Yitzhak - The Land of Israel

Found 8 Search results

1. "Do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites..."

   Sharón Rimón

   ​Why does the Torah describe the purchase of the Cave at Makhpela in such great detail? Who is a wife worthy of Yitzchak? Why does Avraham object to his son marrying Canaanite women? And why does he insist on Yitzchak marrying a woman from the land of his birth, when God had instructed him to disengage from their culture? These questions are explored in light of the obvious danger: that the potential wife found in Haran will not want to come to Canaan, while Yitzchak cannot leave the land. Will Avraham be willing to forgo one of these two values? 

2. Eretz Yisrael

   Rabbi Zeev Weitman

   Why it is so important for Avraham to buy land specifically for the purpose of burying Sara? He never demonstrates such stubborn insistence on owning the land upon which he pitches his tent, grazes his flocks, builds altars, or digs wells. Is it more important to buy a plot of land in order to be buried in Eretz Yisrael than it is to buy land in order to live upon it? Is it possible that Jews who live their entire lives in the Diaspora, their only concern concerning Israel being that they will be buried there, have a point?

3. The Forefathers and the Akeida: Visions of the Future

   Rabbi David Silverberg

4. "Who is This Man Who Walks in the Field Towards Us?"

   Dr. Brachi Elitzur

   What is Yitzchak's mission? Yitzchak is born into something that already exists, and his job is to preserve it even under the most difficult conditions. The enthusiasm aroused by Avraham's revolution has died down; the environment is sometimes even suspicious and hostile. Yitzchak is "he who sows with tears," his spirit unbroken by the treachery of the land and the jealousy of those around him, faithfully maintaining his father's achievements and bequeathing them to his own progeny. Yitzchak is a man of the Land of Israel, stubbornly holding onto its soil and bearing the message of his rootedness in it as the sole condition for ensuring its continuation.

5. Why Would Anyone Stop Up Wells?

   Rabbi David Silverberg

6. Mesheh Hokhma: Why did Yitzhak Build an Altar Now?

   Rabbi David Silverberg

7. God's Message to Yitzhak

   Rabbi David Silverberg

8. Hayyei Sarah: Life Cycle Events and the Land of Israel

   Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell |

   Parashat Hayyei Sarah includes significant life-cycle events, such as death, burial, (implied) mourning, and marriage. It also seems to place significance on these events taking place in Eretz Yisrael. Avraham's process of arranging for the burial for Sarah is detailed, and his efforts to also purchase a burial plot is emphasized. In addition, Avraham says in no uncertain terms that Yitzhak is not to leave the Land of Canaan, even in order to find a wife. Why is this?