Rabbi Yasa said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Israel: My children, open for Me one opening of repentance like the sharp point of a needle, and I will open for you openings that wagons and carriages enter through”. Shir HaShirim Rabbah (Chapter 5)
This ancient teaching by Rabbi Yasa is more than a spiritual instruction; it is a practical formula for reclaiming and expanding territorial boundaries. At its heart lies the principle that national strengthening and the expansion of borders always begin with a small point of determination, which gradually transforms into a wide path of settlement and establishing facts on the ground. This is precisely the story of Sa-Nur—a point in the heart of Northern Samaria that refused to be erased and became a lever for expanding the Jewish hold on the Land of Israel.
The Hole of a Needle in the Heart of Samaria
In 2005, with the implementation of the Disengagement Plan, it seemed as though the retreating border line had been sealed. Sa-Nur, the artists’ village that dominated the Dothan Valley, was evacuated and destroyed, and the Jewish presence in Northern Samaria was reduced to a narrow crack. For many, this was the end, but for those who kept a “hole of a needle” of loyalty to the land in their hearts, the expulsion was merely the starting point for a broader return.
For twenty years, the “opening like the hole of a needle” was the unwavering persistence of the pioneers: the repeated ascents to the ruins, the prayers in the fortress, and the uncompromising public struggle to repeal the Disengagement Law. These were small steps that seemed almost futile against the political reality. Yet, as Rabbi Yasa taught: G-d does not demand the entire space from us in a single day; He demands the first crack in the wall.
From the First Caravan to the Expansion of Borders
On the 28th Adar 5786, twenty years after the expulsion, we are witnessing the transition from the narrow opening to the “wagons and carriages.” The placement of dozens of caravans (mobile homes) in Sa-Nur this morning (March 17, 2026) by the Samaria Regional Council and the Amana movement is the physical realization of expanding the borders.
This is no longer just a dream; it is the establishment of new-old boundaries:
- Regulated Construction: The approval of the master plan for 126 housing units in Sa-Nur transforms the isolated point into a broad permanent settlement.
- Strategic Infrastructure: The completion of the Silat bypass road and the preparation of infrastructure allow for an organized, large-scale return.
- National Rectification: As Council Head Yossi Dagan stated: “We are coming home.” This return is not just to a specific point, but a significant expansion of the living space and security of the State of Israel in Northern Samaria.
Minister Bezalel Smotrich summarized it as “erasing the shame of the expulsion and resettling the land anew.” The transition from the narrow crack of struggle to the wide gateway of caravan convoys and bulldozers proves that a small human effort—the first step of “returning” to the land—invites territorial growth that transcends initial planning.
Conclusion
Sa-Nur in 5786 (2026) is living testimony that whoever dares to open a needle-sized hole of hope will merit seeing caravans of families expanding the borders of the land. The call “Open for me” is now answered by reality on the ground: the land is opening, the borders are expanding, and Jewish life is safely flowing back into the heart of Samaria.