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Equality is another value which results from God having created all people in the divine image.
Ultimately, all land belongs to God. In the case of the Land of Israel, God promised it to the Jews and commanded that it be distributed equally among all the Jews who left Egypt. (Dividing the land equally among the Jews rather than among all human beings is similar to the way things work on the individual level. When a person dies, the estate is divided equally among the children rather than among all other relatives.)
In the past, over 90% of people made their living from agriculture. Since land was the primary means of production, dividing it equally created an equal starting point for all. This equality applied to all the Jews who had suffered in Egypt. Each was entitled to an equal part in the land God gave His nation. Just as the right to land is shared by all of a nation’s members, so are mutual responsibilities, such as serving in the army and paying taxes.
