Burial in Eretz Yisrael 13:1

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Kabbalah explains that being buried in Israel sweetens judgmental decrees.

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by Rabbi Nathan Schapira

Burial in Eretz Yisrael - chapter 13

Translation and commentary by Rabbi David Slavin

It is known that the Holy Land is referred to "Eretz HaChaim" [Hebrew for "Land of the Living"]. And the soul of he who is buried therein ascends to the "Land of the Living" of the heavenly realms. Yet regarding he who is buried outside Israel, his soul remains outside of that special heavenly abode. This area is known as the World of Metatron. These souls are labeled as "the deceased of outside the land". They are also considered "not living"^[1]. This is because the secret of supernal life is not drawn into [the aspect of] "outside the Land [of Israel]" of the heavens. This is because the supernal life is from the aspect of "light of tiferet", which is also called "Etz HaChaim" [Hebrew for "Tree of Life"]. This is also the source of the Torah being a "spring" for the upper wisdom to descend, upon which is mentioned, "And wisdom will be her husband" (Ecclesiastes 7:12). From there it is drawn forth until it reaches the "Land of the Living" which is the malchut ^[2].


*" Together the incorporation of the chasadim* sweetens the gevurot...."**

This divine influence is described as incorporating the five chasadim ^[3] as well as two others from the yesod ^[4] and malchut, altogether seven chasadim. They correspond to the seven Havayas. It also includes seven gevurot ^[5] that also correspond to seven Havayas. Altogether the fourteen Havayas 14 X 26 = 364 which is the numerical value of "Eretz HaChaim". This is also the numerical value of the " Rachamim b' Din" [Hebrew for "Judgment within Mercy". This is symbolic of the seven Havayas from the chasadim being joined with the seven of gevura.] Together the incorporation of the chasadim sweetens the gevurot. Therefore they are called "we're all alive" (Deut. 5:3).

This is the secret of the verse that says, "Jacob, Jacob" (Gen. 46:2): the former Jacob is not complete because of the seven gevurot, whereas the latter Jacob is completed from the seven chasadim. The numerical value of "Jacob Jacob" [in Hebrew. "Yaakov, Yaakov"] is 364, which is the exact value of "Rachamim b'Din".


" Outside of Israel, there are times when Judgment is allowed to function on its own...."

This combination gives rise to tiferet, for the aspect of tiferet gets its nourishment from the combination of chesed and gevura. This combination is also called "Etz HaChaim". This is what is meant by "Eretz HaChaim", the joining of Mercy and Judgment, not just Judgment alone. This is why the Satan doesn't rule in the Land of Israel during the 364 days of the year, and surely not on Yom Kippur. Rather, the " Angel of Death" for the Land of Israel is the angel Gabriel. Yet he [representing gevura] doesn't work alone; he is joined by his friend the angel Michael [who represents Mercy] - again, combining Mercy and Judgment. Yet outside of Israel, there are times when Judgment is allowed to function on its own.


*" What has saved them from Gehinom* was their burial in Israel...."**

Yet the full aspect of "Mercy within Judgment", doesn't leave the boundaries of Israel. This is done to prevent the External Forces from deriving benefit from this force. For there, "Around shall walk the wicked" (Psalms 12:9) ["around" referring to around the Holy Land] applies. And that's why the deceased of outside Israel are not alive, meaning they are not receiving the influence from the force of eternal life, the sole reason being that they are the deceased of outside Israel. That state shall last until the Resurrection of the Dead, at which point they will be brought back to Israel.

The Sages taught the following:

Raish Lakish said in the name of Rebbe Eliezer,

"The land of Israel is called the "Land of the Living", yet don't people die there as well? Here, "Living" means at the time of the Resurrection of the Dead during the advent of Mashiach, all those buried in Israel will be brought back to life, even Jeroboam son of Navat and his cohorts. Even though they have sinned exceedingly, nonetheless their inequities have been extracted from them. This is known from the words of Rabbi Yehudah Bar Ilai, who says that for seven years the land of Israel will be burnt with fire and sulfur, as is stated, "Sulfur and salt have burnt the entire land." (Deut. 29:22) During those years is when G-d punishes Jeroboam and his cronies, yet afterwards they will revert to life in the days of Mashiach. What has saved them from Gehinom was their burial in Israel, as is written, "The Land shall atone for His people" (Deut. 32:43). - Pesikta Raba, and Yalkut on Psalms, page 126

Further, our Rabbis have written, "He who lives in Israel and dies on a Friday will not suffer the pains of the grave" (Chesed L'Avraham 5:3). Some learn "or" instead of "and", yet that way of learning undermines all the principles of the specialness of burial in Israel. Rather, "and" seems to be the best way to transmit the statement; that the fact he lived [and is being buried] in Israel, together with the holiness of the day [Friday], they can [together] overpower the forces of "the Pains of the Grave".

This is because the day has become holy in Eretz Yisrael, in which the External Forces have no hold. However, if the day had not become sanctified or he was outside the Land, the External Forces would have overcome and taken hold and judged him detrimentally - even if he had passed away on Friday. You may ask, "If he died on Friday and in Eretz Yisrael, ultimately how will his improper deeds be rectified?" If we say that the merit of Eretz Yisrael diminishes their severity, what shall we say about one without any merit passing away on Friday? We must therefore explain that G-d caused him to die on Friday in order to save him from the harshness of the grave, because he is not obligated. This explanation still remains difficult; if he is exempt from experiencing harshness of the grave, even if he doesn't die on Friday, he will also be saved. We must therefore explain, like the incident in the Zohar, about the young child who was grabbed by the cherubs and entered the Garden of Eden -improperly; it says there that he was healed only after great suffering. Similarly here.

Footnotes:

[1] Obviously they're dead, yet there is an axiom found in the Talmud teaching that a tzadik even in his death is considered alive, whereas a wicked person even in his life is considered dead.

[2] Malchut in the last of the sefirot, yet it is the receptacle and ultimate purpose and vehicle for all of the nine that precede it.

[3] The five chasadim are the expansive qualities of the illuminations that are transferred between sefirot.

[4] Yesod is the catalyst for the transference of all the divine influence from the previous eight sefirot to the malchut.

[5] Gevurot are the constricting qualities of the illuminations that are transferred between sefirot.

To return to the previous article in this series on the Land of Israel, Retrieving Angels, click here

To continue on to the next article in this series on the Land of Israel, To Die in Israel, click here

Rabbi Nathan Schapira , an honored member of an emin

Yitzchok bar Chaim is the pseudonym of an America

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