We Will Receive the Greatest Reward in the Land of Israel

In Parshat Nitzavim (Devarim 30:15-16) we read: “See, I have
placed before you today life and good, and death and bad. For which I command
you this day, to love God, to go in His ways and to guard His commandments and
His statutes and His laws; and you will live and you will flourish, and HaShem,
your God will bless you in the Land that you will inherit.”

 

According to Yalkut MeAm Loez, we learn from these psukim that
reward and punishment depend on our observance of the Torah and our performance
of the Mitzvot. However, our service to God should not be carried out with the
expectation of these rewards, but rather out of love.

 

Even when we serve God without the expectation of a reward,
we are still eligible for a reward.

 

The reward mentioned here has a few different elements:

1. “You
   will live” refers to life and health
2. “You
   will flourish” refers to the blessing of children
3.  “God will bless you” refers to material
   wealth

 

These blessings will be received “in the Land that you will
inherit.” God’s influence is revealed to a greater extent in the Land of Israel than in other lands. Therefore,
the greatest reward for Torah observance is in the Land of Israel.

 

Living in Israel
we especially need these blessings as our enemies would like to put an end to
our lives. Israelis are conscious about having a lot of children to ensure that
the Jews remain a majority in the Land. In Israel,
we especially need the blessing of parnasa as it is often more difficult to
make a living in Israel and the jobs don’t pay as well as in other countries.

 

Despite these difficulties, many have followed the words of
the pasuk to inherit the Land of Israel and are now enjoying all of the rewards that
the Land of Israel has to offer.