Parashat Toldot: The Jewish people are inseparable from the land of Israel

Detailed summary

From the very beginning, Jewish identity and our attachment to Israel are presented as inseparable parts of the same covenant.

Isaac is preparing to leave Israel. A famine has struck, and he considers going down to Egypt, where food is more plentiful, as did his father, Abraham. But God intervenes, instructing him to remain in the land. This is one of only two divine revelations Isaac experiences, in contrast to his father, who encountered God repeatedly. What makes this revelation significant is the message God delivers at this critical moment.God reaffirms the covenant with Abraham, promising Isaac His protection and blessing. Isaac will inherit his father's mission of spreading monotheism, his descendants will multiply like the stars in the heavens, and the nations of the world will be blessed through them.

Opening of the article, excerpted from The Jerusalem Post. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.