The Land Comes from Hashem

Rashi begins his commentary on the Torah by asking why the Torah opens with Bereshit rather than with “????? ??? ???,” the first mitzvah given to Am Israel. His answer establishes an essential principle: Hashem created the world, and therefore the entire earth belongs to Him. Eretz Israel is given to Am Israel by the will of the Creator.

This understanding presents Eretz Israel first and foremost as a divine gift. Yet the same principle also teaches that the relationship between Am Israel and the Land cannot be separated from its relationship with Hashem.

Torah and Mitzvot in Eretz Israel

Throughout the Torah, life in Eretz Israel is closely connected with the observance of the mitzvot. In Devarim, Am Israel is commanded to observe the mitzvot in order to enter, possess, and flourish in the Land. The Shema similarly connects faithfulness to Hashem’s commandments with prolonged life upon the Land promised to the forefathers.

The Torah therefore presents Eretz Israel not simply as a place to possess, but as a place in which a covenantal way of life is to be realized.

A Gift and a Responsibility

This principle reaches beyond the Land itself. Hashem asks Am Israel to love Him, serve Him wholeheartedly, and observe His mitzvot “for your own good.” Likewise, before Yehoshua leads the people into Eretz Israel, he is instructed to remain constantly connected to the Torah and to fulfill everything written within it.

The opening of Bereshit can therefore be understood as establishing the order of this relationship: first, the Torah teaches from Whom the Land comes; then, through the mitzvot, it teaches how life within that gift is meant to be lived.

Eretz Israel is a gift from Hashem, and Torah and mitzvot give expression to the responsibility that accompanies that gift.

NOTE: The above is a summary based on the original teaching.