אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל

The very essence of faith, prayer, and miracles exists only in the Land of Israel, as is described at some length under "Truth and Faith," §12. And through the holiness of the Land of Israel one can accomplish through prayer all one's needs, and bring about true miracles and wonders in the world. That is: through the holiness of the Land of Israel one can accomplish before Hashem even things that are above nature — which are called miracles and wonders — both for oneself and for others. And one must know that genuine closeness to the true Tzadik and fulfillment of his counsels — this is the very essence of the holiness of the Land of Israel, as is explained in Likutay Halachos. And through genuine closeness to the true Tzadik one merits all the good and true character traits.

When one blemishes the Land of Israel — which is the matter and aspect of faith and prayer — that is, when the Land of Israel is not precious in one's eyes, and faith and prayer are also not precious in one's eyes — through this one falls into exile. As explained in "Truth and Faith" §1: the essence of exile, both general and personal, is due to a deficiency in faith. And above all, prayer falls into exile — meaning it becomes impossible to pray, because there is no longing and no will to pray. And it becomes impossible to bring about miracles in the world — that is, because of a deficiency in faith it becomes impossible to pray for miracles, whether for oneself or for others, as explained in §1.

One who wishes to be a Jew in truth — to ascend in Jewishness from level to level [מִדַּרְגָּה לְדַרְגָּה], meaning to understand the true purpose ever more deeply, through which one is aroused to perform good deeds ever more greatly — it is impossible to arrive at this except through the holiness of the Land of Israel, or through genuine closeness to the true Tzadik, as explained in §1, that genuine closeness to the true Tzadik and fulfillment of his counsels is the very essence of the holiness of the Land of Israel. And behold: the actual Land of Israel together with genuine closeness to a true Tzadik and fulfillment of his counsels is certainly a great good. But as long as it is impossible to come to the actual Land of Israel, one must know that the essence of the holiness of the Land of Israel is genuine closeness to a true Tzadik. But without this it is impossible to feel the holiness of the Land of Israel as one should — even when one is physically in the Land of Israel itself. One must also know that the Land of Israel benefits a person if his intention in ascending to the Land is genuinely for the sake of fear of Heaven and Torah observance, and if he truly thinks about the good of his soul — then he will derive great benefit from the Land of Israel. For all the rectifications that a person needs in order to draw close to holiness and to truth come only through the holiness of the Land of Israel, and through closeness to a true Tzadik. And likewise all the elevations of prayer are only in the Land of Israel and through closeness to a true Tzadik.

Through the merit of drawing forth Torah [הַמְשָׁכַת הַתּוֹרָה] one merits the Land of Israel. That is: through studying Torah in truth — in order to know how to fulfill the commandments — through this Hashem helps one to come to the Land of Israel and to receive through it great goodness in Jewishness. And likewise through being present near a true Tzadik at a time when he teaches Torah publicly, one has a share in the Torah he draws forth, and through this one merits to come to the Land of Israel and to receive there true goodness for fear of Heaven and Torah observance.

It is impossible to come to the Land of Israel except through sufferings, as stated in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory . And the essence of those sufferings is that the wicked and scoffers speak slander and gossip about the Land of Israel. And through there being a true Tzadik who teaches a Torah of truth, one merits to subdue all the obstacles and to nullify all the sufferings. And according to the greatness of the completeness of the Torah that the true Tzadik draws forth — through a greater rectification — meaning the Torah is effective in awakening more people, and even distant people — so the power increases to subdue and nullify the obstacles and the impediments, and one merits to come to the Land of Israel and to receive there great goodness for fear of Heaven and Torah observance.

One who attains the holiness of the Land of Israel is called a mighty and powerful warrior [גִּבּוֹר וְתַקִּיף]. That is: through the holiness of the Land of Israel one is strengthened in Jewishness — not to be deterred before any obstacle, and not before any confusion. For before a person attains the holiness of the Land of Israel, he is not sufficiently fortified — for a trial or an obstacle could, G-d forbid, cause him to fall. But through the holiness of the Land of Israel as it should be, one is strengthened to such a degree that no obstacle or confusion can cause him to fall from the truth, and such a person is called "a man of war" [אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה] — like one who has prevailed in battle. For through the holiness of the Land of Israel one merits patience [אֲרִיכַת אַפָּיִם] and forbearance — to endure one's sufferings with love, not to be deterred before any confusion, and to hold fast to the truth always.

Through giving charity for the Land of Israel, one is included in its air. And the air of the Land of Israel is pure and holy — containing no sin whatsoever. And through this, judgments and sufferings are nullified from the world. Also through charity for the Land of Israel, one is saved from alien thoughts during prayer, the mind becomes refined and purified, and likewise the thought — and this is a rectification of the bris. For guarding the mind from alien thoughts and from evil reflections — this is the rectification of the bris, which is the foundation and root of all Jewishness.

The Land of Israel is a segulah for children. That is: through the true holiness of the Land of Israel one merits children, as described above in §§1 and 3. And it is also explained in the holy Gemara that Hashem told our father Avraham, peace be upon him, that outside the Land he would have no children, but in the Land of Israel he would be remembered and blessed with offspring. The Land of Israel also saves from strife [מַחֲלֹקֶת]. That is: through the true holiness of the Land of Israel one merits true knowledge to distance oneself from strife. And not only is one careful not to cause harm to a fellow — from which strife could arise — but even when it appears that one's fellow is plotting against him, one merits through the knowledge of the Land of Israel to distance oneself from strife and to remain silent. Through the holiness of the Land of Israel one also merits to know and to recognize the true Rebbe of the generation, and one does not fall into the error of believing in famous frauds, and the truth is revealed in the world. That is: through the true holiness of the Land of Israel one merits the wisdom of the Land of Israel — whose wisdom is greater than all wisdoms, as stated in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory : "There is no wisdom like the wisdom of the Land of Israel" — and one understands truth properly, so that the falsehood found in the world cannot mislead. And through the true holiness of the Land of Israel — that is, through the holiness and true knowledge of the Land of Israel being revealed in the world — through this everyone draws close to Hashem, and even the nations of the world genuinely understand and acknowledge Hashem and His Providence both generally and particularly, and return to serve Him with one accord.

Through powerful prayer one merits the Land of Israel. That is: praying with composure and listening properly to the words of prayer, and strengthening oneself to pray every day even when obstacles interfere — this is powerful prayer. For one must strengthen oneself with great force in order to break through the obstacles and pray properly. And through this one merits to come to the Land of Israel. And likewise through fulfilling the commandment of Sukkah, one also merits the holiness of the Land of Israel. For Sukkah, powerful prayer, and the holiness of the Land of Israel are one aspect and are interlinked.

To see in the downfall of the wicked [לִרְאוֹת בְּמַפָּלַת הָרְשָׁעִים] is possible only through the holiness of the Land of Israel. That is: one should know and fully believe that the success of the wicked is their downfall, as explained in the "Psalm, a song for the Shabbas day": "When the wicked bloom like grass and all workers of iniquity blossom" [Psalms 92] — meaning their success is "that they may be destroyed forever" — so that they will perish eternally. And one must not wonder at the success of transgressors, nor envy them. To such faith and knowledge one can arrive only through the holiness of the Land of Israel and through genuine closeness to a true Tzadik, as explained in Likutay Halachos.

Through prayer as it should be, as described — and through proper prayer every single day, in spite of all obstacles — and especially through carefulness in prayer as described in the matter of complete prayer under "Prayer," from §51 through §56 — through this the light of the merit of the Forefathers [זְכוּת אֲבוֹת] is awakened and sparkles. And through this one draws forth and awakens the holiness of the Land of Israel even during the exile, when the holiness of the Land of Israel is very much covered and hidden — nonetheless it is possible to awaken its holiness through proper prayer. For as stated: through proper prayer the merit of the Forefathers sparkles and is awakened, and through the merit of the Forefathers the holiness of the Land of Israel is awakened, and through the awakening and revelation of the holiness of the Land of Israel, one merits to see in the downfall of the wicked — that is, one merits true faith and knowledge to believe and know that the success of the wicked is their downfall. And through all the rectifications described above, not only is one saved from the wicked — on the contrary, one sees upon that wicked person all the sufferings and troubles that the wicked one wished to see upon the person who feared him. And all this through judging the wicked one's success favorably [לִמּוּד זְכוּת]. And likewise through all the rectifications described in this section, the righteous who do good merit "לִפְנֵי ה'" — "before Hashem" — meaning the light of Hashem sparkles within the true Tzadikim, as explained in the holy Zohar : "Tzadikim — the face of the Shechinah."

Through the commandment of Challah one merits to draw forth and awaken the light of the merit of the Forefathers, through which one merits to reveal and to feel the holiness of the Land of Israel, and one merits all the rectifications described in §11.

When one travels to the Land of Israel out of fear of Hashem — in order to draw close to Hashem and to fulfill the Torah — the Land of Israel will certainly benefit him greatly, and he will derive great benefit from it both spiritually and materially. For through the very act of entering the Land of Israel, one is already transformed toward its holiness. And so it is explained in the words of the Sages that even one who walks four cubits in the Land of Israel merits great goodness. But if the intention and will of the person traveling to the Land of Israel is not for the sake of Heaven — meaning he does not intend to purify himself from lusts and evil character traits — then the Land of Israel will benefit him not at all. On the contrary, it will vomit him out from within it, as stated in the Torah: "And you shall not do any of these abominations" etc., "and the land shall not vomit you out" etc. [Leviticus 18:26–28] — meaning it will indeed vomit him out. A person for whom the Land of Israel is not precious and who does not intend toward its holiness — even when he is physically in the Land of Israel, it is as if he were not there at all. For the Land of Israel does not tolerate such a person, as described above. May Hashem help us to come to the Land of Israel for the sake of fear of Hashem and true Torah observance.

Through the holiness of the Land of Israel, as described in §13, one merits true faith, and through this one merits patience [אֲרִיכַת אַפַּיִם] — meaning the trait of forbearance. That is: to endure and restrain oneself and not to lose one's presence of mind [עֶשְׁתּוֹנוֹת] from any confusion. And one merits to break anger, sadness, laziness, and heaviness, and to be strengthened and renewed in service of Hashem — in fear of Heaven, Torah observance, and good character traits. And no confusion or obstacle can confuse or prevent him from Jewishness and good character traits, for he is patient and forbearing toward all obstacles and confusions, and does not distance himself from Jewishness and good character traits because of his patience and forbearance.

One must pray and request from Hashem to merit such yearnings and longings [גַּעְגוּעִים וְכִסּוּפִים] for the Land of Israel until one merits to actually come there. One must also pray that all the Tzadikim genuinely yearn for the Land of Israel, for its holiness is a segulah to nullify anger, sadness, laziness, and heaviness, as described in §14.

This matter — that Hashem repays and sends a person measure for measure [מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה], meaning sufferings that resemble the transgression committed — is a great kindness, so that the person may understand in what he sinned and be aroused to repentance. For in Psalms , "A Prayer of Moshe," it is explained that all the sufferings Hashem sends a person are in order to arouse him to repentance, as the verse says: "You return man to dust and say: Return, O children of man". And Rashi, of blessed memory, explains that Hashem sends a person severe sufferings, G-d have mercy, through which He tells the person to return from his evil path. And the primary expression of this matter — that Hashem sends sufferings measure for measure — is in the Land of Israel.

The Land of Israel is the greatest holiness of all holinesses, and through its holiness one merits to emerge entirely from naturalism [טִבְעִיּוּת]. That is: through the true holiness of the Land of Israel, one merits to understand and to believe that everything occurring in the world in general, and everything befalling each individual in particular, is all under the Providence of Hashem and not according to nature. And the true knowledge and complete faith in particular Providence that one merits through the holiness of the Land of Israel — this is the greatest holiness of all holinesses. Through the true holiness of the Land of Israel it is also possible to understand the difference between light and darkness — that is, between truth, which is light, and falsehood, which is darkness. For there are many matters of falsehood that are covered and concealed in a garment of truth — and it is very difficult to recognize the falsehood because of the garment of truth. But through the true holiness of the Land of Israel one merits true intellect and knowledge, and it becomes possible to discern what is truth and what is falsehood. Also through the true holiness of the Land of Israel it is possible to tell the story-tales [סִפּוּרֵי מַעֲשִׂיּוֹת] of the true Tzadikim. For one must distinguish between the stories of the true Tzadikim and the tales of liars who can mislead — and through that error one could, G-d forbid, reach a stumbling-block. But through the story-tales of the true Tzadikim one merits good and pure thoughts. For through speaking about the story-tales of the true Tzadikim, and through faith in the story-tales that occurred with the true Tzadikim, a person's thoughts become purified, and he merits good and pure thoughts. Also through story-tales of the true Tzadikim one merits the sweetening of judgments — meaning one is saved from all manner of troubles and sufferings, as the Rebbe, of blessed memory, explained in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory, on the verse: "He gives great salvations to His king and shows kindness to His anointed" [Psalms 18:51] — that through the story-tales of the true Tzadikim, Hashem performs kindnesses with the one who tells them, if he truly has faith in the true Tzadikim.

The essence of the mind and wisdom is only in the Land of Israel, as stated in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory : "There is no wisdom like the wisdom of the Land of Israel." And the essence of the wisdom of the Land of Israel is complete faith in Hashem and in His particular Providence — which is the greatest wisdom of all wisdoms. And even Jews in the Diaspora receive their mind and wisdom from the Land of Israel. And each Jew according to his portion in the Land of Israel spiritually — according to the root of his soul — so does he receive wisdom from the Land of Israel. But when one blemishes the honor of Hashem — meaning when one transgresses His will, when one transgresses the commandments of the Torah, which is His honor and will, may He be blessed — through this one falls from the true mind and knowledge of the Land of Israel, and falls to the mind and knowledge of the Diaspora [חוּץ לָאָרֶץ]. That is: one distances oneself and loses the feeling of genuine faith in Providence — which is called "the mind and knowledge of the Land of Israel." And one falls to naturalistic reasoning and alien views — which are called "the mind and wisdom of the Diaspora." And through this strife arises, both generally and personally. That is: throughout the entire world quarrels and wars are aroused, and in each individual personally — who is not willing to endure the events that befall him against his will — this too is in the category of strife. For the mind and knowledge of the Diaspora is nothing but strife. For when one distances oneself from faith in Providence and thinks that everything follows the course of nature, one is always filled with strife and always dwells in anger and rage, as described in "Truth and Faith" §57. But when one merits proper faith — which is called "the mind of the Land of Israel" — one merits peace.

The mind of the Land of Israel is called noam [pleasantness, sweetness], for through the mind and knowledge of the Land of Israel one merits the pleasantness of the Torah [נְעִימוּת הַתּוֹרָה] — meaning one feels pleasantness in Torah study. And through the mind and knowledge of the Land of Israel one merits peace, as explained at the end of §18. And through charity — and especially through giving charity for the holiness of the Land of Israel — a vessel is created for receiving the mind and knowledge of the Land of Israel. And when one has the mind and knowledge of the Land of Israel, it is possible to rectify even the minds of the Diaspora — meaning the naturalistic reasoning and alien views called "minds of the Diaspora." But when the minds of the Diaspora are very greatly blemished — because one has greatly blemished the honor of Hashem through transgressing the Torah's commandments, which is a blemish in the honor of Hashem — through this, naturalistic views and reasoning called "minds of the Diaspora" overpower the person, as described above. And when these minds greatly overpower, they cannot be rectified through the minds of the Land of Israel — on the contrary, the minds of the Diaspora greatly corrupt the minds of the Land of Israel through which one merits peace. And then strife arises even in the Land of Israel. And this is the reason for the strife found today, both in the Diaspora and in the Land of Israel.

The graves of the true Tzadikim are holy with the very holiness of the Land of Israel itself, as stated in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory, on the verse: "The righteous shall inherit the Land" [Psalms 37:29]. And the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory, interpreted: the righteous inherit — the Land of Israel — meaning the place where they are buried is holy with the very holiness of the Land of Israel itself. And the Land of Israel is a great rectification for blemishes of the bris — therefore one must strive to come to the graves of the true Tzadikim and to pray there to Hashem, both for the rectification of the bris and for additional good things that the person needs. And especially regarding the holy grave-site of our Rebbe MoHaRaN, of blessed memory: it is certainly a great obligation and a great good to come and pray there to Hashem — both generally, to merit true fear of Heaven and genuine repentance, and specifically for the recitation of the Ten Psalms for the rectification of the bris. For our Rebbe, of blessed memory, promised before two witnesses, that whoever comes to his holy grave-site and recites the Ten Psalms that are brought in Likutay MoHaRaN — this will be a great good both generally and specifically for the rectification of the bris, which is the foundation and root of all Jewishness. And these are the Ten Psalms that our Rebbe revealed for the rectification of the bris: 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137, 150. Also, material goods that a person needs can be accomplished before Hashem through prayers offered at the graves of the true Tzadikim. For it is explained in the Torah that the Land of Israel is particularly propitious for prayer offered within it to be accepted, more than in any other place in the world. And the graves of the true Tzadikim are holy — as stated — like the Land of Israel itself (as explained at the beginning of this section). Therefore it is possible to accomplish before Hashem at those places all manner of good things and salvations.