She should take it up with Rashi

Re: We must not stifle those who question Israel's policies

In her letter to the editor, Ms. Rochwerg says that while growing up, she spent a lot of time at Hamilton's Temple Anshe Shalom. Unfortunately, while there, she obviously didn't internalize the belief that G-d gave the land of Israel to the Jews, not to the Palestinians. 

If she now needs further proof of the Jews' inalienable claim to Eretz, she might consider Rashi's first comment in the Torah. As explicated in the Stone edition of the Artscroll Chumash, it reads as follows:

". . . in his very first comment, Rashi cites Rav Yitzchak who says that since the Torah is primarily a book of laws, it should have begun with the commandment of the new moon, the first law that was addressed to all Jewry as a nation.

"He explains that the reason for the Torah's narrative of Creation is to establish that G-d is the sovereign of the universe.

"He declared to His people the power of His works in order to give them the heritage of the nations.

"If the nations accuse Israel of banditry for seizing the lands of the seven nations of Canaan, Israel can respond:

'The entire universe belongs to G-d. He created it and He granted it to whomever he deemed fit.

'It was His desire to give it to them and then it was His desire to take it from them and give it to us'."

If this line of reasoning fails to sway Ms. Rochwerg,  she can take it up with Rashi.

Phil Fine
Arad, Israel

Former editor
Investor's Digest of Canada (Toronto)

Letters published in the Letters to the Editor section do not necessarily reflect the views of the Hamilton Jewish News or its publisher, the Hamilton Jewish Federation. To submit a letter for publication, email wschneider@jewishhamilton.org.