We are going through Pesukei Bitachon and we are now in Yehezkiel 28,26, which describes what the future in Eretz Yisrael will be like.
וְיָשְׁב֣וּ עָלֶ֘יהָ֮ לָבֶ֒טַח֒ וּבָנ֤וּ בָתִּים֙ וְנָטְע֣וּ כְרָמִ֔ים וְיָשְׁב֖וּ לָבֶ֑טַח בַּעֲשׂוֹתִ֣י שְׁפָטִ֗ים בְּכֹ֨ל הַשָּׁאטִ֤ים אֹתָם֙ מִסְּבִ֣יבוֹתָ֔ם וְיָ֣דְע֔וּ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶֽם
We will dwell on it in tranquility (or in bitachon), and we will build houses, and we will plant vineyards, And we will dwell in tranquility, when I make judgements on all those around them that taunt them, and then the world will know that I am Hashem your God.
All the commentaries are bothered by the seeming repetition of the pasuk, with a slight nuance.
First it says, “וְיָשְׁב֣וּ עָלֶ֘יהָ֮ לָבֶ֒טַח֒/They'll dwell on it in bitachon and build houses and vineyards,” and then it says, “וְיָשְׁב֖וּ לָבֶ֑טַח/They'll dwell in serenity (or peacefulness or bitachon)….
It says L’Betach, twice. The first time on it, and the second in it.
The first time talks about making vineyards and building houses, whereas the second time talks about when God will make judgments against the people.
This pasuk shows up in the Haftara of Parashat Vaera, because it talks about what will happen to Mitzrayim in the future, and there is a rich discussion by the commentaries bon it.
The first commentary we’ll discuss is from Rav Shlomo Kluger, in his sefer Shema Shlomo, where he says there that the first reference,
וְיָשְׁב֣וּ עָלֶ֘יהָ֮ לָבֶ֒טַח֒/And they shall dwell on it, refers to the bitachon that we're going to have physically. We will no longer be afraid of the enemies around us, shooting rockets or missiles. We'll be able to build houses and plant vineyards and they won't interfere with our homes, our settlements or our vineyards.
Rav Dovid Soloveitchik, in his commentary Al HaTorah adds a point. He says it's one thing to dwell on the land... and but to build houses and plant vineyards? He says, based on current events, where they don't like any settlements, it's one thing to own land, but settlements (or Hitnachaliot in Hebrew) show control. It’s not just that you have the land annexed, but you're actually living there and making buildings and fields there-
And we're going to be able to do that? L’Betach!! With bitachon! With no concern from the outside world!
Secondly, וְיָשְׁב֖וּ לָבֶ֑טַח /you'll dwell in peace and you're not going to be worried about anyone interfering with your service of Hashem. Who are we worried about? All those people that are taunting us, around us. And what's going to cause us to be able to serve Hashem properly? When God takes judgment against all the nations around us. Then it'll become clear to the world that Hashem is our God and the goyim will also realize it, and we will be able to serve Hashem properly, without worry- neither physical and nor spiritual challenges.
This is what's going on in Eretz Yisrael right now. We're worried about both physical and spiritual challenges.
The Abarbanel says something similar in his commentary in Yehezkiel. He says, when we see what's going to happen to all the nations, the goyim around us, the destruction he says, of Sur and Sidon (which are in Lebanon, interestingly) and the other nations that are taunting us, when we see their destruction and we see that God is taking vengeance, then we will see how Hashem is our God.
These are important pesukim to study and use to strengthen our bitachon, because while these things are going on, it's scary, but the prophet is telling us that the time will come. We have to strengthen our beliefs in these prophecies. These prophecies are there, the rabbis tell us, because in order to get the fulfillment of the prophecies, we have to believe them. That happened in Egypt as well. Moshe Rabbenu came in, said prophecies, and we had to believe in Moshe Rabbenu. These prophecies are there for us to believe in- that until the end of time, we're not going to have this fulfillment to not just live in Israel (of course we can be in Israel), but to be in it Labetach and not just one BeTach, two Betachs!
We could be there, physically and spiritually successfully. Furthermore, Rav Yonantan Eibeshitz writes in sefer Ahavat Yonatan that normally when a person becomes very successful, they lose their spirituality; they become overly in the physical world. But he says in the future, we will dwell on the land in security. We'll build houses, we'll plant vineyards, and we'll remain there, and we'll be guaranteed in our spirituality as well.
We will stay focused. Why? Because when we see the justice and the punishment that occurs, it will keep us in check.
So, we’ll be able to be in the land of Israel in both positive ways.