Your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of the peoples

                     (Deuteronomy 4:6)

Av 12, 5777/August 4, 2017

"Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, as HaShem, my G-d, commanded me, to do so in the midst of the land to which you are coming to possess. And you shall keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of the peoples, who will hear all these statutes and say, 'Only this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' For what great nation is there that has G-d so near to it, as HaShem our G-d is at all times that we call upon Him? And which great nation is it that has just statutes and ordinances, as this entire Torah, which I set before you this day?" (Deuteronomy 4:5-8)

Moshe rabbenu, (Moses our master), in his final words to Israel, which make up the entirety of the book of Deuteronomy, continues to prepare his people for entering and inheriting the land of Israel and for all the challenges that will await them there. The land of Israel, Moshe explains, over and over, is not simply a resting place for the nation of Israel. It is the earthly manifestation of G-d's love for Israel and will provide Israel with endless blessings. But there is one condition: Israel must adhere to G-d's commandments, and not stray from them. That being said once by Moshe, should suffice. Yet Moshe emphasizes the importance of keeping the commandments in the land of Israel time and time again. What temptations await Israel that could possibly lure her away from keeping G-d's commandments? What snares and traps could cause Israel to fall?

Moshe lists many possible pitfalls: making covenants with the inhabitants of the land which could compromise Israel's sovereignty over the land, and following foreign gods are among the chiefest of the temptations which could befall Israel. Another potential hazard is becoming so enamored with one's own accomplishments so as to forget the source of your success. Another danger is to look to other nations to justify your presence and welfare in the land, rather than to look inward and recognize Israel's covenant with G-d as the sole source of all our accumulated wisdom and accomplishments. In fact, all these potential life-in-the-land threatening dangers are connected, and all are addressed in the above quoted words of Moshe.

Today, the nation of Israel has many achievements in many areas, and Israeli know-how and technology are prized by the nations. In agriculture, in hi-tech, in security and defense, in water conservation, reforestation, health, medicine, disaster response and anti-terror, and more, Israel is courted by the nations and happily shares these blessings with the nations. But what is the source of all this wisdom and understanding? The source is, of course, the "statutes and ordinances, as HaShem, my G-d, commanded me [Moshe], to do so in the midst of the land to which you are coming to possess." The unique role that Israel plays in bringing the land of Israel together with the Torah of Israel and the G-d of Israel, and making it all come alive through the actions and accomplishments of the people of Israel, is G-d's blessing to Israel and Israel's blessing to the world.

Do the nations of the world, including, and especially, those nations which benefit directly or even indirectly from the steady and growing influx of bounty and blessing into the world as a result of the G-dly synergy originating in the land of Israel, (entering and empowering humanity to move forward toward a higher destiny), appreciate and acknowledge this?

A quick perusal through the morning headlines may cause us to doubt this. Too often Israel is the target of baseless accusations, and too often these baseless accusations are accepted as being truthful, even by Israel's friends among the nations. Is it jealousy? Shortsightedness? Persistent historical prejudices and ancient hatreds?

All these reasons could no doubt be explored and substantiated, but ultimately, the power to rid the world of its antipathy toward Israel lies with the people of Israel, and this is precisely what Moshe is addressing:

"Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, as HaShem, my G-d, commanded me, to do so in the midst of the land to which you are coming to possess. And you shall keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the eyes of the peoples, who will hear all these statutes and say, 'Only this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' For what great nation is there that has G-d so near to it, as HaShem our G-d is at all times that we call upon Him? And which great nation is it that has just statutes and ordinances, as this entire Torah, which I set before you this day?" (Deuteronomy 4:5-8)

All the blessing which emanates from Israel is foundationed in Israel's adherence to the Torah of Israel in the land of Israel. Israel is only now emerging from two thousand years of exile from the land, and only now are our roots retapping into the infinite potential of G-d's promise to our forefathers. As G-d's blessings gladden our hearts we must always bear in mind Moshe's words. Maintaining the commandments that we have kept for millennia, reclaiming the commandments that we can only perform in the land of Israel, and re-embracing and possessing the place of G-d's Holy Temple, the heart and source of all blessings in the world, is not merely what the nations have come to demand of us. This is what G-d expects of His people. "For what great nation is there that has G-d so near to it, as HaShem our G-d is at all times that we call upon Him? And which great nation is it that has just statutes and ordinances, as this entire Torah, which I set before you this day?" The nearer Israel draws to G-d and His aspirations for her, the greater her esteem grows "in the eyes of the peoples."

-The Temple Institute