Parashat Va'etchanan

A Gutten Erev Shabbos!

At the beginning of the parashah, the Torah describes how Moshe Rabbeinu davened that he should merit to enter Eretz Yisrael. The Midrash tells us that Moshe Rabbeinu davened 515 tefillos, corresponding to the numerical value of the word ואתחנן:

״וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל ה׳ בָּעֵת הַהִוא לֵאמֹר...אֶעְבְּרָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן הָהָר הַטּוֹב הַזֶּה וְהַלְּבָנֹן״.

The Gemara in Maseches Sotah (14a) relates that Rabbi Simlai taught:
“Why did Moshe Rabbeinu want so much to enter Eretz Yisrael? Did he need to eat from its fruits or be satisfied with its goodness? Rather, this is what Moshe asked in prayer: There are many mitzvos that can only be fulfilled in Eretz Yisrael, let me enter the Land so that I may fulfil all of them.”

We see from here that the main reason for yearning to enter Eretz Yisrael is not in order to eat from its fruits and be satisfied with its goodness.

The question
In the berachah of Me’ein Shalosh we ask:

״ובנה ירושלים עיר הקודש במהרה בימינו, והעלנו לתוכה ושמחנו בבניינה, ונאכל מפריה ונשבע מטובה, ונברכך עליה בקדושה ובטהרה״.

“Rebuild Yerushalayim, the Holy City, speedily in our days. Bring us up into it and gladden us in its rebuilding. May we eat from its fruits and be satisfied with its goodness, and bless You upon it, in holiness and purity.”
Isn’t the main reason that we want to return to Eretz Yisrael, is in order to fulfill the mitzvos that can only be done there? So why, do we ask to return to Eretz Yisrael “to eat of its fruits and be satisfied with its goodness”?

Indeed, this question is the subject of a discussion among the great Rishonim. Be’ezras Hashem Yisbarach, we will bring the different explanations for this tefillah that we recite almost daily.

The Tur (siman 208, se’if 10) brings a machlokes between Rabbeinu Yonah, and the Rosh, against the Behag, Rif and the Rambam, as to whether one should say ונאכל מפריה ונשבע מטובה. The Tur writes:
“Some say: ונאכל מפריה ונשבע מטובה. However, it should not be said, because one should not desire the Land for its fruits and goodness, but rather in order to fulfil the mitzvos that are dependent upon it. The Behag does include it, but my father, the Rosh, did not say it.”

Lehalachah, the Mishnah Berurah writes:

“Gladden us in its rebuilding, and may we eat from its fruits and be satisfied with its goodness. (There are some who do not say: ‘May we eat from its fruits and be satisfied with its goodness.)”

We therefore need to understand the reasoning of the Behag.
The Beis Yosef explains that according to the Behag, the Teffilah is not that we should merit to enjoy sweet and juicy fruits. Rather:
“The purpose is not the eating itself. Instead, the purpose is what we say afterward: ונברכך עליה בקדושה ובטהרה we will bless You upon it in holiness and purity. However, since one can only recite a berachah if he has eaten, we first say: ונאכל מפריה ונשבע מטובה.”
The Bach gives another beautiful explanation. 
The Bach explains that nowadays, when the Shechinah is not present, the fruits draw their nourishment from the impurity of the land:

“Now, when they eat fruits that draw their nourishment from the impurity of the land, the Shechinah departs. For when impurity enters the Jewish people through eating the fruits, the kedushah correspondingly leaves the Jewish people.”
But in the future:
“When the Beis Hamikdash will be rebuilt, the kedushah of the land, which flows from the kedushah of the Erets Yisrael shel maaloh, will also flow into its fruits, which draw their nourishment from the kedushah of the Shechinah that dwells within the land.”

This is why we include in this berachah:
“May we eat from its fruits and be satisfied with its goodness, for by eating its fruits, we are nourished by the kedushah and purity of the Shechinah, and satisfied with its goodness.”
However, according to the Bach, we could ask from the Gemara in Sotah quoted above. The Gemara seems to imply that there is no special advantage in eating the fruits of Eretz Yisrael, as it asks: “Did Moshe need to eat from its fruits?” This seems to contradict the explanation of the Bach that by eating the holy fruits of Eretz Yisrael we “are nourished by the kedushah and purity of the Shechinah”?
I found, be’ezras Hashem Yisborach, that the Eliyah Rabbah quotes the explanation of the Bach and asks this question. He writes;

“This question is itself difficult. If so, what does the Gemara ask at the end of the first perek of Sotah: ‘Why did Moshe desire to enter Eretz Yisrael? Did he need to eat from its fruits and be satisfied with its goodness?’ We could answer that he desired the holiness contained within them.
“Perhaps Moshe was different, because the Shechinah was constantly with him even though he did not eat from the fruits of Eretz Yisrael, as Rashi explains at the end of Parashas Beha’aloscha. This is why the Gemara says specifically: ‘Did he need to eat from its fruits?’ In other words, Moshe did not need this.”

The Mor U’Ketziah explains the Gemara also like the Eliyah Rabbah;
“Certainly, the correct practice is to say it, as the Beis Yosef writes. Although the Gemara says, ‘Did Moshe need to eat from its fruits and be satisfied with its goodness?’ we certainly do need them. The fruits of Eretz Yisrael add strength and wisdom, as Chazal say: אוירא דארץ ישראל מחכים, the air of Eretz Yisrael makes a person wise.

“It was not for nothing that the Gemara describes at length the extraordinary amount that Rabbi Yochanan and his talmidim ate when they partook of the fruits of Ginosar, which appears to be an exaggeration. Chas veshalom that the Gemara intended to speak negatively about them. Rather, it intended to praise them and to praise Eretz Yisrael, teaching us that its fruits give life to the people who live upon it and increase their strength, wisdom and understanding. This is why they ate so much of them; chas veshalom, they were not gluttons.”

The Brisker Rav, HaGaon Rav Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik zt”l, explained that this tefillah refers to the fruits of Ma’aser Sheini.
According to this explanation, the meaning of the tefillah is that Hashem should rebuild Yerushalayim speedily in our days. We will then be able to go to Yerushalayim and eat the fruits of Ma’aser Sheini there. These fruits must indeed be eaten בקדושה ובטהרה—in holiness and purity, as we continue in the berachah.
Halachah Lemaaseh
The fruits of Eretz Yisrael have a preference regarding the order of berachos (when there is no other reason for precedence), as explained at the end of the Azamerah Lishmecha issue # 233.

On behalf of all the Sheilot website staff, we wish you a Shabbos shalom u’mevorach