Thursday, August 21, 2008

Israel is Like a Mirror...

Rav Yisroel of Ruzhin, zt”l, was known to be as sharp as a blade. He was a very pious and brilliant young man who amazed everyone who met him, from academic to Torah gaon to simple chassid.
Once, one of his Chasidim made the trip to Eretz Yisrael and visited with Rav Yisroel upon his return. When this chassid approached him, Rav Yisroel said, “Shalom Aleichem!” After the chasid responded as is customary, Rav Yisroel asked, “Nu, so how was it?”
The chassid, smart enough to realize that if he said one word against Eretz Yisrael, he would be in for a scathing rebuke, merely said, “Better I say nothing…”
“Do you know why we call ‘the Promised Land’ Eretz Yisrael?” asked the Rebbe.
“No,” replied the chassid.
“We call it Eretz Yisrael because every Jew who goes to this land sees the truth about himself. The land acts as a mirror reflecting his true spiritual status back at him. The reason you feel cold about Eretz Yisrael is not because that is the land’s true identity, since nothing could be further than the truth. You feel cold because you are spiritually apathetic! If a Jew who goes to Eretz Yisrael can’t find any good attribute which he can report, this bears a very telling witness about the true state of his spirituality!”

8 comments:

A Simple Jew said...

Wow! That's a great posting.

A Simple Jew said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Long Beach Chasid said...

What a great post. My wife and I just got back from the promised land. iy"H we will be back long term next June. It really is a mirror. Showing you how much you dont know and what aspects of your life need growth. We were only there for a month but Hashem blessed us with tools to dig the light out of the darkness.

Yehudis said...

Thank you both for your kind chizuk.
Long Beach Chassid: Good for you! Hashem should grant you both hatzlachah rabbah and much joy.

Yehudit said...

This is an amazing story!! Thank you!

I desperately want to make aliyah with my children. I'm praying for Hashem to open the way (financially) for us to finally GO HOME where we belong!!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful story, providing much to contemplate. Thank you so much--once again--rav.

Yehudit: Hatzlachah! I can feel your yearning through the words you wrote.

Shabbat shalom u'vracha.

HaSefaradi

Anonymous said...

B'simchah! That is the entire purpose of this blog: to give chizuk.
Yehudit: Don't forget that your prayers are very precious, no matter what. Rebbe Nachman says that when you yearn for a worthy goal with your whole heart you attain it spiritually; so in a way you are already in Israel. If you keep praying you will surely get here physically as well!

Menashe said...

The job of a Rebbe is not only to show the problem but also the solution. Surely the holy Ruzhiner gave him a tikkun. How I would like to know what it was..