The ancient rabbis pondered this question, especially when thinking about Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel. They looked at the intense historical desire for this particular piece of land and asked, “Why this place, above all others?”
R. Yehudah, in the Sifrei Devarim 37, offers a fascinating insight. He points out that it couldn't possibly be that all thirty-one kings conquered by Joshua actually lived in the Land of Israel. So, what was the draw?
He compares it to Rome. R. Yehudah says it was like Rome in his time. Any king or ruler who hadn't acquired castles and palaces in Rome felt they hadn't truly "made it." It wasn't necessarily about living there full-time, but about possessing something there. It was about the prestige, the power, the symbolic importance.
In the same way, R. Yehudah argues, any king or ruler who hadn't acquired castles and palaces in Eretz Yisrael felt they had “done nothing.” Possession of land in Israel was a sign of ultimate success, a testament to one's power and influence. It was the ultimate status symbol.
But what made it such a status symbol? What made it so special?
The text goes on to describe Eretz Yisrael as "the heritage coveted" – or, more literally, "the heritage of the deer." This isn’t just a poetic phrase. It gets at something essential about the land's allure.
Why a deer? Because, as the Sifrei Devarim explains, a deer is quicker of foot than any other beast. And just as the deer is swift, so too are the fruits of Eretz Yisrael "quicker" to come than those of all other lands. It's not just about the land's symbolic value, but also its fertility. It's about the land's ability to produce quickly, to provide sustenance, to flourish. The Land of Israel was seen as uniquely blessed, a place where things grew and thrived with unparalleled speed.
So, we have this fascinating combination: a land of immense symbolic value, a place that kings and rulers coveted as a sign of their power, and a land of unparalleled fertility, blessed with the ability to bring forth fruit more quickly than any other.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? What are the "lands of the deer" in our own lives? What are the things we pursue, not just for their practical value, but for the status and prestige they represent? And are we, perhaps, missing the deeper, more fertile grounds that lie waiting to be cultivated closer to home?