HaRav Shmuel Eliahu is chief rabbi of Tsfat
Our Sages teach that anyone who lives in the Land of Israel is called a righteous person. My father, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu zt"l, used to bless people during the Ten Days of Repentance with the words: "May you be inscribed for a good sealing" instead of “a good final sealing” - "G’mar Chatimah Tovah."
His custom was based on the understanding that pure tzaddikim (righteous people) are sealed in the Book of Life on Rosh Hashanah itself. Thus it is possible that a person has already been sealed for good. This was his perspective as the spiritual leader of the public, the view of the generation’s leaders who see the people as righteous.
Pure Tzaddikim
In the past two years, we have witnessed people who we would never have thought of as pure tzaddikim sacrificing their lives for the people of Israel - literally binding themselves on the altar. Their parents, their spouses, their children, and the entire public share in their righteousness. These soldiers are all willing to sacrifice their lives for the existence of the people of Israel, and truly standing before God in battle. This is the behavior of absolute tzaddikim.
So wrote Rabbi Avraham Azulai about the residents of the Land of Israel: "And know that anyone who dwells in the Land of Israel is called a tzaddik, even if he does not appear to be one. For if he were not righteous, the Land would vomit him out, as it says, ‘The Land will vomit out its inhabitants.’ And since it does not vomit him out, it is certain he is called a tzaddik, even if he appears to be wicked.”
He continues:
"And know that the Land of Israel only atones for sins committed in it when they are unintentional transgressions. But sins committed intentionally are not forgiven except through suffering, or for one who forgives offenses. And transgressions committed in the Land are not forgiven except through repentance and Torah study." (Chesed L’Avraham, Ma’ayan 3, Nahar 12)
Simply being in the Land of Israel grants a high spiritual level, and because of it, a person is considered righteous, even if we don’t understand all their actions.
The Sinners of Israel Will One Day Emit a Sweet Fragrance
God's words regarding the evil inclination (Yetzer Hara), which is called “evil,” teach us that it will one day be nullified.
We learn this from a verse after the Flood: "And the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, and the Lord said in His heart: ‘I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the inclination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I ever again destroy every living thing, as I have done.’"
The Ba’al HaTurim explains that this evil inclination will eventually be nullified, as we see the word “He smelled” used twice in the Torah:
- “And the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma.”
- “And he smelled the fraagrance of his garments” (Genesis 27:27).
This teaches us (Sanhedrin 37a) that even the sinners of Israel will eventually emit a pleasing fragrance, as it says: “He smelled the fragrance of his garments” - do not read ‘begadav’ (garments), but ‘bogedav’ (betrayers). Thus, “the Lord smelled the pleasing fragrance”- meaning that even they will one day give off a sweet spiritual fragrance. This is the reason why God never brought another flood.
In the End, Israel Will Repent
Just as Redemption preceded the world and is essential to it, so too did repentance, as it says: .
As it says: "Before the mountains were born… You turn man back to dust, and You say, 'Return, children of man.'" (Psalms 90). And as the Rambam wrote (Laws of Teshuva 7:5):
"All the prophets commanded regarding repentance, and Israel will only be redeemed through repentance. And the Torah already promised that at the end of exile, Israel will repent and immediately they will be redeemed, as it says, ‘And it shall be, when all these things come upon you… and you return to the Lord your God… then the Lord your God will return…”
Even Without Repentance, They Will Be Redeemed
In the Gemara (Sanhedrin 97b) there is a debate about whether Redemption depends on repentance:
Rav said: “All the deadlines have passed, and the matter depends only on repentance and good deeds.”
But Shmuel said: “It is enough for the mourner to remain in mourning.”Rashi explains that even if they don’t repent, Hashem will not remain in mourning forever- there is definitely a set end.
In a second explanation: “Israel has suffered enough in exile, so even without repentance they will be redeemed.” This doesn’t mean that during the Redemption people will remain wicked. The entire following disagreement between Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Eliezer is about the order of Redemption. Even though Rabbi Yehoshua appears to say Redemption does not depend on repentance at all, the meaning is that it doesn’t start with it.
He states:
“God will appoint a king whose decrees are as harsh as Haman’s, and the Jewish people will do teshuva and return to the right path.”
Even though Rabbi Yehoshua later brings many verses to support the idea that Redemption will begin without repentance - and Rabbi Eliezer falls silent - we must still say:
Eventually, the Jewish people and the world will come to complete repentance. May it be soon. Hag Samaoch!