The Portion of Beha'alotcha The Goodness of the Land of Israel Following the sacrificial offerings and the dedication of the Tabernacle the time had come for the priests to assume their daily tasks. It is the lighting of the menorah and the offering of the Passover sacrifice about which we read at the beginning of the portion. The time has now come to leave the encampment at Mt. Sinai and begin moving in the direction of the Land of Israel. Moses requests from his father-in-law Yitro that he join the Children of Israel on the way to the "Good" land which was promised by the Almighty. The letter "tet" in the word "tov" (good) is adorned with four crowns, symbolizing the four "goodnesses" written about the land of Israel: a land flowing with rivers, a land of wheat and barley, a land where you will eat bread without scarcity, and a land whose stones are iron. (Daat Kohelet) There are also additional crowns atop the word "v'haitavnu" (and we will do good things for you), again emphasizing the goodness of the Land of Israel.
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