Category: Land of Israel

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Returning Home, Leaving Our Trauma Behind

Inside each Yid is unbounded consciousness.

This point of God awareness is wrapped up in the layers of our world. Outside the Land of Israel we had no yearning; either on an individual or a national level for uncovering our authentic identity. Only now, upon our return home has this need and desire become aroused.

This arousal from within flows from a point within our hearts where the altar of Godliness exists. This altar is the gateway to the universe within, the Gan Eden of our souls. The return to the Land unlocks this gateway, this cosmic altar where our da’as flows into this world. However, the transformation and trigger from galus to geulah comes with inner obstacles and false perceptions.

The return to the Land of Israel requires the Tzaddik to remove the storm raging within our minds, which are threatened by the chaos of leaving the galus behind. This chaos has the power to derail the geulah – to hide the princess from our grasp.

This is what the climb out of the gutters of galus is about. The constant rising and falling until we get it – until the concretization of a true malchus, kingdom, which can only happen in Israel – happens.

Yet, it cannot happen without realizing that each of us when it comes down to it is just a point of Godliness expressed in the physical realm. Each one of us is only a machzit hashekel, half shekel in need of another half shekel to be whole. We have returned home – to rescue the princess within, but we forgot that we are here to rescue her and instead are running after the false loves of our past arduous journey outside the Land of Israel.

The Tzaddik has blazed a path ahead, past the inner obstacles and confusions. He saw ahead and rode the stormy seas back home unlocking our yearnings and drives. Now we need to hold on and know the only thing holding back the full completion of our redemption is the letting go of our past trauma and focusing on the only thing that matters – the now. Only then we will see the princess and only then the Land’s full affect on our inner selves will be felt.

(Based on Likutey Moharan 25; Shivchey HaRan – Journey to Eretz Yisrael; Toldos Yaakov Yosef – Parsha Ki Tisa; Olat Reyiah Part 1 Page 40; Shemoneh Kevatzim Part 1 Paragraph 25)

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Igniting Our Souls Together

The Land of Israel holds within it, the divine potential waiting to be unlocked by the Jewish Nation. The key is not to allow our emunah, simple faith to be boxed in by our intellect, but rather harness it within our subconscious construct where our divine soul rests, waiting to be expressed into this world.

What is it that prevents us from actualizing our inner hislavus, enthusiasm? Why is it that both on an individual level and on a national level we feel lethargic so close to finishing process of redemption?

The soul of a Yid is so precious, so infinite it cannot be contained and yet in this world our soul, which is often compared to a flame – Ner HaShem Nishmat Adam – the candle of God is the Soul of Man – is nearly smothered. We yearn for more and we know we want more. We are home, but we feel estranged, lost within the hills and valleys of our own Land.

The “Princess is lost” within the fields and dry river beds, the mountains and ancient streets – waiting to be rescued and uplifted. The flame is kindled – never extinguished, but now it needs to be ignited.

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The Tzaddik’s “breath” is blowing and our flames are growing, being pulled together. He calls us to awaken and it is time to leave behind the small mindedness of exile, the confusions and false constructs we dragged back to the Land of Israel. The soul is made of letters and the Lost Princess within the Land is yearning for our souls to expand and encompass one another – to ignite and strengthen the collective flame.

Yet, our yearnings are in conflict with those that sense a threat to their empty rule, their false kingship built on lies and darkness. We are tempted to retreat and to fall back, to wallow in the dust of our failings and short comings and yet the Tzaddik’s light keeps shining on us, his breath keeps expanding our flames giving us the drive to breakthrough, to release the letters held within our souls onto the Land and rescue the Princess once and for all.

(Based on Likutey Moharan Tinyana Lesson 9; Lost Princess; Maor Einayim Parshat Tetzaveh; Orot Eretz Yisrael 7)

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Finding Unity and our Good Points in the Land of Israel

The goodness held deep inside each Yid flows from the Nation’s connection to the good points within the Land of Israel. Our connection and yearning to be one with our Land unlocks the points of light within our own consciousness.

It is ultimately on a National level that the Yidden can fully express the good points found within themselves and this expression can most fully happen in its most authentic way in the Land of Israel.

Unity within in the Land of Israel, even if this unity is only found in separate communities causes the good found within the Nation to be fully expressed throughout the Land.

How do we reach a level of unity?

Every Yid must see the goodness found within the other and draw that out. After all, this goodness is an expression of unity with the Torah and Land of Israel, so by seeing the good in a fellow Yid, one is ultimately drawing this same goodness and light from within the Land itself.

The Tzaddik and the Land

The Tzaddik is the heart of the Nation. His most concrete realization is in the Land of Israel, because that is where the purpose of the Yidden are transformed from individualistic endeavors to national processes. Yet, despite the National return, the Tzaddik’s role in its revitalization cannot be fully actualized unless the Nation yearns for Tzaddik’s light to guide them.

Our yearning, for a true leader is only due to the need to find the Tzaddik that can arouse the Nation to see the good points held within it – the good points in one another and the Land itself.

This is precisely why we are experiencing so much trouble within our own Land, even when we appear to have sovereignty. The lack of a true Tzaddik means we can’t truly draw the light held within each one of us into the vessels that have been constructed here in the Land of Israel.

When each Yid finds the courage within himself to identify those “good stones” that he was gifted with and then help others find theirs, a true lasting Redemption can be built.

Once again, true unity is one where the national body finds true connection with the Tzaddik at its heart and where it yearns to release its ultimate good found within each Yid and the Land itself.

All it takes is for each one of us to find the courage and the perseverance to see the goodness in ourselves and each other, no matter how far apart we appear to be.

Based on Likutey Moharan 282 and Likutey Moharan Tinyana 8; Eretz Hefetz 1:7; Olat Reyiah Part 1 Page 99