TORAH IS MEANT FOR ISRAEL | Rabbi Ari Shvat | Beit Midrash

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TORAH IS MEANT FOR ISRAEL- P. V'Etchanan, Shabbat Nachamu
Q. Why most of the mitzvot can only be done in Israel? A. The Torah is clearly addressing Jews, who live among Jews, in the Jewish State, in the Jewish Land. For example, the directions of the world as found in the Torah, "ימה, וקדמה, צפונה ונגבה", "towards the sea (west), before (east), northward and towards the Negev, Breishit 28, 14) are only logical when read in Eretz Yisrael where the sea (ימה) is in the west, "before" (קדמה) precedes Y’rushalayim, and the desert (נגבה) or sometimes "towards Yemen" (תימנה, Devarim 3, 27) are in the south. Even in Egypt, where the Mediterranean Sea is in the north, a western wind is still referred to as "רוח ים"(Rashi, Shmot 10, 19), because the reader is meant to be located in Israel, where the sea is in the west. So too, the term ,עבר הירדן "the OTHER side of the Jordan", refers to the east bank, even when the SPEAKER in the Tanach is located on the east (!) bank (Dvarim 1, 1), because the READER is meant to be in Israel, on the west bank, in the Land of Israel.
Our sages teach us that PRACTICING mitzvot in the galut is not the goal of Judaism (even while in exile) but is actually just "practicing" them, as a preparation so that we don’t forget how to observe them when we return home, to Israel (Sifre, Rashi, Ramban, and R. B’chaye on Dvarim 11, 18). As is often the case, the rabbis here are not innovating but just continuing explicit psukim in this week's parsha, which teaches us 4 (!) times: "ראה למדתי אתכם חוקים ומשפטים... לעשות כן בקרב הארץ אשר אתם באים שמה לרשתה", "Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances...to do in the Land where you are going to possess" (Dvarim 4, 5, see similarly Dvarim 4, 14; 5, 28; 6, 1). Clearly ALL mitzvot are meant to be observed in Israel. In other words, not only most of the QUANTITY of mitzvot can only be done in Israel (Maharal, Gur Aryeh Breishit 1, 1), but there is also a QUALITATATIVE advantage to living in Israel that even the mitzvot that can be observed abroad (such as T’filin, M’zuza and Shabbat) have a qualitative difference when done in the Holy Land. The Chafetz Chaim, who tried but didn't succeed to make Aliya, says that the very same mitzva when done outside of Israel, brings only 5% of the reward one receives for its observance in Israel, where it is meant to be done (L’Ntivot Yisrael, p.202). The Rashba (Resp. I, 134) explains that the qualitative difference is what brings the quantitative difference. The Torah just commanded us to practice less than half of the mitzvot while in Galut, because anyway, the Torah is geared for the Land of Israel. Galut is a temporary punishment "מפני חטאינו גלינו מארצנו", but is not the normal situation.
This is the most basic answer to the oft-asked question, why the moral obligations in the Torah are directed towards Jews alone? The reason is that again, just as the Torah is not meant to be lived on the moon, by gentiles or by sick people, the natural situation which the Torah addresses is Jews, who live among Jews, in the Jewish State, in the Jewish Land. This includes speaking Hebrew, counting the days of the week around Shabbat (יום ראשון, יום שני וכו') and not by the names of pagan gods (Mechilta and Ramban on Shmot 20, 8; Chaye Adam, Shabb.1,1; and Shmirat Shabbat KiHilchita 42, 3, milchemet mitzva (serving in the Israeli army), not to mention the fact that the many (and fundamentally important) moral obligations Bein Adam l'Chavero can and must be applied to each and every person in the street, every operator on the phone, every driver and every person waiting on line in the grocer. Here it's natural to wear kipa & tzitzit and people are accustomed to married women covering their hair.

Accordingly, we understand that this week's Haftara "Nachamu Nachamu Ami", is like our modern return to Israel, not just comforting us in leaving Galut and all the historic suffering that entailed, but the real comfort is simply coming home, where life and Torah life is most ordinary & natural. Shabbat Shalom, Rav Ari Shvat (Chwat)

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