"One generation comes and another generation goes, but the earth stands forever", says Koheleth, ascribing eternity to land and temporality to humans. Our connection to the land is repeatedly described in the Bible as one of both “alien" and "resident”, suggesting a paradoxical attitude towards land, where we are both transient and yet ensconced. Join us as we analyze this tension. We then look for true permanence by examining what a proper connection to our ancestral homeland would look like and lead to, and asking whether, contra Koheleth's plain meaning, the Torah's ultimate vision is for humanity, not the earth, to be eternal (by living in accord with the eternal).
