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To Die in the Holy Land 12:1
Translation and commentary by Rabbi David Slavin
There are four levels that will be discussed:
- The highest level [of holiness] of those that dwell in
Eretz Yisrael
- The remainder of those dwelling in the Land.
- The higher level of those that live outside the Land.
- The remainder of those that reside outside the Land.
 | | " People of the highest caliber...don't really die...." | | |
The first category, are those whom can never really be justly
described as dying, except for at the hands of G-d. Upon those, the term used
for their passing is "Geviya" [or "expiration"]. They could be compared
to a person lying in his bed imprisoned in his house without neither exiting nor
entering. So too, even their flesh of the people of the highest caliber shall
remain secure, as in the case of Rebbe Elazar Barebbi Shimon who remained
perfectly intact for a very long time without burial (Bava Metzia 84b);
this was also the case as well for Achai Bar Yoshia, who didn't experience
decomposition, as well as a few people in each generation, who have incorporated
in themselves the stature of the Patriarchs [and Matriarchs]. This was
accomplished by their sanctifying themselves in those areas that are permitted,
even on the level of thought. Those types of people don't really die.
Second to that level are those holy masters who pass away
outside the Land, such as our father Jacob. That is why he commanded his sons to
bury him immediately in Eretz Yisrael. For he knew that there would be no
hindrance, for the External Forces had no protest to him. Similarly was the
level of Rebbe. Upon his passing he held up his ten fingers [and proclaimed that
he had derived no pleasure for all his material possessions]. A level akin to
those was that of Moses, for whom G-d himself took care of his burial. Again
with Aaron and Miriam they all enjoyed a similarity of sorts, due to their
holiness. They all were spared the decay in the earth of their physical bodies,
for they had escaped the sin of Adam, totally purifying themselves from any
remnant of it. They became transformed into a Chariot for the heavens. Thus
their bodies exist, and they didn't die; rather they are called, "slumberers
of the earth". | | " Those that died in Eretz Yisrael...have no accountability to the External Forces...." | | |
The third level, is that of the rest of those that died in Eretz
Yisrael. They have no accountability to the External Forces, despite their
partaking in the pleasures of the world. For their consumption was not provided
for by them (by the External Forces), for Eretz Yisrael derives its nourishment
and sustenance from the "hand" of G-d. Therefore when they (the External Forces)
come and accuse them of consuming from their sources, they will be able to
answer that they didn't derive benefit from them. Nonetheless they will need to
have their bodies decompose, for they did not remove themselves completely from
the sin of Adam. Therefore they must be subjected to the punishment of "for you
are earth". Upon death, their bodies decay, yet their souls are sanctified. That
is the reason why they are impure and they transfer impurity through contact and
transportation, which all stems from the first "shell" [kelipa] resulting
from Adam.
This leaves room for a rectification for those that live abroad,
to entirely avoid being ruled by the forces of impurity. For we have found many
thousands of tzadikim that died abroad, yet they had a rectification, for
they had absolved themselves from partaking in worldly pleasures their whole
lives. For nourishment and physical pleasures [abroad] are controlled by the
External Forces. [These tzadikim avoided this by] only deriving benefit
from mitzvot, such as official meals in celebration of a wedding or circumcision
or on Shabbat and Yom Tov. For in those circumstances, the forces of impurity
have no grasp, for they are all protected by the Feminine force of the great
depths, for all Shabbat food is derived only from holiness. So even if they are
abroad, the forces of spiritual impurity have no control over them, for they
will be able to say that they derived no benefit from them [the purely physical
pleasures] even in a corporeal sense, only enough to support the body's function
in enabling the soul to deal in Torah. This is as is stated, "A tzadik
eats to satisfy his soul" (Proverbs 13:25), thus attaining a rectification
despite their death outside of Eretz Yisrael. | | " If he were to die abroad, then his pure Neshama leaves him, leaving him with only that negative force...." | | |
The forth level applies to those who indulged in delicacies of
the material world. Therefore, de-facto, they were under the influence of the
evil influence. Even though they have to their credit Torah and good deeds, the
spirit of evil affects them. Therefore, upon their deaths this spirit doesn't
leave them right away and is only removed when their physical bodies return to
earth. Being that this spirit resides in them at the time of their passing, even
if the body was then brought to be buried in Eretz Yisrael it won't get
rectified. But if a person were to live the vast majority of his life abroad,
yet towards the end he came alive to Eretz Yisrael, he, upon arrival to Eretz
Yisrael, is purged of this negative spirit.Yet if he were to die abroad, then
his pure Neshama leaves him, leaving him with only that negative force.
That force defiles his body.
That is the secret of the drop of poison that theAngel of Death
uses on the body to cause death. That is why a corpse is considered the most
powerful source of impurity. For, through the defilement and attachment of that
evil spirit, the holy Neshama is forced to leave. Therefore, even if he
is buried in Eretz Yisrael, he doesn't attain rectification, for his soul
left his body whilst abroad. Upon those it is written, "And they shall come and
defile My land" (Jeremiah 2:7). To return to the previous article in this series on the Land of Israel,
Giant Steps for Mankind, click here
To continue on to the next article in this series on the Land of Israel,
Bones of the Righteous, click here
Visitor Comments: 1
Elisheva Grossman Waisman, from Coral Springs, Florida, 1/26/2005
As a native Israeli living in<
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