Weekly Story: Mach Duh Eretz Yisroel – Transform Exile Into Eretz Yisroel 

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon 

Being that this Shabbos is the 11th of Av, the yahrzeit of Reb Hillel HaLevi Paritcher, I thought it is only proper to mention something about Reb Hillel, and connect it to what I said in a class / farbrengen style on Tisha B’av about golus (exile) in general and Tisha B’av in particular.

As always, your comments and feedback are always greatly appreciated and most welcomed.

A chossid once came to the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek and expressed his deep yearning to move and settle in Eretz Yisroel. The Tzemach Tzedek replied that Reb Hillel is not lacking  /missing the holiness of Eretz Yisroel [as he is conducting his life in that holiness. The Rebbe then concluded by saying to the chossid] Mach Duh Eretz Yisroel. 

The obvious question is, is the diaspora Eretz Yisroel or not? And if it is not, how can a human being change it and transform it, so that it becomes Eretz Yisroel?

This same question can be asked on a famous story concerning Tisha B’av. 

Napoleon was once traveling in his royal coach and when he was passing by a building, he heard such powerful wailing that it touched and pulled at his heart. Some really terrible tragedy must have just occurred, as I, who have witnessed numerous tragedies, I have never heard such heartfelt pain.

I, as the great Emperor, would like to help alleviate their pain.

Entering the building to demonstrate his graciousness, he noticed how there were only a few candles lit in the entire room, making the room dark and foreboding, and that everyone, including even the very old, were sitting either on the floor or on very low stools with deep sadness etched on their face. Turning to one of the people there, he asked concerningly, “What happened? Perhaps I can help you?”

“Our holy Temple was destroyed, ” was the reply.

“When and where did that happen? Napoleon asked, as I wasn’t informed that someone recently destroyed a holy temple.

It occurred around seventeen hundred years ago, was the reply, when the Romans destroyed the second Temple in Yerushalayim.

If you Jews can cry, bemoan and mourn a temple that was destroyed seventeen hundred years ago, as if it just occurred, you would merit it being rebuilt, Napoleon declared. 

The question becomes, how is it indeed possible for an entire nation, not just a few outstanding individuals, to mourn for the Beis Hamikdash as if it was destroyed just then and not as if it happened a very long time ago?

Rashi answers this question where he explains, how was it that Yaakov refused to be comforted on Yosef for the twenty-two years he was missing. Didn’t Hashem create humans, that they slowly stop grieving on the loss of their beloved ones, so why did Yaakov continue to mourn?

Rashi answers that when one passed on, then their precious ones slowly get comforted. However, since Yosef was still alive, Yaakov’s mind and feelings could not disassociate from Yosef.

Napoleon understood this concept. Seeing the intense mourning on the Beis Hamikdash, he realized that to the Jews it was still a reality. He also recognized the truth, that if it is a reality, that means that they will merit to see it, meaning that while it may have been physically destroyed, essentially it is still in existence, and subsequently that means it will be rebuilt.

The chasam sofer says, this is the meaning of the saying of our sages, “Whoever mourns over the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, merits to see it completely built.” He asks, shouldn’t the sages have said, that the person will merit to see it being built in the future tense, not in the present tense? 

But he explains, that since that person is mourning for the Beis Hamikdash, which was destroyed hundreds of years ago, and still mourns it, that means to him it is alive and therefore, at that moment he is meriting to “see” it being in existence.

Perhaps this is also the reason we don’t say Tachanun on Tisha B’av, as it is a Yom Tov.

One can ask, just because when Moshiach comes it will then become a Yom Tov, does that make it a Yom Tov now?

But the explanation is, that while nowadays we must observe it with sadness, and therefore during the three weeks from the 17th of Tammuz we progressively increase in doing acts of mourning. However, the reality is, that being that Hashem’s intent of the destruction is in order to rebuild it in greater grandeur, therefore as sad as the destruction is, knowing that it is only a temporary pause, we are to already have some joy in the anticipation of the third Beis Hamikdash. 

This is similar to the way the Rebbe explains the gemorah when the sages who originally rented their garments upon seeing a fox roaming on the place of the Beis Hamikdash, saying to Rabbi Akiva, who showed signs of rejoicing, Akiva, you have comforted us.

We can now explain what the Rebbe the Tzemach Tzedek said about Reb Hillel.

Yes, Reb Hillel was acutely aware that the entire Jewish Nation was in golus (this also includes our brothers and sisters that are living in Eretz Yisroel, Eretz Hakodesh), however,  at the same time he knew that the purpose of the exile is similar or perhaps better said an extension to the reason why Hashem sent our neshoma down into the physical and materialistic world, in order to reveal the ultimate goal of Creation, that Hashem’s shechina should rest in the physical and materialistic world and not just in a spiritual one.

A Taste of Chassidus 

ואתחנן אל ה’ אתה החילות – And I begged Hashem Likkutei Torah Devorim 2A

In this maamar the Alter Rebbe explains what Moshe Rabbeinu meant when he said, “Hashem now you have begun to show Your greatness”, didn’t Hashem begin to show His greatness way before this, when He did all the miracles in Mitzrayim, and by splitting the sea and Matan Torah, etc.?

He is going to explain that when Moshe said החילות, he didn’t mean that you have begun now, rather Moshe was saying “Just as when You decided to create the world, it wasn’t as a reaction to any action, as at that time there was no other entity to do an action, but it was because You decided to do so on Your own, so too now, as themJewish people enter Eretz Yisroel You should reveal that exalted level of G-dliness to them. [And that level of G-dliness is way higher than any level that was subsequently revealed in the world.]

To understand this, the Alter Rebbe clarifies a few points that are connected to the concept of the level of G-dliness that is in seder hishtalshelus, the regular or natural way of the world, and the higher level of G-dliness, which is higher than the natural way of the world. 

The way Hashem created the world, is that there are worlds and entities that are closer to Hashem and consequently they feel Hashem’s presence much more than other entities or worlds. 

The supernal world of Atzilus is completely nullified to Hashem as it feels His presence more than the supernal world of B’ri’ah, which is the first stage of creation. While B’ri’ah feels it more than the supernal world of Yetzirah, and Yetzirah of Asi’ah. Even though each world is much more refined than the world beneath it, nevertheless, they are all somewhat connected. Thought allows one to speak, and contemplation about something creates feelings. 

Similarly, we know that Hashem instituted in His world, that our actions cause Him to react accordingly. In Chassidic terminology this is called אתארותא דלעילא  אתערותא דלתתא. 

In fact, Chassidus teaches us that this was the entire reason and purpose of creation; that through our actions, Hashem’s essence would become revealed in this world.

Chassidus generally explains this to mean that the levels of G-dliness which are presently concealed will become revealed. Such as that the level that is above us would be part of us. For example, we would be able to do something that until now was above our ability but now it is within our ability. And that is accomplished by refining and expanding our vessels.

For example, just as a person’s intellectual capabilities expand as the child grows into adulthood, and every year they are capable of comprehending concepts that until then they weren’t able to, so too the world will be refined to the point that it can accept a level of G-dliness that until then was beyond the world’s ability.

However, this is saying that we are revealing something that was really here, just that it was covered and concealed. Such as the Ohr HaSoivev which hovers above the worlds becomes contained in the vessels of Memaleh.

But Moshe Rabbeinu was asking for something much higher than that; he wanted to accomplish that the level of G-dliness that is not revealed or even exists in any world should be drawn down into this world and be revealed to the Jewish people.

It is noted in Pirkei d’Rabi Eliezer, עד שלא נברא העולם הי’ הוא ושמו בלבד – before the world was created, there was only Hashem and His Name alone. Now we know, a name is only necessary and useful if there is someone or something that will call Him. But being that before the world was created there were no other entity besides Hashem, what is the purpose of Hashem giving Himself a name?

Chassidus explains that the name was in order for Hashem to think about creating a world that would seemingly become a separate entity, it was necessary for Him to create a name. 

This helps explain another basic concept of Chassidic thought.

Being that we say every morning before Hodu, that You were [the only entity] before the world was created, and You are [the only entity], once the world was created, that means just as there was nothing then, in reality there is nothing now. And if there is nothing else besides Hashem, how can we say that our actions cause Hashem to react and give us something, if we don’t truly exist?!

However, the explanation is that before creation, in the level of His Name, Hashem decided that our actions would affect Him to react. That was not something that He had to do, it was something Hashem did because He is the source of kindness and compassion and decided to do so on His own.

And that is the meaning of ואתחנן אל ה’ בעת ההיא, Moshe was saying I begged Hashem, that just like before creation He, on His own acted compassionately and decided that He will receive happiness from our positive actions and He would have a reaction to it, since He decided that it will affect Him, and only then did He begin the process of creation, I requested that that same level of G-dliness be revealed nowadays, even without us doing an action.

In other words, the revelations of G-dliness should not be dependent on our actions, it should come on its own from Hashem; an אתערותא דלעילא , and it should be that higher level of His name as it was before Creation.

However, Moshe was clearly not repeating the mistake of the ten spies who argued against getting involved in material aspects, such as plowing and harvesting, and therefore encouraged the Jewish people not to desire to enter Eretz Yisroel. Moshe demonstrated, or better said, accentuated that by saying “at that time.” With these words Moshe emphasized that G-dliness must permeate the physical world of time and space, just that it should be even a level that our actions cannot reach.

However, Hashem did not accept his prayer, as Hashem’s desire is that we bring about this revelation. However, in the World to Come, we will merit to see that exalted level of G-dliness, may it be speedily in our day.

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeiim and their chassidim. He is available to farbreng in your community and can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com.