The Portion of Beha'alotcha
The Goodness of the Land of Israel
Following
the sacrificial offerings and the dedication of the Tabernacle the time
had come for the priests to assume their daily tasks. It is the
lighting of the menorah and the offering of the Passover sacrifice about
which we read at the beginning of the portion.
The
time has now come to leave the encampment at Mt. Sinai and begin moving
in the direction of the Land of Israel. Moses requests from his
father-in-law Yitro that he join the Children of Israel on the way to
the "Good" land which was promised by the Almighty.
The
letter "tet" in the word "tov" (good) is adorned with four crowns,
symbolizing the four "goodnesses" written about the land of Israel: a
land flowing with rivers, a land of wheat and barley, a land where you
will eat bread without scarcity, and a land whose stones are iron. (Daat
Kohelet)
There
are also additional crowns atop the word "v'haitavnu" (and we will do
good things for you), again emphasizing the goodness of the Land of
Israel.
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