|
April 23, 2010
Why Israel is inspiring
Land of milk and honey is “the gate to heaven.”
RABBI SHMUEL YESHAYAHU
I always hear about people coming back from Israel totally inspired. What is so special about Israel that it touches some people so deeply?
In many ways, Israel just seems like any other country. And yet, it isn’t. Charles Krauthammer wrote: “Israel is the very embodiment of Jewish continuity: it is the only nation on earth that inhabits the same land, bears the same name, speaks the same language and worships the same G-d that it did 3,000 years ago. You dig the soil and you find pottery from Davidic times, coins from Bar Kokhba, and 2,000-year-old scrolls written in a script remarkably like the one that today advertises ice cream at the corner candy store.”
Israel is always referred to as the Holy Land. But what does it mean to be holy? In Judaism, the word holy connotes something that stands apart. Something that is different because it is designated to a specific task.
Israel is a place that holds a distinctive purpose. As opposed to what some people might believe, the Jewish connection to the land of Israel is not the result of the Holocaust. Four thousand years ago, G-d told Abraham seven times, and then Isaac and Jacob too, that this is the land that He has given us. Four thousand years is two times longer than Christianity and three times more than Islam’s connection to the land.
But why did Jews merit the land and what is the unique quality it possesses?
First let’s understand the quality that makes Israel unique.
In the Torah, it says that Israel is a land flowing with milk and honey. We’re so used to hearing that description but did you ever wonder why specifically these two foods are mentioned here?
There is one interpretation that honey and milk both contain paradoxes. Honey is kosher even though it’s produced by a non-kosher insect, and milk is kosher although we can’t eat it together with meat from which it came because we can’t eat milk and meat together. These paradoxes teach us that Israel itself has unexpected and paradoxical characteristics. (The story of the Jewish nation is also full of unexpected and paradoxical stories, all contributing to our survival over centuries.)
What are these characteristics of Israel? In kabbalah, it is explained that the world we live in is split into two parts: the matter and the spirit. There is the outer and visible layer (the body or container) that is material, and there is the inner and hidden layer (the soul or the spiritual). Matter and spirit are like two sides of the same coin except that one side is easily visible while the other side is hidden. The challenge is to live a life of integration, one where we are aware of both and make peace between body and soul so that both can interact harmoniously.
The uniqueness of Israel, says kabbalah, is that it is the one place on earth that G-d designated to be the land that bridges body and spirit. It is the one place in the universe with access to both sides of the coin. This makes Israel the holiest place.
In Genesis 28:17, Jacob calls Israel “the gate to heaven.” That makes it the spiritual centre of the universe.
What is the connection between the people of Israel (Jews) and the land of Israel? Actually, Israel is the only instance where the land and the nation have the same name. Jacob was named Yisrael after he fought with the angel. It says: “Hereafter you will be named Yisrael, for you have battled with the Divine and with man and you have prevailed.” (Genesis 32:29)
As the land of Israel is the one place on earth that connects between heaven and earth, so too, were we given the honor of safeguarding Israel because Jacob struggled with G-d (heaven) and people (earth) and prevailed. Jacob also was able to have the two to coexist.
The description of Israel as the land flowing with milk and honey reminds us of the purpose of Israel – the land and the nation – to create a harmonious existence between the physical and spiritual worlds. When Jews visit Israel, they often feel inspired because they can sense they are in the place that is the bridge to heaven.
The important thing to keep in mind is that the inspiration fades if it isn’t grounded – because it has an external source, unless it’s channeled, it dissipates. On the other hand, if it is integrated into one’s life, then it will be permanent.
Israel is a central part of our existence as the people of Israel and it is a positive thing for Jews of all ages to create an attachment with the country that is theirs, no matter where in the world they live.
Rabbi Shmulik Yeshayahu is head of the Ohel Ya’akov Community Kollel. He wrote this article with Deena Levenstein, a freelance writer living in Jerusalem. Her website is habitza.com.
^TOP
|
