Chibat Haaretz: Longing, Love & Unity in the Land: Chizuk for Iron Sword by Rabbi Aaron Goldscheider

good morning everyone Booker to Great to uh great to see everyone and thank you for joining us this morning for uh learning together for and I hope that everyone is doing well we'll begin with a cap to Al 121 you're welcome to join in with me and we have our soldiers in mind we have those that are injured in mind we have the hostages in mind and uh with prayers for for all of clel for okay so we uh we begin our learning this morning and I'd like to focus this morning on uh an aspect of our relationship with the land of Israel which um which is called which is referred toats which is love for the land of Israel and a longing for the land of Israel uh we can have that when we are outside the land of Israel we can have it when we're living in the land of Israel as well in terms of a in terms of a love in terms of a passion that we have for the land of Israel so I want to highlight a few mot a few sources with you this morning and uh to begin by talking about an aspect of galut of what it means to live in Exile outside the land of Israel to talk about the uh the special relationship the love that we have for the land of Israel and a third idea which will relate to the unity that we find amongst CL is and something that we're seeing especially in these days in terms of a anus in Isel here in the land of Israel in particular so let's begin with the following source and uh we are now in the midst of reading the parot in the Torah that speak about the AOS and in particular the life of Yakov and as we come to the end of the life of Yakov which will be in a number of weeks par Rashi points out something that is uh quite astonishing and it's the only place that it's found in the Torah that we have when we have a new paraa generally we have an opening if you look at the at a Torah scroll if you look at a safer Torah every single par in the Torah before a new paraa begins there is a space and that allows for the Balor to know where we uh where we begin a new paraa and for anyone that's studying from the Torah and from a safer Torah from the scroll itself but there's only one exception to that and that's the beginning of par the last par in sa and talking about the life of Yakov yov and it's actually the end of the life of Yakov and Rashi asked the question why is it that it's what's called a par stuma why is it that it's a closed para and this is the answer that Rashi gives Le yobu at this point when yakob passes away and we have the Jewish people now descending into galut they are now living in the Exile outside of the land of Israel it says n we have a closing of the eyes and the hearts of Israel that the eyes and hearts of Israel the Jewish people were closed and what we have here is an idea a notion that outside the land of Israel that in Exile when we leave the land of Israel when we're living outside of eradosa so that the eyes of the Jewish people the hearts of the Jewish people are closed in that uh in that environment the question is what does that mean exactly but we do get a sense of that there's a different way of living a different way of seeing a different way of feeling that we have in the land of Israel and outside the land of Israel I'm thinking about this time of year and barem for many of us that are living in the land of Israel so we uh we're anticipating already 10 days away from Kaneka we can already begin to see the suano that are coming out in terms of the the minoras that are being sold in the maket but um if we were living outside the land of Israel in my experience and I'm sure many of you here as well this time of year as we're moving into uh December and uh in terms of the environment in terms of the culture around us so if we're outside the land of Israel there's a lot that's there that we're we're kind of maybe closing our eyes to a little bit and closing our hearts that we have a a culture that is uh that's somewhat challenging in terms of a Jewish way of life so living in the Exile living outside the land of Israel our eyes close a little bit our hearts are closed a little bit and living here living in the holy land so there's an openness and there's a certain joy and what we see and what we feel is something that's particular to the Jewish people so that is uh just as an opening in terms of a difference in rash points out that that is a difference between a Jew living in the land of Israel and it's much less ideal for the Jew living outside of the land of Israel the very first story that we find in the talmud the very first What's called the agad maybe the word story is not really the best term to use but it's an episode that is told and when we speak about the agad it's really the hash it's really the the philosophy of Judaism that we find in the talmud as we know the talud is B basically an analysis of ala but then spread throughout the talud you have a g which is really teaching the philosophy of Judaism the hashkafa of Judaism so what is the very first story the very first agad that we find in the gamarra and this is the uh the way that the story is told that reab Yosi is here in Israel it says that he's traveling that he's moving from one place to another he's in Yim and he steps into to AA in y a a ruin a broken down building and we know that RAB Yosi lives about a hundred years after the destruction of the BET mikdash of the temple and there he is he is davening in AA in a in a broken down building in a ruin in y and at that point the Tas says that Eli Elijah the prophet that he comes to that uh to that ruin he is waiting he is standing at the entrance and waiting for rosi to finish his prayers finish daving and as he does he turns to rosi and he says rosi why did you enter this ruin inim and he said well I didn't want to dve and I didn't want to pray on the way I didn't want to pray on the road I wanted to enter a closed place to Davin and Elijah Eli says that it would have been better for you to have davened on the way and better to you even if it was a a short prayer short daving better that you would do that um as you were traveling and not to enter the ruin a ruin of Y and Eli then says what did you hear when you were in the uh in this ruin and uh in this broken building and rosi says that I heard a bosal that I Heard a Voice from heaven and that voice of Heaven said how sad I am and this is the raban shal the master of the world to see that my children have been been exiled that they are no longer here that they are no longer able to pray in the B mikdash that is what I heard and elawa Navi said that not only did you hear that at this moment but it's true every time that a Jew enters ISU and Davin that Hashem is also responding that way how unfortunate how sad it is that my children are Exile that they're entering shoels and they're not able to enter and Davin and pray in the place of the B mikdash in the Holy place in so there are many ways of interpreting this gamar but one interpretation of the gamar is a very uh very very beautiful interpretation is what is it that elah hanavi is saying to RAB Yosi why does he tell him that he should have davened on the way and not in the uh on the road and not in the ruin and the interpretation that's given is that Eli was saying to him that you should not be focused on on the destruction but rather you should be focusing on the way back the the direct route back to yusan that um it's not only about the sadness it's not only about the destruction but how to return and how to find our way back and it's interesting that one of the things that elvi says is that even if it meant a short prayer on the way that's better than praying in a ruin that maybe it's not so much about the prayers but about actually being engaged in rebuilding and finding our way back to Y finding our way back to rebuilding the Jewish people in erel so here we see which I find really fascinating that the very first aad the very first hashkafic point that's made in the talmud of the thousands of pages of talmud the very first idea is one that relates to Exile that relates to ruin relates to destruction of the B mikdash but really with a message of how to return and El Navi as we know from the night of the Seder and from so many other episodes with with elawa Navi he is always the harbinger of of the coming of the Messiah he always has has good news he's always the comforter he's the one that comes to the bris thei so here also he comes with a message the Jewish people that we should find our way back that we should think about and we should plan and um we should always focus on returning to to Y so that is that is the the idea one idea to highlight in terms of Exile what it means to be outside of Israel and to return to the land of Israel it's interesting R salich always made the point that there's two terms that people use for Jews living outside the land of Israel living in the diaspora right or living in Galo living in Exile it says salvation said I don't really like that term diaspora because it it kind of sounds like there's some appropriateness to to the diaspora that were just spread out throughout the world but that's not the way that we should think about the Jewish people outside the land of Israel we should use the word galut we should use the word Exile and always to remind ourselves that that is exile that that is not the place that is not the that's not the um the appropriate place for the Jew to live the appropriate place the place that Hashem has given to am Israel is is the land of Israel and barash for for many of us and for millions of Jews we uh we are finding our way back to to the land of Israel so that's in terms of galute that's in terms of Exile and the return from the Exile now in terms of the the positivity and the beauty of living in the land of Israel and uh I think uh the the place to begin or one place to begin with that with a sort of a to highlight or short discussion of that is something that we we've been reading in the Torah especially this this time of year over the last few weeks and in the coming weeks as well and that's in terms really the very first message that is given to the aot that's given to our forefathers and we know with the very first dialogue and the very first uh discussion and the words that are that are heard BYU by Y and by yov they all relate to erel as we know most famously in terms of that Abraham the very first words that he hears from Hashem the very first first words uttered by Hashem to the father to the founder of uh of Judaism and Jewish life is to go to the land of Israel but it's not only true of Abram it's true of yak as well the first time that yit hears the word of God is When God says you are not to leave the land of Israel that's when Yak was about to leave because of a famine God says that I want you to be here that this is the land that you will live in and the land for Generations after you and we just read v as well where Yakov in terms of the dream that he lies down that evening and this is the very first time that he hears the word of God that he hears that he has communication from Hashem and again he hears the message that this is the place you are to live here it's really quite astounding we kind of almost take it for granted that the very first time that the avot the forefathers hear from Hashem that they have this communication from Hashem and this closeness with Hashem that they feel the presence of hem what they hear in that is erit Israel the importance of living in the land of Israel and it's interesting it's not only true of the aot but the very first time that mosenu has communication hears the word of God at the SN as we know is Hashem says to Moshe that you are to go down to mitzraim you are to free the Jewish people and to bring them to the land and of Israel so we have aob Moshe every single time that God communicates the very first communication the very first time that there's a Oneness and a togetherness that they feel the closeness of Hashem that they feel the presence of Hashem what they hear at that moment the message that they receive at that moment is one of er Israel to live in the land of Israel so it really begins there and even before the Torah is given even before the Mitzvah are given we have at the very Foundation of Jewish life and of Jewish living is that bris is that Covenant is that message that this is what it means to be a Jew to live in the land of Israel at the very end and it's a a well-known section at the very end of uh of the garos we have a number of beautiful statements that are that are made about the land of Israel about living in the the land of Israel and the the Deep connection that a Jew has and love that a Jew has for the land of Israel theba the it's the love that we have for the land of Israel it speaks about um famously the um rebi ABA who would pick up the stones of Israel he would kiss the stones of Israel and there's a beautiful V that I uh that I mentioned many times and that is from ruk and actually the PK says the following it's a PK that's quoted from tahil K that your servants this is King David speaks about that the servants meaning that those that are over the Servants of Hashem that they love the a that they desire the stones of Israel that and that the dust of Israel that the dirt even the soil of Israel that there is a love that we have for that and ruk makes this beautiful distinction in the p and in terms of what RAB ABA does and that is even before we get to the the soil of Israel even before the dirt of Israel and uh a lot of people now are doing volunteering that they're going literally working in the in the ground in the uh in the earth of Israel that they're picking picking U my son just the other day with his school that they went and they picked cabbage down down South for for a number of hours and even before we get there in terms of the the the possible mitzo that are related to the land of Israel which we have many mitzvot as you know in terms of Meer and truma and other mitzvot even before that we have the rocks of Israel and ruk says the rocks of Israel well there's no there's no Mitzvah related to the rocks of Israel and what does that represent the fact that reaba kissed the rocks of Israel it represents that there's a love of Israel just for the sake of Israel itself even before we get to any Mitzvah per se the fact that God has given us at promised this land to us that in itself self intrinsically that the land itself that there is kadua in the land and that we are drawn to the land of Israel the love that we have for the land of Israel and that's the PK that's quoted this is the very last da in M Kos and Rashi does something which is really out of the ordinary we know that Rashi has a running commentary on the gamarra and he'll quote a little section a line or two or a few words from the gar and then he'll comment on that and here Rashi quotes the PK in the in his you know commentary on the side of the gamar and he just quotes the PK he quotes Kat but he doesn't give any explanation to that he just if you look again on the side in the commentary of Rashi he just quotes the p and that's really out of the ordinary he quotes sections from the gamar which he comments on and here he has no comment but some point out that there actually is a comment here because he quotes the PK but he doesn't in quote the word Shen in other words in the gamar itself it says that R ABA would pick up the stones he would kissed it based on this shenar as it says but Rashi leaves out the word shenar and some interpret that to mean that Rashi is saying that Raba did it not because he didn't do it because he felt an obligation based on the P it was something that came natural it was something that was that was inside of him right that he felt drawn to land of Israel that he didn't do it he didn't look up the PK and say okay I have an obligation based on the PK to love the land of Israel that's not how we love the land of Israel we love it because it's something that is uh that's deeply ingrained within us it's interesting the ramban writes par that we just spoke about a moment ago when Abraham made his way to the land of Israel the ramban says that God did not show him the way he never identified the place to him he said just begin to go go and Aram himself was able to feel that he was able to sense that place of Holiness that it that he discovered that place he came to that place because there was a love that he felt for the land of Israel even without knowing where it was and once he came to that land he discovered that land and he felt that this is the place then Hashem said yes you have found the right place and uh for many of us I think uh for many of us I think that's how we've come to Israel as well is much as we have learned about Israel and the obligation and the Mitzvah but there's something inside of us that are Nama that that it feels drawn to the land of Israel that we feel connected that we feel the kadua the Holiness the sanctity of being here in the land of Israel and maybe one of the reasons for that is because hashem's presence is here in the land of Israel famously the PK says at the end of Paras AK it says that the the eyes of of hasem are on this land all the time from the beginning of the year to the end of the year that hasem is focused that the eyes of hem that's not a medish that's a PK in the Torah that says that Hashem is always watching that Hashem is focus that hashem's concern is for the land of Israel there's a story that's told of the bana rebi that when he came to ER Israel there was a very very special special time and there was actually a bit of a um a competition amongst the who would come to erel with the B rebi who would escort him and it was a great to do that and when he came to Israel so this uh the person who is malava who was escorting the rebi he thought that this would be such a you know opportunity to be with the rebi and to have time with the rebi talk and learning with the rebi over the the days that he would be with him in errell so he got in the car with the rebi with the B rebi as they arrived and and throughout the trip and he saw the entire time that the rebi was just looking out the window and he was not interested in any any discussion again this uh the the person who is malava the rebi he thought he'd have all this time to talk with the Rees to ask all the questions and he said to him at some point I thought I would have an opportunity to to speak to you so the rebi said the following he said that aem's eyes are always on the land of Israel and I wanted also when I come to when I arrived here in the land of Israel and the days that I would be here that my eyes would always be looking at the land of Israel throughout this uh throughout the trip and that's what he did all of the days that he was there was just staring at the land of Israel just taking in the gdusa feeling that deep connection to the land of Israel one other idea that I want to highlight with you this morning is uh is the idea that uh that I think many of us have been feeling in bar one of the beautiful with all the tragedy and all the heartache and there's just the tremendous pain and suffering of the last uh it's about 50 days now um but with that there the silver lining the positivity that we uh that we also find and that is the great Aus and the Oneness and the Brotherhood that we have felt and Sisterhood that we have felt over the last number of weeks uh there's a gamar and this gamar actually came up um sort of Lisa question that was asked in terms of a br that can be recited when thousands of Jew or hundreds of thousands of Jews joined together as you know it was just what was it last week or the week before the Gathering in Washington and um they were expecting many uh many hundreds of thousands and yes they I think they reached close to I think the number that they were quoting were 290 about 300,000 Jews and there was a question because the gamar says that there's a special BR that can be recited which is a BR that you can say when hundreds of thousands of Jews joined together in one place now it turns out that they did not have the numbers you need 600,000 Jews in one place I think they had about half that number so the braa was not able to be recited at that time but there's another reason as well that the braa was not recited and there's a whole discussion in the uh in the poim if the braa can only be recited in the land of Israel the rambam writes it can only be reced Ed in the land of Israel so you need both factors you need 600,000 Jews in one place and it can only be in AR and just just to quote the G there's AAR that's found then we talk about this huge Gathering of people that's uh it's not considered to be a huge Gathering outside of the land of Israel in B and you also need 600,000 people so we see something very interesting from this gar an important lesson and that is that when we talk about the unity of am Israel the togetherness of Amel as many Jews who come together inut it's outside the land of Israel there still there still seems to be something missing in terms of a unity and we talk about the unity of am Israel the togetherness of am Israel the Brotherhood of am Israel that something that can only be accomplished in the truest sense in the fullness here in the land of Israel we say on shabas afternoon the beginning of the section of the am that's special for shabas we say it's interesting we say who can be compared to but we add one word it's somehow outside the land of Israel that you do not have have that Unity that that wholeness of am Israel as much as we are together it's only here in the land of Israel that we feel that Oneness and there really is a lot of a lot of Truth to that on a spiritual level but practically as well in terms of that we're we're all in it together here in the land of Israel we're building a nation and and a Oneness here in the land of Israel there's one government the government a Jewish government that we are led by here in the land of Israel sahal soldiers our army so there's a Unity that's found here that you simply cannot find Oneness that you simply cannot find that does not exist outside of the land of Israel and let me conclude with the following and we are believe it or not 10 days away this morning from Kaneka so if you haven't bought your gifts yet and um and your khaka mana and your oil or your potatoes for the Lis so now is the time to start preparing for that just 10 days days for uh as a uh as a preparation for khaka R cook says the following R cook asked the question why is it that when we light the man the bra is now the question that he asked is why is it in the singular n makes sense on the first night that we say but then as we move to the second third fourth all the way through the eighth night we should no longer say we should say the of Kana right it should be n that's what it should say in our s and then after day one we move to nro there there are a number of answers to that but ruk says the following and ruk asks really a more basic question and that is what is the meaning or what is the symbolism of the manura itself we have the manura in the Mishka in the BET mdash what is that candelabra what do all those branches what what do those lights represent and there are many different interpretations of that we like the manura we don't always think about what is the manura what is the what's the message what's the symbolism of that of the structure of the manura why do we have a manura so rev cook says the following he says that the branches represent the different branches of am Israel there that there are different communities in the Jewish people amongst us like we have theim like we have the tribes ideally the tribes of Israel and every Community has has a different strength and there are different characteristics to to communities there are those that put more emphasis on Torah learning there are communities that P put more emphasis oned there are communities that put more emphasis in terms of uh in terms of heroism and courage and and being the great soldiers of Israel there are times that we see those communities as disparate we see them as uh that there is some some competition between them and there are times that those communities don't necessarily get along with one another but the ideal in the Jewish Community the ideal for for our unity and for Aus is to see the greatness and to see the special qualities that are highlighted by every Community the different branches of amrel and yes there are different communities that put emphasis in different areas and that's a healthy thing right you have on a on a team different people that are doing different things you're having a company different people that do different things we we we are made up of different qualities of different characteristics of different personalities not everyone is the same so that's true of Amel as well and we need to appreciate all of the different qualities all the different characteristics the different communities that make up Amel and that he says is what the branches of the manura represent and we know that when it came to the lighting of the manur and the Mishka and the B mdash that all of the lights that the Flames were all pointed towards the middle were all pointed towards the center and what that represents is that every part of the community is working together and working towards a goal that we're all trying to achieve ideally that is the Torah that is to be sh to fulfill the will of hem that is the center candle the and that is what we uh that's what we are striving for that's what the manura represents and that's what Kaneka represents as well Kaneka is the time that we feel togetherness that we feel the love of one another appreciating one another and just to conclude one last point and that is that number eight the number eight which is so special to khaka there are many many interpretations of what Aid represents famously the moral talks about Aid representing the M beyond the nature seven is the natural cycle and a represents Beyond the miracle the miraculous the transcendental but ruk has a different interpretation for the number eight which I think is really very very beautiful and very appropriate in this uh in our discussion and that is what is the eight the eight represents that's the as we know the is uh is the number eight in gatria and if you look at the so the says of cook is made up of two letters it's two Zions it's two zans and a that again the way that it appears the way that it's written in a in a safer Torah it's two Zions and with a little bridge on top with a little with a little connector on top that is again if you look at the way that a Sofer writes the letter so he writes the following and I'll just quote from this is from a beautiful saer called r a little safer that Rook wrote on all the letters on the mystical meanings of all the letters of the Hebrew alphabet and he writes writes the following he [Music] writes the is made up of two Zion that are greeting one another one Camp um that is facing the other Camp Zion Zion now the word Zion by by the way at times the word Zion means a weapon that at times it looks like that they are opponents to one another that they're not necessarily on the same page with one another however cook writes even though they are yes they they they exemplify they represent different paths but they have a way of coming together that is the the and how does that happen that happens through but that great principle that overarching principle brings those different paths those different perspectives one another and that creates and he says that becomes the shame sham you find you find you find life and the joy of Life the represents life that's the word the word you can read or which means life and where's the beauty of life that's when you bring all the disparate Parts all the different paths all the different communities of of Jewish life that you bring them together and I think that's something that we're seeing together that's the number eight that's the when we see that overarching principle and what is the overarching theme and principle of these days we're all appreciating one another we see that we're all in it with one another that we need one another we need the community that's studying Torah we need the community that's providing we need the soldiers we need our soldiers our great soldiers that are fighting for us we need every part of the community working together and I think we're appreciating more and more especially these days the beauty of all the different kilos all the different B mid all the different parts of am Isel how we all need one another appreciating one another seeing the best in one another I think this is one of the uh one of the beautiful one of the beautiful takeaways and we hope something that we cons we continue to be inspired by uh in the coming days so these are a few thoughts of kuk as we're all thinking about AR Israel we're thinking about our love for Israel how special it is to be in Israel to return from the Galo to return from the exile to see the Jewish people coming home millions of Jews as we often point out that we have today as we're reaching a majority of Jews in the world that are living in the land of Israel the special kba the special love that we're feeling for the land of Israel um that every Jew has that inside of them and for all of us living here and for those living wherever they may be in the world to feel that love whether we're here or not but to feel that love for the land of Israel and the special quality of aus of Oneness that that is really particular that's unique to being here in the land of Israel that feeling and the braa as as the rambam says that can only be recited in the land of Israel to feel that sense of Oneness and there and that that is something so special today that we're feeling in terms of the Aus and as I said please God that we should continue um continue to feel that Oneness so we pray to AEM that there should be a for those that are going through difficult times there should be salvation and Redemption for those that are in captivity as we're beginning to see um our brothers and sisters little children and women and please God all the hostages coming home in the coming days we should see especially at this time as we're counting down to kanaka and the days before Kana that we should see and so we should see wonders we should see Miracles and great days ahead for the Jewish people let us uh let us conclude with a prayer Al together for our brethren for we pray that should bring them from Darkness to we should see days of redemption and the please God the with the coming of the mashia we can join it together with [Music] the May