Page 48 - HaMizrachi #32 RH-YK 2021 USA

Eretz Yisrael in Chassidut

Shoshana Judelman

“Whoever is worthy sees it!” Upon hear- a glimpse of the shining spark of G-dli-
ing these words, Rabbi Avraham Dov ness that Hashem puts in everything
secluded himself and spent months and everyone.
davening to Hashem and begging for The very air of Eretz Yisrael can help
His help.
strengthen our ability to see G-dliness
After an entire year, Rabbi Avraham because, as we learn from the Gemara,
Dov emerged from his seclusion and “the air of Eretz Yisrael makes one
expressed gratitude that the meshu- wise.” (Bava Batra 158b) Rebbe Nach-
lach had spoken to him so forcefully. man of Breslov teaches that this is so
“Because of the strength of his words, because “the eyes of G-d Almighty are
I worked so hard to be worthy and, continually upon it, from the begin-
indeed, I now see that his words were ning of the year to the end” (Devarim
true, the rocks of Eretz Yisrael are truly 11:12) and eyes signify awareness and
precious gems.” wisdom. Eretz Yisrael is filled with
His presence, but our ability to feel it
How can we tap into the energy of
seeing like the Bat Ayin, with our hearts depends on our deeds, our davening,
and our continuous efforts to come
and souls instead of with only our phys- closer to Him.
ical senses? How can we even begin to
tap into the energy of Eretz Yisrael? One of Israel’s most confusing and
heart-breaking sites is the Kotel, where
We know that what we see with our our holy Beit HaMikdash should but does
eyes is not the whole picture; we see not yet stand. And yet, it is there that
the material world around us but not we go to daven and pour out our hearts
the deeper truth beneath the surface. to The One Above because it is a spir-
We learn from the prophets that “the itual window of potential connection,
whole world is filled with His Glory,”
(Isaiah 6:3) that our mission in life is to a gateway through which the tefillot of
the whole world ascend together to the
seek out the G-dliness that is hidden in
he Bat Ayin, Rabbi Avraham every aspect of existence. Heavenly Throne above. If we open our
Dov of Avritch, had always hearts, we can feel the tears, gratitude
yearned to live in Eretz HaKo- In the Shema, the Torah tells us not to and yearning of generations past and
Tdesh. One day, a tzedakah col- “wander after your hearts and after present.
lector arrived from Tzfat and the Bat your eyes after which you are going May Hashem bless each one of us this
Ayin asked him about living in Eretz astray.” The Sfat Emet points out that year with renewed courage to seek
Yisrael. “It is so beautiful,” responded according to Rashi, the Torah’s use of deeper relationships and the strength
the meshulach, “that even the rocks and “wander,” which derives from the same to keep davening for them. May He bless
stones are like precious gems!” Upon linguistic root as the instruction to the us to harness the power of possibility
hearing these words, the Bat Ayin could spies to “scout out the Land,” teaches and connection of Eretz Yisrael to see
no longer hold back and, in 1830 at the us that the eyes and the heart are the beyond the physical to the precious
age of 65, he made Aliyah. “spies” of the body. When a person sees gems in one another.
everything on a materialistic level, they
A year later he met that same meshu- are in danger of falling prey to super-
lach in Tzfat. “And?” asked the meshu- ficial temptations and a skewed view
lach, eagerly awaiting Rabbi Avraham of the world. True sight comes from a Shoshana Judelman teaches Chassidut for
Shiviti Women’s Institute in Jerusalem and
Dov’s reaction. “Indeed, our Land is life spent connecting to the One Above in the Shirat David Community in Efrat, and
wonderful and holy as you described,” and continuously working towards per- guides at Yad Vashem. Shoshana holds a BA in
observed the Bat Ayin, “but when you sonal growth. With enough persistence, History and an MA in Jewish History. She lived
said the stones are like gems, that was we can grow an appreciation for depth around the world, including in New Jersey,
an exaggeration!” The meshulach stared over beauty, experiences over objects, Western Australia and Pennsylvania before
at Rabbi Avraham Dov and declared, and love over ego. We might even catch settling in Israel in 2013.

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