The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Jacov Ben Behora
861
Midrash Rabbah (sec. 79) remarks that these three places - the Cave of the Patriarchs, the Tomb of Joseph in Shechem, and the Temple Mount - whose deeds of purchase are recorded in the Bible are safe from the gentile accusation that "this is stolen land in your hands". This remark seems odd in light of the events of our time. For it is precisely these three sites that are at the heart of the current conflict, the Arabs claiming each of these places as their own!
It may be suggested, perhaps, that the Midrash is addressing Klal Yisroel, asking us to be aware that the Torah goes out of its way in each instance to emphasize that our ancestors acquired each of these important places through an elaborate public purchase. WE need to know that this is our Land - our ancestors purchased it. We need not apologize to anyone. The Torah tells us that we are rightfully returning to our ancestral home.
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