historical sites to be seen, the food to be tasted, the camaraderity that is there. I know when I go to Israel, I feel like I'm walking into one huge synagogue. You just feel safer than anywhere else in the world. Not only because it has the finest army, but because God is protecting us there more than anywhere. To me, I feel most safest when I am in Israel. I encourage you, start planning your next trip to Israel. Until then, let's pray in hope that the Messiah comes and takes everyone to Israel at the end of this exile and is the dawn of a great redemption. Amen. God bless you. God loves you. May God protect our soldiers, brothers and sisters, be victorious in the war and bring home all the hostages safe and well. Amen.