Rabbi Moshe P. Weisblum

Every nation believes in its own land that was inherited from the ancestors of the people. The land is not just the place where the children of that nation live, but it is also the existential source of their national pride. It is an uplifted nation, and the children of that nation are ready and willing to do anything for their homeland. The tradition, the folklore and the essence of the social life of a nation are always connected to the beauty of the nature and geography of their said homeland.

According to Rabbi Kook, in his renown book The Light of Holiness the ideal penitent, one who reaches the highest level of closeness to G-d, is one who physically dwells in The Holy Land. This person is fulfilling the commandment of living in Israel, building up the land, and developing something beautiful where there once was nothing. This person is fighting for the existence of Israel. Even if a person living in Israel is not fulfilling some of the Mitzvot, Rabbi Kook considers this person merit a high level of spirituality and closeness to G-d. Rabbi Kook bridged the gap between secular and religious Jews. In his mind, those who call themselves secular Jews, but are fighting for the homeland, developing the area and living there are in the upper levels of holiness because they are fulfilling the commandment of G-d to build the Holy Land.

Now you see the nation of Israel, who according to man is the ancient nation. He who is connected to his homeland is not only connected emotionally, but he is connected through a commitment that is expressed through many commandments that cannot be fulfilled without physically living in the Holy Land. Rabbi Judah HaLevi, in his famous book, Kuzari, wrote about the special value of the Holy Land. His description was that the basic existence of spiritual afflictions depends upon the act of physically living in the Holy Land. Even if one follows the Torah and its commandments, the execution of the commandments will never be perfect until he is physically living in the Holy Land. On the contrary, the great surprise here is that the nation of Israel, historically speaking, did not physically dwell in its own homeland for many years. During most centuries, the Jewish nation was a wandering nation, with people scattered, and moving from one land to another. They were dispersed and they meandered around the world.

Professor Gershon Shelon reveals in his book, On the Mystical Idea of the G-dhead, the fact that a religious Jew tries to please G-d by praying three times every day, blowing the great Shofar for our redemption, and reciting the blessing for the miracle of the ingathering of our exile as well as the blessings after meals, "Master of the Universe, have compassion on Israel, the Holy land and the Holy city of Jerusalem." In the Jewish tradition there are many customs written with the goal of commemorating the sorrow and the bitterness of the time that the Jews spent in exile. Even at the highest and most joyful time, the time of a wedding, the Jewish custom emphasizes that deep in our hearts we should feel a sense of loss and be reminded that Jerusalem and the Holy Temple need to be rebuilt. A newly married groom breaks a glass under the canopy to commemorate the sadness of the destruction of the Temple.

This idea is expressed greatly in the book of Esther, Chapter 3, when Haman said to the King Achashverosh, "There is a nation that is dispersed among all the nations." Even Yehudah HaLevi, wrote in his poem that is recited on the 9^th of Av, "Zion did you ask for your prisoners, your people who look for you all the time, from North to South, East to West?" Therefore, Rabbi Kook asks the question that if it is so important to be in the Holy Land and there is such great sorrow for the Jewish people to be in exile, why do so many Jews live in exile outside of their homeland?

While we research in the books, The Light of Holiness, and the Light of Penitence, as well as the book Kuzari, we come to the conclusion that even a great hardship and sorrow such as exile with its bitterness is a reality that has a clear purpose. Only after the mission of living in The Holy Land is fulfilled will we be able to get a vivid picture. At that time the exile will be finished and the redemption will come. But as long as we are in the midst of the process of gathering the Jews from the four corners of the earth and fighting for the independence of the State of Israel, our ability to see the world and the future vividly are almost impossible. Dealing with our enemies who are trying to drive us out of the Holy Land and kill us is a step in the process of redemption. Only when we are living in Israel with a common purpose and goal, will we be able to see the complete picture and experience redemption.

In order to understand the meaning and purpose of the exile, Rabbi Kook opened his thoughts with the clarification of two points: Living in Israel is foundational and crucial to the meaning of the Nation of Israel and the important meaning of establishing and developing the Holy Land. The land of Israel, and the people, were (according to many Biblical quotes and accounts) the nation that the Creator designated to complete and carry out a very special and unique mission. This part is repeated in the Bible in numerous places (i.e., Exodus, Chapter 18).

The main idea is that the nation of Israel, while it might have some privileges, still carries a heavy responsibility to fulfill the commandments and follow the path of the Torah. This is the basic condition of becoming a Holy People, "If you listen to my word and my ordinances and my covenant, and you keep my commandments, you shall be a Holy Nation." (Exodus, Chapter 18) To eschew expectations, Rabbi Kook explained the meaning of the creation and put things in subsequent order, as follows: the creation is built upon four foundations, or elements--fire, air, water and dust. And it is divided into two different creatures, at their different levels. The lowest level comes from the four elements, which are the immovable objects, the higher are the growing things and the animals, and the highest is the human being. Upon the human being there are those who are selected to be the prophets, priests and leaders of the Nation, directly as the Bible approves by the omnipotent power. This is the reason why on Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the year, while all the creatures of the world went through G-d, like a shepherd who was checking on his flock, He determined who should live and who should not. This is the reason, according to Rabbi Kook, who followed up the Kuzari, and the Maharal, why we have the order of the prayer. First, we have a prayer called, "Bring your omnipotent power upon all the creatures," which is the prayer that applies to all the creatures of the world. Then we have a special prayer for all the nations, "Our house will be a house for all the nations," and we have another prayer, for the nation of Israel, "The respect to the nation of Israel." This means that other nations respected them. We also have a special prayer for the righteous, "And at the end of the day, the righteous will dance and be full of gladness when they see G-d’s glory and majesty and His divine presence spread around the world."

Therefore, when the nation of Israel sinned and rebelled against G-d, it was not only hurting them mentally and physically, but it also caused a terrible deterioration and destruction for the entire world. And the influence that the nation of Israel had upon the world is crucial according to Rabbi Kook. This means that when the nation of Israel rebels against God and commits an abomination, the entire world pays a price. Rabbi Kook called this credence, with the belief that there is a strong correlation between the actions that the Israelites have as a nation and as individuals in conjunction with the entire world’s activities and the state of being. In reality, says Rabbi Kook, the fulfillment of the Mitzvot is important not only for our building and upholding Judaism as individuals, but also for the entire Israeli society. Honoring the beliefs of Sa’adia and Rambam, he made a distinction between the commandments that are rational and logical and the commandments that we fulfill without understanding. The commandments that are logical, Rabbi Kook says, guide our ethical and moral behavior. This is especially true of those commandments that apply to the relationships between man and man and which bring justice and remove evil behavior. It provides basic order and justice to society by imposing a judicial system. Any society can fall apart if it doesn’t distinguish between right and wrong behavior and it doesn’t impose a system that pursues justice.

To the nation of Israel, the observance of the traditions and commandments makes the people become more closely connected to G-d. This will aid in their striving to reach the point that Isaiah prognosticated in his illustration, "At the end of the Day, He appointed, and He said, ‘Israel, I am proud.’"

Therefore at the beginning of the Torah, Rashi explains that the word "Bereshit" in the beginning, is divided into two sections. The numerical value of the letter Bet is two and it applies to two entities, the nation of Israel and its Creator. The word "Bereshit" has two parts: The first letter of the word is "Bet", which is the numerical value of two. The rest of the word, "Raysheet," means beginning. Rashi said that the whole world was created for the merit of two entities called "Raysheet" (beginning). One is the nation of Israel, which is called "Raysheet Tevuato," meaning that it is the beginning of the fruit of the field. The second is the Torah that is called "Raysheet Kinyano", meaning the beginning of G-d’s possession. This is a metaphor of the two entities for which the world is created, according to Rashi. Rabbi Kook added that just as the heart is the main part of the body and the rest of the body cannot function without the heart, Israel, with its spirituality and abundance of expression of the glory of G-d, is spread throughout the world. The nation of the Israel is the vessel through which G-d sends his blessings all over the world. This is why the prophet Amos said that "Only you I knew (the nation of Israel) from all the inhabitants of the world and therefore I am requesting and expecting you to be the ray of light for all the nations." This means that because there is a very special connection between the Jewish people and G-d, G-d has special restrictions and requirements for their behavior. Rabbi Kook said that only by Israel’s fulfilling the Mitzvot will there be peace in the world. Rabbi Joseph Silber, a prolific speaker and disciple of Rabbi Kook, now one of the teachers in Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem, said, "A student who is here at the Yeshiva, who sits and studies Torah, and fulfills the Mitzvot while living in Israel affects someone else in South Africa, France, United States and everywhere else in the world. There is a very strong relationship between my deed as a Jew who physically lives in Israel and what happens to another human being in the world. The actions of the Jews impact upon the rest of the world. The perfect Jew is not just one who is following the Mitzvot, but rather one who is physically living in Israel, building up the land, and developing the country while following the Mitzvot and studying Torah. Every deed that every Jew does in any place has an effect upon the rest of the world. Moreover, Rabbi Kook said that if someone wants to climb up the ladder of personal levels of spirituality and he or she wants the special and unique atmosphere, this person can achieve it only by being in Israel. The inspiration of the prophets can take place only in Israel. According to Rabbi Kook, Jonah ran away from Israel because he felt that he would not have prophecy outside of the Holy Land. By no longer acting like a prophet, he felt he could escape the responsibilities that G-d had placed upon him. Regarding the question of why some of the biblical characters had prophecy outside of Israel, i.e., Abraham in Haran, Rabbi Kook said that if you examine the text carefully, you will see that every prophecy is connected to the Holy Land. The prophecy for Abraham was given in order for him to follow the commandment of going to the Holy Land. The best example of connection between G-d and the Holy Land is in the Book of Deuteronomy, 11:12, "A land that the Lord Your G-d seeks you; the eyes of the Lord your G-d are always upon it from the beginning of the year to year’s end." Therefore, Rabbi Kook concluded with Talmudical sources that only in the Holy Land are we allowed to build an altar and make a sacrificial offering. Jews living outside of Israel were not allowed to build an altar with incense or make a ritual offering to G-d.

Because the land of Israel is the center of the world, Adam, the first man, made the order of the days and time with the beginning point being in the Holy Land. Therefore, every Shabbat or Holiday we follow the times that were established in Israel. Messengers were sent all over the world to notify people of the holidays. That is why outside of Israel the Yom Tovim are always two days rather than just one day.

This is the reason, according to Rabbi Kook, that our ancestors made an arduous effort to live in the Holy Land. Moses is an example of someone who pleaded and begged G-d to let him go to Israel, even just to visit. At the end of days the Sanhedrin, the court system and the ways of teaching will begin with Israel. The words of Isaiah in Chapter 2, verse 3, "Ki Mitzion Tetze Torah Udvar Hashem Meyerushalayim", "For from Zion will the Torah come forth and the word of G-d from Jerusalem."

Rabbi Kook said that living in the Holy Land is a special "zechut" or merit that depends upon the spiritual level of the nation of Israel. He used many biblical quotations such as Deuteronomy 4:25, "When you beget children and grandchildren and will have been long in the land you will grow corrupt and make a carved image and you will do evil in the eyes of the Lord your G-d to anger Him. I appoint heaven and earth this day to bear witness against you that you will surely perish quickly from the land to which you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You shall not have lengthy days upon it for you will be destroyed." Another example is Deuteronomy 29:23, " And all the nations of the world will say, "For what reason did the Lord do so to this land? Why this wroth, this great anger?" And they will say "Because they forsook the covenant of the Lord G-d of their forefathers that he sealed with them when He took them out of the land of Egypt. . . ." So G-d’s anger flared against the land to bring upon it the entire curse that is written in this book "And the Lord removed them from upon their soil with anger and he cast them to another land as this very day." From this Rabbi Kook concluded that even the Holy Land is the idealistic place to fulfill Mitzvot, but the expectations for Jews are very high. G-d expects the Jews to be role models for the rest of the world. Rav Meshulom Dvir explained in his article, "The Philosophy of Rabbi Kook" that the heart has a sense and feeling of all the situations of the human body. When someone is feeling happiness, anger, sadness, excitement and other emotions, it comes from the heart. The other parts of the body are not as sensitive to pain when someone experiences a strong emotion. This is the reason why Rabbi Kook emphasizes the heart. The heart must be the healthiest part of the body, according to Rabbi Kook. When we speak positively of someone, we describe that person as being a warmhearted person, having a kind heart, or having a heart of gold. One of the mistakes that the people of Israel made was that they tried to be like the other nations, to follow their customs and way of life, losing their own identity and the special connection to G-d. He quote Deuteronomy Chapter 7, "You shall not make a covenant with the other nations or follow their gods." The reason for the Jews being in exile is part of a trial which expresses the interaction and love between G-d and the Jewish people despite the fact that they are in exile. The fact that a Jew remains faithful to G-d in spite of living with persecution, bigotry and hatred from many nations is the source of the strength and endurance of Israel. The exile is a part of returning to the connection. Rav Dvir explained Rabbi Kook’s ideas with the allegory of a seed that is planted. When you first look at the seed, it looks miniscule, as though it will never become anything great. Over time, however, if that seed is nurtured, it can grow into a beautiful living thing. The nation of Israel, while they are living in exile, is similar to the seed. If you look at the nation of Israel’s temporary situation, you will think that there is no future. However, in reality, it is a part of building the architecture and structure of unity of the people of Israel and their special relationship to G-d. The prophet Isaiah says in Chapter 2, verse 7 that at the end of the day all the Jewish people will grow and flourish and they will deeply appreciate the roots, the ancestors that they came from. Even so, the exile is a temporary situation and a Jew should never feel content to remain in exile. We should not get too comfortable with our lives outside of the land of Israel. For example, Mordechai from Megillat Esther, Chapter 3, v. 7 was mentioned five times in one verse as a Jew who lived in exile. The word "Galut" exile is mentioned five times in this verse. Mordechai always remembered that he was in exile and this was the secret of his survival and success. The nation of Israel in exile should feel all the time that the hand of G-d is purifying them and any sorrow or calamity should be accepted with devotion to G-d. Jews should constantly pray to return to the Holy Land, because their sorrow comes from not physically being there.

Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi said in The Kuzari, "We are too long in exile, but the divine providence is always with us and we are in the process of getting close to the very end of the day."

Rabbi Kook quoted the words of the wise King Solomon in the Song of Songs Chapter 3, "I am sleeping and my heart is awake." The exile put us to sleep, according to Rabbi Kook. But, our senses and our heart feel the need to live in Israel. However, we are too lethargic. He quotes Deuteronomy 30: "And you will return to the Lord your G-d and you will listen to Him with all your heart and all your soul and G-d will return to you with mercy and ingathering all of you together to the Holy Land that your forefathers possessed.

G-d and His precepts and strives to live in the Holy Land, the more that he or she will be worthy of being there. The idealistic situation is that a person is physically there. I find similarities between Professor Abraham Joshua Heschel and Rav Kook by the mechanism of need for dialogue between G-d and the Jewish people and vice versa. Heschel pointed out this idea in his book, "G-d in Search of Man." He notes that we have a need for direct communication with G-d and this communication will achieve the highest level of relationship to our creator when we dwell in the Holy Land of Israel.

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