“Hey Yos! What’s with that silly title? I feel like I’m in social studies class!”
“Knew it would catch your attention! The “Cradle of Civilization” is what historians call the area of the world from Eretz Yisrael till about Iraq. It’s where they say the first people lived. There are plenty of things they are wrong about — but that fact is right! The world and people were formed from Eretz Yisrael!”
“Whoa… sounds cool!”
‘Yup! In fact, On the Har Habayis, where the Kodesh Hakodoshim was (and will be) is the Even Hashesiyah (Foundation rock).”
“That’s where that dome is… “
“Exactly. And that rock is where the rest of the world started from. It started with that rock and expanded until the whole globe was formed! It’s like the seed and life-force of the world.”
“You know Yos, I once heard that Shlomo Hamelech planted every single type of fruit tree in Eretz Yisrael. Some trees only grow in colder places, some in warmer — but Shlomo Hamelech planted them ALL in Yerushalayim!
“How? I remember when my Uncle tried planting a banana tree in our backyard in Brooklyn… that didn’t end so well.”
“Because Yerushalayim is the neshamah of the world – there are pipelines that flow from Yerushalayim for each tree type, and they branch out all over the world!” (Medrash Tanchuma, Kedoshim)
Maybe that’s one reason Eretz Yisrael feels like home — it’s where the rest of the world comes from!
Definitely one reason, Yos! Okay, I’ll see you next week, same time, same place!
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 18.