Securing our Borders
Masei
Have you ever passed through border control? Soldiers with machine guns, cameras recording from every angle, interrogations. Protecting borders is serious business. For the traveller borders and border control may seem restric-
tive and annoying, but the border is the point and source of protection for the entire country. One undesirable
breach of border security can have major repercussions.
As Bnei Yisroel are poised to enter Eretz Yisroel, Parshas Masei delineates – at great length and detail - the borders
of Eretz Yisroel which was to be apportioned to the Tribes. Defined borders are necessary. Rashi explains that since
many Mitzvos are only fulfilled in Eretz Yisroel, it was necessary to identify its borders. These are known as the
בארץ התלויות מצות - the ‘Mitzvos dependent upon the Land’ such as the agricultural laws of Shemittah, Terumah
and Maaser. The borders serve to separate between the Holy land of Israel which is sanctified with Kedushas Eretz
Yisroel and the unholy land of Chutz Laaretz.
This Kedusha of Eretz Yisroel was only imbued when the Jewish people settled the Land. In the times of the Avos it
may have been G-d’s chosen Land, but it was not holy. The Mekom Shmuel explains that this holiness is created by
the potential for the Mitzvos to now be fulfilled – i.e. the Kedusha of the Jewish people as expressed through their
observance of Torah and Mitzvos.
In Havdalah we conclude Hamavdil bein Kodesh Lechol, that there is and must be a clearly articulated distinction
between that which is holy and that which is mundane. We have to know that whilst the land outside of Eretz
Yisroel may be nice and its inhabitants friendly, Eretz Yisroel is holy and one inch outside of it is not.
In Yiddishkeit we must set clearly defined borders. Our homes, Shules and schools are Holy land - fortresses of
Kedusha. But in our lives, at work or in the street, we interact with the “Chutz Laaretz” of the outside world.
The borders that we make separate between Kodesh and Chol. They protect the Kedusha of our Torah lives and
Jewish homes from the influences and values and fashions of society which are an ever present threat looking to
sneak across the border.
Our sages teach that one should make fences to protect the Torah. Whilst this refers to the Rabbinic laws which
protect the Torah laws, it equally applies to the personal stringencies and measures we take to protect our Torah
standards and the Kedusha of our families. These are the red lines and the buffers which we make to keep ourselves
distinct in our behaviour, lifestyle and beliefs, modes of dress, forms of recreation etc.
From a juvenile perspective these borders may seem restrictive and limiting. However the discerning mind appreciates the vital role that these borders serve and the protective force that they afford to ourselves and our families to remain true to our beliefs and way of life.
There is a well-known halacha in Hilchos Shabbos Siman 329, that when non-Jews attack a Jewish city on Shabbos to
plunder its wealth, we cannot break Shabbos to fight them unless there is a possible threat to life. However, if the city
is on the border, even if they are only coming for straw and stubble, we are obligated to desecrate Shabbos to
fight them. If the city on the border is captured, the entire land is now made vulnerable and open to conquest. (The
Rebbe quoted this Halocha as the basis for the campaign against Land-for-Peace, since transferring Jewish land to enemy hands would present an immediate threat to Jewish life throughout Israel).
Borders must be protected at all cost, because they are the buffer which protects everything else from crumbling.
We find ourselves in the 3 Weeks of mourning for the destruction of the Beis Hamikdosh. Our mourning does not
begin when the Temple was captured or when it was set on fire. Our mourning begins on the 17th of Tammuz when
the walls of Yerushalayim were breached. Yerushalayim is a composite of the words Yirah Shleimah, the fear of Heav-
en. The walls of Yerushalayim are the delineation between that which enhance Yiras Shamayim and that which does
not. The Churban begins when the distinction is blurred Just like the Churban, when we focus on the rebuilding of
our the inner Beis Hamikdosh, it begins with borders. And sometimes the best defense is offense. The borders of
Eretz Yisroel and Yerushalayim could be extended.
By strengthening our existing personal borders and extending them with extra hiddur, we’ll have a safe and secure inner Israel. Through this we will merit to enter the extended borders of a safe and secure geographical Eretz Yisroel
with the coming of Moshiach now.
tive and annoying, but the border is the point and source of protection for the entire country. One undesirable
breach of border security can have major repercussions.
As Bnei Yisroel are poised to enter Eretz Yisroel, Parshas Masei delineates – at great length and detail - the borders
of Eretz Yisroel which was to be apportioned to the Tribes. Defined borders are necessary. Rashi explains that since
many Mitzvos are only fulfilled in Eretz Yisroel, it was necessary to identify its borders. These are known as the
בארץ התלויות מצות - the ‘Mitzvos dependent upon the Land’ such as the agricultural laws of Shemittah, Terumah
and Maaser. The borders serve to separate between the Holy land of Israel which is sanctified with Kedushas Eretz
Yisroel and the unholy land of Chutz Laaretz.
This Kedusha of Eretz Yisroel was only imbued when the Jewish people settled the Land. In the times of the Avos it
may have been G-d’s chosen Land, but it was not holy. The Mekom Shmuel explains that this holiness is created by
the potential for the Mitzvos to now be fulfilled – i.e. the Kedusha of the Jewish people as expressed through their
observance of Torah and Mitzvos.
In Havdalah we conclude Hamavdil bein Kodesh Lechol, that there is and must be a clearly articulated distinction
between that which is holy and that which is mundane. We have to know that whilst the land outside of Eretz
Yisroel may be nice and its inhabitants friendly, Eretz Yisroel is holy and one inch outside of it is not.
In Yiddishkeit we must set clearly defined borders. Our homes, Shules and schools are Holy land - fortresses of
Kedusha. But in our lives, at work or in the street, we interact with the “Chutz Laaretz” of the outside world.
The borders that we make separate between Kodesh and Chol. They protect the Kedusha of our Torah lives and
Jewish homes from the influences and values and fashions of society which are an ever present threat looking to
sneak across the border.
Our sages teach that one should make fences to protect the Torah. Whilst this refers to the Rabbinic laws which
protect the Torah laws, it equally applies to the personal stringencies and measures we take to protect our Torah
standards and the Kedusha of our families. These are the red lines and the buffers which we make to keep ourselves
distinct in our behaviour, lifestyle and beliefs, modes of dress, forms of recreation etc.
From a juvenile perspective these borders may seem restrictive and limiting. However the discerning mind appreciates the vital role that these borders serve and the protective force that they afford to ourselves and our families to remain true to our beliefs and way of life.
There is a well-known halacha in Hilchos Shabbos Siman 329, that when non-Jews attack a Jewish city on Shabbos to
plunder its wealth, we cannot break Shabbos to fight them unless there is a possible threat to life. However, if the city
is on the border, even if they are only coming for straw and stubble, we are obligated to desecrate Shabbos to
fight them. If the city on the border is captured, the entire land is now made vulnerable and open to conquest. (The
Rebbe quoted this Halocha as the basis for the campaign against Land-for-Peace, since transferring Jewish land to enemy hands would present an immediate threat to Jewish life throughout Israel).
Borders must be protected at all cost, because they are the buffer which protects everything else from crumbling.
We find ourselves in the 3 Weeks of mourning for the destruction of the Beis Hamikdosh. Our mourning does not
begin when the Temple was captured or when it was set on fire. Our mourning begins on the 17th of Tammuz when
the walls of Yerushalayim were breached. Yerushalayim is a composite of the words Yirah Shleimah, the fear of Heav-
en. The walls of Yerushalayim are the delineation between that which enhance Yiras Shamayim and that which does
not. The Churban begins when the distinction is blurred Just like the Churban, when we focus on the rebuilding of
our the inner Beis Hamikdosh, it begins with borders. And sometimes the best defense is offense. The borders of
Eretz Yisroel and Yerushalayim could be extended.
By strengthening our existing personal borders and extending them with extra hiddur, we’ll have a safe and secure inner Israel. Through this we will merit to enter the extended borders of a safe and secure geographical Eretz Yisroel
with the coming of Moshiach now.