Rabbi Zvi SobolofskyThe Eternal Morasha

There are two gifts that were bestowed upon the Jewish People that are referred to as a morasha. The first reference appears in Parshas Vaera (Shemos 6:8), where Hashem promises to bring the Jewish People into Eretz Yisroel and present it to them as a morasha. Moshe Rabbeinu, in his final words in Parshas Vezos Habracha (Devarim 33:4), provides the second reference when he describes the Torah as the morasha of the Jewish People. What is the significance of this term as it relates to these precious possessions of our people?

Morasha is related to the word yerusha - an inheritance - and yet it has a very different meaning. A yerusha belongs entirely to the recipient to do with it as he chooses. In contrast, a morasha is not an inheritance but rather a heritage. It must be preserved to be transmitted to subsequent generations. We are guardians over the precious gifts of Torah and Eretz Yisroel, making sure to hand them over to our children as we received them from our parents.

There is another important distinction between yerusha and morasha. A yerusha is received without any effort. However, one must earn the privilege of being part of a morasha. For this reason Chazal teach us (Berachos 5a) that Torah and Eretz Yisroel are acquired through suffering. Furthermore, a yerusha is only temporary. If the recipient consumes it during his lifetime, there is nothing left for the next generation. A morasha, by contrast, is eternal. Torah and Eretz Yisroel remain part of the heritage of the Jewish People for eternity.

Concerning the Torah which is a morasha, Chazal say (Pesachim 49b) that the word morasha can also be interpreted as a meorasa- a betrothed woman. Presumably, this can also be applied to Eretz Yisroel. What is the connection between a woman who is a meorasa and the gifts of Torah and Eretz Yisroel?

There are two stages of marriage- erusin and nisuin. Although today we perform them together, in olden times the woman was first betrothed (i.e. erusin) and then remained in her father's house awaiting the nisuin- entering her husband's home. The period between erusin and nisuin was a time of great excitement and anticipation. It is these feelings that Hashem wants us to have about the Torah and Eretz Yisroel. In Shema (Devarim 6:6) the obligation to have the words of the Torah on our hearts "hayom - today" is highlighted. Rashi comments that the word "today" teaches us that we must look at the Torah as something new each day. When a farmer brings his first fruit each year, he declares that he has arrived today in Eretz Yisroel (Devarim 26:3). Why? Because he must relate to Eretz Yisroel with the excitement of someone arriving there for the first time. It is these feelings of excitement and anticipation which are associated with the stage of erusin that must permeate our eternal relationship with Torah and Eretz Yisroel.