Every time I fly to Israel as we enter Israeli airspace and see the shores down below, as I am filled with gratitude, I reflect and contrast that with the story of Moses, who pleaded with G-d to be allowed into the Land of Israel, yet was not able to enter.
I think about this great spiritual leader's burning desire to enter the Land, yet alas he wasn't able to be a part of this dramatic moment for the Jewish people, and yet here we are just 11 hours of flying, and we are able to touch the hallowed ground of the Land of Israel.
I think of the thousands of stories I have read of Jewish people who made the treacherous journey to the land of Israel over the centuries, sometimes overcoming tremendous obstacles and challenges along the way, and sometimes arriving and seeing so many challenges and difficulties once they arrived.
I think of people like the Nachmanides (Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman) who arrived in the Land of Israel in 1267, and described it in a famous letter to his son as very neglected, desolate, and largely in ruins.
I think of the hundreds of Chassidic families who made the journey there with the encouragement of the founder of Chabad and in 1777 and later via his grandson in 1845 who settled in places like Jerusalem, Safed, Hebron and elsewhere and struggled with tremendous poverty but determination in their mission, as they built up the infrastructure of many Jewish communities.
What is this deep attraction and intense spiritual connection which we all feel with the Holy Land? Yes it is part of our prayers, we face Jerusalem three times a day, and we mention it at every lifecycle moment, yet it is much deeper than that. What exactly is it?
Indeed, Israel is more than just a place, it is more than just a historical homeland, it is also a spiritual home of the Jewish people, the gateway of G-d into the universe, and a place where we can spiritually maximize G-dly input into the world.
It was for this reason, that Moses wanted so deeply to come to the Land of Israel, so that he could actualize and implement G-d's vision for a land that wouldn't just be flowing with milk and honey, but also with an abundance of Mitzvot, good deeds and light to inspire the world.
It is this deep spiritual element and the spiritual history that has unfolded among the rocks, hills, valleys and old streets of the Land of Israel, which has pulled at the heartstrings and souls of the Jewish people for millennia.
Almost 200 years ago a Chasid decided he wanted to leave his home and settle in the Land of Israel to dedicate his life entirely to prayer and Torah study and he asked the third Chabad Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek for a blessing and approval for the long and dangerous journey.
The Rebbe told him in Yiddish: "Mach doh Eretz Yisroel"—meaning, "Make this place into the Land of Israel." . He explained that a person's true job in this world is to bring holiness, Torah, and mitzvot into the physical world right where they stand and imbue our surroundings with purpose, light and depth. When doing so, we are taking the concept of the Land of Israel, and creating a mini replica in the spiritual sense, right where we live.
While it does not replace the physical experience of being there, until we all get there, this story brings together so much of the spiritual longing for the Land of Israel, and a way, which we can continue to add light and impact the current day Israel from afar and also on our own local surroundings at the same time.
Israel is not just the name of a Land, it is also the name of the Jewish people the children of Israel, Am Yisrael, and also a metaphor for a way of living, in which we bring together the beautiful values and messages of the Torah and the Divine vision for the Holy Land, and give it an expression in our homes, workplace and communities.
This Shabbat is known as the Shabbat of comfort as we move on from the sadness of the 9th of Av, and we hope and pray, that G-d gives us all the strength, comfort and resilience, to march forward with our mission, despite all the naysayers, and continue making the world be the beautiful world it should and will be.
Nachamu, Nachamu Ami!
Shabbat Shalom & Good Shabbos
Yisroel