Since Creation, our right to our land

As I begin this piece let me pre-empt the criticism.  Yes I admit I have written on this topic (many times) before. But as far as I am concerned it is so fundamental that repetition and reiteration are undoubtedly in order. This is particularly the case in light of the recent international moves “recognising Palestine” at the expense of part of our heritage.

From a prima facie perspective the expression “living with the times” would not appear to be a catchcry expected from the Chassidic world. Nevertheless Chabad, always eager to adapt any positive concept to the advancement of Judaism, has taken it up as referring to the need for all Jews to live with the parasha of the week – the weekly Torah reading and its messages.
“L’olam yashlim adam parshiyotav im hatzibbur – a person should always complete (studying) his chapters with the general public.” (Berachot 8a) This dictum is accepted by Jews worldwide to mean that we are required to study the weekly parasha, with the general mode of doing so based on “sh’naim mikra v’echad targum – recitation of the Hebrew text twice and the (Aramaic) Targum (translation of Onkelos) once”. Many however go even further and study each weekly parsha with commentaries; given that each parasha is divided into seven sections for the aliyot on Shabbat it is obvious that one of those sections can be studied each day of the week.
And whilst there are a multitude of commentaries classical and modern available to today’s student, the basic commentary is of course that of Rashi which is printed in most sets of chumashim published today – whether or not other commentaries are presented as well.

Rashi – Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, 1040-1105 – lived in France during the Crusader period. His commentary is considered the most outstanding straightforward interpretation of the basic meaning of the words of the Chumash.

And so, given that this week we once again recommence the reading of the Torah from Bereshit, let us peruse Rashi’s opening comment on the Chumash, albeit that it does seem to stray from simple elucidation of terms and phrases. And indeed it casts a new light on a contemporary implication of “living with the times” by being timely in spelling out an eternal truth that apparently to Rashi is “p’shuto shel mikra – the simple, straightforward intention of the text”.

And so I cite a verbatim translation to which I have only added the bracketed words to clarify the meaning of Rashi’s terminology: