va-a-da-BAYR el ha-go-LAH AYT kol div-RAY a-do-NAI a-SHER her-A-nee
Lessons of Faith
In verses 16-17 of this chapter, Hashem (God) promises that although He has exiled the Children of Israel and scattered them among the nations, in the future He will gather and redeem them: "I will gather you from the people and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the Land of Israel." In this verse, Yechezkel (Ezekiel) shares Hashem's promise with the Children of Israel in captivity, giving them hope for the future. The Hebrew word for exile is gola, while the term for redemption is geula. These two words are spelled almost identically, with only one letter difference! The Children of Israel must remain steadfast in knowing that Hashem has the ability to redeem His children from exile with just the switch of a letter.
Thus said Hashem to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live again. I will lay sinews upon you, and cover you with flesh, and form skin over you. And
I will put breath into you, and you shall live again. And you shall know that I am Hashem! Ezekiel 37:5-6 (The Israel Bible™)
koh a-MAR a-do-NAI a-do-NAI la-atz-MOT ha-AY-leh HE-nay MAY-vee ba-KHEM ru-AKHve-KHAY-teem. ve-na-ta-TEE a-LAY-khem gee-DEEM va-ha-a-lay-tee a-LAY-khem
ba-SAR ve-ka-RAM-tee a-LAY-khem or ve-na-ta-TEE ba-KHEM ru-AKH ve-KHAY-teem. va-ya-da-TEM kee ann a-d-NAI
I Will Put Breath Into You
There could be no greater metaphor for the restoration of the Jewish people than Yechezkel’s vision of the dry bones rising. Just as Yechezkel’s dry bones rose from the dead, in a stunning fulfillment of prophecy, the Jewish people came back to life in the Land of Israel following the devastation of the Holocaust. Shown above, the Memorial to the Deportees at Yad Vashem is a monument to the millions of Jews herded onto cattle-cars and transported from all over Europe to the extermination camps. This photo and more come to life in Israel365’s new Jewish calendar & holiday guide.
I will take them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them to their own land, and will pasture them on the mountains of Yisrael, by the watercourses and in all the settled portions of the land. Ezekiel 34:13 (The Israel Bible™)
v’-ho-tzay-TEEM min ha-a-MEEM v’-ki-batz-TEEM min ha-a-ra-TZOT va-ha-vee-o-TEEM el ad-ma-TAM ur-ee-TEEM el ha-RAY yis-ra-AYL ba-a-fee-KEEM uv-KHOL mo-sh’-VAY ha-A-retz
Regather the People of Israel Yechezkel promises that God will regather the People of Israel from the four corners of the earth and return them to their Land. With the establishment of the State of Israel, and the many waves of immigration that have taken place in recent history, we are beginning to witness the fulfillment of this great miracle. Shown here, soldiers overlook the Kotel (Western Wall). This picture of prophecy can be found in Israel365's new 16-month Jewish calendar and holiday guide.
E-retz khi-TAH us-o-RAH v’-GE-fen ut-ay-NAH v’-ree-MON e-retz ZAYT SHE-men
ud-VASH
God's Fruit
The Bible names seven species as the special agricultural products of Eretz Yisrael. Each of these species is symbolic of the Jewish people. For example, grapes, which grow on low and weak vines, are crushed by foot in order to produce valuable wine. Similarly, the small and scattered Jewish nation, which has faced tremendous adversity and persecution, will ultimately be elevated to achieve its full potential and experience redemption. Shown here, a lavish collection of Israeli fruit is sold at the Mahane Yehuda open air market in Jerusalem.
ba-a-VUR yish-m’-RU khu-KAV v’-to-ro-TAV yin-TZO-ru ha-l’-lu-YAH
A History Review
Psalm 105 reviews the early history of the People of Israel, from the promise to give the Land of Israel to Avraham (Abraham) and his descendants through the exodus from Egypt. It is framed as a praise to Hashem, and the first twelve verses express gratitude to God for all His wonders, His miracles, and bestowing the land to the Children of Avraham as an inheritance. After a detailed account of the plagues and emergence from Egypt, the final verses remind us of the reason why the Land of Israel was given to the Children of Israel: So that the Nation of Israel will observe Hashem's laws and protect His holy Torah (Bible).
And you shall share the rest equally. As I swore to give it to your fathers, so shall this land fall to you as your heritage Ezekiel 47:14 (The Israel Bible™)
un-khal-TEM o-TAH EESH k’-a-KHEEV a-SHER na-SA-tee et ya-DEE l’-ti-TAH
la-a-vo-tay-KHEM v’-NA-f’-LAH ha-A-retz ha-ZOT la-KHEM b’-na-kha-LAH
Streaming Water
In biblical Hebrew, the word for ‘inheritance’ is nachalah. The root of this word, nakhal, means ‘a flowing stream’, as in Deuteronomy (8:7), “a land with streams and springs and fountains.” These two ideas are connected: Just like a stream of water flows downward, so too, the inheritance of a precious legacy passes from one generation to the next. Such is the connection between the Children of Israel and the Land of Israel. Their inheritance was given to Avraham (Abraham) to be passed down to Yitzchak (Isaac) and to all subsequent generations.