We Can Correct the Sin of the Spies

Nadia Matar. Women For Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green). 25/07/07. Even though it is clear now to any thinking person that handing over parts of the homeland to the Arab enemy endangers the very existence of the State of Israel, our political leaders continue their intent to surrender, to fold, to relinquish. to hand over, and to expel. In other words, today's political leaders are not all that different from the ten spies who slandered the Land. As we know, Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun said (Numbers 13-14): "Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it," while the other ten spies said - No! "We cannot attack that people, for it is stronger than we," "the country is one that devours its settlers." The entire people began to weep: "The whole community broke into loud cries, and the people wept that night." They proclaimed: "It would be better for us to go back to Egypt!" For this crying, the Holy One, blessed be He, punished the people of Israel with forty years in the wilderness, to ensure that whoever belonged to that wicked generation of weepers would not enter the Land of Israel. When it comes to Eretz Israel, there are no such rules of "democracy,". We are obligated to conquer, to take possession, and to settle every place in Eretz Israel. And if the people are stuck with weak leaders, then the people of Israel are obligated to rise up against them, and not to heed them. "The correction of the sin of the spies must come only by the building of Jerusalem and the expansion of the Jewish settlement, by the commandment of expansion, the prophetic mandate [Isaiah 54:2]: "Enlarge the site of your tent" [...] enlargement in the physical area [...] that is, expansion of the settlement, expansion of the number of those dwelling in Eretz Israel." This Shabbat we read in the portion of Devarim what is the necessary condition for possessing the Land (Deuteronomy 1:21): "See, the Lord your G-d has placed the land at your disposal, Go up, take possession, as the Lord, the G-d of your fathers, promised you. Fear not and be not dismayed." And further on in the same chapter (verses 29-30): "I said to you, 'Have no dread or fear of them. None other than the Lord your G-d, who goes before you, will fight for you.'" "Go up, take possession, as the Lord, the G-d of your fathers, promised you." Two years after the expulsion, I want to tell you: enough crying, enough mourning, enough of the submissive mamlakhtiyut (state-orientation). Now is the time to correct the sin of the spies. Now is the time to struggle for Eretz Yisrael, both to return to the places that were abandoned to the Arab enemy, and to struggle for the places that the government wants to give over now to the Arab enemy. I hope to see you all the day after tomorrow, on Wednesday, in Efrat, at 4:00 p.m. Together, we wefraill go up with the families and establish the settlement on the Eitam Hill. May it be His will that this new spirit, that so strongly desires to struggle for Eretz Israel, without fear of the authorities, will succeed in entering the entire people, and together we will free our land from domestic and external enemies; we will, with G-d's help, return to Gush Katif and northern Samaria, we will impose Israeli sovereignty over all of Eretz Israel; we will build thousands of homes everywhere in Judea and Samaria; and, at long last, we will drive out the Hamas foxes who run about on the Temple Mount and desecrate the place where we will rebuild our Temple. Thus, with G-d's help, we will save the people of Israel from its horrendous leaders; and thus, with G-d's help, we will bring closer our righteous Messiah, speedily in our days, Amen.