For the week ending 22 May 2004 / 2 Sivan 5764
Tifrach - The Blossoming Land
When the Prophet Yeshayahu uttered his vision of the ultimate redemption of the Jewish People, he described the accompanying revival of the desolate Holy Land which will "blossom like a rose" (Yeshayahu 35:1). The Hebrew term for "to blossom" is tifrach and that is the name of a settlement in the south of Eretz Yisrael. The nearby settlements of Gilat, Ronen, Maslul and Peduim are also named for terms found in that prophecy.
There is a famous yeshiva in this observant community which attracts students from all of Israel and the world.