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Beit Midrash
- Family and Society
- Settling the land
- The Mitzvah of Settling the Land
Translated by Hillel Fendel
Here's a question that repeatedly arises: Given that we see some Jewish communities that by and large traditionally observed the Torah and its commandments, yet ceased doing so to a significant extent after they immigrated to the Land of Israel – was it worth it? There were great rabbis who said, prior to the Holocaust, that religious Jews should not ascend to the Land as long as its Zionist leaders were sinners and sometimes even heretics; perhaps they were right?
A penetrating analysis of this topic was conducted by the renowned Rav Tzadok HaCohen approximately 150 years ago. His bottom line is that those who espouse this position are guilty of the same sin as that of the 12 Spies sent by Moshe Rabbeinu to scout out the Promised Land. And so he writes in his Dover Tzedek (Har Bracha edition, Parashat Acharei Mot, p. 186), that G-d sometimes gives us commandments even though He knows they will lead to some negative consequences [the following is a paraphrased translation; see especially the last paragraph of this selection]:
"That which we see in Eretz Yisrael all sorts of beautiful and attractive elements – this is merely the 'skin of the snake' [a form of yetzer hara, Evil Inclination], and therefore our Sages taught (Sifra, Acharei Mot 13) that the Canaanites are the worst of the nations [for their idol-worship], and as the Spies said: 'The people living there are very brazen' (Bamidbar 13,28).
"They also said that Eretz Yisrael is 'a land that consumes its inhabitants' (ibid. 29) – and this was not for naught; it means that its 'skin of the snake' consumes its inhabitants by virtue of its many forms of serenity and attractions, which are liable to lead people astray… However, regarding the fruits of the Land, when they are eaten for the purpose of a mitzvah, the Name of G-d dwells upon it even when they are eaten expansively… But the Spies saw the external aspects of the fruits as the 'skin of the snake,' while Yehoshua and Calev [the two Spies who did not speak ill of the Land] saw the inner aspects, as "the Land is good" (ibid. 14,7).
"And why is the outside covering of the 'skin of the snake' so enticing and entrapping? On this is written, "If G-d desires us, He will bring us to the Land and will give it to us, a land of milk and honey" (ibid. 8). This means that if G-d wishes to bring us to the Land, even when He knows of the spiritual dangers – what business is it of ours? We know that when King Hezkiyahu was reluctant to procreate because he saw prophetically that his son would be the evil King Menashe, the prophet objected and said, "Why delve into the secrets of the All-merciful?" And even though it can be seen prophetically that his sons will not be very good, he must fulfill the commandments, as is written in the Talmud (B'rachot 10a). And on this, R. Shimon bar Yochai said that we must not ask…
That is to say: G-d knows that it could be that an evil son like Menashe might result from fulfilling the commandment, yet he will later repent - and in any case we may not forsake a commandment with which G-d has charged us.
Regarding our question above, then, it is clear that we must not forsake the mitzvah of living in Eretz Yisrael because of fears of spiritual harm. This also fits in with a Midrash brought in the Yalkut Shimoni (Eichah, 1037):
R. Chiyah taught a parable: A king went to Hamat Gader and took his sons with him. They once complained against him and vexed him, and he vowed that he would no longer take them with him. The next time, he went without them, and he remembered them and cried, and said, "How I wish my sons would be with me, even though they vex me." This is as is written [in a play on words] in Yirmiyahu 9,1, where G-d says that He wishes His people would be with Him just as they were in the desert when they used to rise up with complaints." And similarly, "The House of Israel dwells in its land and defiles it" (Yechezkel 36,17) – G-d says: "Would that My children be with Me in the Land of Israel even though they defile it."
We may not seek to "outwit" G-d's commandments. We must act honestly and simply, and obey His word. HaRav Kook elaborates on this regarding the Jewish National Fund (see Chazon HaGe'ulah, p. 222), explaining that it was important to cooperate with the JNF because it was fulfilling the simple and obligatory mitzvah of acquiring lands in Eretz Yisrael for the Jewish People – even though the JNF also enabled desecration of the Sabbath on the lands it acquired.
For in this case, too, the Jewish People are destined to do teshuva, because of its deep soul connection with G-d.
In order to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox every week, subscribe to the Israel National Torah newsletter here.
Here's a question that repeatedly arises: Given that we see some Jewish communities that by and large traditionally observed the Torah and its commandments, yet ceased doing so to a significant extent after they immigrated to the Land of Israel – was it worth it? There were great rabbis who said, prior to the Holocaust, that religious Jews should not ascend to the Land as long as its Zionist leaders were sinners and sometimes even heretics; perhaps they were right?
A penetrating analysis of this topic was conducted by the renowned Rav Tzadok HaCohen approximately 150 years ago. His bottom line is that those who espouse this position are guilty of the same sin as that of the 12 Spies sent by Moshe Rabbeinu to scout out the Promised Land. And so he writes in his Dover Tzedek (Har Bracha edition, Parashat Acharei Mot, p. 186), that G-d sometimes gives us commandments even though He knows they will lead to some negative consequences [the following is a paraphrased translation; see especially the last paragraph of this selection]:
"That which we see in Eretz Yisrael all sorts of beautiful and attractive elements – this is merely the 'skin of the snake' [a form of yetzer hara, Evil Inclination], and therefore our Sages taught (Sifra, Acharei Mot 13) that the Canaanites are the worst of the nations [for their idol-worship], and as the Spies said: 'The people living there are very brazen' (Bamidbar 13,28).
"They also said that Eretz Yisrael is 'a land that consumes its inhabitants' (ibid. 29) – and this was not for naught; it means that its 'skin of the snake' consumes its inhabitants by virtue of its many forms of serenity and attractions, which are liable to lead people astray… However, regarding the fruits of the Land, when they are eaten for the purpose of a mitzvah, the Name of G-d dwells upon it even when they are eaten expansively… But the Spies saw the external aspects of the fruits as the 'skin of the snake,' while Yehoshua and Calev [the two Spies who did not speak ill of the Land] saw the inner aspects, as "the Land is good" (ibid. 14,7).
"And why is the outside covering of the 'skin of the snake' so enticing and entrapping? On this is written, "If G-d desires us, He will bring us to the Land and will give it to us, a land of milk and honey" (ibid. 8). This means that if G-d wishes to bring us to the Land, even when He knows of the spiritual dangers – what business is it of ours? We know that when King Hezkiyahu was reluctant to procreate because he saw prophetically that his son would be the evil King Menashe, the prophet objected and said, "Why delve into the secrets of the All-merciful?" And even though it can be seen prophetically that his sons will not be very good, he must fulfill the commandments, as is written in the Talmud (B'rachot 10a). And on this, R. Shimon bar Yochai said that we must not ask…
That is to say: G-d knows that it could be that an evil son like Menashe might result from fulfilling the commandment, yet he will later repent - and in any case we may not forsake a commandment with which G-d has charged us.
Regarding our question above, then, it is clear that we must not forsake the mitzvah of living in Eretz Yisrael because of fears of spiritual harm. This also fits in with a Midrash brought in the Yalkut Shimoni (Eichah, 1037):
R. Chiyah taught a parable: A king went to Hamat Gader and took his sons with him. They once complained against him and vexed him, and he vowed that he would no longer take them with him. The next time, he went without them, and he remembered them and cried, and said, "How I wish my sons would be with me, even though they vex me." This is as is written [in a play on words] in Yirmiyahu 9,1, where G-d says that He wishes His people would be with Him just as they were in the desert when they used to rise up with complaints." And similarly, "The House of Israel dwells in its land and defiles it" (Yechezkel 36,17) – G-d says: "Would that My children be with Me in the Land of Israel even though they defile it."
We may not seek to "outwit" G-d's commandments. We must act honestly and simply, and obey His word. HaRav Kook elaborates on this regarding the Jewish National Fund (see Chazon HaGe'ulah, p. 222), explaining that it was important to cooperate with the JNF because it was fulfilling the simple and obligatory mitzvah of acquiring lands in Eretz Yisrael for the Jewish People – even though the JNF also enabled desecration of the Sabbath on the lands it acquired.
For in this case, too, the Jewish People are destined to do teshuva, because of its deep soul connection with G-d.
In order to get articles like this delivered straight to your inbox every week, subscribe to the Israel National Torah newsletter here.
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