Q:
Why do we thank Hashem in birkas hamazon for Eretz Yisroel, especially when in fact, we were exiled? Why not thank Him for all the world instead of just Israel?
A:
Why in the birkas hamazon, when we thank for our food, do we thank Hashem for Eretz Yisroel, instead of thanking Him for the world in general?
Now actually we do thank Him for the world in general. The first bracha is הזן את העולם כולו – He who feeds the entire world, which means that grain grows in Russia and rice grows in China and things grow all over the world and we thank Hashem. Where do they grow from? They don’t grow from the air, they grow from the soil. And therefore we thank Him for the world. He’s the King of the world and He gave us food.
But we thank Him for Eretz Yisroel for a different reason. The fact that we’re in exile doesn’t change anything. Eretz Yisroel is a gift that’s given to us forever. The fact that we’re not there right now or that there are people who want to deprive us of our rights, makes no difference. It’s ours. It’s such a great gift that we should never stop thanking Him for that, and we’re going to retrieve it.
Sooner or later we’re going to kick everybody out of Eretz Yisroel. We won’t do it ourselves. We’ll do it with the Melech HaMoshiach, but everybody will have to leave. Moshiach will come and say, “I’m sorry gentlemen, this is occupied. It’s reserved. Get out of here. And if you won’t get out, we’ll have to take action like we did in the days when Yehoshua entered the land.” And so we thank Hashem, it’s our land forever.
Suppose somebody gave you $100,000 dollars in the safe department box, but right now you can’t find the key. You come to the bank and you want admission to the vault because you have $100,000. They say, “Where’s your key?” You don’t have it. “Sorry boy, I can’t give it to you.” So, you’re not going to thank that man? Someday you’ll get the key back again. As long as you have it, you’re happy and you’re thanking him forever and ever.
(December 1982)
