Eretz Yisroel

Eretz Yisroel - The Land of Israel is the land promised by G-d to our forefather Abraham to give to the Jewish people, and it is the land of the seven nations mentioned in the Torah.

In The Torah it is stated that besides the land within its borders, "every place where your foot will tread shall be yours," meaning any conquest that the Children of Israel will conquer from the lands of the nations - after they conquer all of the Land of Israel within G-d's promised borders - will be sanctified with the holiness of the land and will become the Land of Israel, this is besides the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites and Kadmonites that were promised to Israel - in the future.

"All the land belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He, He created it and gave it to whomever was proper in His eyes... By His will He took it from them and gave it to us" — Rashi's first comment on the Torah

Dwelling in the Holy Land

Beyond the mitzvos that are dependent on the land - which are not applicable in chutz la'aretz, all mitzvos - nearly all of them are specifically dependent on Eretz Yisroel, because the essence of mitzvos is to make a dirah b'tachtonim for Hakadosh Boruch Hu - and Eretz Yisroel is the physical place where Hakadosh Boruch Hu reveals Himself openly.

Additionally, the primary fulfillment of all mitzvos in their perfect form - is specifically in Eretz Yisroel - in the times of Moshiach.

Living in Eretz Yisroel and serving Hashem there is a great and lofty virtue, because of its supreme kedusha - as it states "the eyes of Hashem your G-d are upon it from the beginning of the year until the end of the year," and in it is fulfilled Hashem's oath to our forefathers regarding giving the land to Bnei Yisroel.

Due to the eternal kedusha and special virtue of Eretz Yisroel, living there obligates those who dwell there to conduct themselves in a special way both personally and communally, befitting those who are in the "palace of the king" - the King of kings, Hakadosh Boruch Hu. It also obligates the Bnei Yisroel who live there with responsibility for the completeness of the land and its kedusha, and an attitude of respect and cherishing towards Eretz HaKodesh - which Hakadosh Boruch Hu gave to Bnei Yisroel.

The meaning of this is that Eretz Yisroel was chosen by Hashem from all lands of the world, in order to fulfill through it the purpose and goal of all creation - to be a spiritual G-dly center from which Torah and light will go forth to the entire world. As it is said: "A land which Hashem your G-d seeks out, the eyes of Hashem your G-d are always upon it."

The concept of Eretz Yisroel also includes its being inhabited by Am Yisroel, because just as Eretz Yisroel was chosen by Hashem from all lands of the world, so too Bnei Yisroel are the chosen people, in order to fulfill the above G-dly role and to be a light unto the nations. As it is said: "Only in your forefathers did Hashem delight to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, you, from all peoples, as it is this day."

Eretz Yisroel is not merely a geographical matter, but its essence is - fundamental uniqueness, despite it also being a defined physical territory in the physical world.

The Uniqueness and Virtue of the Land of Israel

The Uniqueness of Eretz Yisroel Among All Lands of the World is in Two Aspects:

According to the Midrash: "Beloved is Eretz Yisroel that Hakadosh Boruch Hu chose it." According to the Mechilta: "Until Eretz Yisroel was chosen, all lands were fit for Divine communication, once Eretz Yisroel was chosen - all other lands were excluded." And similarly in the Tanchuma: "Beloved to Me is Eretz Yisroel that I sanctified it above all lands." And also in Bamidbar Rabbah: "Eretz Yisroel where the Shechinah dwells."

Therefore, we find that the virtue of Eretz Yisroel is in two aspects:

The Chosen Land (Eretz HaBechirah)
The Holy Land (Eretz HaKodesh)

The Land of Choice

The Land of Israel is first and foremost - the Chosen Land. "The Chosen Land," not because of any special quality within it. Rather because thus arose in His blessed will - to designate specifically this land - for Israel, even if the Land of Israel had no special quality - physical or spiritual, and there was no reason to connect the Land of Israel to the Jewish people.

The Holy Land

The second aspect of the Land of Israel is its holiness, in which it is different and unique from all lands in its essential nature and level. This is already a logical reason for the land's importance.

This holiness is expressed in the commandments dependent on the land, and as mentioned above, even all commandments are primarily fulfilled completely in the Land of Israel, especially in the future to come. As the Rebbe explains in his holy letter to the Jewish people; in which he explains the difference between the Land of Israel and outside the land - where they decreed impurity on its soil and air.

And what is understood from what is explained there, is that what is special about the Land of Israel is that even the "land" is "Israel," meaning that even the earthiness and material ground within it will be permeated with holiness, not just the spirituality. Therefore, the land and its produce are subject to commandments and laws dependent on the land.

The Name "Land of Israel"

"Land" - that wanted to do its Creator's will. Israel - letters meaning "head for Me," which is G-d's wisdom.

This means that the Land of Israel is the realization and fulfillment of G-d's wisdom and will on earth, and the commandment to settle the Land of Israel means - establishing life in this world in a way that reflects G-d's will and wisdom in the Torah. And without Torah life and commandments, it is possible for a person to be physically in the Land of Israel, yet still be living in the spiritual sense outside the land.

The Connection of the Land of Israel to the Jewish People

The Land of Israel was designated and given to the Jewish people from its very creation, as Rashi brings Rabbi Yitzchak's words "... all the land belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He, He created it and gave it to whomever was proper in His eyes, etc." This means from the time of its creation it was already holy and given to Israel - those who were proper in His eyes, while the sanctification of the land through its conquest by the Jewish people is only revealing its holiness that was hidden within it.

Nevertheless, by His will He gave it to them - to the nations of the world - to be temporarily under the control of the seven nations, so that the Jewish people would come, and through their free choice and work from below to above, would conquer this land that had become materialized and defiled, and transform it into the Land of Israel - the Holy Land.

The Holiness of the Land of Israel

The land's first sanctification occurred through Joshua's conquest, as Israel was commanded to acquire it specifically through conquest. Although they performed other acts of possession, the land was not acquired through these means.

The first stage was conquering Jericho, which was the "lock" of the Land of Israel. Immediately upon its conquest, some land-dependent commandments took effect, though some aspects of the land's holiness only took effect after seven years of conquest and seven years of division.

In contrast, Ezra's sanctification occurred through possession and therefore wasn't nullified, as Maimonides ruled: "Every place that the returnees from Babylon possessed and was sanctified with Ezra's second sanctification remains holy today even if taken from them, and is obligated in tithes and offerings."

Sanctity of the Land of Israel Outside the Land

The Previous Rebbe related: In 1857, when a great Chassid asked the Tzemach Tzedek about traveling to the Land of Israel to devote himself to Torah study and divine service there, he replied: "R' Hillel doesn't lack the Land of Israel and you want the Land of Israel? We need to make here the Land of Israel - make here the Land of Israel."

Leaving the Land

By Jewish law, one may not leave the Holy Land except for healing, Torah study, seeing one's teacher, or business/livelihood. The Rashbam and Ramban debate whether this is because leaving deprives one of fulfilling land-dependent commandments or because of the land's inherent holiness.

Spiritual Leaders' Immigration

Throughout the years, the Rebbe urged rabbis and community leaders not to abandon their communities to move to Israel.

The Rebbe's Visit to Israel

A topic that has occupied many who were exposed to the Rebbe's philosophy and teachings is his abstention from making aliyah or even visiting Eretz Yisroel, while the Rebbe was deeply involved in every detail of what happened in the land and was strongly and emphatically connected to it.

The Rebbe himself addressed this topic several times, in conversations with Rav Shlomo Goren, with Mrs. Geulah Cohen, Rav She'ar Yashuv HaCohen, in a letter to a young boy, and to additional personalities.

In fact, besides the Frierdiker Rebbe (Admu"r HaRayatz) who visited the land only once, none of our Rebbeim visited Eretz HaKodesh.

Visiting the Land

The Rebbe advised visitors to Israel about being careful with agricultural tithes and appropriate spiritual conduct.

The State of Israel

The State of Israel is a sovereign entity in most of the biblical Land of Israel's territory. It was established on the 5th of Iyar 5708 (1948) by the Zionist movement, with differing opinions among Jewish leaders about it.

The Rebbe's view was that while Jewish sovereignty in Israel and the ingathering of Jews isn't the "beginning of redemption," it is a place of refuge for the Jewish people, and we should thank G-d for the miracles of the Independence War and other state wars.

Chabad Community in Israel

Chabad's establishment in the Holy Land began with Chassidim immigrating in 1777. Today the community numbers about 10,000 families spread throughout Israel, with major centers in Kfar Chabad, Safed, Beitar, Lod, Nachlat Har Chabad, and over 1,000 emissaries across the country.

The Land of Israel in the Redemption

In the future redemption, entry to the land won't involve conquest and war but will be peaceful. Jerusalem's sanctity will spread throughout Israel, and Israel's sanctity will spread throughout the world. Synagogues and study halls from the diaspora will be transferred to Israel.