A Return to the Land is a Return to One's Source


Anyone who stems from the seed of Avraham Avinu is undoubtedly from the "source of sactity" and as such, longs to return to Eretz Yisrael.  As is written in Shaar HeHatzer: 143

    It is known that the nature of all things, when they are separated or detached from their source, is to energetically and zealously strive to return to the source from whence they came.  Of the four basic elements, two - earth and water - originate here below, and the source of the other two - wind and fire - is above.  Therefore, if we wish to throw a fistful of earth or water upwards, an external force is required, as they tend to go downwards, towards their source.  But if we stand on a roof and drop them down, they will fall on their own, with no outside intervention required; in fact, the closer they get to their source, they will go faster and faster.

    On the other hand, wind and fire strive to rise, towards their source. We see this when we look at a candle burning or at any fire, or if we fill a balloon with air and put it in water, it will float upwards on its own - all because of the desire to return to its source above.

      A parallel situation exists with the Jew.  His source and origin is rooted above, while his branches are below. The early commentators explained that this is a reason for the Torah's prohibition on shaving the corners of the head [sideburns] - to teach that the source of the righteous man is above.

    We see a similar idea regarding the death of tzadikim [righteous people]. Just like the nature of all things is to strive to adhere and return to their source, so too, when the Torah mentions the death of tzadikim, it uses the word "near" (as in, 'The days of Jacob drew near to his death,' 144 ) indicating the desire and urge of the righteous people to return to their source and to draw near to their roots.

   And this is why the Patriarchs so strongly yearned to be buried in the Land of Israel, the root and source from which mankind was formed, as our Sages explained on the verse, "His earth shall atone for him" 145 - "He was born from the place of his atonement.'

  And the Patriarch Abraham, after G-d told him Lech Lecha, i.e., Go to your source in the Land of Israel, began to feel a powerful urge and desire to come to the Land, and everything he did was geared towards that end. He did not rest until he attained this goal of reaching Eretz Yisrael. As the Torah describes: 'He traveled and went southward'. 146  It is clear that the verse is telling us more than its plain meaning - for if he traveled, then he surely went!  Rather, it means to tell us that he was always traveling towards the Land, even when the rest of the world was not moving. 

  And Isaac, his son, was a "pure sacrificial offering," in that he never the left the Land at all - for it was the place of his origin and source.  The Patriarch Jacob, too, commanded his sons to return his body from Egypt to the Holy Land after his death. Jacob's son Joseph left a similar command, and Moses wanted powerfully to come to this Holy Land, as did all the Prophets after him - just as is the nature of everything to seek to return to its source.


With this in mind, we can conclude that every person who considers himself a student of the Patriarch Abraham must fulfill that which is written in Hosea, 147 "Let us know and pursue, in order to know G-d."  Like Abraham who did not rest even when everyone else was at rest, we must not let our eyes close until "we arise and ascend to Beit El," 148 the city and land of our sanctity and glory.


For Israel's dwelling in the Land of Israel is what G-d wants; it gives rest and respite to the Divine Presence, and it will bring about our salvation as quickly as possible from the Prophet's curse, "And to the Land of Israel they will not come." 149 As is explained in the Talmud: 150

"When R. Elazar left Babylonia for the Holy Land, he said,
I have been saved from one.'

Rashi explains this to mean that he was saved from "one of the curses," namely, the above-mentioned curse of not returning to the Land. The Talmud also states there that R. Zera as well, when he went to Eretz Yisrael, could not find a bridge to cross over, and so he took a board and a rope and crossed over - and all this because he feared that he would not merit the privilege of entering the Land.  In addition, when R. Zera finally reached the Land, he fasted for 100 days in order to forget what he had learned outside the Land. 151


  1. 143.Gate of the Courtyard, page 502

  2. 144.Breishit 47,29

  3. 145.Dvarim 32,43

  4. 146.Breishit 12,9

  5. 147.6,3

  6. 148.Breishit 35,3

  7. 149.Ezekiel 13

  8. 150.Ketubot 112a

  9. 151.Bava Metzia page 85a






FOOTNOTES

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