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Grapes are one of the seven special agricultural products of the Land of Israel and teach us a vital life lesson. According to Rabbi Natan Slifkin, “the grapes must be totally crushed, either underfoot or in a press, in order to produce valuable wine." In this prophecy, Ezekiel prophesies that the inhabitants of Jerusalem will be destroyed just as a vine that no longer produces grapes is burned for fuel. The message of the grape, however, is that the suffering and hardships are not intended merely as punishments. Rather, the Lord hopes that the pain and anguish will eventually bring out the best in them, and inspire their return to the Almighty. We are living the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy as the children of Israel have returned to the Land and are planting vineyards in Samaria (Jeremiah 31:4). While there is no doubt that we are living in miraculous times, enemies of Israel are literally trying to uproot us from our ancestral homeland. Last week, Arab terrorists destroyed thousands of grapevines in the Shiloh region in an attempt to threaten and intimidate the Jewish communities in the area. The Israel365 Charity Fund is working with the affected farmers to remedy the enormous amount of damage that has been caused to their fields and their livelihood.
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