Maharal Tzintz - Who Has A Claim To Eretz Yisroel?
The
first Rashi in Chumash asks why does the Torah start with the fact that
Hashem created the world, it should start with the first mitzva. Rashi
answers that when the nations of the world says that the Bnei Yisroel
stole the land of the Kena'anim, we can answer that Hashem made it and
can give it to whomever He wants.
The question raised is, why do
the other nations complain, shouldn't it be the Kena'anim who
complain? The Maharal Tzintz in Milo HaOmer answers that Alexander the
Great posed the question of, do the Kena'anim have a claim to Eretz
Yisroel. He ruled that since Noach cursed Kena'an to be slave to his
brothers, and whatever a slave acquires belongs to his master,
therefore the Kena'anim have no claim.
However the other nations
can claim that Kena'an is an Eved to all his brothers and not just Bnei
Yisroel. Therefore they have an equal right to Eretz Yisroel,
Kena'an's land. To this the Torah clearly answers that it belongs to
neither of them. It belongs to Hashem and He can give it to whomever
He wants.
Maybe we see from here that the argument can be made
that we do not "own" the rights to Eretz Yisroel. It always belongs to
Hashem. If and when during the course of history Hashem chooses to let
us dwell in it and inherit it, we will merit to do so. However, Hashem
has clearly stated that our dwelling in Eretz Yisroel is conditional
on keeping the Torah and its mitzvos. During difficult times it is
important to know our "claim" to Eretz Yisroel and what we need to do
to earn it. Mostly we need to know who the real landlord and
arbitrator is. Any thoughts?
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