Israel Sources

(1) When God began to create heaven and earth—

(31) Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and they set out together from Ur of the Chaldeans for the land of Canaan; but when they had come as far as Haran, they settled there.

I assign the land you sojourn in to you and your offspring to come, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting holding. I will be their God.”

I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the region of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

(1) And the LORD spoke unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying: (2) Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When you come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.

But the land must not be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is Mine; you are but strangers resident with Me.

(16) Those were the names of the men whom Moses sent to scout the land; but Moses changed the name of Hosea son of Nun to Joshua. (17) When Moses sent them to scout the land of Canaan, he said to them, “Go up there into the Negeb and on into the hill country, (18) and see what kind of country it is. Are the people who dwell in it strong or weak, few or many? (19) Is the country in which they dwell good or bad? Are the towns they live in open or fortified? (20) Is the soil rich or poor? Is it wooded or not? And take pains to bring back some of the fruit of the land.”—Now it happened to be the season of the first ripe grapes.

The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying: You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Start out and make your way to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, the hill country, the Shephelah, the Negeb, the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and the Lebanon, as far as the Great River, the river Euphrates. See, I place the land at your disposal. Go, take possession of the land that the LORD swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to assign to them and to their heirs after them.

For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with streams and springs and fountains issuing from plain and hill; a land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey; a land where you may eat food without stint, where you will lack nothing; a land whose rocks are iron and from whose hills you can mine copper. When you have eaten your fill, give thanks to the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you.

It is a land which the LORD your God looks after, on which the LORD your God always keeps His eye, from year’s beginning to year’s end. If, then, you obey the commandments that I enjoin upon you this day, loving the LORD your God and serving Him with all your heart and soul, I will grant the rain for your land in season, the early rain and the late. You shall gather in your new grain and wine and oil—

(31) For you are about to cross the Jordan to enter and possess the land that the LORD your God is assigning to you. When you have occupied it and are settled in it, (32) take care to observe all the laws and rules that I have set before you this day.

When all these things befall you—the blessing and the curse that I have set before you—and you take them to heart amidst the various nations to which the LORD your God has banished you, and you return to the LORD your God, and you and your children heed His command with all your heart and soul, just as I enjoin upon you this day, then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and take you back in love. He will bring you together again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the world, from there the LORD your God will gather you, from there He will fetch you. And the LORD your God will bring you to the land that your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will make you more prosperous and more numerous than your fathers.

(3) And the many peoples shall go and say: “Come, Let us go up to the Mount of the LORD, To the House of the God of Jacob; That He may instruct us in His ways, And that we may walk in His paths.” For instruction shall come forth from Zion, The word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

(1) A song of ascents. When the LORD restores the fortunes of Zion —we see it as in a dream— (2) our mouths shall be filled with laughter, our tongues, with songs of joy. Then shall they say among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them!” (3) The LORD will do great things for us and we shall rejoice. (4) Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like watercourses in the Negeb. (5) They who sow in tears shall reap with songs of joy. (6) Though he goes along weeping, carrying the seed-bag, he shall come back with songs of joy, carrying his sheaves.

(1) By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat, sat and wept, as we thought of Zion. (2) There on the poplars we hung up our lyres, (3) for our captors asked us there for songs, our tormentors, for amusement, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” (4) How can we sing a song of the LORD on alien soil? (5) If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither; (6) let my tongue stick to my palate if I cease to think of you, if I do not keep Jerusalem in memory even at my happiest hour. (7) Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem’s fall; how they cried, “Strip her, strip her to her very foundations!” (8) Fair Babylon, you predator, a blessing on him who repays you in kind what you have inflicted on us; (9) a blessing on him who seizes your babies and dashes them against the rocks!

(1) Of David. A psalm. The earth is the LORD’s and all that it holds, the world and its inhabitants.

Additionally, it was taught in a baraita with regard to affliction: Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: The Holy One, Blessed be He, gave Israel three precious gifts, all of which were given only by means of suffering, which purified Israel so that they may merit to receive them. These gifts are: Torah, Eretz Yisrael, and the World-to-Come. From where is it derived that Torah is only acquired by means of suffering? As it is said: “Happy is the man whom You afflict, Lord,” after which it is said: “And teach from Your Torah.” Eretz Yisrael, as it is written: “As a man rebukes his son, so the Lord your God rebukes you” (Deuteronomy 8:5), and it is written thereafter: “For the Lord your God will bring you to a good land.” The World-to-Come, as it is written: “For the mitzva is a lamp, the Torah is light, and the reproofs of instruction are the way of life” (Proverbs 6:23). One may arrive at the lamp of mitzva and the light of Torah that exists in the World-to-Come only by means of the reproofs of instruction in this world.

Rav Nachman said to Rav Yitzhak: What does this mean: "There is something holy in your midst, and I [God] will not enter the city". (Hosea 11:9)

How could it be that "There is something holy in your midst, I will not enter the city?!"

Rav Yitzhak responded: Rabbi Yochanan taught the following explanation - God said: I will enter the [celestial] Jerusalem of Above until I come to the [earthly] Jerusalem below.

[Sage asks]: Is there a celestial Jerusalem?

Yes [reply of anonymous voice], as it is written in scripture: "The built up Jerusalem will be the city that is joined together with it". (Psalms 122:3)

MISHNA: All may force their family to ascend to Eretz Yisrael, i.e., one may compel his family and household to immigrate to Eretz Yisrael, but all may not remove others from Eretz Yisrael, as one may not coerce one’s family to leave. Likewise, all may force their family to ascend to Jerusalem, and all may not, i.e., no one may, remove them from Jerusalem. Both men and women may force the other spouse to immigrate to Eretz Yisrael or to move to Jerusalem.

David and Samuel said: It is written: “Then you shall arise, and get you up unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose” (Deuteronomy 17:8). This teaches that the Temple is higher than all places in Eretz Yisrael. And Eretz Yisrael is higher than all countries. They did not know where the highest place in Eretz Yisrael was.

The Sages taught in a baraita: Eretz Yisrael was created first and the rest of the entire world was created afterward, as it is stated: “While as yet He had not made the land, nor the fields” (Proverbs 8:26). Here, and in the following statements, the term “land” is understood as a reference to the Land of Israel, while “the fields” means all the fields in other lands. Furthermore, Eretz Yisrael is watered by the Holy One, Blessed be He, Himself, and the rest of the entire world is watered through an intermediary, as it is stated: “Who gives rain upon the land, and sends water upon the fields” (Job 5:10).

...One could say that with regard to Eretz Yisrael it is written: “The land of the deer” (Daniel 11:41), implying that the grain of Eretz Yisrael ripens with the swiftness of a deer. Here, too, one can say that “the land of the deer” is written with regard to Eretz Yisrael and applies to the ripening of the grain, so that it can ripen in just a few days.

The Gemara answers: As it is taught in a baraita: Prior to the time when the Jewish people entered Eretz Yisrael, all lands were deemed fit for songs of praise to be recited for miracles performed within their borders, as all lands were treated equally. But after the Jewish people entered Eretz Yisrael, that land became endowed with greater sanctity, and all the other lands were no longer deemed fit for songs of praise to be recited for miracles performed within them.

Rabbi Samlai taught: For what reason did Moses our teacher greatly desire to enter Eretz Yisrael? Did he need to eat of its produce, or did he need to satisfy himself from its goodness? Rather, this is what Moses said: Many mitzvot were commanded to the Jewish people, and some of them can be fulfilled only in Eretz Yisrael, so I will enter the land in order that they can all be fulfilled by me.

Ten kav of wisdom descended to the world; Eretz Yisrael took nine of them and all the rest of the world took one. Ten kav of beauty descended to the world; Jerusalem took nine and all the rest of the world in its entirety took one. Ten kav of wealth descended to the world; Rome took nine and all the rest of the world in its entirety took one. Ten kav of poverty descended to the world; Babylonia took nine and all the rest of the world in its entirety took one. Ten kav of arrogance descended to the world; Eilam took nine and all the rest of the world in its entirety took one.

The Sages taught: A person should always reside in Eretz Yisrael, even in a city that is mostly populated by gentiles, and he should not reside outside of Eretz Yisrael, even in a city that is mostly populated by Jews. The reason is that anyone who resides in Eretz Yisrael is considered as one who has a God, and anyone who resides outside of Eretz Yisrael is considered as one who does not have a God. As it is stated: “To give to you the land of Canaan, to be your God” (Leviticus 25:38).

He says to go up [to the Land of Israel], etc.: It is not practiced in our times, as there is danger on the roads. And Rabbenu Chaim says that today, it is not a commandment to live in the Land of Israel, as there are several commandments that are dependent upon the land - and several punishments - that we are not able to be careful about and to be cognizant of.

We learned the mishna in accordance with the opinion of the one who said that the world was created from Zion. As it was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Eliezer says: The world was created from its center, as it is stated: “When the dust runs into a mass, and the clods cleave fast together” (Job 38:38).

And the Rabbis say: The world was created from Zion, as it is stated: “A Psalm of Asaph. God, the Lord God has spoken and called the earth, from the rising of the sun to its place of setting” (Psalms 50:1), and it states: “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shined forth” (Psalms 50:2), meaning: within Zion is included all beauty of the world.

(6) There are ten degrees of holiness. The land of Israel is holier than any other land….

(7) The walled cities are still more holy...

(8) Inside the wall [of Jerusalem] is more holy than these...The Temple Mount has greater sanctity...The Cheil [a low fence around the Temple, which served as a boundary, beyond which entry to those impure was prohibited] has higher sanctity, because gentiles and people contaminated with corpse impurity may not enter there. The women's courtyard has higher sanctity...The Israelites' courtyard has higher sanctity...The priests' courtyard has higher sanctity, because the Israelites may not enter there except at the time of their [ritual] requirements: the laying on of hands, the slaughter, and the wave-offering.

(9) Between the porch and the altar has still higher sanctity...The sanctuary has higher sanctity...The holy of holies has greater sanctity than these, because no one may enter there except the High Priest on the Day of Atonement at the time of the service...

One who was standing in prayer in the Diaspora, should focus his heart toward Eretz Yisrael, as it is stated: “And they shall pray to You by way of their land which You have given to their fathers” (I Kings 8:48).One who was standing in Eretz Yisrael, should focus his heart toward Jerusalem, as it is stated: “And they shall pray to the Lord by way of the city that You have chosen” (I Kings 8:44).One who was standing in Jerusalem, should focus his heart toward the Temple, as it is stated: “And they shall pray toward this house” (II Chronicles 6:32).One who was standing in the Temple, should focus his heart toward the Holy of Holies, as it is stated: “And they shall pray toward this place” (I Kings 8:35).One who was standing in the Holy of Holies, should focus his heart toward the seat of the ark-cover [kapporet], atop the ark, the dwelling place of God’s glory.One who was standing behind the seat of the ark-cover, should visualize himself as if standing before the ark-cover and turn toward it.Consequently, one standing in prayer in the East turns to face west, and one standing in the West, turns to face east. One standing in the South, turns to face north, and one standing in the North, turns to face south; all of the people of Israel find themselves focusing their hearts toward one place, the Holy of Holies in the Temple.

Rabbi Abba would kiss the rocks of Akko, which was on the coast of Eretz Yisrael. Rabbi Ḥanina would repair its stumbling blocks, i.e., any potholes in the land, so that travelers would not fall and consequently speak ill of Eretz Yisrael. Rabbi Ammi and Rabbi Asi would stand and pass from a sunny spot to a shady one, and from a shady spot to a sunny one, so as to always sit in comfort and never have cause to remark that they were uncomfortable in Eretz Yisrael. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Gamda would roll in the dust of the land, as it is stated: “For Your servants take pleasure in her stones, and love her dust” (Psalms 102:15).

It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Elazar HaKappar says: In the future, the synagogues and the study halls in Babylonia will be transported and reestablished in Eretz Yisrael, as it is stated: “Surely, like Tabor among the mountains, and like Carmel by the sea, so shall he come” (Jeremiah 46:18). There is a tradition that these mountains came to Sinai at the giving of the Torah and demanded that the Torah should be given upon them. And are these matters not inferred through an a fortiori argument: Just as Tabor and Carmel, which came only momentarily to study Torah, were relocated and established in Eretz Yisrael in reward for their actions, all the more so should the synagogues and study halls in Babylonia, in which the Torah is read and disseminated, be relocated to Eretz Yisrael.

The Sages say: One who has not seen Herod’s building has never seen a beautiful building in his life. The Gemara asks: With what did he build it? Rabba said: With stones of white and green marble [umarmara]. There are those who say that he built it with stones of blue, white, and green marble. Alternate rows of stones sent out an edge a bit and drew in an edge a bit, so that they would better receive and hold the plaster. He considered covering it with gold, but the Rabbis said to him: Leave it, and do not cover it, since it is more beautiful this way, as it looks like the waves of the sea.

...Rabbi Zeira said: Conclude from this incident that the air of Eretz Yisrael makes one wise...

Rabbi Zeira- We learn that the air in Eretz Yisrael makes people wise.

Three things were given conditionally: Eretz Yisrael, the Temple, and the kingdom of the house of David, but not the Torah scroll and the covenant of Aaron, which were not given conditionally. Eretz Yisrael — (Devarim 11:16-17) "Take heed unto yourselves lest your hearts be enticed … and the wrath of the L rd will burn against you." The Temple — (I Kings 6:12) "This Temple that you build, if you follow My statutes and keep all of My mitzvoth to walk in them, then I shall uphold My word with you that I spoke to David your father, etc." And if not, (Michah 7:15) "… then the land will be a ruin (together) with its inhabitants." The kingdom of the house of David — (Psalms 132:12) "If your sons keep My covenant, etc.", and if not, (Ibid. 89:33) "then I will punish their offense with the rod." And whence is it derived that the Torah scroll was given unconditionally? From (Devarim 33:4) "The Torah which Moses commanded us is the (eternal) inheritance of the congregation of Jacob."

“Which there is the gold” – this is a reference to words of Torah, which are more previous than gold and abundant treasure. “And the gold of that land is good” – this teaches that there is no Torah like the Torah of Eretz Yisrael, and no wisdom like the wisdom of Eretz Yisrael.

“I will sleep in the desert forever” (Tehillim 55:8) It is preferable to dwell in the deserts of Eretz Israel rather than the palaces of Chutz LaAretz.

“And he bought the part of the field where he had pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for a hundred kesitas.” (Bereshit 33:19) R’ Yudan bar Simon said: this is one of the three places about which the nations of the world cannot defraud Israel and say ‘this is stolen property in your hands.’ They are – the cave of the Machpela, the Holy Temple and the grave of Yosef. The cave of the Machpela, as it is written “And Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver…” (Bereshit 23:16) The Holy Temple, as it is written “And David gave to Ornan for the place shekels of gold weighing six hundred.” (Divre HaYamim I 21:25) The grave of Yosef, as it is written ““And he bought the part of the field where he had pitched his tent…” (Bereshit 33:19)

(1) R. Simeon ben Yohai began his discourse with the verse “He stood, and measured the earth” (Habakuk 3:6). That is, the Holy One took the measure of all peoples and found no people other than Israel worthy of receiving the Torah. The Holy One took the measure of all generations and found no generation other than the generation of the wilderness worthy of receiving the Torah. The Holy One took the measure of all mountains and found no mountain other than Sinai worthy of having the Torah given on it. The Holy One took the measure of all cities and found no city other than Jerusalem worthy of having the Temple built within it. The Holy One took the measure of all lands and found no land other than the Land of Israel worthy of being given to Israel.

Rabbi Zeira said: Even the everyday talk of the people in the Land of Israel is Torah. How so? When person says to his fellow, "Give me alms" or "Give me charity," the language he uses - zechi bi - means, literally, "earn your reward through me."

There is none as precious as Eretz Yisrael. The Holy One said to Moshe: This land is precious to me, as it says, (Deut. 11:12) “The land which God your Lord seeks out constantly”; and Israel is precious to me, as it says, (Deut. 7:8) “For it was because of God’s love of you”. So said the Holy One: I will bring in My precious Israel to the land which is precious to Me, as it says, (Num. 34:2) “For you are coming to the land of Canaan”.

... Another explanation. “When the Lord, your God, expands your boundary…” (Deuteronomy 12:20) The Rabbis say: this is speaking of Jerusalem. Who is able to see the calm of Jerusalem when the Holy One expands it? R’ Shimon bar Nachman says: to what is this to be compared? To a country, etc. “And then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old and former years.” (Malachi 3:4) “Lo, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord, that he may turn the heart of the fathers back through the children, and the heart of the children back through their fathers-lest I come and smite the earth with utter destruction.” (Malachi 3:23-24) Behold I send My angel and he will clear the way before Me. And suddenly the Master whom you desire will come into His palace and the angel of the covenant whom you desire, behold he is coming says the Lord of Hosts. “Therefore, so said the Lord: 'I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built there,' says the Lord of Hosts. 'And a plumb line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.' Further, proclaim, saying: so said the Lord of Hosts, 'My cities shall yet spread out with prosperity, and the Lord shall yet console Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem.'” (Zechariah 1:16-17) “Be exceedingly happy, O daughter of Zion; Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold! Your king shall come to you. He is just and victorious; humble, and riding a donkey and a foal, the offspring of she-donkeys.” (Zechariah 9:9)

"and he ate the shoots of the field": These are the fruits of Eretz Yisrael, which are easier to eat than the fruits of all of the lands.

"and they brought it down to us" — whence it is seen that Eretz Yisrael is higher than all the (other) lands, as in (Bamidbar 13:30) "Let us go up and inherit it," and (Ibid. 21) "And they went up and spied out the land," and (Bereshith 45:25) "And they went up from Egypt and they came to the land of Canaan." (Devarim, Ibid.)

(Devarim, Ibid.) "And beneath are the (strong) arms of the world" — whereby we are taught that Israel is the strength of the world.

Rabbi Oshaya said in the name of Rabbi Pinchas: in days that will come, Jerusalem will ultimately be a metropolis for all the nations, as it says (Isaiah 60:3) “And nations will travel by your light”.

There are ten portions of beauty in the world: nine in Jerusalem and one in the rest of the world. There are ten portions of wisdom in the world: nine in Eretz Yisrael and one in the rest of the world. There are ten portions of Torah in the world: nine in Eretz Yisrael and one in the rest of the world.

Where did the angels come from? Observe what is written previously: And Jacob said when he saw them: “This is God’s camp.” And he called the name of the place Mahanaim (Gen. 23:3). What does the word Mahanaim (the dual form of mahaneh, “camp”) indicate? It indicates that there were two camps of angels there. At the time Jacob fled to Aram-naharaim, the angels in the land of Israel protected him and guided him—to the border of the Holy Land. When they departed, other angels descended to escort him. Upon his return from Laban’s home, the angels to whose care he had been entrusted accompanied him to the border of the Holy Land, where the angels in the land of Israel, upon perceiving that Jacob had arrived, went out to meet him to escort him, as it is said: And the angels of God met him (ibid., v. 2). The two groups continued to stand near Jacob, as is said: Mahanaim.

Why did the Shekhinah appear in the land of Egypt? To teach us that prior to the selection of the land of Israel, all lands merited the revelation of the Holy One, blessed be He, but that after the land of Israel was selected, all other lands were disqualified. Similarly, before Jerusalem was chosen, the entire territory of Israel merited the revelation of the Divine Word, but after Jerusalem was selected, the Divine Word forsook the remainder of the land. Likewise, before the Temple was designated, the city of Jerusalem was considered suitable for the words of the Shekhinah, but after the establishment of the Temple, it removed itself from the rest of Jerusalem, as it is written: For the Lord hath chosen Zion, He hath desired it for His habitation (Ps. 132:13). And it says also: That is My resting place forever; here will I dwell; for I have desired it (ibid., v. 14). Prior to the selection of Aaron, every Israelite merited priesthood, as it is said: It is an everlasting covenant of salt (Num. 18:19), but after he was selected the other Israelites were deemed unfit for priesthood, as it is said: And it shall be unto him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood (ibid. 25:13). Before David was chosen, all Israelites were eligible for kingship, but after the selection of David, all Israelites lost the right of kingship, as it is said: Ye have nothing to do with us to build a house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord, the God of Israel (Ezra 4:3).

And give thee a pleasant land (Jer. 3:19). It was a land greatly coveted by all the mighty men of the world. Abraham said of it: Give me a possession of a burying-place with you (Gen. 23:4). Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, made it precious to Isaac, as it is said: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee and will bless thee (ibid. 26:3). And Jacob said: In my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me (ibid. 50:5). Hence it says: And give thee a pleasant land, the goodliest heritage of the deer (Jer. 3:19). What is indicated by the use of the word deer? Just as the flesh of a deer cannot be restored into its skin when they attempt to recover it after it has been slaughtered and its skin has been stripped away, so the land of Israel is not able to contain its fruit (when it is worthy). A proof of this is written in the verse: The oxen likewise and the young asses that till the ground shall eat savory provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan (Isa. 30:24). At first they winnowed the grain with a shovel, but later they winnowed it with a fan. Why? because the grain was more plentiful than the straw, though the grain grows within the straw. Whence do we know this was so? For it is written: Shall eat savory provender. The savory provender was the fruit (of the straw). Hence, And give thee a pleasant land, the goodliest heritage of the deer indicates that like the deer the land of Israel could not contain its fruits.

“When you come into the land and plant…” (Leviticus 19:23) This is what is written, “And I made for myself gardens and orchards, and planted in them fruit trees of every kind.” (Kohelet 2:5) Doesn’t all humanity plant anything which they desire?! Whatever a man plants in the earth it produces, whether pepper or anything else – if a man plants it, it grows! Rather, people do not know the proper place for each particular plant. But Shlomo, who was wise, planted all manner of trees [as it says “And I made for myself gardens and orchards, and planted in them fruit trees of every kind”]. R’ Yannai said that Shlomo even planted pepper plants, and how did he plant them?! Shlomo was wise and knew the essential foundation of the world. From where? “From Tzion the sum of all (michlal) beauty God appears...” (Tehillim 50:2), from Tzion which completed (nishtaclal) the whole world. Why is it called the Foundation Stone? Because the whole world was founded from it. Shlomo knew which tendon of its’ earth extended to Kush and planted pepper on it, and it produced immediately, just as he said, “and I planted in them trees of every kind.” Another explanation: “and I planted in them fruit trees of every kind…” Just as the navel is placed in the middle of a man, so is the Land of Israel the navel of the world, as it says “those who sit on the center of the land (Ezekiel 38:12). The land of Israel sits in the middle of the world, and Jerusalem in the middle of the land of Israel, and the Temple in the middle of Jerusalem, and the palace in the middle of the Temple, and the ark in the middle of the palace and the Foundation stone before the palace from which the world was founded. Shlomo, who was wise, understood the roots that went out from it to the whole world and planted on them all types of trees, and therefore he said – I made for myself gardens and orchards.

When the Lord cuts down, etc. (Deuteronomy 12:29): "Look to the Lord and keep to His way" (Psalms 37:34). As they were thinking to enter the Land immediately. [Moshe] said to them, "You are thinking to inherit their land. [So] keep the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated (Psalms 37:34), 'Look to the Lord and keep to His way, and He will raise you high that you may inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.'" That is [the meaning of] that which Moshe said, "When the Lord, your God, cuts down." What is [the meaning of] "When (ki, which can also mean, if) He cuts down?" It is on condition; such that if they keep the Torah, they will enter the Land. And in every place that you find ki, it is conditional: "Ki along the road, you chance upon a bird’s nest [...]. You shall surely send" (Deuteronomy 22:6-7); "Ki you take up the head (make a census) of the Children of Israel, each man shall give a ransom" (Exodus 30:12);" Ki you build a new house, you shall make a parapet" (Deuteronomy 22:8). Here too, the Holy One, blessed be He stipulated with them that He would only cut down the [Canaanite] nations on condition that [the Israelites] would keep the Torah. Beloved is the Land of Israel, as the Holy One, blessed be He, chose it. You find that when He created the world, He apportioned the lands to the ministering angels of the nations, and He chose the Land of Israel [for Himself]. From where [do we know this]? As so did Moshe say (Deuteronomy 32:8), "When the Most High gave nations their inheritances, etc." And He chose [the people of] Israel as His portion, as stated (Deuteronomy 32:9), "For the Lord’s portion is His people, Yaakov His allotment." The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Let Israel, who has come to be My portion, inherit the land that has come to be My portion." Hence it is written, "When the Lord cuts down." Yirmiyahu the prophet cried out and said (Jeremiah 3:19), "I had resolved to adopt you as My child, and I gave you a desirable land," a land that the fathers of the world desired. Avraham wanted it, as so does it state (Genesis 15:8), "And he said, 'O Lord God, how shall I know that I am to possess it?'" Yitschak wanted it, as it was stated to him (Genesis 26:3), "Reside in this land, and I will be with you and bless you, for I will assign all these lands to you and to your seed." And Yaakov wanted it, as it is stated (Genesis 28:20-21), "If God will be with me, etc. I will return to my father’s house." Rabbi Yehudah said, "Moshe also wanted it, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 3:23-25), 'I pleaded with the Lord at that time, "[...]. Let me, I pray, cross over and see, etc."' And also David wanted it, as it is stated (Psalms 84:11), 'I would rather stand (histofef) at the threshold of [my God’s] house.'" What is [the meaning of] histofef? Rabbi Tanchum beRabbi Chanilai and Rav [differed on the matter]. One said, "David said in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, 'Master of the world, even if I have palaces and a castle outside of the Land, and I only have a veranda (saf) in the Land of Israel, I would rather stand [there].'" And [the other] said [that David said], "Even if I only have lateling (sifsuf) carobs to eat in the Land of Israel, I would rather stand [there]." Hence, "and I gave you a desirable land," a land that the fathers desired. "An inheritance of beauty (tsvi, literally, a gazelle)" (Jeremiah 3:19). Just like a gazelle is light in its running, so does the Land of Israel run its fruits, such that it gives fruit first. Another interpretation: Just like the skin of a gazelle cannot hold its flesh, so [too], when Israel merits, the Land of Israel cannot hold its fruit. "Of the beauties (tsivaot) of the nations" (Jeremiah 3:19). That the delights (tsivionot) of the nations are in it. It is written (Joshua 12:9), "The king of Yericho one; the king of Ai, near Bethel, one." There is only three [mil] between the one and the other, and it states, "The king of Yericho one; the king of Ai, etc., one?" Rabbi Parnakh said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, "Any king that was outside the Land that did not acquire a city in the Land of Israel was not called a king. See what is written about Akhan (Joshua 7:21), 'I saw among the spoil a fine Shinar mantle.' [That is] Babylonian velvet. And from where was there Babylonian velvet in Yericho? Rather it was that the King of Babylonia was there and acquired a city in the Land of Israel." Hence, the land that the delights of the nations of the world are in it. And He gave it to Israel. Therefore, it is written, "When the Lord, your God, cuts down, etc."

14. The Rabbi: Whosoever prophesied did so either in the [Holy] Land, or concerning it, viz. Abraham in order to reach it, Ezekiel and Daniel on account of it. The two latter had lived during the time of the first Temple, had seen the Shekhinah, through the influence of which each one who was duly prepared became of the elect, and able to prophesy. Adam lived and died in the land. Tradition tells us that in the cave [of Machpelāh] were buried the four pairs: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebeccah, Jacob and Leah. This is the land which bore the name 'before the Lord,' and of which it is stated that 'the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it' (Deuteronomy 11:12). It was also the first object of jealousy and envy between Cain and Abel, when they desired to know which of them would be Adam's successor, and heir to his essence and intrinsic perfection; to inherit the land, and to stand in connexion with the divine influence, whilst the other would be a nonentity. Then Abel was killed by Cain, and the realm was without an heir. It is stated that 'Cain' went out of the presence of Lord (Genesis 4:16), which means that he left the land, saying: 'Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and from Thy face shall I be hid' (Genesis 5:14). In the same way is it said: 'But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord' (Jonah 1:3), but he only fled from the place of prophecy. God, however, brought him back there out of the belly of the fish, and appointed him prophet in the land. When Seth was born he was like Adam, as it is said: 'He begat in his own likeness, after his image' (Genesis 5:3), and took Abel's place, as it is said: For God has appointed me another seed, instead of Abel, whom Cain slew (Genesis 4:25). He merited the title: 'Son of God,' like Adam, and he had a claim on the land, which is the next step to paradise. The land was then the object of jealousy between Isaac and Ishmael, till the latter was rejected as worthless, although it was said concerning him: 'Behold, I have blessed him, and will multiply him exceedingly' (Genesis 17:20) in worldly prosperity; but immediately after it is said: 'My covenant will I establish with Isaac' (Genesis 17:21), which refers to his connexion with the divine influence and happiness in the world to come. Neither Ishmael nor Esau could boast of a covenant, although they were otherwise prosperous. Jealousy arose between Jacob and Esau for the birthright and blessing, but Esau was rejected in favour of Jacob, in spite of his strength and the latter's weakness. Jeremiah's prophecy concerning Egypt was uttered in Egypt itself. This was also the case with Moses, Aaron and Miriam. Sinai and Parān are reckoned as belonging to Palestine, because they are on this side of the Red Sea, as it is said: 'And I will set thy bounds from the Red Sea, even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river' (Exodus 23:31). The 'desert' is that of Parūn, 'that great and terrible wilderness' (Deuteronomy 1:19), being the southern border. 'The fourth river is Euphrates' (Genesis 2:14), designates the northern border, where there were the altars of the Patriarchs, who were answered by fire from heaven and the divine light. The 'binding' of Isaac took place on a desolate mountain, viz. Moriah. Not till the days of David, when it was inhabited, was the secret revealed that it was the place specially prepared for the Shekhinah. Araunah, the Jebusite, tilled his land there. Thus it is said: 'And Abraham called the name of the place, The Lord shall see, as it is said to this day, in the mount of the Lord it shall be seen' (Genesis 22:14). In the Book of the Chronicles it is stated more clearly that the Temple was built on mount Moriah. These are, without doubt, the places worthy of being called the gates of heaven. Dost thou not see that Jacob ascribed the vision which he saw, not to the purity of his soul, nor to his belief, nor to true integrity, but to the place, as it is said: 'How awful is this place' (Genesis 28:17). Prior to this it is said: 'And he lighted upon a certain place' (Genesis 28:11), viz. the chosen one. Was not Abraham also, and after having been greatly exalted, brought into contact with the divine influence, and made the heart of this essence, removed from his country to the place in which his perfection should become complete? Thus the agriculturer finds the root of a good tree in a desert place. He transplants it into properly tilled ground, to improve it and make it grow; to change it from a wild root into a cultivated one, from one which bore fruit by chance only to one which produced a luxuriant crop. In the same way the gift of prophecy was retained among Abraham's descendants in Palestine, the property of many as long as they remained in the land, and fulfilled the required conditions, viz. purity, worship, and sacrifices, and, above all, the reverence of the Shekhinah. For the divine influence, one might say, singles out him who appears worthy of being connected with it, such as prophets and pious men, and is their God. Reason chooses those whose natural gifts are perfect, viz. Philosophers and those whose souls and character are so harmonious that it can find its dwelling among them. The spirit of life, pure and simple, is to be found in beings which are endowed with ordinary primary faculties, and particularly adapted to higher vitality--viz. animals. Finally, organic life finds its habitat in a mixture of harmonious elements, and produces--plant.

We find therefore that the essential service of a Jew is achieved by means of the Land of Israel, which corresponds to faith/”slow to anger”/growing power and sprouting power. Through this one merits to strengthen his service and to take no notice of any obstruction or obstacle or confusion. For it is not possible to truly merit to the service of God except through this, as explained. Thus, essentially, Moshe Rabbeinu’s exceptional yearning and fervor, that he felt such enthusiasm for the Land of Israel, was only for the sake of this trait of patience; because he saw that there, in the Land of Israel, one merits to the aspect of “slow to anger.”

They [the Sages] said there: “And another opinion holds: He [Moshe] saw truth.” One maintains this and one maintains that, yet there is no disagreement. This is because truth corresponds to the Land of Israel, as explained elsewhere. The Talmud concludes there: From this we can assume that he saw “slow to anger” (ibid.). For, as mentioned, the aspect of patience is paramount.

My heart is in the east, and I in the uttermost west-- How shall I render my vows and my bonds, while yet Zion lieth beneath the fetter of Edom and I in Arab chains?... A light thing would it seem to me to leave all the good things of Spain -- Seeing how precious in mine eyes to behold the dust of the desolate sanctuary

"Better stale bread with tranquility than a house full of feasting and strife." (Prov. 17:1) Rabbi Yochanan said, "Better stale bread" this is the Land of Israel, where even if a person eats bread and salt every day, but lives there, he earns the World to Come. "than a house full of feasting and strife" - This is outside of the Land, which is full of violence and theft.