The Centrality of Eretz Yisrael to Am Yisrael

Over the past two years, Tehilla has given me the opportunity to share with you divrei Torah on the centrality of Eretz Yisrael to Am Yisrael. In over a hundred articles, I have tried to demonstrate that Eretz Yisrael is where the Jewish people belong (especially during these exciting yet trying times) and the only place where a Jew can truly reach spiritual perfection (which, after all, is our goal in life, or at least it should be).

This week's d'var Torah will be the last in this series. Tehilla is now putting its efforts into publishing a monthly (and eventually maybe even more frequent) pamphlet containing several articles on the centrality of Eretz Yisrael to Am Yisrael, called Midrash Eretz Yisrael. Four editions were already distributed last year in synagogues throughout the world. These articles will also be posted on the web site.

I hope that people have enjoyed my articles and, more importantly, have internalized their message – that is, the Torah's message.

Several months ago, after the second edition of Midrash Eretz Yisrael came out, the Tehilla office received the following email:

Dear Sirs,

I wince every time I read of attempts to make Eretz Yisrael central to Am Yisrael. There are only two things which we must make central to Am Yisrael: G-d and the Torah. Everything else is secondary. Jews worship the deity, not rocks.

As Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch taught, Eretz Yisrael is a means to an end, not the end itself.

Neither are we "nationalists." The people of Israel have a mission to spread the message of monotheism and morality to the world. Let's do so, but not be egotistical about it.

I have wanted to respond to this for quite some time now, but have not had the opportunity. Unfortunately, I still do not have the time to write a full rejoinder, but I would nevertheless like to make a few points (some of which are connected to the parashah). This will also serve as a synopsis of sorts of the past two years' divrei Torah.

Sir: (The writer actually gave his name, but I chose to keep it anonymous for obvious reasons),

It could be that there is no argument here, and that the only point of debate is how to define the word "central." If you understand "central" to mean the most important aspect of our religion, I fully agree that Eretz Yisrael is not more important than Torah or belief in G-d. I also agree that we should not worship rocks. The problem is that the word "central" usually means "principal" or "dominant," to quote Webster's dictionary. And if you do not agree that Eretz Yisrael is a principal component of our religion, you are either ignorant or very misguided.

Every single parashah in the Torah mentions Eretz Yisrael in some way, as I have demonstrated over the past two years. Granted, sometimes the references are weak, but the vast majority of parshiot mention the Land explicitly and extol its special qualities. You must wince an awful lot when we read Sefer BeReishit, where there is hardly a section in which Eretz Yisrael is not mentioned and praised. Almost every time HaShem spoke to our forefathers, He promised them the Land. I hope for your sake that you do not study these parshiot in depth, because you must get very aggravated reading some of the commentaries. And what about Sefer Devarim, which we are now reading? There is hardly a verse in which Moshe Rabbeinu does not remind the Jewish people that they are entering the Promised Land where they will be able to serve G-d to the fullest.

For example, this week's parashah states: When the L-rd your G-d will cut down the nations which you come to drive them out from before you, you shall drive them out and dwell in their Land (Devarim 12:29). The Midrash Sifrei comments on this verse:

Once, R. Yehudah ben Beteira, R. Matya ben Charash, R. Chanina son of the brother of R. Yehoshua, and R. Yonatan were leaving the Land. They reached Paltum (a place in Chutz LaAretz) and remembered Eretz Yisrael. They lifted their eyes; their tears began to flow; they tore their garments, and they read this verse, You shall drive them out and dwell in their Land. Then, they returned to their place and said, "Dwelling in Eretz Yisrael is equal to all the mitzvot of the Torah."

(The Midrash goes on to tell an almost identical story involving R. Elazar ben Shamu'a and R. Yochanan HaSandlar, who left Eretz Yisrael to learn Torah under R. Yehudah ben Beteira.)

Answer me my friend, how can something which is, according to the Midrash "equal to all other mitzvoth" not be considered central to Judaism? Chazal say the same thing about only a handful of mitzvot: Sabbath observance, Torah study, the negation of idolatry, brit milah, tzitzit, acts of kindness, and charity. Is Shabbat the most important aspect of Judaism? No. Should one worship the day of rest? Of course not. Is it central to Judaism? Absolutely (see Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 31 and 32). Now tell me, if someone were to put out a monthly publication about the importance of Sabbath observance or chesed would you write them and say, "I wince every time I read of attempts to make Shabbat or chesed central to Judaism"? There are many such publications on the severity of Lashon HaRa, even though it is not in the list of mega-mitzvot. Do you wince every time you read them? Perhaps, in your opinion, the Chafetz Chayim put a little too much emphasis on this mitzvah. After all, it isn't G-d or Torah. My point is, just because something is not THE most important aspect of Judaism does not mean that it is bad to emphasize its importance and stress its centrality to our religion.

In terms of Rav Hirsch: I am not an expert in his writings, but let us assume that he is right – Eretz Yisrael is a means to an end. And what is that end? Serving G-d and keeping the Torah. That itself makes Eretz Yisrael central to our religion, because this is the only place where a Jew can keep all the mitzvot and serve G-d to the utmost. Besides the Land-related mitzvot, which can only be kept here, we have pointed out many times that all 613 mitzvot are more meaningful and on a higher level when kept in G-d's Chosen Land. This idea is repeated again in parashat Re'eh.

Regarding the mitzvah of charity (which is equal to all other mitzvot), the Torah states, If there shall be a pauper among you, one of your brethren in one of your gates [i.e. cities], in your Land that the L-rd your G-d gives you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand against your destitute brother (Devarim 15:7). Rabbeinu Bachya explains that even though charity is not a Land-related mitzvah, the Torah is alluding here to the fact that it, and every other divine commandment, is more "at home" in the Land that the L-rd your G-d gives you. See Rabbeinu Bachya inside (be warned, however, that it might make you wince).

As I said, I am not an expert on Rav Hirsch's writings, but what about all the other gedolei Yisrael throughout the generations who emphasized the centrality of Eretz Yisrael to Am Yisrael? Some examples: The Rambam claims that if no Jews lived in Eretz Yisrael the Jewish people would, in effect, be considered destroyed, G-d forbid (Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandment # 153). R. Ya'akov Emden calls Eretz Yisrael "The peg upon which the entire Torah hangs" (Sullam Beit Ya'akov, his introduction to the Siddur). The Or HaChayim HaKadosh writes that "dwelling in the Land is a mitzvah that encompasses the entire Torah" (Devarim 30:20). The Abarbanel states, "It is impossible for the Jewish nation to reach perfection anywhere outside the Chosen Land" (Yeshayah 5). R. Yosef Chayim Sonnenfeld told his grandson, who was offered a rabbinical post in Europe (where he would make a decent salary and be able to spend more time learning Torah), "I feel that being a laborer in Eretz Yisrael is greater than being a Rav in Chutz LaAretz" (Guardian of Jerusalem, p. 244). Sounds pretty "central" to me.

Last point: "Neither are we nationalists." The time has come for us to realize that "nationalism" and "Zionism" are not dirty words. Just because Gentiles and secular Jews espoused these ideals does not make them intrinsically bad. Like everything else in the physical world, if they are imbued with sanctity, they can be elevated to a higher realm. Besides which, G-d is a Zionist, as it says, The Lord has chosen Zion; He desired it for His dwelling place (Tehillim 132:13).

Please forgive me if I have made you uncomfortable with this article, but I wince every time I read or hear negative comments about G-d's Special Land, especially from people who obviously know very little about the topic.