"…G‑d has spoken of good for Israel." (Num. 10:29)

The Talmud (Berachot 5) tells us in the name of Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai that G‑d gave three precious gifts to Israel, but that the acquisition of each one of them involved painful experiences. The three gifts referred to are Torah, the Land of Israel, and the World to Come. This statement is difficult in itself, since we perceive that anyone who gives something away is motivated by a generous impulse, i.e. the idiom "He who gives, gives generously". Why, then should these gifts be attainable only through suffering? The very sufferings a person experiences refine his body and enable him to achieve closeness to G‑d…

This is not really a difficulty, since the very sufferings a person experiences refine his body and enable him to achieve closeness to G‑d. When acquiring the above, the type of painful experiences experienced make us appreciate the gift even more after we have endured the suffering leading up to it. The slavery of the Israelites in Egypt was such a prelude. Once having endured this bondage they would find the yoke of Torah so much easier to bear by comparison that they would welcome it as a gift.

This is the reason the Torah is replete with statements such as "…Who has taken you out of the house of bondage". Similarly, before Israel received the gift of the Holy Land, they underwent a period of tiresome wandering in the desert, dependent on the largesse of G‑d on a daily basis. The desert experience was a sample of the sanctity of the Land of Israel. Our sages said that the Tabernacle itself was also called "Mikdash/Temple". (Eruvin 2) This may account for the fact that whenever the Israelites sinned, punishment followed at once.

In line with this is the statement that no one was allowed to spend the night in Jerusalem while in a state of sin, i.e. his sin had to be atoned for before nightfall through immediate affliction of some kind. (Bamidbar Rabba, 21) It is said of Jerusalem: "Righteousness would spend the night there". (Isaiah 1:21) What is meant is that "justice and righteousness" should prevail there, but G‑d collected His debt only in installments, a little at a time in order to fulfill His promise of "Only you I have singled out from all the families of the earth; therefore I will call you to account for all your iniquities". (Amos 3:2) The suffering during exile will refine us…

G‑d will subject us to the four exiles in order to save us the experience of Purgatory, and in order for us to merit life in the World to Come. The suffering during exile will refine us, and those people who will not need much refining will be shown what is in store for them already in This World.

The difficulty in the statement of our sages concerning all this is why they said, "All of them (those gifts) can be attained only through suffering". The statement should have read as follows: "G‑d has given Israel three gifts which are attained by way of suffering". The truth is that in this case our sages "said one thing but wanted us to hear two things", as per Psalms (62:12). Each one of those gifts is really composed of multiple gifts.

First of all let me explain that there is a difference between the meaning of the word "tov" (meaning "good") when it is spelled with the vowel cholam and when it is spelled with the vowel shuruk. The former spelling is employed when only the visible "good" is revealed. When the word is spelled with the vowel shuruk (pronounced "toov"), however, the good that is referred to is also the intrinsic good, that which is not necessarily visible.

We observe this principle when checking the spellings of these three "gifts". When referring to Torah, we have: "The Torah of Your mouth I prefer to thousands of pieces of gold and silver." (Psalms 119:72) The word "tov" in this case is spelled with the vowel cholam. On the other hand, six verses earlier (Ibid. 119:66) we find, "teach me good sense and knowledge", where the word "tov" is spelled with the vowel shuruk. Similarly we find the Land of Israel described as "Eretz Tova", with the vowel cholam, on occasion, (Ex. 3:8) whereas in Isaiah (1:19) we read, "If you agree and listen, you will eat of the good of the land"; in this case the word "tov" is again spelled with the vowel shuruk. There will no longer be a difference between the hidden aspects of tov and the part which is visible to all…

Concerning this verse (Isaiah 1:19) our Sages have said that Isaiah speaks of "the world which is totally good", since they could not understand what other justification there could be for the different spellings. They concluded that in that distant future there will no longer be a difference between the hidden aspects of "tov" and the part which is visible to all. At that time, a blessing will no longer contains also those elements that are not good.

A reference to something intrinsic is appropriate only if the same gift contains both external and internal features. This is why they described that future as one that is "totally good", Concerning this future, Psalms (31:20) says: "How abundant is the good that You have in store (have hidden away) for those who revere You…." The verse continues: "You do this in full view of men, for those who take refuge in You". The meaning is that in This World the "good" is concealed, i.e. spelled with the vowel shuruk, since it is only internal, a hidden light, and the elite have to keep searching for it. However, in the future, this "good" will be clearly revealed before all of mankind, since the world of the future is one in which everything is "good".

"Tov", when applied to Torah, when spelled with the regular cholam, refers to the commandments, the revealed "good" of the Torah, that which helps us in our lives in this world. When we find it spelled the other way, it is a reference to knowledge of the "hidden" aspects of Torah. Since in the world of the future everything will be spiritual and totally "good", the word "tov" has to be spelled with the vowel shuruk. In the future everything will be spiritual and everything will be good…

"Tov" when applied to the Land of Israel follows the same rule. When "tov" is spelled with the cholam, the terrestrial aspects of the land are referred to, the Holy Temple, etc, When it is spelled the other way the reference is to the Supernal Land of Israel. We know that there is a sanctuary in the Celestial Spheres opposite the Sanctuary on earth. In the future everything will be spiritual and everything will be "good", since G‑d will bring "down" this Celestial Sanctuary to earth, and He will build the third Temple.

In the world of this future, there is a Paradise on earth, as well as a Paradise in the Celestial Spheres, which is more spiritual in nature. When describing that future as "tov", both spellings are used interchangeably. I have elaborated on this further elsewhere.

We are now in a position to explain what Moses meant when he said to his father-in-law Chovav, "We are about to journey to the place of which G‑d has said, 'I shall give it to you'. Go with us, and we shall treat you well, for G‑d has spoken of good for Israel". (Num. 10:29) He hinted to him that there are two categories of "tov", good, depending on the way this word is spelled. He hinted that G‑d would not only bring the Jewish people to the Holy Land, a land that was visibly good, but that He would eventually bring the Jewish people to the place of which G‑d had said in parashat Mishpatim, "…and to bring you to the Place which I have prepared." (Ex. 23:20) On this verse, Rashi says that the word "place" is an allusion to the Sanctuary in the Celestial Spheres, which is "opposite" the Sanctuary on earth.

[Translated and adapted by Eliyahu Munk.]