Bereshit: The Land Given as a Gift
At the opening of the Book of Genesis (Bereshit), with the beginning of the new Torah reading cycle, Rashi (the prominent commentator) poses his famous question: Why did the Torah begin with the description of the Creation of the world and the connection to the Land of Israel? Rashi answers that the Torah begins with Creation to establish that the whole earth belongs to the Creator, and He grants nations their inheritance as He wills. A question arises here: Why does the very first foundation of faith in the entire Torah is related specifically with a Midrashic discussion on the Land of Israel and how all this is related to a Noahide?
Rashi cites right in the beginning that the "whole earth is G-d's, He gives land to whom He wills". The Creator owns the entire earth and allotts it by His will, He chose the Land of Israel as the inheritance of the people of Israel. The ownership of the Land of Israel is way above any territorial, political, or historical debate—rather, it is a cornerstone of faith. The verse "In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth" teaches us that the Almighty is not merely a ‘spiritual Creator’ whose sovereignty is confined to the heavenly realm, but He is the sole and absolute Master over physical matter, the earth, and the material world as well.
There is no place devoid of Him and There is none else beside Him. One who believes that the Creator brought the world into being, must recognize that He alone determines the allocation of lands on Earth. The giving of the Land of Israel to the Jewish people is not the result of military conquest or historical rights, but a direct Divine gift.
A person who doubts the Creator's right to bestow a specific land upon a specific nation lacks the most basic foundation of faith—the recognition that the Holy One, blessed be He, rules in earthly affairs as well. The Creator’s true desire is expressed not specifically in the higher realms or in the service of angels, but in this physical world.
Faith in the Oneness of G-d and in the Creation of the world demands full recognition of His Divine Providence. The rejection of idolatry means nullifying the claim that any human, ideological, or political power overrides the will of Hashem to give a specific peace of land to a specific nation. Every human being has received a private "portion of land" from the Creator—their home, their work, and their environment. G-d owns the earth, He entrusts each of us a portion, the Noahide's task is to make that portion a dwelling for the Divine. The role is to infuse G-d’s will and the Seven Commandments into material life, making their home and surroundings a dwelling place for the Divine Presence.
Sources and References
Rashi’s Commentary on the Torah: Genesis 1:1 (based on Yalkut Shimoni, Psalms, Remez 871).
Torat Menachem – Farbrengens: Year 5717, Part Two, Acharon Shel Pesach page 180.
A Dwelling Place in the Lower Realms and the Seven Noahide Laws: Midrash Tanchuma, Parshat Naso, Section 16; Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings, Chapter 8, Law 11. Deut. 4:35. There is no place devoid of Him" (Leit atar panui minei — Tikkunei Zohar.