It's like when Moses, in the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy), reminds the Israelites about the land G-d promised them, saying, "which the L-rd swore to your fathers… to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob" (Devarim 1:8). Why the extra emphasis on Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?
The Sifrei Devarim, an ancient collection of legal interpretations on the book of Deuteronomy, asks this very question. It suggests it's because each of our patriarchs, each of our avot, was individually worthy of that promise. It wasn't just a blanket promise to a lineage, but a personal one to each of them.
The Sifrei Devarim illustrates this point with a beautiful analogy. Imagine a king who gives a field to his servant. Just as it is, plain and simple. The servant, however, doesn't leave it untouched. He cultivates it, plants a vineyard, and then passes it on to his son. The son, in turn, improves it even further, and then his son continues the work. Each generation builds upon the last, enhancing the gift they received.
That's how it was with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. G-d gave the land to Abraham, as it was. As it says in Genesis (Bereshith 13:17), "Arise, walk in the land in its length and its breadth, for to you shall I give it." But Abraham didn't just walk it. He improved it, planting a fruit grove in Beersheva (Bereshith 21:33).
Then came Isaac. He sowed in the land and reaped a hundredfold in that year, as we read in Genesis (Bereshith 26:12). He, too, didn't just accept the gift; he nurtured it and made it flourish.
And Jacob? He bought a piece of land, the very spot where he pitched his tent (Bereshith 33:19). He invested in it, making it his own.
So, each patriarch took the promise and made it real, tangible, and lasting. They didn't just receive the land; they worked it, they blessed it, and they made it their own. They were each worthy of the land, of the promise, in their own right.
But then, the Sifrei Devarim poses another question: if the oath to the fathers is already written, why reiterate "to your fathers"? If the promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is clear, what's the need for this additional mention?
The text answers that this refers to a covenant with the tribes. As the prophet Habakkuk (3:9) says, "[These are] the oaths to the tribes, an enduring word." It emphasizes that the promise extended beyond the patriarchs to encompass all the tribes of Israel, each playing their part.
What does this all mean for us today? Perhaps it's a reminder that G-d's promises aren't just abstract ideas. They require our participation. We, too, are called to improve the world we inherit, to cultivate it, to make it flourish, and to pass it on to the next generation even better than we found it. We each have our unique role, like each of the patriarchs and each of the tribes, in fulfilling the promise. And that is a truly enduring word.