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Chapter Six, part 1: The Land's Power to Atone
translation and commentary by R. David Slavin.
Know that the souls of those Jews who reside outside of Eretz
Yisrael stem from the realm of the angel Sandalfon. That is the realm of
the Ofanim, the Rotating Angels, in the realm of Asiya, they are
known as "The House of Jacob", as well as being called "Hebrew servants ("eved
ivri" in Hebrew) whose numerical value is that of "snake" (nachash
in Hebrew) - 358. This is because they are underneath the power of the
kelipot, as will be explained later.  | | " When he merits entering the land, he is given a new Nefesh from the world of Yetzira..." | | |
[Translator's note, concerning Ofanim: The universe of
Asiya includes the physical world and its spiritual counterparts. In the
human soul, Asiya corresponds to the level of Nefesh which is
where the spiritual actually interacts with the physical. The angels of Asiya
are the Ofanim or "Wheels" and these are the Ofanim that
Ezekiel saw under the Chariot.
In order to understand this correspondence we must contemplate
the function of wheels in general. Wheels reduce friction between a vehicle and
the ground. Without wheels it would drag heavily on the ground, wearing itself
out and tearing the road apart. Wheels, therefore, allow for the smooth
interface between the chassis and the ground.
The angels of Asiya, the Ofanim, provide a smooth
interface between the spiritual and the physical. In Ezekiel's vision of the
Merkava, the Chariot itself is the universe of Yetzira, the realm of
spiritual movement. The Ofanim of Asiya represent the interaction of the
spiritual dimension with the physical world.]
Yet those who dwell in Eretz Yisrael, their souls (neshamot)
emanate from the world of Metatron. This is hinted to by the fact that the term
for Eretz Yisrael "Eretz HaTzvi" has the same numerical value as "Chanoch
and Metatron". (My beloved teacher, the RAMAZ, points out that it is also
the value of the word "chofshi", meaning "free". Likewise, the value of "ben
chorin", meaning "free man", is equal to the value of the word "Yetzira".
This is comprised of the ten sefirot of Yetzira.) They are called
the "Children of Israel" after the name of the land of " Yisrael Sabba". They are
also called "my children", and "the children of the living G-d", by virtue of
the name of the land "The Supernal Land of the Living", in Hebrew "Eretz
HaChaim Ilayin". | | " Intentional sins performed in Eretz Yisrael can only be forgiven through suffering..." | | |
Behold a man dwelling outside of Eretz Yisrael, has a soul that
stems from the world of the Ofanim (a section of the world of Asiya).
When he merits entering the land, he is given a new Nefesh from the world
of Yetzira, which gets enveloped by his old Nefesh. On the first
night that he slumbers in Eretz Yisrael, those two souls ascend on high. Upon
returning, only the new Nefesh is given back to him. This soul is not
befitting to punish, for it never committed any transgressions. Therefore that
person gets forgiven for all his sins. This is what is meant by Rav Yochanan's
statement in Gemara Ketubot 111a, "He who walks four cubits in Eretz
Yisrael is guaranteed entrance to the world to come." The intention of that
statement is that after being given a new soul without any blemish of his sins,
it is logical that he would be granted permission to enter the world to come.
Know that Eretz Yisrael only atones for transgressions done
within its boundaries if the sins were unintentional; but intentional sins
performed in Eretz Yisrael can only be forgiven through suffering and the person
going against his own negative nature. Rebellious sins performed in Eretz
Yisrael can only gain forgiveness through repentance and Torah studying. Thus
has written Rav Moshe Cordovero. | | " All those the dwell in Eretz Yisrael remain without transgression" | | |
Yet if one were to be very precise we would find a statement
later in the same Talmud that is seemingly contrary to the above: Rav Elazar
says, "All those the dwell in Eretz Yisrael remain without transgression
(seemingly even intentional ones), as is said 'A dweller of Jerusalem shall not
say, 'I'm ill', for the people dwelling there shall be forgiven of sin.' (Isaiah
33:24)" This seems to include even those sins done intentionally! How is it
possible by merely sitting and doing nothing that you can be granted forgiveness
for intentional sins?
Yet we can find a solution to our enigma from the Midrash (Yalkut
Shimoni on Psalms 115d), "The verse, 'G-d, You have favored Your land, You
have returned the captivity of Jacob' (Psalms 95:2), can best be understood with
the aid of the verse, 'A land which the Lord, your G-d, seeks out...' (Deut.
11:12). This implies that G-d 'seeks out' ways and places His eyes upon her,
until her actions are deemed pleasing to G-d. The commandments that are
fulfilled therein such as tithing and abiding by the laws of the Sabbatical Year
(shemita), cause G-d to be pleased with the actions of the Jews."
Likewise the Torah says, "then the land shall be appeased for its
Sabbaticals..." (Lev. 26:34), and thus G-d will be appeased by the land. In
other words, who bares the burden of the iniquities of the land in which they
dwell, as is stated, "the people dwelling there shall be forgiven of
sin"--behold they are alive. | | " Who atones for His nation? His land. The transgressions of the fathers... the land carries the burden of those iniquities" | | |
How do we know that even the deceased shall be purged of
iniquity? Says the Torah, "And His land shall atone for His nation". Who atones
for His nation? His land. Fortunate are those dwelling in Eretz Yisrael, for
they have no sin or transgression neither during their life nor after-death.
Thus is the meaning of the verse, "You have forgiven the iniquity of Your
people, You have covered up their entire sin, Selah! (Psalms 85:3)
Behold the holy Arizal explains the following verse, "For
because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people
have become the scorn of all those around us." (Daniel 9:16). Know that our
sages have said, "There is no death without sin" (Gemara Shabbat 55a).
For a person is gathered to the next world by means of his unintentional sins,
yet his children inherit his intentional sins thereby receiving suffering for
their fathers' offences. That is what is meant by the verse, "Our fathers have
erred and are no longer, yet we must suffer for their transgressions"
(Lamentations 5:7). That will answer yet another query about the verse "Parents
will not die for their children's sins", while the above verse ends, "A man will
die for his own sins" (Deut. 24:16). The explanation for this is that for
unintentional sins, children are not affected by their parents; rather each
person receives their own consequence. Yet intentional sins can affect beyond
the perpetrator, and therefore even one's children can be punished for them.
That's why the verse (in Daniel) uses the terms, "Because of our errors
and the transgressions of our fathers." We suffer from
our own errors, while we also take the brunt of our fathers' intentional
transgressions, not their errors.
Behold all of the above is true outside of Eretz Yisrael, yet
inside the Jews that dwell therein are free of iniquity. G-d doesn't recall the
transgressions of the fathers upon their children, for the land carries the
burden of those iniquities. This is true for those who are alive. | | " By performing the mitzvot that are specific to the land, they are granted forgiveness" | | |
Yet for the deceased, how do we know that they are cleansed?
Firstly let us discuss those who died abroad with their sins and were
subsequently brought to Eretz Yisrael for burial. Are their sins cleansed by
entry to Eretz Yisrael? Further, does the rule of "G-d doesn't recall the
transgressions of the fathers upon their children" apply to them as well? The
answer is that the sages teach us, "Says the Torah, 'And His land shall atone
for His nation'. Who atones for His nation? His land. Thus is the meaning of the
verse, 'You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people, You have covered up their
entire sin, Selah!' (Psalms 85:3)". In other words, how does G-d lift the burden
of the transgressions of His nation? Don't we know that "G-d recalls the sins of
the fathers upon their children" (Ex. 20:5)? That is why the verse states, "You
have covered up their entire sin".
In other words, G-d has made a covering for their intentional
sins from their errors, thus turning all their sins into errors! That is how the
person dwelling in Eretz Yisrael is free from sin. By performing the mitzvot
that are specific to the land, they are granted forgiveness.
This is the essence of what Rav Elazar meant in his statement (Ketubot
111a) "All those that reside in Eretz Yisrael remain without sin." That is
assuming that they are abiding by the laws of the land. They don't
require such a strict regimen of repentance, as in fasting and immersion in
freezing waters, to remove the stains of their iniquities from their supernal
garment etc., and if they don't do repentance then G-d will not exact
payment from their children. Even though it is written, "G-d will recall the
transgressions of the fathers upon their children" (Ex. 20:5). For that only
applies in Chutz LaAretz.
When living in Eretz Yisrael and performing the mitzvot
of the land, automatically their iniquities become purified, therefore they
don't require the cleansing and purging that is necessary outside the land.
Another way of understanding the statement of Rav Elazar "All
those that reside in Eretz Yisrael remain without sin" is as follows: by means
of the mitzvot that he performs, his status is "the burden of sin is
lifted off". In other words, G-d lifts off one's sins from his soul, as is
written, "No iniquities shall be upon a righteous one" (Proverbs 12:21). That is
specifically in Eretz Yisrael.
This is what is meant by the passage from the Jerusalem Talmud (Shekalim
14b) "Rav Meir taught, 'He who dwells permanently in Eretz Yisrael, and speaks
in the Holy Tongue (Biblical Hebrew), and eats his fruits in purity, and recites
the Shema in the morning and at night, it should be made known to him
that he is granted entrance to the World to Come.'"
To return to the previous article in this series on the Land of Israel,
Viewing the Land from Afar, click here
To continue on to the next article in this series on the Land of Israel,
Problem of Sins in Israel, click here
Visitor Comments: 1
Golda Lauterbach,5/31/2004
Very beautiful!
Very infor
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