Chapter 39
The Rishonim Made Aliyah With Tremendous Self-Sacrifice
page 73:
Throughout the generations, the Jewish People's greatest rabbis and sages longed to ascend to Zion, even though the very voyage alone was a great danger. The few who merited to settle in the Land suffered greatly; "bread of affliction and water of pressure" was their lot, and their lives were in constant danger from the resident non-Jews who took every opportunity to attack the few Jews there. And yet, despite the great hardships, they turned their backs on the luxuries of the other lands, and chose to reside in the Land of Israel.
Returning the Stolen Object
Everyone to whom G-d has given a share in the Hidden Wisdom knows and understands that the longing to frequent Hashem's courtyards in the Land of Israel stems from a clear knowledge of the truth – namely, that whoever dwells outside the Land, even though he might fulfill the entire Torah, is still deficient in the critical commandment of Teshuva, repentance. This is based on the inner, hidden meaning of the verse:
והשיב את הגזלה אשר גזל
He must return the stolen object (g'zeilah) that he stole. 163 The Torah uses the word g'zeilah, and not gezel, turning our attention to the extra letter heh at the end of the word. It means that for as long as Israel is still in Exile, then the Divine Presence - alluded to be the heh - is with them in Exile. Therefore, each and every Jew must return to the Land in order to fulfill the command of "returning the stolen object" - that is, restoring Hashem to the Land.
All the tragedies and difficulties that the Nation of Israel has experienced throughout the Exile stem from this sin, as the Zohar writes: 164
Rabi Shimon clapped his hands and cried, and said, 'Woe unto me if I reveal this secret, but woe unto me if I do not, for my friends will then lose the chance to know it. The verse 165 states: Aha [Woe], L-rd G-d, will You then make a full end of the remnant of Israel? What is the word Aha, and what is the explanation of full end? The secret is that when the lower-level letter heh of G-d's Name – signifying royalty – is banished from the Royal Palace (via the Destruction of the Holy Temple), then the upper-level letter heh of G-d's Name – signifying wisdom – cannot receive the blessings from on high. This is alluded to by the word Aha [a corrupted form of G-d's Name].
This special teaching from the mouth of the holy Rabi Shimon bar Yochai has to arouse anyone who has an understanding heart to see and know the ultimate result of dwelling outside the Land. It must also arouse him to realize that by returning to the Land, we are returning the stolen letter heh to its place, and connecting it with the other three letters in G-d's Name, making it complete, and eradicating the name of Amalek. And whoever studied even a bit of the Concealed Wisdom [Kabbalah] knows that the entire Holy Zohar is built on this fundamental concept. 166
All the troubles and tribulations that come upon Israel in particular, and upon the world in general, stem from this sin – the sin of our dwelling outside the Land of Israel. As is written in the Holy Zohar: 167 Rav Yehuda said: We have learned that from the day the Holy Temple was destroyed, there has not been a day without strong anger in judgment. Why is this? As we learned: Rav Yudai said in the name of Rav Yeisa: G-d vowed that He would not enter the Upper Jerusalem until Israel enter the lower Jerusalem – and for this [the Jewish People not being in the Land], angry judgment is in the world.
This is because it is impossible to unite the worlds anywhere but in the Land of Israel, and especially in Jerusalem, which is the "secret of the face." 168
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163.Vayikra 5, 23
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164.Acharei Mot page 74b
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165.Yechezkel 11,13
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166.See also the Zohar, Raya Mehemna, Parashat Naso 122a, regarding the commandment of Repentance
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167.Vayikra 15b
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168.As is written in Etz Chaim, Gate Anach, end of Chapter . See also Zohar Emor page 93b
FOOTNOTES
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