Hachodesh Hazeh Lachem, Eretz Yisrael and Anti-Semitism

The First Rashi in Bereishas says as follows:

בראשית: אמר רבי יצחק לא היה צריך להתחיל [את] התורה אלא (שמות יב ב) מהחודש הזה לכם, שהיא מצוה ראשונה שנצטוו [בה] ישראל, ומה טעם פתח בבראשית, משום (תהלים קיא ו) כח מעשיו הגיד לעמו לתת להם נחלת גוים, שאם יאמרו אומות העולם לישראל לסטים אתם, שכבשתם ארצות שבעה גוים, הם אומרים להם כל הארץ של הקב"ה היא, הוא בראה ונתנה לאשר ישר בעיניו, ברצונו נתנה להם וברצונו נטלה מהם ונתנה לנו:

Why does Rashi assume that the Torah should have started from החודש הזה לכם? The Torah doesn't start with Mitzvos. Chumash Bereishis is important as it has the stories of the Avos and the founding of Klal Yisrael?

The Mishna in Avos teaches us that the world was created in 
בעשרה מאגרות גברא העולמ
The world was created with ten "Ma'amaros", or with ten utterances. The talmud asks that if you count the utterances you will find only nine.The Talmud answers that
ובראשית כמי מאמר הוא. דכתיב (תהלים ל״ג) בדבר ה' שמים :עשו
We can count the word "Beraishis" as an utterance too. Why and how is the word Beraishis an utterance? The Gr'a in Aderet Eliyahu and the Sforno too both say that "Bereishis" is considered and utterance because it established the concept of time in this world. It is an essential building block for everything else that was created after that. It would not be possible to create a physical world without first establishing the concept of time.

Rav Moshe Shapiro explains that the concept of time for the secular world was created then at the beginning of creation. However, when Klal Yisrael was formed at the time of Yitzias Mitzraim, a new concept was introduced and that was the concept of time for Klal Yisrael who are to keep the Torah. Klal Yisrael live on this world on a quasi spiritual plane and were given a different dimension of time to live within. That new dimension was given to them at החודש הזה לכם. Therefore Rashi quotes Rabi Yitzchak  that the Torah should have started from החודש הזה לכם because that is the dimension of time for Klal Yisrael, the dimension more relevant to the Torah. This  dimension is qualitatively different than the secular dimension in that it is a dimension of constant renewal, a dimension called "Zeman" which is derived from the word "Hazmanah" which means literally "To Invite" but refers to a future event implying that this dimension is more forward looking and is always striving for greater heights and for constant renewal. Interestingly the basic function of time based on the sun is called "Shana" which is derived from the word "Shoneh" which actually means to review. Every year is a review of the previous year as it goes around and around. The function of time based on the moon is called "Chodesh" derived from the word "Chadash" meaning "New" the exact opposite of "Shanah". Klal Yisrael who live a more spiritual existence are actually living in a different dimension than the rest of the world. We are continuously striving for greater heights, doing Teshuva, erasing the past, and getting better. Yisrael is represented by the moon which has the same characteristics. The Shla"h says that the name "Pharaoh" has the same numerical value as the word "Shana" the significance of that is that now that Bnai Yisrael left Mitzraim and left Pharaoh behind they now are entering a different aspect of existence, leaving the aspect of "Shana" and entering the new "Moon" sphere which is a much higher spiritual level. The old concepts of time had to be done away with hence the first commandment was to eat Matzah. The difference between Chametz and Matzah is one ingredient. Chametz is flour + water + time while Matzah is flour + water but no time element. We were commanded as soon as we left Mitzraim before we were introduced to החודש הזה לכם to first do away with the old before we can enter the new. Chazal teach us that the Pasuk that tells us "Ushmartem es Hamatzos" can be read as "Ushmartem es Hamitzvos" teaching that an opportunity to do a mitzvah must be undertaken immediately with no delay. What does matzah have to do with not missing out a mitzvah this is the same concept. The basic idea of the Mitzvah of Matzah is to see time from a different perspective and to do away with the old concept of time where it might have less importance. 

The answer to the question brought up in the beginning of Bereishis as to why the torah started from Bereishis and not from החודש הזה לכם, Rashi states is to answer the nations of the world as to why we deserve Eretz Yisrael. The other nations call us robbers saying what right do you have to steal a land that does not belong to you to which we answer "Bereishis" God created everything and it is in his right to allow us to be in this land. How does it answer the question of why to Torah did not start from

החודש הזה לכם? And really what does Bereishis have to do with Eretz Yisrael? 

The nations of the world have a very good claim. You Jews inherited the world to come and are living a spiritual existence, we got this world. You have no right to demand land on this earth too. Just like you are living on a different dimension in time you must live on a different dimension when it comes to space and you should not be taking up our space in this world. If Bnei Yisrael are living in this quasi spiritual time zone it would make no sense to allow them to have land within the dimensions of a secular time dimension. Time and space ARE related. A nation that has no time in the "Shana" dimension but are living in the "Chodesh" dimension should not be allowed to take  physical land from others. One cannot inherit this earth from others if he is living in a dimension where he is inheriting spiritual space. You cannot have your proverbial cake and eat it too. 

However, Eretz Yisrael  has that aspect of being quasi spiritual place too. The Pasuk says in Ekev

אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ דֹּרֵשׁ אֹתָהּ תָּמִיד עֵינֵי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּהּ מֵרֵשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית

 שָׁנָה

  

Israel is not like every other land but has a special relationship with God. It is not a purely physical space like other lands but has a spiritual component. The land of Israel is very much qualified to be the land of the Bnei Yisrael. It has a physical existence in this world yet it is connected to the spiritual world in a way that no other land is connected. The perfect inheritance for a people that exist on this earth yet live spiritual lives. Just like the Bnai Yisrael are the representatives of God on this world  and through them the rest of the world is influenced and blessed so is Eretz Yisrael the place whereby the shefa- divine influence is transmitted. As Shlomo Hamelech says in his prayer when dedicating the Bais Hamikdash Melachim 1.8.43 

ה ת^זמע השמלם מכון שבתך ומשיית ככל אשר־־ לקרא אליך הנכרי למען.יךעוןכל־£מי הארץיאת־שמך ליראה אתך כעמך' ישראל ולדעת כי־שמך נקרא על־ חבלת הזה' אשיר בניתי: 

The attitude of the nations of the world towards Bnei Yisrael is directly related to Bnei Yisrael's attitude towards their own existence. When Bnei Yisrael realize that they are an "Am Baddad Yishkon"- a nation that lives a different, spiritual, and separate existence, then the nations of the world (subconsciously) accept them and allow their infringement into their physical space. However, when Bnei Yirael don't live up to the standard set for them and strive to grow spiritually in the vein of  החודש הזה לכם then the other nations rightfully rise up against them and acutely feeling that the Bnei Yisrael are infringing upon a world that is their own which should not be usurped by Bnei Yisrael.  They feel that Bnei Yisrael don't deserve their own land and barely allow the Bnai Yisrael to exist in Galus. The nations of the world don't hate Bnei Yisrael they just feel that Bnai Yisrael are infringing upon a world that belongs to them. 

I believe that there is a fundamental difference between anti-semitism in general and, for example, the hatred that some nations have for other nations. The way the muslims and christians hate each-other or for example the way the Aryans hate the blacks. We see all nations of the world including Israel's sworn enemies coming to Yad Vashem to lay wreaths. Even Yasir Arafat, a man whose whole raison-d'etre was to kill Jews, came to Yad Vashem to bring flowers. The nations of the world love dead jews. They feel that that is where jews belong....in the world to come. The nations don't have an inherent hatred towards the Jewish concept, but only as long as they are where they belong, with God in the world that was given to them. Aryans will never come to lay a wreath at a black man's grave-site but will make a great show of respecting the Auschwitz death camps. Jews are infringing upon the other nations in this world but are not necessarily intrinsically hated. 

Ultimately, Israel, having their own land, is the epitome of infringement in this phyisical world . Hence, when Bnei Yisrael don't behave as they should, God allows the nations to act upon Bnei Yisrael as they feel, and conquer Eretz Yisrael. When Bnei Yisrael continue behaving badly, God allows the nations to start eradicating Bnei Yisrael from existence even when they don't have their own land. 

When Bnei Yisrael behave the way they should and live a spiritual existence in the form of  החודש הזה לכם God then will take the land of Eretz Yisrael and give it to the Bnei Yisrael. The nations of the world will say that it's not fair, the Bnei Yisrael don't deserve two worlds, this world and the world to come. To this God answers 

אומרים להם כל הארץ של הקב"ה היא, הוא בראה ונתנה לאשר ישר בעיניו, ברצונו נתנה להם וברצונו נטלה מהם ונתנה לנ   

What God is answering them is as follows: Yes, you the nations of the world have a point, however, I created the world and I will give Eretz Yisrael to whom I choose. The reason for this is that Eretz Yisrael is also a quasi spiritual land and is becoming to a quasi spiritual people but only when they live up to their calling. Interestingly the Pasuk that was quoted earlier

אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ דֹּרֵשׁ אֹתָהּ תָּמִיד עֵינֵי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּהּ מֵרֵשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית

 שָׁנָ

states that Eretz Yisrael has a spiritual component to it and is not like all other lands on this earth. Why does it mean from the beginning of the year? 

The Pasuk is telling us as follows: This land, Eretz Yisrael,is a spiritual land and if Bnei Yisrael act in accordance with their mission and live as a spiritual nation, it will remain theirs. However if the Bnei Yisrael don't live up to that standard then God will allow the other nations to have their rightful ownership of the land because, after all, it is part of the physical creation and it has a "Shana" dimension to it. That is why the pasuk also states מֵרֵשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה. That word "Raishis" is the dimension of time that belongs to the physical world before the Torah was given to Bnei Yisrael. So what the Pasuk is saying is that Eretz Yisrael can go both ways it can be  רֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ דֹּרֵשׁ אֹתָהּ תָּמִיד

But it can also be מֵרֵשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה  both those words would connote a return to Galus for Bnai Yisrael and a return of Eretz Yisrael for those living in  a merely physical dimension