"We'll see you soon in Eretz Yisrael," Miriam called out, waving to her uncle.

"Hashleimah!" bellowed Miriam's uncle as he disappeared among the crowd of passengers on the El Al flight.

Miriam asked her mother as they drove home from the airport, "Mommy, why does Uncle Chayim always add 'hashleimah' whenever anyone mentions Eretz Yisrael?"

"You should know by now, Miriam," her mother replied smiling. "For an entire week, we have all been listening to Uncle Chayim describe how his family lives in the settlement town of Beit El."

"Yes, I know that he and all of us, too, want Eretz Yisrael to stay whole. We don't want any land to be given up. Still, why does he say it every single time?"

"Let's think, Miriam. Look at the invitation to Cousin Brachi's wedding that he left for us. What does it say after the address of the wedding hall?"

"'Yerushalayim, may it be rebuilt'," read Miriam.

"You see," her mother explained, "this is not a page of a siddur - it's only an invitation. Yet when we mention Yerushalayim, we automatically miss and yearn for the Beis HaMikdash and we immediately pray that it should be rebuilt.

"In the same way, whenever Eretz Yisrael is mentioned, Uncle Chaim - and many Jews all over the world - immediately think about the danger to the wholeness of the land. That's why they automatically add the word 'hashleimah', praying that it will be so.

"Actually, there is a similar example of this in the words of the Rambam on the first mitzvah in this week's parshah. Do you know what mitzvah is?"

"Sure, we learned it in class: the parah adumah."

"Good. Now, one of the most important works of the Rambam is his set of fourteen books called the Mishneh Torah. There he goes through every mitzvah, explaining clearly how we are supposed to fulfill each one.

"When we learn about the parah adumah in the Rambam's book we would expect to find out all the details about fulfilling this mitzvah and no more than that.

"But the Rambam surprises us. He says that there have only been nine paros adumos offered throughout history and that the tenth one will be prepared by Mashiach. As soon as the Rambam mentions Mashiach, he immediately adds, 'May he come speedily, amen, so be His will.' Here, in a Book of Halachah, we certainly do not expect to find prayers like this.

"Besides, the Rambam has a whole section specifically about Mashiach. Shouldn't such prayers be written there and not here? Here the main topic is the parah adumah and Mashiach is only mentioned in passing.

The answer to our question is that "the Rambam, is teaching us a clear halachah. A Jew must always yearn for the geulah, so much so that whenever Mashiach is mentioned, even if he is only brought up in passing, a Jew should automatically pray that he come speedily.

"At that time he will prepare the tenth parah adumah and purify all the Jews. Then we will live securely and happily in the holy atmosphere of Eretz Yisrael."

"HaShleimah!" added Miriam.

(Adapted from Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXVIII, p. 135)