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Chapter Seven, part 2: Ascent to the Holy Land
Translation and commentary by Rabbi David Slavin
A person who ascends from Chutz LaAretz to Eretz Yisrael
yet intends to go back experiences the following spiritual changes: Upon
reaching the outer side of "The Ladder", he is divested of all his kelipot
- negative barriers. He only enters with his Nefesh of Asiya, yet
he can not receive a Nefesh of Yetzira. This is why he must
observe all the holidays as they are kept abroad.
Rav Chaim Vital wrote that he who is born in Eretz Yisrael has
his NR"N (Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshama) from [the
angel] Metatron. Yet when they leave Eretz Yisrael they are enclothed by a
garment of [the angel] Sandalfon.  | | " The shell that surrounds him is like that of an almond..." | | |
The shell that surrounds him is like that of an almond, the
green soft layer representing Rahav and the inner harder shell symbolizing
Sama'el. The wood like substance inside the shell represents the shell of the
Temurot ("Opposition"). The thin shell - the bran that is attached to the
food - is pure; it is from Sandalfon. This is the garment that he is enclothed
with upon leaving towards Chutz LaAretz. Despite the fact that the shells
of the kelipot don't defile the Nefesh of Sandalfon except by
means of direct contact, as in the case of earthenware vessels, if he returns,
then they are removed from him. [To this is what King David hinted at when he
wrote the three times "they surrounded me", and "And in the name of G-d, I smite
them down." (Psalms 118:10-12).] Only the thin bran is not removed upon his
return. | | " On the very evening of his arrival in Eretz Yisrael, while he lies down to sleep, they remove the NR"N that he brought with him and immerse it in the Dinor River..." | | |
He who is born outside of Eretz Yisrael is given his NR"N
from the realm of Sandalfon. If he subsequently comes to live in Eretz Yisrael,
then he is given a NR"N from the aspect of Metatron. Yet the NR"N
from Sandalfon doesn't leave him and remains as a garment for his NR"N of
Metatron. On the very evening of his arrival in Eretz Yisrael, while he lays
down to sleep, they [the angels] remove the NR"N that he brought with him
and immerse it in the Dinor River. When they return his Neshama, he is
given the new NR"N from Metatron that is enclothed in the NR"N of
Sandalfon.
We must delve into this seemingly strange addition, resulting in
the new immigrant having two NR"Ns, whilst the person born and bred in
Eretz Yisrael only has one! The answer is simply that what caused him to make
the move to Eretz Yisrael? His NR"N of Sandalfon! Therefore we treat her
with goodness, and allow her to remain attached to his new NR"N as a robe
to a body. This also permits that NR"N to be elevated together with the
NR"N of Metatron. | | " Rava said, "if one of us goes up to Eretz Yisrael then he is worth two of them!"" | | |
In my impoverished opinion, that seems to be the intention of
the sages (Ketubot 75a) when they taught, "And to Zion it shall be said,
'Man after man was born in her '." (Psalms 87:5) Abaye explained this verse: One
of them (Jews from Eretz Yisrael) is worth two of us (Jews of the Diaspora)."
That is true based upon the fact that regarding a person dwelling in Eretz
Yisrael, his NR"N is from Yetzira, which is the second level up,
whereas the NR"N of he who dwells in Chutz LaAretz is from
Asiya, which is on the first (bottom) level. Therefore a person from Eretz
Yisrael is worth two for he is from the second world. Yet the sages (ibid.)
continue, "Rava said, 'if one of us goes up to Eretz Yisrael then he is worth
two of them!'" It seems to be so, for he not only remains with his NR"N
from Asiya, he also receives a NR"N from Yetzira. And that
very NR"N of Asiya enabled him to receive the NR"N of
Yetzira. Therefore his NR"N is double and therefore worth two of them
(Jews from Eretz Yisrael). With that we can understand the continuation of the
Talmud, "For Rav Yirmiyah, while he was here (Babylon), he couldn't understand
what the rabbis were saying, yet when he ascended to Eretz Yisrael (and started
to understand) he said that the Babylonians are stupid!" | | " If...that person decides to leave Eretz Yisrael permanently, he must leave behind his new soul of Yetzira..." | | |
Let's return to the previous topic. When he who is born abroad
and ascends to live in Eretz Yisrael permanently reaches the "The Ladder", he is
divested of all the aforementioned kelipot. He only enters Eretz Yisrael
with his Nefesh from the world of Yetzira. That Nefesh gets
covered with his newly cleansed Nefesh of Asiya, as a sword fits
into its sheath. If for some reason that person decides to leave Eretz Yisrael
permanently, he must leave behind his new soul of Yetzira in Eretz
Yisrael. Rather he takes with him his old Nefesh of Asiya, which
gets enclothed by the kelipot in the same fashion mentioned above.
(End of Chapter Seven.) To return to the previous article in this series on the Land of Israel,
Leaving the Land, click here
To continue on to the next article in this series on the Land of Israel,
The Land and the Ladder, click here
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