We’re still grieving the horrendous terrorist attack in the Neve Yaacov neighborhood of Jerusalem this past Shabbat. How should we react?

An old but very true expression says that you can’t fight fire with fire. One doesn’t extinguish a fire by lighting more fires.

So how do we overcome terror in the Land of Israel? The answer is simple, explicit in the Torah: “And you shall inherit the land and dwell therein” (Numbers 33:53). The “Sifsei Chachomim” explains that “dwelling therein” means settling the Land of Israel. Both the Ramban and the Tur tell us that settling the Land of Israel is a mitzvah that is comparable to fulfilling all the mitzvoth of the Torah.

The best way to fight terror is to strengthen our hold on the Land of Israel. We do that by deepening our roots, both spiritual and physical. Planting fruit trees in Israel accomplishes just that, both on a spiritual and physical level.

Even if you’re not in the Land of Israel, you can share in the mitzvah of settling the land of Israel by partnering with one of our local farmers and planting fruit trees. This is especially important since this past year was a Shmittah year and we couldn’t plant. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to plant fruit trees in Israel, especially now before Tu B’Shvat, the New Year for Trees. Every tree we plant strengthens our hold on our holy homeland.