Dear friends,
The war news can be very dramatic at times.
Jenin is a city in the West Bank that in many ways is a microcosm of what the Arab narrative is about. The earliest record of the town’s post Canaanite existence is biblical. It is mentioned as one of the Leviite cities in an area belonging to the tribe of Yisaschar. It was called Ein Ganim. (later Ir Ganim, Ganim, and similar sounding names) It is also mentioned in Josephus, which means that it was still a Jewish town in the end of the era of the second Bais HaMikdash. It was a small town, with so little significance that there is no real record of it until the Crusades, when it was defined as belonging to what they called the Principality of the Galilee or the Kingdom of Jerusalem. In 1187 the famous Sultan Suleiman captured Jenin, but in 1299 it was given back to the “heroes” of the 6th crusade. In the course of time it was a vassal of the Mamluks (the Syrian empire) and the Ottomans (Turks). When the British came on the scene, their census reported 2307 Muslims, 212 Hindus, 108 Christians, and yes… 7 Jews. Jenin was not quite Juden-rein.
The British rule was oppressive and in the 1936 riots, the British retaliated by burning a quarter of the town.
Note – It was never autonomous.
Modern Jenin was “developed” by Jordan as a refugee camp. The goal was to reverse the results of Israel’s war of independence by creating an entire population of homeless Arabs who were refused entrance or employment anywhere in the Muslim world. It was under Jordanian control until 1967, when Israel claimed it in the 6 day war. It became a hotbed of terror, and became an official part of the Palestinian Authority as a result of the Oslo accords, regarded by Palestinians as "the martyrs' capital". The camp's militants, some 200 armed men, included members of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Tanzim, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hamas. By Israel's count, at least 28 suicide bombers were dispatched from the Jenin camp from 2000–2003 during the Second Intifada. Israeli army weekly Bamahane attributes at least 31 militant attacks, totaling 124 victims, to Jenin during the same period, more than any other city in the West Bank
Last week it was discovered that three of their militants were planning a repeat of Oct.7. Their headquarters, which was in the hospital, was discovered. Three soldiers, dressed in doctor and nurse uniforms entered. They knew exactly where to look. Their instructions were to fire point blank range and to leave immediately – the entire operation took 10 minutes.
That’s how long it took for Hashem to save us from another October 7.Ten minutes. A real miracle.
Why am I telling you all of this (other than I find it interesting, but after all it is you who are reading this letter)? I can feel the skepticism rising, but this has everything to do with the first and last commandments.
The last commandment is what you might call the “end result” of the first one. If you really integrate the fact that Hashem is the G‑d of each individual (“Your G‑d”, in the singular) and that He can do whatever He chooses (taking each of us out of Mitzraim), you will not covet what anyone else has. Hashem, who can do anything, chooses to give you what you need for your life’s mission. From a human perspective, for some, it seems “better” for everyone to have exactly the same equipment with which they can navigate life. “We should all be tall, blond, brilliant, rich, and smart.” Presumably we would then all have identical missions. This is far from the plan. The world Hashem created is complex, beautiful, and variegated, but when you are “in the picture”, you can’t see the picture.
The very first comment Rashi makes in Torah concerns the very nature of its structure. “Why does the Torah begin with the story of creation?” he asks. It should have begun with instructions (He uses the mitzvah of sanctifying the new moon, which is the first mitzvah that we were given as a nation as an example of what one would assume the Torah is for out to do.) Shouldn’t we have a GPS? The answer he gives is even more surprising than the question.
“We need to know how to answer the nations of the world who will say that we are thieves and have stolen the land of seven nations (does this sound familiar? – and Rashi never even heard of the UN) you can tell them that Hashem created the world, and He can give it to whomever He wishes. He gave it to them, and took it from them and gave it to you “
It is not for any human to determine. There is no room for coveting. The mission of the Jews demands that they have the land. It had to initially belong to the Canaanites, who were the most corrupt people of their era. The Jews needed to define who they are not before figuring out who they are not. The Land is the place which is described in the Torah as “The Land that I will show you yourself (asher arekka in Hebrew. If it meant “the Land that I will show you, the word would be asher arecha, not kka).
Eretz Yisrael is given for us to discover the unique bond between our Nation and Hashem. The mitzvot that can only be done here are part of the process of our ongoing national self-discovery. No nation, not the Mamluks, or the Ottoman, or the Crusaders, or the British could never find themselves through being here. Neither can the Arabs.
WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH YOU?
A reasonable question. It tells you that you have everything you need to do your mission. That the more you know Hashem, the less you will covet anything belonging to another person. The more you will rejoice with your life, your mission, and the equipment He provides.
Enjoy!
The tools
The colors
Of your life
Love,
Tziporah
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