In the Biblical Heartland
By David Rubin

There is a relevant discussion in the Talmud that provides strong backing to the centrality of Shiloh in Israel’s spiritual awakening and maturation. This discussion blends together the concepts of Shiloh both as the resting place, (or place of tranquility) and as the focus of Israel’s spiritual awakening, or maturation:

“To the resting place, and to the inheritance. To the resting place – this is Shiloh. The inheritance – this is Jerusalem.” (Zevachim 119A)

There is a sequence of events in the redemptive process. Just as Jerusalem could not be established and the Holy temple built there, representing the united kingdom of Israel, until Shiloh had its period both as the site of Israel’s maturation process, and the maturation process of the young prophet Samuel, who was destined to appoint King David to the throne; so too, we appear to be in a similar sequence of events today. The reborn Shiloh of today is a center of dedication to the Land of Israel and its Torah, and has an important role to play as a leader of the redemptive process for Israel and ultimately for all mankind. The beautiful synagogue in Shiloh, built as a replica of the Tabernacle, is a powerful symbol of Israel’s return to its heartland. The (as yet unfinished) study hall building of the Shiloh Yeshiva, (which combines army service with high-level religious studies) has 13 domes, representing the gematria, or numerical expression, of the Hebrew word, Echad, or “One,” symbolizing the oneness of God and the unity of His purpose, and I might add, the eventual unity of all nations of the world who will proclaim and praise His holy name.

“God will be King over all the land; on that day the Lord will be One and His Name will be One.” (Zechariah 14:9)

In other words, on that day, there will be no confusion or disagreement between Jews and Christians about “the Messiah question” or any other questions of theology. All of the theological disagreements that have tragically been the catalyst, even the excuse, for so much Jewish pain and bloodshed in the past will remain in the past. There will be unprecedented unity among the peoples of the world in the desire to praise God in the proper way, which will be clear to all of us on that day. There will be no disagreements over who is the Messiah, who will be saved, or whose theology is correct. Obviously, I am referring to the ongoing theological differences between Jews and Christians, but we are not the only peoples in this world. Yes, perhaps even the Muslims will have their eyes opened and will abandon the violent, destructive falsehood that is called Islam (see Isaiah 2:3-4).
Therefore, the closed-mindedness among some Jews and some Christians, that prevents good people from working together on the many issues that unite us is, in my opinion, a blatant rejection of the prophetic vision that should be impelling all believers in the true God and His Torah to try to make that vision of cooperation a reality in our times.

How Do We Get To That Stage?
Three Bible-verses, when read together, captivate the essence of the struggle for the Land of Israel in our times, for they each correspond to fundamental imperatives for all the peoples of the world in these tumultuous times:
1) The clear instruction to Israel and the world regarding the deed to the entire Land of Israel (Genesis 15:18).
2) The responsibility of the People of Israel to follow God’s commandments for them, and to do so in the Land of Israel (Deuteronomy 4:5).
3) The rewards for those righteous gentiles who bless (assist) Israel in a way that is consistent with, and supportive of, imperatives 1 and 2 (Genesis 12:3).

These are frustrating, yet exciting times we are living in. There are those who find the challenges overwhelming and emphasize the half-empty cup rather than the half-full cup.
Meir Stein, one of the founding fathers of the re-established Shiloh community, said it like this, “We have gone through so many ups and downs, and so many periods when things looked bad, but because we didn’t let the tough times depress our spirit, we have weathered the storm and come out of it even stronger. If we had all stayed in the city and not insisted on settling the heartland, we would have lost everything by now. Furthermore, we raised a generation of young people with a natural strength and idealism; a generation that is prepared to fight for this Land with the complete faith that it is our God-given inheritance.”
It is perhaps a frightening time of world conflict for many, but I also see it as a time of great clarification that we are living through. For many years the Arabs of the Land of Israel spoke with two voices. The Palestinian Authority would speak in English to the world, proclaiming their desire for peace, while in Arabic they would declare their unswerving commitment to “the armed struggle” until the “liberation” of Jerusalem, Haifa, and Jaffa. The election of the Hamas terror organization has removed the mask that once covered the face of the English-speaking version of the Palestinian Authority. The Hamas, at least as of yet, refuses to shield its core beliefs from the public view. This clarification of views is a healthy process that may actually succeed in awakening the sleeping People of Israel and the slumbering nations of the world.

The Hilltop Communities
In addition, we may soon see a clarification of views among the People of Israel. Much has been written in the media about “the illegal hilltop outposts.” These hilltops are actually burgeoning communities, consisting of young, idealistic families, usually living in what are know as “caravans”, low-frills non-mobile trailer homes. These hilltops often become thriving communities in their own right, or become satellite neighborhoods of the more established towns. As a former mayor of Shiloh, I can tell you that most of these hilltop communities are situated within the municipal boundaries of the larger, more established towns, such as Shiloh, Kedumim, or Beth El. Several of the hilltop communities have land claim complications or are in the midst of impending sales of land, which can certainly be resolved peacefully by people of good will. Furthermore, most Arabs are afraid to sell their own privately owned land, for fear that they will be murdered by their own brethren.
After the internal struggles in Israel, for instance at the hilltop community of Amona, near the town of Ofra, many people have wondered why these most vehement protestors were the youth, who seemed to have no fear of the police brutality that they had heard was being ordered from above, and that they eventually encountered as the police-driven horses plowed over the peaceful protestors. Let it be clearly stated, the young people who were born in and grew up in the holiness of the Biblical heartland are integrally entwined with it, but many have been scarred by the battles to date. After the traumas of Gaza and Amona, they aren’t willing to happily role over and play dead, peacefully surrendering their homes to the Arab’s terrorist gangs that would eventually become the unworthy recipients of this gift from the foolish political leaders of secular Israel.

Hand on Heart
Popular Israeli singer, Yehoram Gaon, said about the events in Amona that “it appears that the youth no longer have leaders other than this land. The land is leading and directing and forcing its will, and sending them to fight for it, and they agree to do so – like a lover for his loved one, with great truth and without compromise. Zionism ‘06…
I know it’s not popular today to say nice things about the settlers...All my colleagues in radio and television are very, very angry at them – but what to do? Only one who fights for his land, cities, and fields, and for every caravan and every clod of earth, acquires it, by virtue of his love and dedication.”
“…Hand on heart: How many of us would leave our warm house, our dreams of getting rich, our cafes and nightclubs…to be with the Land of Israel, that it should not remain alone? How many of us, out of our own free will, would spend time on a barren, wind-swept hill in a caravan?” (Yehoram Gaon, Israel Radio’s Reshet Bet, February 3, 2006).

Yehoram Gaon described the dedication to, and willingness to sacrifice for the Land of Israel as Zionism ‘06. Actually, sacrificing for the Land of Israel should be one of those “core curriculum” required college courses, which we could perhaps call Zionism 101. Either way, there is no question that this is the path to the redemption of the Land of Israel. When combined with our commitment to the individual and societal guidelines in God’s Torah, we have the winning recipe. This dedication to the Land of Israel and God’s Torah is evident in the rapidly rising number (now approx. 50%) of religious students in the army’s officer training course. Those are the young people who best understand that God’s Land is worth fighting for, and who are destined to be the future leadership of this nation. Could it be that this is the worst nightmare of many of the secular elites who rule Israel? Could this be the real reason why Prime Minister Ehud Olmert seems obsessed with retreating from the Biblical heartland? Perhaps it is or perhaps it isn’t, but I have no doubt that the willingness to suffer and sacrifice for the Land and Torah of Israel is what will save this country, and thus save the entire world from the forces of Islam that threaten to destroy all of us. That is the role of the People of Israel, in our times especially.

Blessing or Curse?
But what about the righteous Gentile supporters of Israel, specifically those who strive to keep the basic moral laws incumbent upon all people? Those noble individuals have a crucial supporting role to play in the redemptive process, especially in these fateful times, when the spokesmen for immorality are trying to take over Western society from within, and when the evil forces of Islam are seeking to violently take over the free world in any way possible. The admirable and valiant efforts to restore family values in the Western World and the unflinching support of many Christians for Israel, including the Biblical heartland, are worthy of great praise. But as it says in Genesis 12, those who don’t bless Israel will be cursed.

“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I will bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all of the nations and bring them down in the Valley of Jehoshaphat and I will contend with them there concerning My people and My possession Israel, that they dispersed among the nations, and they divided up My land…” (Joel 4:1-2).

Yes, our Father in heaven will bring forth a day of reckoning, and those Gentiles who did not support the Biblical heartland will be “contended with”, as the Prophet said. Conversely, those who help in the struggle for the Land will be blessed! Working concurrently and in cooperation, with complete faith that our actions will be supported from above, I have no doubt that we can overcome the forces of terrorism and destruction, both in Israel and in the entire world.
The prophet Jeremiah, at the time of the siege on Jerusalem, shortly before the destruction of the First Temple, was told by God to go out and buy a field (Jeremiah 32: 24-25). The question might be asked, “What kind of crazy time is that to invest in Israeli real estate?” The great Zionist visionary, Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook gives the answer to this seemingly simple question:
“Prophecy which was not needed for future generations was recorded, and prophecy not needed for the generations to come was not recorded (Megilla 14A). There is prophecy which was spoken to a generation for problems specific to it (specific to that generation), yet its value (the value of the prophecy) extends to all times.” (Torat Eretz Yisrael, p.187). In other words, the pressure of the many misguided leaders in America and Europe, and the defeatism of the many Israeli leaders of little faith, these are not what should guide us; rather we should be led by the Divine instructions given to us through the ages, which are still applicable in our times, more than ever. Whatever the results will be, we will at the very least know that we did the right thing, by following the right guidelines.

“The Lord shall reign forever and ever, your God of Zion; from generation to generation. Halleluyah!” (Psalms 146:10).

The Message Is Clear
Those were the words of King David, the great poet and warrior, who sat on the throne in Jerusalem with the Torah at his side. There was never any doubt that God’s covenant with Israel was everlasting and that Zion, meaning the Land of Israel, was and always would be, the center of His presence. From Zion, the Word of the Lord would gradually spread out to the nations, until there would be no more doubts as to His omnipotence.
When Joshua Bin Nun, the great conqueror of the Land, who would eventually lead the Children of Israel to their resting place in Shiloh, took over for Moses, God gave him clear instructions as to our destiny in the Land of Israel. He listened very carefully to these words, and it is incumbent on all of us, as well, to remember and to adhere to them in our times, for it is clear that if we do, the blessings will be great for all of us.

“Every place upon which the sole of your foot will tread I have given to you, as I spoke to Moses.” (Joshua 1:3).

“This Book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth; rather you should contemplate it day and night in order that you observe to do all that is written in it; for then you will make your way successful, and then you will act wisely. Behold, I have commanded you, be strong and courageous, do not fear and lose resolve, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you will go.” (Joshua 1:8-9).

Those words to Joshua resonate for Israel in our times as well, more than ever, as do the words of the prophet Isaiah, which are a call to action, not just for the entire Jewish people around the world, but for all supporters of Zion:

“For Zion’s sake, I will not be silent…” (Isaiah 62:1).

The message is clear for all of us. May we all be worthy of accomplishing the tasks before us, for Israel, and for the world.

(David Rubin is a former Mayor of Shiloh, Israel, and a long time resident who lives with his wife and children on a hilltop overlooking the site of ancient Shiloh. He is also the Founder and President of the Shiloh Israel Children’s Fund, established after he and his three-year-old son were wounded in a vicious terror attack. He is a powerful spokesman for the “settlers” in the Biblical heartland of Israel, as well as for the victims of terrorism. His book “God, Israel and Shiloh” is an extraordinary chronicle of the Divinely-ordained return of Jews to their ancestral Land by a passionate man who expresses a remarkable clarity of vision about the challenges facing Israel (Mazo Publishers, Jerusalem, Israel - ISBN: 978-965-7344-13-2).

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In the Biblical Heartland By David Rubin

In the Biblical Heartland
By David Rubin