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The mitzvot dependent upon the Land are first and foremost mitzvot that are national in scope: the mitzva to establish Jewish sovereignty in the Land and to settle it; the mitzva to form an army to defend the nation and the Land, and the mitzva to establish a government which can improve society and the economy. Other national mitzvot are the mitzva to build the Temple and the many mitzvot connected to Temple ritual, such as the mitzvot pertaining to the priests and Levites, the cities of refuge, the laws of purity and impurity, and many others.
Another mitzva of national importance is to establish a complete system of justice in the Land of Israel, including a High Court of seventy-one sages, courts of twenty-three, and courts of three in every city and neighborhood. A police force to enforce the law is an intrinsic part of the justice system. Only the High Court located in the Land is authorized to sanctify the months and intercalate the years, thus establishing the dates of the Jewish holidays. Additionally, only ordained judges have the authority to judge cases in all areas of Jewish law, and this ordination can take place only in the Land of Israel. Nevertheless, even in exile there is a mitzva to establish a basic judicial system, to the extent necessary to keep the Jewish community functioning.
