Page 26 - HaMizrachi #29 Yom HaAtzmaut 2021 USA

HOLIDAY READING

Lt. Colonel (res.) Rabbi Yedidya Atlas

The Torah of the Klal

TORAT ERETZ YISRAEL IN THE EYES OF RAV KOOK

o understand the concept of the mitzvot dependent on Eretz Yisrael In that context, we can understand
Torat Eretz Yisrael, we must first to the laws of kings and waging war. the words of Rabbi Chiya (Yerushalmi,
Tcomprehend the scope of Torah Berachot): “Such is the coming redemp-
in general. The term Torat Eretz Yisrael appears in tion, in the beginning, little by little…”
Vayikra Rabbah 13:5: “‘And the gold of And as explained by the Maharal in
Torah is all-encompassing: Am Yisrael’s the Land is good,’ teaches that there is
way of life as a nation, and every Jew no Torah like Torat Eretz Yisrael, and his introduction to Or Chadash, “the
as an individual. Moreover, since Eretz there is no chochma – wisdom – like redemption will not occur all at once,
Yisrael is the natural habitat – both chochmat Eretz Yisrael.” And in Bava but in stages.”
physically and spiritually – for Jews, it Batra 158b, Rabbi Zeira declares “the When the State of Israel was established
is only there that the full gamut of Torah air of Eretz Yisrael makes one wise.” in 1948, Yom HaAtzmaut was celebrated
learning, and therefore Jewish life, can by Jews across the religious and polit-
be achieved. Thus our Sages declared: On the most basic level, one can distin- ical spectrum for the miracle that it
“because Israel has been exiled from her guish Torat chutz laAretz from Torat represented. Sadly, as time passes, as
Land, there is no bigger bitul Torah than Eretz Yisrael: only in Eretz Yisrael can we come ever closer to the next stage
this” (Chagiga 5b). one potentially perform all of the mitz- in our national redemption, many of
vot in the Torah. Even today, without a our fellow Jews, although still living in
Yes, throughout almost two millennia, Beit HaMikdash, all individual mitzvot truly miraculous times, no longer see
Jews in exile produced such seminal and many of the mitzvot dependent the reality. As Rabbi Elazar said: “even
works as the Talmud Bavli, the Shul- one to whom a miracle happens, fails to
chan Aruch, and much more. But nearly on the Land can be fully observed. Of recognize it” (Niddah 31a).
all these dealt only with the Jew as an course, there is also the well-known
individual, not as a nation. As our Sages concept brought by the Sifrei, Rashi and It behooves us to strengthen our con-
wrote: “From the day the Beit HaMik- Ramban on Parashat Eikev (11:18), that nection to Torat Eretz Yisrael, thereby
dash was destroyed, G-d has no place in even the observance of individually-ori- intensifying our commitment to Am
His World but the four cubits of hala- ented mitzvot in chutz laAretz has less Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael, and fully live
cha” (Berachot 8a). Limited in scope, value than keeping those same mitzvot the miracle as we work together to bring
the Torah of the Galut, Torat chutz in Eretz Yisrael. the ultimate Redemption ever closer.
laAretz, ignored those areas of national Rav Kook writes in Orot HaTorah, Chap-
Jewish existence in our own Land. More ter 13: “Torat chutz laAretz deals only in
than half the subjects dealt with in the repairing the individual soul… whereas
shisha sidrei Mishnah, for example, are Torat Eretz Yisrael is always concerned
not dealt with in the Talmud Bavli. Not with the klal, in favor of the national
even one tractate deals with the mitz- soul in its entirety.” Thus, we can under-
vot teluyot baAretz – commandments stand that Am Yisrael can only live a
dependent on the Land of Israel. The completely fulfilled life in Eretz Yisrael.
Shulchan Aruch essentially deals in
Torat haYachid – laws pertaining to Therefore, Torat Eretz Yisrael, despite all Lt. Colonel (res.) Rabbi Yedidya Atlas is a
the individual Jew. Only the Rambam, the current limitations of living without veteran journalist specializing in geo-polit-
ical and geo-strategic affairs in the Middle
in Yad HaChazaka, covers the laws of a Beit HaMikdash, is the Torah not only East.
both the individual and the nation. He of the individual Jew but of the Jewish
addresses the issues of Am Yisrael as a nation in its entirety, as we move ever A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau
functioning nation in its own Land, from closer to the ultimate Redemption. mizrachi.org/speakers

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