| וּמָה הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר הוּא יֹשֵׁב בָּהּ הֲטוֹבָה הִוא אִם רָעָה . . . And how is the Land in which they dwell; is it good or bad? . . . (13:19) Rav Noach Weinberg used to recount when he once met an irreligious tourist on his first trip to Israel. “Rabbi,” said the young man. “I’ve heard them describe this land as ‘The Holy Land’ but I have to tell you, I’ve been up to the north and down to the south, and to both sides. I’ve been everywhere in this trip and I didn’t see a drop of holiness in this Land!” “If you were in all of Israel,” asked Rav Noach with his trademark smile, “then let me ask you, ‘How many Buffefists did you meet?’” “Excuse me?” asked the young man, “What is a Buffefist?” “I did not ask you if you know what a Buffefist is, I asked you how many you met!” “How am I supposed to know how many I met if I have no idea what a Buffefist is?” the young man responded clearly irritated by the Rabbis non-sensical question. However, this was the exact response that Rav Noach had expected. “Tell me young man, do you know what holiness is to say that you haven’t seen it in this Land? Were you expecting white angels walking barefoot in the streets? Or perhaps beautiful light emanating from the rocks? Without an understanding of what holiness is, how can you possibly know what to look for, and even if you find it, how would you recognize it?” Rav Noach’s words are crucial to understanding how to see holiness in Eretz Yisroel, but knowing how to enjoy the holiness in Eretz Yisrael requires the words of Rav Yisroel of Rozhin who compared the Holy Land to a feathered down-quilt — something that itself does not provide warmth yet keeps the person within it warm by trapping in his own heat. So too, explained Rav Yisrael, someone who is “cold” to holiness will not receive anything from Eretz Yisrael in return, but a person of fire and energy — specifically for Torah and mitzvos — will receive holiness and warmth from Eretz Yisrael in return. |
