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!”