Page 32 - HaMizrachi Tu BiShvat 5782 - USA

RAV KOOK’S TEACHINGS

Connecting the Land and the People

In these paragraphs, from Rav Kook’s introduction to his book Shabbat HaAretz, Rav Kook discusses the ideal
relationship between Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael and our return to that relationship after a long galut.

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...דַחַי תו מיִאְתַמ הָמ ֻאָה תַל ֻגְסו ץֶרבָה תּלֻגְס .‘הַל תּבַש :תיִעיִבְש ַב רַמֱאֶנ ְךּכ ”‘הַל תָב ַש “ תיִש אֵרְב תָב ַש ְב רַמֱאֶנ ֶש םֵש ְכו
,ןָתָש ֻדְק תַגיִרֲע תֶא לַעפ ַה לֶא איִצו הְל ,ןָדיִקְפַת תֶא תו עְבו ת ,ןָתָיָוֲה דו סְי תֶא תו לֲעו פ וָּדְחַי ץֶרבָהְו הָמ ֻאָה תַמְש ִנ
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תֶלֶעו פ ץֶרבָהְו ,תיִנָחו רָה ו תָעָפ ְש ַה יֵדְי לַע הָל ַגְתִמ ‘ה ַעו רְז ,ץֶרבָה לַע יִש ְפַנ ַה ו חכְב לֵעו פ םַעָה .ןו תָב ַש תַנְש ִב
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!ץֶרבָלְו הָמ ֻאָל איִה תַחַרְכֻמ ןו תָב ַש תַנְש .םָתיִנְבַתְב םיִמֵלְש םיִיִקל ֱא םיּיַח ץֶפֵח יִפְל ו תָנו כְת תֶא ריִש ְכַהְל ,םָעָה לַע
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...ַעגְרַמו ןו יְוִש תַנְש ”,‘הַל הָט ִמְש אָרָק יּכ ויִחב תֶאְו ו הֵעֵר תֶא תג ִי אל “ ,הֶדו רְו תֵגו נ ןיֵאּב ,הָוְלַש ְו טֶקֶש תַנְש
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ץֶרבָל הֶיְהִי ןו תָּבַש תַנְש “ ,לָכ יֵנְפ לַע ְךו פָש תו ליִצֲאַו הָש ֻדְק ַחו ר ...ו פ א ְב הָמָש ְנ רֶש ֲא לָּכ לַע רֵרו ת יִקל ֱא םו לָש ְו
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תַחא הבָּבַה ,ו ז הָרבֶהְו .יִקל ֱאָה ה ָחו ר רו קְמּב ,ה ָדו ה ליִלְכּב הָמ ֻאָה לֶש ה ָנו יְבִצ הֶל ּגְתִמ ו ז הָנָש ּב ”.‘הַל תָב ַש –
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.תו י ִקל ֱא תו י ִלביֵדיִא תו י ִלֲע ָהיֶרֲחא תֶכֶש ו מ ,םיִנָש עַבֶש ְל
”Just as it was said about the Sabbath of creation, ‘it is a Sabbath for G-d,‘ so, too, it was
said about the Sabbath of Shemitta, ‘it is a Sabbath for G-d.‘“ (Rashi, Vayikra 25:2). The
distinctive character of the people and the land dovetail with each other... The soul of the
people and the land intertwine, working from the basis of their being to bring into existence
the intricate patterns of inner holiness that lie within them during the sabbatical year.
The people impact with its soul force on the land, such that the Divine seed can be revealed
through its spiritual influence; the land, too, impacts the people, refining their character
in line with the desire for a completely Divine life that is inherent in their makeup. The
Shemitta year is necessary for the nation and the land!

It is a year of quiet and serenity, without oppressor or tyrant, ”One shall not oppress his
friend or his brother [by claiming payment for a loan], for he calls out Shemitta to G-d.“
It is a year of equality and calm... and a Divine peace rests on all living creatures... a
holy and noble spirit is poured onto everything, ”A Sabbatical year should be for the land
– a Sabbath for G-d“... In this year the character of the nation is revealed in the entirety
of its beauty, in the source of its Divine spirit. This light, which comes once every seven
years, draws even afterwards the heights of the Divine ideals [into our lives].

Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook

32 | Background illustration of Rav Kook courtesy of gedolimcanvas.com