When Joshua brought the Israelites into Israel there were seven years of war.

One Canaanite tribe made peace with Joshua.

Some families made peace with Israel.  But those wicked controlling kings....fought in until King David's time.

 

But in this week's portion we see the Edomites refusing passage and refusing to even sell or trade with Israel or Moshe.

 

Then King Sichon refused the same and Attacked Us! What nerve from some abuser who conquered that land from our cousins!I

 

So we beat them And G-d let some of our tribes settle there.

 

And with King Og the same. After they attacked and we won, some tribe settled there.

 

Were they afraid that they couldn't allow monotheism living nearby?

 

Or are some regimes so abusive that they just control and squeeze their own people by using violence as their only means of government?

 

Sound like Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran ...And Syria?

 

In the Diaspora we read about Korach and his rebellion against Moses - and against G-dliness and Torah.I Holy trouble makers.

 

 In Israel our portion ends on the beginning ... The beginning .... Of it being SAFE to be Israelites!!!

 

One fellow at prayers this AM remarked on all the DUALities in Judaism.

 

Even our bodies have 2 equal sides! One war with Sichon wasn't enough but right away another war with Og!

 

He also remarked on that "DUELing  " in our history ...

 

But OUR duels are supposed to be for teaching Holy Ideals

 

And even when getting physical they have Holy Results!

 

Someone once complained at Rabbi Carlebach s Shul about Israeli soldiers - and the Rabbi got MAD!

 

Reb Shlomo Carlebach said all Israel are holy...

 

But the Israeli soldiers - they are the Holy of Holies!

 

Could there have been a holocaust if we had an Israeli army back then?

 

Remember what Smokey the Bear says and repeat to others.