How do we pray for Eretz Yisroel?

 

Rabeinu Bachya explains that it is in the merit of our being  keeping Torah we are able to inherit Eretz Yisroel, ( בקיימנו התורה אנו זוכין בירושתה).  The opposite results in exile and dispossession from Eretz Yisroel.  Our inheritance is all conditioned-on Torah.^[1]

When we pray the blessing of Shema, known as Ahava Rabba, or Ahavas Olam depending on what nusach one davens, we find the same theme of Torah and our coming to Eretz Yisroel in the same prayer.

I think we can have in mind, especially now as we are getting closer to Shavuot during this period of sefira, to focus on mastering all eight steps described below in this bracha in order to keep all of Torah with understanding how doing so directly is our fulfillment of the condition of our inheritance of Eretz Yisroel.

אָבִֽינוּ הָאָב הָרַחֲמָן הַמְ֒רַחֵם רַחֵם עָלֵֽינוּ וְתֵן בְּלִבֵּֽנוּ לְהָבִין וּלְהַשְׂכִּיל לִשְׁמֹֽעַ לִלְמֹד וּלְ֒לַמֵּד לִשְׁמֹר וְלַעֲשׂוֹת וּלְקַיֵּם אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי תַלְמוּד תּוֹרָתֶֽךָ בְּאַהֲבָה

“Who acts with compassion have compassion on us and put into our hearts

(1)to comprehend (2) to use our highest intellect (3) to listen (4) to learn

(5) and to teach, (6) to preserve (7) to practice (8) and to fulfill

all the words of instruction in Your Torah with love.”

Then what follows this request  is our request to be joyful in His bringing us therefore to Eretz Yisroel.  So there is a clear connection in this prayer to Torah and Eretz Yisroel, just as Rabeinu Bachya described.

נָגִֽילָה וְנִשְׂמְ֒חָה בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ: וַהֲבִיאֵֽנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם מֵאַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת הָאָֽרֶץ וְתוֹלִיכֵֽנוּ קוֹמְ֒מִיּוּת לְאַרְצֵֽנוּ

“May we exult and rejoice in Your deliverance. And bring us to peace from the four corners of the earth and lead us upright to our land.”

I wonder if this is not so coincidental how there are eight steps listed for keeping all of the words of Torah with love.  The fact that there is an expression of נָגִֽילָה וְנִשְׂמְ֒חָה בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ, “May we exult and rejoice in Your deliverance, reminds me of the words we sang at Krias Yam Suf, when we sang אָ֣ז יָשִֽׁיר.  The word אָ֣ז  contains the gematria of eight as well which lead to these words of Klal Yisroel:

עָזִּ֤י וְזִמְרָת֙ יָ֔הּ וַֽיְהִי־לִ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה- Hashem is my strength and my might, and He is my deliverance.

I learned from my Rebbie, (Harav Simcha L Weinberg, n”y)  that this also is Klal Yisroel saying to Hashem, how we feel His love so clearly now and don’t want to lose this connection.  We need You, Hashem to give us Your love song so we don’t ever lose it.  This was our quest for Torah. I think the expression of נָגִֽילָה וְנִשְׂמְ֒חָה בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ, (We will exult and rejoice in Your deliverance) is perhaps our response to Hashem having received the Torah, that we requested by the Yam Suf when we said  עָזִּ֤י וְזִמְרָת֙ יָ֔הּ וַֽיְהִי־לִ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה.

May we be Zoche to fulfill that which we pray for in the Shema Blessings for the fulfilling the all the beautiful words of Torah with love to access our inheritance waiting for us, of Eretz Yisroel to access our geula without delay, with the strength and help of Hashem.

^[1] Rabeinu Bachyas interpretation of the word מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה as inheritance of the land of Israel (Devarim, 33:4) תּוֹרָ֥ה צִוָּה־לָ֖נוּ מֹשֶׁ֑ה מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה קְהִלַּ֥ת יַעֲקֹֽב