Shalom everyone and thank you for joining me in the study of Parashat Bihar Bekukotai. These are the two parashat that will end Sefer Vaikrah. And it was a journey from the beginning of Sefer Vaikra to really to the end. And today we're going to discuss something that seems to be some kind of a discrepancy or perhaps redundancy, and that's what we will try to figure it out today. So the Torah begins with Afet Britit Itshak, Vafed Brithi Avraham is ko, vehretskor. And I shall remember my covenant with Jacob, also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Avraham, I shall remember, and also I will remember the land. So obviously, when we read this Pasuk, there are two questions that come to mind. First, the order. It seems to be a reversed order, starting with Jacob, Isaac, and Avram. Well, most of the times it's exactly the opposite. Chronologically speaking, it should start with Avram, Isaac, and then Jacob. And the second question is, why do we need to mention the land? How exactly by remembering the land that's going to help us? And just in general, this is, besides the reversed order, this is a covenant that we refer to as Brit avot, the covenant of our forefathers that remains for the Jewish people for eternity. So this is what we call Brit avot, covenant of the forefathers. However, just really, thripsukim later, it says, and I shall remember to them or for them the covenant of the ancients or the first ones. So now we obviously need to ask ourselves a question. Where it says Britishunim, the covenant with the first ones, or the ancient ones, is that the same like the forefathers that we just mentioned, three Psukim three verses ago? Or this is an additional covenant? If it's an additional covenant, who exactly are we? Hashem did this covenant with? Why do we need another covenant? So we're going to have all those questions floating around and we will try to obviously address them. So let's see the midrash. The midrash in Shhmot Rabbah says the following shehakadosh bauchun nishbalashvatim. How do we know that Hashem took an oath or made a covenant with the Shvatim, with the tribes? Shaneemal, so it's a quoting a verse from Havakuk, Shvuot Matot Omer sela. Matot, it can be in Hebrew, it's a bit ambiguous. It can be mate, a staff, like a stick, but also can be tribes. So shvuot, an oath, to the matot, to the shvatim, omer sela. Hashem says forever. And how do we know that Hashem really established, erected a covenant with the Shvatim, with the tribes? So Demidrash identifies Brit Rishonim, the covenant with the first ones, equal to Shvatim. So now we have something interesting. There is a covenant with the forefathers, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or based on the verse with Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham. Then, and God will remember them. And God will remember the covenant and God will remember the land. So that's one. Then we have a second covenant, an additional covenant, a separate covenant God had with the tribes. And obviously we need to ask the question: A, what's the content of that covenant, of that brit? And why do we need it? So, Ibn Ezra has a different view on this question of what is Brit Rishonim. And he suggests the following. He says, Brit Rishonim zota brit hakruta besinai. This is the covenant that Hashem did with the Jewish people on Sinai when we received the Torah. So why are they called Rishonim? Rishonim should be the founding fathers, right? Avram, Isaac, and Jacob. Why this generation that Hashem took from Itzraim, out from Itzraim and told them to stand on Har Sinai on mountain on the Sinai Mountain and to receive the Torah, why are they called Rishonim, the first ones? He says, He says, because they are Rishonim for the generation to get out of Mitzraim, and then their children that will go and enter the land of Israel, they will be expelled. So they are the first one versus the second ones, the second children. So this is one interpretation. Second interpretation, he says, So the Ibn Ezra says, he quotes another opinion that says that Britishunim means what? The covenant, the Brit with the forefathers. So now let's focus first on his first interpretation. If we go back to the Pasuk, he says, I'm Brit Rishonim, and I shall remember to them, who are to them, to the children who are going to be exiled from the land of Israel, because that's what the Pasuk is talking about. And so I will remember to them what Brit Rishonim, what the generations before them did on Harsinai, that they received the Torah with full faith, not knowing exactly what the Torah entails, and that I took them out from Mitzraim, that generation that stood on Harsinai in front of the other nations, and I, to be their God, I am Hashem. So according to the Ibn Ezra, it makes a lot of sense. Which means when Hashem will see the next generation that will be expelled from the land of Israel, he will remember the first generation that he took out of Mitzraim, bunch of slaves, people who basically were born into slavery, had faith in God and in Moshe, went out of Mitzraim, went to the desert, received the Torah. That was an amazing event. And an event that the Talmud, the Babylonian Talmud in Shabbat in page Peytete 89, talks about the fact that when the Jews said Na'asseven Ishmah, that we will do and we will hear, even the angels were shocked. How can you say that? Like to say something that I will just accept the way it is, even without really knowing, because I want to be close to God. So really an amazing commitment that the Jewish people showed, and Hashem remembers that. Hashem basically kept it in his files until that generation was expelled, so Hashem will remember what the Jewish people did and he will have mercy on that generation. That sounds logical. The second interpretation says, Yeshom Rimala votaolam, which means Brit Rishonim goes back to what? Now it makes sense that God will remember it, but why to separate it into two Psukim? Pasuk Memb, verse 42 says, The Zakharti Britov, It's Avraham, Jacob, Isaac, and Avraham. So he mentioned them by name. So then to call it after that Britishonim, it seems to be redundant, it seems to be uh superfluous. Why do we need it there? So the Ibn Hesra does not address this question. So let's see the Orachim. The Orachim interpret the verse in the following way. We have Shalomar, and it's possible to say, He says, if you look at the Pasuk, if you look at the verse, it says, and I shall remember. If you fast forward to Yermiya, to Jeremiah, it says Zacharti, same word. Hashem says to the Jewish people through his prophet Jeremiah, I remember the kindness of your youth, the love of the day that we quote unquote got married. Meaning Hashem says to the Jewish people, I know you suffer now. I know you are about to be exiled from the land of Israel. I know that your Bet Migdash is going to be destroyed, but I remember. I remember the time that you just followed me with tremendous faith and commitment. When? When you left Egypt. So says Orachaim, Zachharti, I remembered. Zachharti, I remembered. So he put both of them together and he says, Miemarishonim ba albrit the amar, otam shootseti, otam eret mitzraim, venit kadeshbemza utam elokimchaim. This is a beautiful interpretation. The Orachaim says Brit Rishonim is the first generation that Hashem took from Itzheim. Very similar to the first interpretation of the Ibn Ezra. Sometimes, and we did it in Sephir Shmot, and we're probably going to do it in Sephora Bamid Bar in the next book that we're going to learn together, we will criticize that generation. The generation who went out of Egypt and tested God and tested Moshe and did all sorts of things. But sometimes we need to give them major credit. Just imagine. You're born into slavery, your parents were slaves, your grandparents were slaves, your great-grandparents were slaves. And for generations you you are just waiting for some kind of redemption and it doesn't come. And then one day someone comes and says, you know, Hashem spoke to me and he says, We are living. The ten plagues, and where are we going? Oh, to the desert. Are we taking food? Are we taking anything? Where are we going? We have no idea. Let's just follow him. That's what the generation of Yotz Aim itslime of the people who went through Exodus went through. This is tremendous faith and commitment and belief in Moshe and in God. And Hashem kept it in mind for generations. So now, when he sees that his children are going to be expelled from the land of Israel, he says to them, Don't forget, I will never abandon you. You are going to be expelled because of whatever divine calculation. The Betamiddash will be destroyed. But I will never abandon you. Because I remember Bhrithrishunim, the commitment of the first generation who went out of Mitsaiim and receiving the Torah, and the Oakhaim says, God's name was sanctified through them. This first generation that had so many quote-unquote issues or challenges did something that God can never forget. They believed in him. Yeah, they tested him after that. But to leave Egypt, to leave your the land that basically you grew up with, you grew up in, and now the plagues basically destroyed the Egyptians, you could stay there, but to live and to follow Moshe and to follow God and to accept the Torah and to become God's nation. Hashem will never forget that quote-unquote favor that the Jewish people did to him. So that's Brit Rishonim according to the Oakheim. Now the Hidushiah agrees to suggest the following. So until now, we try to understand what is Britishunim, the covenant with the first ones. So most of the interpretations basically says it's the first generation that went out of Egypt. Then we also have one interpretation that says maybe it's the forefathers, which creates a bit of complexity and a bit of complicated issue because if it's the forefathers, we already mentioned it three verses before. But now we are going to try to understand why to mention the land. If you remember in verse 42 it says, And I shall remember my covenant with Jacob, my covenant with Isaac, my covenant with Avram, shall I remember, and I shall remember the land. What is the land of anything to do with the covenant with the forefathers? So the Greece suggested the following. He says, He asks the same question on this verse that we ask on our verse, which means Moshe mentions the land as part of him besieging God and basically appealing to God's mercy. Please, God, don't forget the covenant with the forefathers and the covenant with the land. And the covenant with the land will save the Jewish people. Says the Greece, the land will save the Jewish people. Why do you need to mention it? I can understand that you want to mention the covenant with the forefathers because the forefathers created tremendous merit for the Jewish people. But the land? And we asked the same question about our pasuk. So let's see his answer. So he says the following. And it seems, on the verse, when Hashem says to Moshe after the golden calf, Hashem told Moshe, Now leave me alone and let my rage and my wrath go after the Jewish people, and I will, God forbid, annihilate them, and I will make you, Moshe, a great nation. The midrash takes this verse and says the following. Moshe is saying to Hashem the following. Wait, wait, wait. If you had God, if you had a covenant only with the forefathers, I would agree with you. You can annihilate the Jewish people, God forbid, and make another Jewish nation for me. Why? Because I am the child of Avram, Isaac, and Jacob. No problem. However, God, don't forget. You made a covenant with the tribes. Each tribe, Ruven, Shimon, Levi, Uda, Naftali, God, Zvulun, Ruven, Yosef. You made a covenant with each one of them that you will give them the land. Now, if you God forbid annihilate everyone, and you just take me to be the founder of the new Jewish people, there is a problem. I am from the tribe of Levi. So you fulfill your covenant with the tribe of Levi. But what about Ruven? What about Shimon? What about Yehuda? What about Yosef? You made a covenant with them too. You cannot nullify your covenant with them. And take a look what the midra says. This is amazing. God, when he heard what Moshe's claimed, he couldn't answer him. Moshe was correct. So Moshe used the covenant of the tribes or with the tribes. And what was the covenant with the tribes? Now we got the content. It's the land. It seems to be that Moshe basically says to God, look, you promised the land to each tribe. So if you annihilate them and you give it only to me, you nullified your covenant. Which means, what was the saving grace of the Jewish people? The covenant with each tribe about what? The land of Israel. The land of Israel was the saving grace for the Jewish people. And then Amara Kadosh Bahuy afe amata miyadva in Nachem Hashem. And then Hashem says to Moshe, Shkoih, you did well. You convinced me. I'm not going to annihilate the Jewish people because of the covenant between me and each tribe about the land of Israel. So he says the covenant between Hashem and the tribes is that he will not annihilate their descendants. And we'll talk about the land in a minute. And it says in the Babylonian Talmud in tracted Baba Batra, Gmiri de Lokala Shivta, that no tribe, God forbid, will be annihilated. He says, the Greece says, you know what, one second. Is the content of that bret was only not to annihilate an entire tribe, or it was something else too? So he says, So the Sifrei, which is a Midrashtanaim, which was composed the first to second century in Earth Israel. It says on the verse, look, see, I gave in front of you the land, come and inherit the land and conquer the land that I promise to your forefathers to give to them and to the descendants after them. Basically, the sifrey, we need to look at the Pasuq. If you look at the second sentence, towards the end, it says, Asher Nishba Hashem, that Hashem took an oath to whom La Avotichem to your forefathers, and then says, That's superfluous. If we are talking only about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, it should say what? Without Avotechem, your forefathers. Therefore, the Sifrei understands that what? That you have two covenants here. One with your Avotichim, which means the Shvatim, the tribes, and the other one is the like this general covenant between God and the forefathers. Aray says, So now he says that the content of this covenant between God and the tribes was not only that God will not annihilate the tribe, God forbid, but also that he will give them the land of Israel. The Greek said something that it's incredible. Sometimes we look at the land of Israel as just like a gift. God gave us as a gift because he loved the forefathers and he wants the Jewish people to be on a land, and this land was chosen by him, and this is how we can fulfill our spiritual and national potential. But it's much more than that. The land of Israel is the cause for the second stage in the covenant that God will not annihilate a tribe. The fact that God promised the land of Israel to each tribe, then God became obligated to keep each tribe intact and not God forbid to annihilate it. This is the centrality of the land of Israel in the survival of the Jewish people. This is not just a place to be safe. It's not just a place for us to thrive. It's the land that gives us life. And the grace continues. And it says, And according to what I said before, it seems that what? And if I'm the only one to inherit the land, what about the other Shvatim? So if this is true, we can look at now at the two verses, verse 42 and verse 45, and can understand how they complement each other. The verse in 42, if we'll go back, we have the covenant with all the fathers, Avram, Itzrach, and Yaakov. And then the aaretzko. What's the land is doing here? Because the land is part of the covenant with the forefathers as well. And the covenant with the forefathers basically is what? Is the gift of life to the Jewish people besides the covenant with the forefathers? And then we have another covenant with the Shvatin. Because Hashem gave the land not only to the forefathers, but he promised it to each tribe, so then none of the tribes will cease to exist, God forbid. That's how the Greece reads these two verses. Now take a look at it. This idea is fully illustrated in Tehilim in Psalms. King David says to Hashem, Atta you God, Takum, stand up, so to speak. Because it's time to show grace and kindness to Zion, Kivamoed, because it's time. And now why is that time? Why why why now? says David. Because your servants, God, your nation, they want that. They prayed, and also they have a tremendous desire for its stones, and they will at Afarai Echonenu, so the word yechonu can be many things. It can be like the word trina, petition, which means they dive in for it, or from the word khen, which means grace, meaning even in the dust, in the ashes, in the in the earth of the land of Israel, we see grace. Rabiuda Levi, the author of the Kuzari, who lived in the 11th and 12th century, when he describes the land of Israel to the king of Kuzal, he talks about the beauty of the land of Israel, the spiritual heights that you can accomplish while being there. He describes it as when he walks on the path that Isaiah and Ezekiel and Jeremiah and Yoshua walked on, and Avram, Itzhak, and Yaakov. Sometimes we take it into granted, but every stone has a story. Every stone carries history, carries spiritual opportunity. So David Amel says to Hashem, it's time for you to bring redemption, and you know why? Because the people are back in the land. The people has a tremendous desire to be connected to the land of Israel. Again, we see the land is the cause of redemption. And here, take a look at the kuzari. When the people of Israel, when Am Israel will wake up, we need to wake up. Galut, being in exile, it's not our natural place. Our natural place as a nation is in our land. The land that was chosen by God. This is the holy land that we have. He quotes the pasuk that we brought in from Tehlim, and he says, You know when Jerusalem will be built? When the Jewish people will really have a tremendous desire to be in Yahushalayim. Until they will basically that they will make a petition even for the dust and the earth and the earth of the land of Israel. We just celebrated Yom Yerushalaim, the day that of the unification of Jerusalem. We had a desire to be there. We wanted to be united. We understand the history and the opportunities that Yerushalaim presents to us nationally, spiritually, religiously. Since the Kuzarian, this is an incredible thing. If we want Yerushalayim to be built, if we want redemption, we need to show our love and commitment to the land of Israel, to the state of Israel. Again, it's not just a place to live in, it's the chosen place by God. And Yoshalaim is just the tip. So Ratsu is always want. So he says, Vichentushiem, you God going to redeem them. But now, Shehem Quaratsu Uf Avanea, She Thilane Chatzion Le Ratsot Ala Vonotehem, Veshafa Hashem Chamatoa Laitimve Avanim, Vachuemet Avanash and Ishpach Damam, Baavur Avne Rushalain Vale Munatam, Vet Afarai Honenushemit Ablim Tamid Aleavenoshkimet Afarah. This is an incredible Malbim. And I will explain. The Malbim says, and it's based on the Gmarah, that when Hashem was so angry with the Jewish people, he could obviously annihilate them. But instead, what did he do? He basically took his rage due to their to the sins that Am Israel performed. He took his rage and he threw it on the stones, on the walls, on the buildings. Instead of God forbid annihilating the Jewish people, he basically took his quote-unquote anger on the stones and the city. So the city was destroyed, the Betamiddash was destroyed, and the Jewish people were expelled, but they were not killed. They were not annihilated. The first thing in redemption is that the Jewish people need to, in a way, ask for forgiveness from those stones, the walls, the homes that were destroyed because of them. And how do you ask forgiveness from a wall that is destroyed? Rebuild it. When you rebuild it, this is the best ask for forgiveness. Because you correct what you did wrong. Says the Malbeam, it's time, God, for you to redeem us. And why? Because the people are moving. The people are moving towards the land of Israel and they want to build it. And the Malbim said it more than a hundred years ago. And now, look at this month. When we had Yomat's Ma'ut, Yom Azikaron, Yom's Ma'ut, Yom Yerushalim. It's all about the land of Israel. It's all about the state of Israel. It's all about our tremendous desire as the children of this land to come back home and to build it. Yes, there are challenges, issues, difficulties, so many difficulties. But we are here. And we see the land of Israel and we see its beauty. We never forgot Yerushalim. If I'll forget you, O Jerusalem, I will forget my right hand. Jews for millennia never forget where they came from. And now we are coming back. So the redemption is on its way. We have two covenants. One covenant is with the forefathers, but then there is the covenant with the tribes. The covenant with the tribes that it's comprised by two main components. First, tribes, you need to conquer this land, you need to dwell in this land. And then that will be the secret of your survival, but not only your survival, but the way for you to thrive. So we have two covenants. And we, as the children of the forefathers and the children of the heads of the tribes, we must take now the mission to our hands to build, to be unified, to unify this nation by building it together, by building a beautiful state of Israel, a beautiful land of Israel, a land of Israel that has two covenants the covenant with the forefathers and the covenant with the tribes. Thank you.