The deep connection between the people of Israel and the land of Israel is an eternal bond that is part of the very essence of the Jewish people. Unlike other exiled peoples who assimilate and forget their ancestral homelands, the people of Israel have never forgotten where they came from or where they long to return. For over 2,000 years, through prayer, ritual, and tradition, they have maintained an unbroken connection to the land of Israel and to Jerusalem its capital. The Bible itself, on almost every page, speaks of this fundamental and eternal connection between the people and the land of Israel. Therefore, blessing Israel means more than supporting the Jewish people—it includes ensuring that the Jewish people maintain control of their land and can live peacefully in the land of Israel and its eternal capital, Jerusalem.
This idea is beautifully captured in the song “Blessed” by Israeli musician and composer Yair Levi. Levi draws inspiration from the biblical verse Genesis 12:3, where God promises to bless those who bless Israel:
The refrain of the song echoes this divine promise, underscoring the universal blessings that flow through the children of Israel. However, in the final stanza of the song, Levi makes a shift, quoting Psalm 122 when he says: “We will love who He loves, standing with Him, and ‘pray for the peace of Jerusalem’.” This connection between blessing Israel and praying for Jerusalem reflects the intrinsic connection between the people and the land. God’s promise to bless those who bless Israel is not only a call to stand with the Jewish people but a call to support their right to their land and to Jerusalem, which has been the spiritual, religious, and national center of Jewish life for thousands of years.
The bond between the children of Israel and the land of Israel is not incidental but foundational. This connection is an ongoing, living relationship celebrated and remembered in Jewish rituals and traditions. The fact that the Jewish people have prayed for their return to Jerusalem for 2,000 years, without ever losing hope or abandoning their identity, is unparalleled in human history.
The observance of Tisha B’Av, a day of mourning for the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, is a powerful expression of this connection. Even in the depths of exile, the Jewish people have never forgotten Jerusalem. The city, though small, holds immense significance as the place from which the Divine Presence has never been exiled, as noted by the medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides, and the place to which they have longed to return for 2,000 years.
The prayers, rituals, and customs of Judaism continually reaffirm the centrality of Jerusalem in Jewish life, whether it is through facing Jerusalem during prayer, breaking a glass at weddings in memory of the Temple’s destruction, or the hopeful declaration at the end of the Passover Seder, “Next year in Jerusalem!”
The enduring hope that has sustained the Jewish people through centuries of exile is beautifully expressed in the story from the Talmud of the great sage Rabbi Akiva, who, standing on Mount Scopus and gazing upon the ruins of the Temple, chose to laugh rather than weep. Rabbi Akiva’s optimism stemmed from his faith in the prophecy of Zechariah, who foresaw the rebuilding and restoration of Jerusalem, a city where peace would once again reign, and the sounds of children playing would fill the streets. As Rabbi Akiva said, once the prophecies of destruction had come true, he was certain that prophecies of redemption and renewal would come true as well.
The people of Israel never relinquished their claim to Jerusalem nor their belief in the redemption, and their return to the city following the Six-Day War in 1967 was the fulfillment of ancient prophecies. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks reflected on this momentous event, recognizing that it was their unwavering faith that had brought the Jewish people back to their holy city, and that same faith would one day see the complete rebuilding of Jerusalem.
To bless Israel, therefore, is to affirm this eternal connection. It is to stand with the Jewish people in their right to their land and to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, the heart of that land. In a world where attempts are made to rewrite history, deny the Jewish connection to Israel, and take away parts, if not all, of Jerusalem and the rest of the biblical heartland from the people of Israel, it is crucial to remember that this foundational connection has been unbroken for thousands of years. May the day come speedily when the world recognizes the Jewish right to Jerusalem and the rest of Israel, and may peace reign in this holy city, as prophesied in the Scriptures.
As Yair Levi beautifully sings, blessing Israel is not only about supporting its people but also about embracing the profound, divine bond between the people and their eternal capital. It is to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”
Allowing a Palestinian terror state in the heart of Israel would destroy the Jewish State.
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