Sightseeing in the Parsha - Har Nevo

Towards the end of the Parsha, following the Blessings and curses that Moshe addressed to Am Israel, begins a brief historical description of leaving Egypt and everything that happened in the desert. The description ends with the journey of occupation that Moshe led on the eastern side of the Jordan river - the kingdoms of Sichon and Og. those areas turned into the settlements of Reuven Gad and half of Menashe. Although Am Yisrael continued to look into Eretz Yisrael, but the shevatim that inherited the eastern side of the Jordan river weren’t allowed to settle in their new home, rather they continued fighting with the rest of Israel to capture the rest of the promised land. Only when they were done did they settle their land.

Throughout all the years of galut Am Yisrael prays and misses Eretz Yisrael, on both sides of the Jordan river. About a hundred years ago there was a war which changed borders in the middle east, specifically by Israel. The Brits captured the area from the Ottomans and divided the land into new sections. The eastern side of the Jordan river was given, contrary to agreements with the Zionist movement, to the “Ashmi” Family as a token of appreciation for helping the Brits during the war. Thus that area was lost from our homeland - Eretz Yisrael. In the kingdom of Jordan today, there are remnants of communities that testify to there have been Jewish life throughout the history, starting with those from the time of Moshe and reaching attempts of Jewish settlement from the last 200 years.