Well, maybe it isn’t the greatest book, but it certainly is in the Top Ten of the most influential books on Judaism ever written.  “The Kuzari,” by Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi, is universally accepted and acclaimed as a classic of Torah scholarship.

Drawings from the book "The Kuzari for Young Readers" by Tzvi Fishman

Written in the form of a conversation between a Rabbi and the gentile king of Kuzar who is looking to find the true religion, “The Kuzari” lucidly explains the foundations upon which Judaism is based. What better time than “Book Week” to take another look at this wonderful classic? Below are excerpts from the book dealing with Eretz Yisrael. This should put an end to the intellectual ping pong of galut lovers who like to play “It’s a commandment, but it isn’t a commandment. It’s a commandment, but it isn’t a commandment….” with the mitzvah of dwelling in Eretz Yisrael.

"It isn't a mitzvah!"

After studying “The Kuzari” no one can honestly say that it isn’t a mitzvah to live in Eretz Yisrael.

The King of Kuzar:

I understand what you mean about His People, but less so about His Land.

The Rabbi:

You will have no difficulty in perceiving that one country may have higher qualifications than others. There are places in which particular plants, metals, or animals are found, or where the inhabitants are distinguished by their form and character, since perfection or deficiency of a person are produced by a mingling of the elements.

The King of Kuzar:

Yet I never heard that inhabitants of the Land of Israel are better than other people.

The selected vine in the selected place.

The Rabbi:

How about the hill where you say that vines thrive so well? If it had not been properly planted and cultivated, it would never have produced grapes. Priority belongs firstly, as we have stated, to the People who are the essence and kernel of the nations [those who have been chosen by the L-rd to be the bearers of His Word]. Secondly, it belongs to the Land, on account of the special Divine acts that are connected with it, which I would compare to the cultivation of the vineyard. No other location would share the distinction of the Divine Influence, just as no other mountain may be able to produce good wine.

The King of Kuzar:

How could this be? In the time between Adam and Moses were there not prophetic visions in other places, those granted to Abraham in Ur Chasdeem, to Ezekiel and Daniel in Bablyon, and to Jeremiah in Egypt?

The Rabbi:

Whoever prophesized did so either in the Holy Land, or concerning it, like Abraham, in order to reach it. Ezekiel and Daniel prophesized on its account. Adam lived and died in the Land. Tradition tells us that in the Cave of the Patriarchs are buried four pairs: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah. This is the Land which bears the name “before the L-rd” and of which it is stated, “the eyes of the L-rd are always upon it (Devarim, 11:12). It was also the first object of jealousy between Cain and Abel, when they desired to know which of them would be Adam’s successor and heir to his holy essence and perfection in order to inherit the Land and to stand in connection with the Divine Influence, while the other would be overlooked. When Abel was killed by Cain, the Land was left with an heir. It is stated that Cain went out of the presence of the L-rd (Bereshit, 4:16) which means that he left the Land, saying, “Behold, You have driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and from Your face I shall be hid” (Bereshit, 5:14).

Fighting over the Chosen Land

 In the same way it is said, “But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the Presence of the L-rd” (Jonah, 1:3), but he only fled from the place of prophecy (Israel). G-d, however, brought him back out of the belly of the whale and appointed him to be a prophet in the Land.

When Seth was born, he was like Adam and took Abel’s place, giving him claim to the Land, which is the next step to the Garden of Eden. The Land was then the object of jealousy between Isaac and Ishmael, till the later was rejected as worthless. Although he was blessed with worldly prosperity, the birthright was established with Isaac, as it says, “My Covenant I will establish with Isaac” (Bereshit, 5:21) which refers to his attachment to the Divine Influence and eternal life in the World To Come. Neither Ishmael nor Esau could boast of this Covenant, even though they were otherwise prosperous. Once again, jealousy arose between Jacob and Esau over the birthright and blessing, but Esau was rejected in favor of Jacob, in spite of his physical strength.

Prophecy was granted to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam in Egypt [to free the Jews to bring them to Israel] and Sinai and Paran are reckoned as a part of Eretz Yisrael because they are located on this side of the Red Sea, as it says, “And I will set your boundaries from the Red Sea, even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river” (Shemot, 23:31).

The “binding” of Isaac took place on a desolate mountain [in the Land of Israel] Mount Moriah. Not until the days of King David, when it was inhabited, was the secret revealed that it was the place especially prepared for the Shekinah [Divine Presence] as it is said, “And Abraham called the name of the place ‘The L-rd shall see’ as it is said to this day, in the mount of the L-rd it shall be seen (Bereshit, 22:14). In the Book of Chronicles it is stated more clearly that the Temple was built on Mount Moriah. These are, without out, the places worthy of being called the Gates of Heaven.

Gateway to Heaven

Look how Jacob ascribed the vision that he saw, not to the purity of his soul, nor to his faith, not to his true integrity, but to the place, as it says, “How awe-inspiring is this place” (Bereshit, 28:17).  Prior to this, it is said, “And he lighted upon a specific place” (Ibid, 11) that is to say, the chosen one.

Was not Abraham also, after having been greatly elevated, brought into contact with the Divine Influence, and made the chariot of this essence, removed from his birthplace to go forth to the place where his perfection could be complete? So too when an agriculture finds the root of a good tree in a desert region. He transplants it into properly tilled ground, to improve it and cause it to grow; to change it from a wild root to a cultivated one, from a tree that bore fruit by chance to one which produced a luxuriant crop. In the same way, the gift of prophecy was retained among Abraham’s descendants in Israel, their property as long as they remained in the Land and fulfilled the required conditions of purity, worship, sacrifices, and above all, the reverence for the Shechinah. For the Divine Influence, one may say, singles out him who appears worthy of being connected with it, such as prophets and pious men, and is their G-d.

The King of Kuzar:

Continue your discourse on the special advantages of the Land of Israel.

The Rabbi:

It was appointed to guide the world, and apportioned to the tribes of Israel from the time of the confusion of the languages, as it says, “When the Most High divided among the nations their inheritance” (Devarim, 32:8). Abraham was not fit to gain the Divine Influence, and to enter into a Covenant with G-d until he came to the Land of Israel. The Land was even granted its own Sabbaths, as it is said, “Sabbath of the Land” (Vayikra, 25:6) and “The Land shall keep a Sabbath unto the L-rd” (Ibid, 2). It is forbidden to sell it on perpetuity, as it says, “For Mine is the Land” (Ibid, 23). Observe that the “feasts of the L-rd” and “the Sabbaths of the Land” belong to the “Land of the L-rd.”

Thus the “Sabbaths of the L-rd” and the “Festivals of the L-rd” depend on the Land which is the “inheritance of the L-rd.” It is also called “His holy mountain,” “His footstool,” “the Gate of Heaven,” and it says, “For the Torah shall go forth from Zion” (Micah, 4:2). Our Forefathers endeavored to live in the Land while it was in the hands of pagans, they yearned for it, and had their bones carried there, as with Jacob and Joseph. Moses prayed to see it, and when this was denied him, he considered it a profound misfortune. Thereupon it was shown to him from the summit of Pisgah, which was to him an act of grace.

Persians, Indians, Greeks, and peoples of other nations, begged to be allowed to bring sacrifices there and to pray in the Holy Temple – they spent their wealth at the place, though they followed laws not recognized by the Torah. They honor it to this day, although the Shechinah no longer appears there. All nations make pilgrimages to it, long for it, excepting we ourselves, because we have been punished and are in disgrace. All which the Sages speak about its great qualities would take too long to relate.

The King of Kuzar:

Let me hear a few of their observations.

The Rabbi:

One teaching is “All roads lead to the Land of Israel, but none from it” (Mishna, Ketubot, 13:11). Concerning a wife who refuses to go there with her husband, the court decries that she is divorced and she forfeits her marriage settlement (Ketubot 110). On the other hand, if the husband refuses to accompany his wife to Eretz Yisrael, he is forced to divorce her and also pay her marriage settlement amount. The Sages further state: “It is better to swell in the Holy Land, even in a town mostly inhabited by heathens, than abroad in a town mostly populated by Jews; for he who dwells in the Holy Land is compared to him who has a G-d, while he who dwells in the Diaspora is compared to him who has no G-d. Thus said King David, ‘For they have driven me out this day from dwelling in the inheritance of the L-rd, saying, Go serve other gods,’ which means that he who dwells outside of the Land is like someone who serves strange gods” (Ibid).

Why not come while you're still living?

Another say is: “to be buried in the Land of Israel is as if buried beneath the altar (Ketubot 111). They praise him who abides in the Land more than him who is carried there dead (Ibid). They say concerning he who could have live there, but did not do so, and only ordered his body to be carried there after his death: “While you lived you made My inheritance an abomination, but in death ‘you come and contaminate My Land’” (Jerusalem Talmud, Ketubot, 12:3; Jeremiah, 2:1). It is told that Rav Hananyah said, when asked whether it was lawful for a person to go abroad in order to marry the widow of his brother, “His brother married a pagan woman – praised be G-d who caused him to die – now this one follows him” (Ketubot 111). The Sages also forbade selling estates or the remains of a house to a heathen, or leaving a house in ruins. Other sayings are:             

Fines can only be imposed in the Land itself (Sanhedrin 31). No slave can be taken abroad against his will (Mishna Gitten, 4:6), and many other similar regulations. Furthermore, the very air of the Holy Land makes wise (Baba Batra 158). The Sages expressed their love for the Land as follows, saying, “He who walks four cubits in the Land is assured happiness in the World To Come (Ketubot 111; Pesachim 113). Rabbi Zera answered a heathen who criticized his foolhardiness in crossing a river without waiting to reach a ford in his eagerness to enter the Land, “How can the place which Moses and Aaron could not reach, be reached by me?” (Ketubot 112).

"If all this is true, why are you here?"

The King of Kuzar:

If this be so, you transgress the commandment laid down in your Torah by not endeavoring to go up (make aliyah) to that place, to make it your abode in life and in death, although you say, “Have mercy on Zion, for it is the house of our life,” and believe that the Divine Presence shall return there. And had it no other preference than that the Shechinah dwelt there five hundred years, this is sufficient reason for men’s souls to retire there and find purification there, as happens near the abodes of the pious and the prophets. Is it not “the Gate of Heaven?” All nations agree on this point. Christians believe that the souls are gathered there and then lifted to Heaven. Islam teaches that it is the place of ascent, and that prophets are caused to ascend from there to Heaven. Further, you believe it is the place of the gathering on the day of Resurrection. Everybody turns to it in prayer and visits it in pilgrimage. Thus, your bowing and kneeling in its direction is either mere appearance or thoughtless worship. Yet your forefathers chose it as their abode in preference to their birthplaces, and lives there as strangers, rather than as citizens of their own country. This they did even at a time when the Divine Presence was not yet visible, when the country was full of unchastity, impurity, and idolatry. Your fathers had no other desire than to remain in it. Neither did they leave it in times of dearth and famine except with G-d’s permission. Finally, they directed their bones to be buried there.

The Rabbi:

This is a severe reproach, O king of the Kuzars. It is the sin which kept the Divine promise with regard to the Second Temple “Sing and rejoice O daughter of Zion” (Zecharia, 2:10) from being fulfilled. Divine Providence was ready to restore everything as it had been at first, if they had all willingly consented to return. But only a part was ready to do so, while the majority and the aristocracy remained in Babylon, preferring dependence and subjugation, and unwilling to leave their houses and their business affairs.

They didn't want to give up their mansions in Babylon

The words, “I have put off my coat” (Shir HaShirim, 2-4) refer to the people’s slothfulness in consenting to return to Israel. The verse, “My beloved stretches forth his hand through the opening” may be interpreted as the urgent call of Ezra, Nachemiah, and the Prophets, until a portion of the people grudgingly responded to their call. In accordance with their unwillingly disposition, they did not receive full measure. Divine Providence only gives a man as much as he is prepared to receive – if his receptive capacity be small, he obtains little, and he receives much if it be great. Were we prepared to meet the G-d of our Forefathers with a pure mind, we would have found the same salvation as our Fathers had in Egypt. If we say, “Worship at His holy mountain – worship at His footstool, He who restores His glory to Zion” (Tehillim, 99:9) and other words to this effect, this is but as the chattering of the starling and the nightingale. We do not realize what we say by this sentence, nor by others, as you rightly observe, O prince of the Kuzars.

"Bring me to Zion! Bring me to Zion!"

[The conversation between the Rabbi and the king of the Kuzars continues, covering all aspects of Judaism. At the end of the book, moved by his own teachings about the centrality of the Land of Israel to Torah and Am Yisrael, the Rabbi decides to make aliyah himself.]

The book concludes:

The Rabbi was then concerned to leave the land of Kuzar and betake himself to Jerusalem. The king was displeased to let him go and spoke to him as follows:

The King of Kuzar:

What can be found in the Land of Israel nowadays since the Divine Presence is absent from it, while, with a pure mind and desire, a person can approach G-d in any place? Why put yourself into danger on land and sea, and in encountering dangerous peoples?

The Rabbi:

The visible Shechinah has indeed disappeared, because it does not reveal itself except to a prophet, or to the chosen people in the chosen place. This is what we look forward to in the verse, “Let our eyes behold when You return Your Shechinah to Zion.” As regards the invisible and spiritual Shechinah, it is with every born Israelite of virtuous life, pure heart, and upright mind before the L-rd of Israel. The Land of Israel is especially distinguished by the L-rd of Israel, and no function can be perfect except there. Many of the laws of the Torah do not apply to those who live outside of the Land. The heart and soul are only perfectly pure and immaculate in the place which is known to be specifically selected by G-d. Thus the longing for it is awakened, for the sake of selfless motives, especially for him who wishes to live there, and to atone for past transgressions, as the Sages teach, “Exile atones for sins” (Makkot 2), especially if one leaves his country to go to the place of G-d’s choice. The danger such a person risks on land and sea does not come under the category of “You shall not tempt the L-rd” (Devarim, 6:16) since this verse refers to risks which one takes when traveling with merchandise in hope of gain. He who incurs even greater danger on account of his ardent desire to obtain forgiveness is free from reproach if he has made an accounting of his past deeds and is satisfied to spend the rest of his life in seeking the favor of the L-rd. He braves danger, and if he escapes, he praises G-d gratefully. But should he perish through his past sins, he has won the Divine favor, and he may be confident that he has atoned for most of his sins by his death.

The King of Kuzar:

I thought that you love freedom, but I now see you finding new religious duties which you will be obliged to fulfill in the Land of Israel, which are not in force here.

The Rabbi:

I only seek freedom from the service of the numerous people whose favor I do not care for, and shall never obtain, though I worked for it all of my life. Even if I could obtain it, it would not profit me, the serving of men and courting their favor. I would rather seek the favor of the One whose favor is obtained with the smallest effort, yet it profits in this world and the next. This is the favor of G-d, it is His service which spells freedom, and humility before Him is true honor.

The King of Kuzar:

Since you believe in everything you profess, behold, G-d knows your mind, which is open before Him, who knows all that is hidden.

Perfection requires both the intention and the deed.

This is true only when action is impossible. But a man has free will in his yearnings and in his acting on them. A person deserves blame if he expects concrete reward without performing the actual deeds that lead to it.  For this reason it is written, “You shall blow an alarm with the tumpets, and you shall be remembered before the L-rd your G-d” (BaMidmar, 10:9). G-d need not be reminded, but the our actions in doing the mitzvot must be performed in their completeness to merit reward. This is similar to prayers which must be recited in wholeness and with the proper intentions to be considered worthy supplications, for only when both intentions and actions are complete, is reward granted. If the action is minus the intention, or the intention missing the action, the expectation for reward is lost. It is only when the deed is impossible to perform, then there is benefit when a person guards the desire firmly in his heart, while apologizing to G-d for not being able to perform the deed. This is the intent of our prayer, “On account of our sins, we have been driven out of our Land” (Festival Musaf).

Furthermore, the person who stirs the hearts of others to be aroused with a love for this holy place is worthy of reward, beyond any doubt. He brings closer the day for which we hope, as it says, “You shall arise and have mercy on Zion, for the time to favor her, yea, the set time is come. For Your servants take pleasure in her stones and embrace her very dust” (Tehillim, 102:14-15). This means that Jerusalem will only be rebuilt when the children of Israel yearn for it to such an extent that they embrace her stones and her dust.

The King of Kuzar:

If this be so, it would be a sin to hinder you. It is, on the contrary, a mitzvah to assist you. May G-d grant you His help, and may He be your shield and savior, and His kindness be upon you.

"Farewell, my good friend!"

So ends “The Kuzari” with the Rabbi heading off to Eretz Yisrael.

It’s time to follow his example. See you here soon!

When the Jews embrace its very stones.

The sin of the Spies was in rejecting the Land of Israel, speaking derogatively about it, and not coming on aliyah. Thus to rectify their sin, we must love the Land, speak its praises, and come on aliyah.

Today, more and more people are studying the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. After reading some of his reflections on the Land of Israel, you won’t be surprised that all of the leading Breslov rabbis live in Eretz Yisrael. Rabbi Nachman said that wherever he went, he was going to Eretz Yisrael, and he prayed every day to step foot in its holy borders. To help counter the poison of the Spies, here are a few things he taught to his followers:

To be a member of the Jewish People is to move always to higher and higher levels. To do this is impossible except through the sanctity of the Land of Israel. Every upward movement which we have to make towards holiness can only be accomplished through the Land of Israel. The same is true of prayer. The ascent of prayer comes only about in the Land of Israel.

It is impossible to come to the Land of Israel with difficulties and suffering. The root of all the difficulties and suffering lies in the slanderous image of the Land which is put forth by the wicked. They are the source of all the obstacles. But the power which we draw into ourselves enables us to overcome all the obstacles, the difficulties and suffering. The more profound a person’s grasp of the Torah and the greater the tikun he brings about through his attainment, the greater his victory over the obstacles, and he will succeed in reaching the Land of Israel.

When a person attains to the level of the Land of Israel, he is worthy of being called, “a man of strength and valor.” Before he attains this level, “Let him not who girds on his armor boast himself as he who puts it off” (Melachim 1:20:11). But when he has gone through the battle successfully, he is worthy of the name “man of war.”

When people give charity to causes in the Land of Israel, they become merged in the air of the Land of Israel, which is holy breath that has no taint of sin. Through this breath the forces of severity and darkness are banished from the world. This is also how it is possible to escape from the distracting, alien thoughts which come during prayer. The mind and the thoughts become clear and refined. This is a tikun habrit – a rectification for abuse of the sexual covenant.

The mitzvah of Succah is a segula (special charm) for coming to the Land of Israel.

Through the revelation of the sanctity of the Land of Israel we will witness the destruction of the wicked. Not only will we be delivered from their hand; we will see them suffer the very evil they sought to inflict upon us.

The motive for making the journey to the Land of Israel should be purely spiritual – to draw closer to G-d. A person who goes there with this as his aim will certainly benefit. Merely by stepping foot on the Land he will become merged with it and transformed by its sacred character. That is why even “one who walks four cubits in the Land of Israel will assuredly inherit the World to Come” (Ketubot 111A). On the other hand, if a person’s motive has nothing to do with devotion to G-d and cleansing himself of evil, then what help will the Land be to him? The Land will vomit him out “as it vomited out the nation that was before you” (Vayikra, 18:28).

Pray to G-d to give you desire and yearning for the Land of Israel. Then you will succeed in reaching there. And pray also that He should plant yearning for the Land in the hearts of all the Tzaddikim.

G-d repays man “measure for measure.” Nowhere is the repayment more exacting than in the Land of Israel. But this is really a great kindness. If we know that G-d repays us according to our deeds, then by thinking about the situations G-d sends us, we can gain an insight into our own behavior and learn how to improve.

The holiness of the Land of Israel is the epitome of holiness, encompassing all other levels of holiness. It is there that we can free ourselves completely of the materialistic viewpoint which claims that events take place naturally. We can come to know and believe that everything comes about only through the Hand of G-d. When man knows this, he resembles G-d’s power to divide light from the darkness.  Genuine enlightenment and wisdom come only in the Land of Israel. But even Jews outside the Land have the power to draw enlightenment and wisdom from there. According to his share, so is the wisdom he draws from the Land. But those who insult the honor of the Almighty, G-d forbid, are cut off from the radiance of the Land of Israel, and they fall into the mentality of “outside the Land” which is one of conflict and divisiveness. This is the source of all of the conflicts and divisions which have become so rampant.

***

Readers interested seeing more of Rabbi Nachman’s teachings on Eretz Yisrael can click here.

May the love of Eretz Yisrael fill our hearts through study, prayer, and heeding the advices of the Tzaddikim, and may we all do our part in remedying the sin of the Spies by praising the Land and coming to dwell in its borders.

[Excerpted from the book “Likutei Etzot” (Advice), written by Rabbi Nachman’s student, Rabbi Natan. Translations by Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum]

From the beginning of time, straying after our eyes has gotten us into a lot of trouble. Adam and Eve strayed after their eyes and caused mankind to be cast out of the Garden. Yehuda strayed after his eyes and brought disgrace and family tragedy in its wake. The Jews in the wilderness strayed after the daughters of Midian and 24,000 girl-watchers were slain by a plague. Samson strayed after his eyes and was humiliated and blinded in return. And Kind David got himself into hot water by gazing at Bat Sheva as she was bathing up on the roof.

"For she is pleasing to my eyes."

Straying after their eyes also brought about the downfall of the Spies. Seeing the giants in the Land of Israel, their hearts melted in fear, as it says: “Moreover, we saw the children of the giants there,” and “We saw in it men of great size, and there we saw the Nefilim, the sons of the giants, who come of the Nefilim, and we were in our eyes as grasshoppers.” Just like the new grasshopper, Bibi, caving in to the big bad giant Obama.    

At the end of the Torah portion of “Shelach,” which we read on Shabbat, Hashem gives us the commandment of tzitzit to help rectify the sin of the Spies:

“And Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, Speak to the Children of Israel, and bid them that they make fringes (tzitzit) in the corners of their garments throughout their generations… that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of Hashem, and do them; that you stray not after your own heart and your own eyes after which you go astray, that you may remember and do My commandments, and be holy to your G-d.”

Tzitzit - so that you shall remember and be holy.

Actually, there are two commandments here; to wear tzitzit, and not to stray after our hearts and our eyes.

The book, “Sefer HaHinuch,” explains that “not to stray after your hearts,” refers to entertaining opinions or beliefs that are contradictory to the foundations of Torah, since this can lead to heresy. If it should occur that a person finds himself thinking about heretical teachings, like those inherent in false religions, he should cast them from his mind and replace them with thoughts about Torah.

In a similar light, a person is not to chase after the deceptive visions and lusts of this world that lead him away from the Torah. The Talmud categorizes “not to stray after your eyes” as “znut,” meaning erotic, sexual imagery.

"You shall not stray after your eyes!"

Every time a person gazes at an immodestly dressed woman on the street, or at an immodest image on the Internet, he is violating the Torah command not to stray after one’s heart and one’s eyes. It turns out that by the end of the day, a man can violate the Torah hundreds of times!

Our Sages teach that a forbidden thought is worse than actually engaging in the forbidding act itself. They explain that this specifically applies to sexual fantasies. According to this, gazing at a woman and fantasizing about having forbidden relations with her is worse than actually committing the transgression! How can this be? They explain that straying after one’s eyes and fantasizing is something that can happen a thousand times before a person acts on it because committing adultery or engaging in forbidden relationships involves great intrigue, planning, and there is always the danger of being caught, which makes a person think twice before committing the transgression. Whereas fantasizing at one’s computer is so easy, one can easily deceive himself into thinking he really isn’t doing something so terribly wrong and thus transgress again and again and again.

Additionally, someone who engages in forbidden relations is often moved to repent, owing to the guilt he feels; whereas when one’s “merely” fantasizes about a woman, “what’s the big deal – I didn’t hurt anybody?” he thinks.    

However, when a Jew gazes at a forbidden image, whether on TV, the Internet, a movie, a photo in a magazine, a pretty girl on the street, or the like, he severs himself from holiness. The Shechinah flees from him. He may experience a physical charge, but he disconnects himself from the Divine electricity known as “Chashmal.” If he is the type of guy who engages in casual conversations with women, in the grocery store, at mixed weddings, on the yishuv, and the like, without averting his gaze from looking at them straight in the eyes, besides ignoring the advice of our Sages not to speak more than one has to with women, he brings about a dulling of his spiritual sensitivities. If he is a regular TV watcher, Internet surfer, women talker, he pulls out the plug connecting him to Torah. Rabbi Leon Levi says that a person like this may go through the motions of praying and studying Torah, but his prayers and Torah study don’t rise more than a centimeter into the air before they crash. Someone who doesn’t guard his eyes may think he is connected to Torah, but he isn’t. The plug is lying disconnected on the floor. Only, he doesn’t feel his lack of holiness because his spiritual vision and sensitivity has become dulled until it is practically switched off.   

What does this have to do with the Spies?

A straightforward understanding of their terrible crash of faith and the tragedy it brought upon the Nation is that they looked at the giants with a superficial vision, seeing the physical side of things only. And so they were afraid. Joshua and Calev, on the other hand, looked upon the giants with the deep faith of security in G-d, and knew that the giants presented no danger at all. The superficial vision of the Spies is shared by many Jews in the Diaspora who when looking upon things in Israel see only the superficial physical side of things, the giant problems in the Land, and not on the great inner light of building and redemption that is taking place. With their superficial vision, they forget Hashem. Cut off from the deep faith that trust in G-d brings, they see Israel as “a land that devours its inhabitants” – just like the Spies did - and they use this as an excuse for not coming.

Rabbi Leon Levi

So what does this have to do with looking at woman? I’m glad you asked. Rabbi Levi explains that when the Spies left the Clouds of Glory to spy out the Land, they were indeed prominent scholars and community leaders. But when they left the protective walls of their yeshiva, they encountered the immodest women of Midian and this is what brought about their fall. Straying after their eyes, they lost their connection to Hashem and the invincible faith that comes with it. Without trust in G-d, they quivered upon seeing the giants.

This is hinted at in the verse regarding tzitzit which says, ”You shall not stray after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you go astray,” where the Hebrew for “after which you go astray” comes from the word “zonim” to prostitute yourselves, from the word “znut” for forbidden sexual activities, including gazing at immodest women.

And since we are talking about tzitzit, I recall a trip to Florida to visit my parents before they came on aliyah. Seeing me and my kids walking along the sidewalk of a shopping mall, several Jewish senior citizens pointed to us in happiness and called out, “Oh look at the tzitzit!” as if they hadn’t seen tzitzit in years. Because in America, many Orthodox Jews hide their tzitzit inside their pants so they won’t look different from the goyim. That alone should make a Diaspora Jew realize that he doesn’t belong in a foreign land, where he has to hide his Jewishness on the street.

Proud to be a Jew - overlooking the Jordan River

So come home already to Israel where you can walk proudly anywhere you please with your tzitzit flying in the wind. You’ve got what it takes. Stop worry about all the problems you see. Remember the good old American motto:

“In G-d we trust.”  

Obama Mosque

I hope this blog doesn’t offend anyone. I truly love my brothers and sisters in the Diaspora. Caring for their wellbeing, the way I would if I saw someone about to fall off a cliff, I try to point out that G-d wants the Jewish People to live in Eretz Yisrael, and not in Brooklyn or Japan.

"Watch out!"

This is obvious to anyone who reads the Torah, since it is repeated over and over again, more than any other commandment. This week’s Torah portion about the Spies, who rebelled against G-d by refusing to make aliyah to Israel, is completely dedicated to this understanding. No person can read the account of the Spies and not understand that G-d wants the Jewish People to live in the Land of Israel. Nothing could be simpler or more straightforward.

INN readers who get angry at me, and my fellow bloggers, for repeating this clear and straightforward eternal truth, know in their hearts that we are right. This knowledge is an innate part of every Jew. Every Jew knows that Eretz Yisrael is the Jewish homeland, and not America or France. If this is the case, why do they attack us so hysterically whenever we write about the commandment of living in Israel? The answer is that, though they know the truth in their inner hearts, they don’t want to face up to it and have to deal with all of the difficult challenges which moving to Israel implies. Uprooting one’s life and beginning anew in another country is a heavy burden and not everyone has the courage, strength, faith, wherewithal, opportunity, and good fortune to do so.  Being confronted with the mitzvah of living in Israel, the Diaspora Jew’s conscience is threatened, and to quiet his guilty feeling, he is liable to strike out in hysterical, venomous attacks against the proponents of aliyah, and against all of the things he finds wrong in the State of Israel. It’s a form of self defense. Deep inside, the Diaspora Jew knows that he or she is living a falsehood, and when they are confronted with the truth by Jews who are fortunate to be living their lives in the Land of Israel, in accordance with the truth of the Torah, they feel that they have to protect themselves, so that the house of playing cards which they have built for themselves won’t come tumbling down.

House of Cards

I am not criticizing them. As I wrote a few blogs back, they are not to blame. No one ever taught them the truth. True, any grade-school child who reads the Bible will tell you that G-d wants the Jews to live in the Land of Israel, but to protect their glass communities, many parents and Jewish educators pretend that what the Torah says about aliyah applied only back then, not today - even though they will admit that the other commandments like Tefillin and Shabbat and keeping Kosher certainly apply today as well.

Coming on aliyah puts the bones back into Judaism.

It’s a little like gefilta fish. Everyone knows that Diaspora Jews loves gefilta fish. What makes gefilta fish so popular? It isn’t only the taste. Gefilta fish is boneless. The backbones of the fish have been removed and the meat of the fish is grinded up so that no bones whatsoever remain. This makes eating fish on Shabbat a lot easier, since there is a complicated law which prohibits the removal of bones from fish on Shabbat. Since there is a custom to eat fish on Shabbat, gefilta fish makes life a lot easier.

In the same light, living in the Diaspora makes Judaism a lot easier. You don’t have to deal with all of the problematic “bones” that living in Israel involves, like making the desert bloom, producing your own agriculture, learning how to shoot a rifle, serving in the army, establishing viable political and courts systems, taking care of garbage pick-up, and the like. When you live as a minority in someone else land, the gentiles take care of the government and agriculture and defense and garbage pick-up. This is the boneless brand of Judaism that the generation of the Spies wanted to live in the wilderness where all of their needs were met by the manna, miraculous well, and invincible Clouds of Glory. They didn’t want all the hassle of plowing, and sifting wheat, and building houses, and serving in the army, and paving highways, and the complications of running a government that living in their own Land would require.

However, this was exactly what G-d wanted – that the Jewish People show the world that it is possible to sanctify all of earthly existence in the service of G-d, not just in the yeshiva study hall and home, but in the army and government and life of the farmer, postman, and garbage man as well.

So come join us! Yes, in many ways, living is Israel is more difficult. Here, we have to do the work ourselves in getting rid of the bones. But this is precisely what G-d wants. Be honest with yourselves, and with your children. Why settle for a boneless Judaism in Brooklyn when you can be a Jew with a backbone in your own Land!      

If my paintball warnings don’t keep immodestly dressed women at home, then at least the Tzunami of jellyfish heading our way will keep them from strutting half-naked along the beaches of the Holy Land. 

Hi, Girls!

Yesterday INN reported the following News Brief:

(IsraelNN.com) A global increase in jellyfish populations is expected to hit Israel, scientists warned this week. Large numbers of jellyfish have been spotted in the Mediterranean Sea, on their way to Israel's coasts.

The jellyfish are expected to hit Israeli beaches in the near future. Those seen on their way to Israel are not usually dangerous, but they can leave swimmers with painful stings.

[End of News Brief]

Without question, G-d is sending the swarms of jelly fish our way to keep all of those itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikinis in the closet at home where they belong.

Modesty is the hallmark of a Jewish woman. A Jewish woman is not supposed to go strutting around with everything showing, not in her home, not out on the street, and not at the beach. Just because there is sand and surf and sun at the beach doesn’t provide a heter (allowance) for Jewish women to strip off their clothes. Even if it’s a hot summer day, immodest bathing suits are strictly against halacha. Even on a beachfront restricted to Women Only, a Jewish woman is not supposed to parade around outside under the Heavens with all of her flesh spilling out. The beaches of Israel may be great places to cool off, but they are still a part of the Holy Land.

Dream Beach - 5am is the best

And as far as guys are concerned, someone who cares about his soul is wise to avoid busy beaches. Don’t feed me a line about separate beaches for men and women. Unless the beachfront is absolutely hermetically sealed, far removed from regular bathers, a beach just for men doesn’t exist.

For example, the other day, I took my boys to the “Men’s Only” beach in Ashkelon. Yes, there were barriers along the beach blocking off the area from co-ed bathers, but the barriers ended well before the water. And of course, just for spite, there were scantily clad women who had nowhere else to frolic than on the beachfront directly in front of all of the religious kids and fat bearded men like me. It’s a free world, right?

One after another, as if at orchestrated intervals, they paraded along the shore like models walking down the runway of some sleazy Paris fashion show.

“Nachash Tzefah!  Nachash Tzefah!” I screamed out, gathering my little ones and herding them back to our car.

As we have written on several occasions, when a man gazes at an immodestly dressed woman, whether at the beach or while surfing on the Internet, the Divine Presence flees from him and he is enveloped in a terrible impurity.

Warning! Internet Surfing can be Dangerous!

The Sages of the Kabbalah inform us that at the same moment that a girl watcher is enjoying an immodest sight, his soul is attacked by the impure spiritual forces the image creates. His soul, they warn, is mercilessly beaten with vicious blows, more painful than the sting of a thousand jellyfish, causing it to scream out with such horror that the man would pass out from fright if he could hear it.

So my fellow Bearers of the Brit, please think twice before taking an outing to a crowded beach, even if it supposedly “Men Only.”

And to my dear Jewish sisters, why put a stumbling block in front of the blind? Why cause your brothers to sin? And why bring needless punishment on yourselves and your families by violating the tenets of modesty that the Jewish Nation is founded upon? Remember, our beaches, are not international waters,but a part of the Holy Land too. How you behave on the shores of Tel Aviv affects not only the men on the beach, but the future wellbeing of Judea and Samaria settlements as well.  

If you don’t believe me, then go ahead to the beach. Maybe the jellyfish will convince you.

We are waiting for you, girls!