Mark Twain and פרשת פרה

There is a well known story of the great American author, Mark Twain’s visit to Israel at the end of the nineteenth century. He commented that he was surprised at how the country was so empty of population. He traveled the length and breadth of the country and did not see very many people.

This observation is alluded to in today’s Haftarah. At the end of פרשת פרה it says the following: והארץ הנשמה תעבד תחת אשר היתה שממה לעיני כל עובר, “The desolate land will be tilled, instead of having been desolate in the eyes of every passerby.”

Could one of the passers by have been Mark Twain? It seems that it definitely could have been him, among others. This is a subtle indication of the fulfillment of numerous prophecies that we have been witnessing in our lifetimes. We are living in remarkable times. The Haftarah of פרשת פרה points all of this out. Not only is Israel a Kiddush Hashem, but Yechezkel in 36:20 points out that the presence of a Jew in Chutz L’Aretz is a Chillul Hashem. It is written, באמור להם עם ה׳ אלה ומארצו יצאו, “When the nations of the world will say that if you are G-D’s chosen people, what are you doing outside of His land?”

It is time that all Jews experience the Kiddush Hashem of coming home to Israel. And never will a Mark Twain witness desolation of this Holy Land.

Shavua Tov.