“Chesed Le-Avraham” – The Holiness of the Land of Israel

The Holiness of the Land of Israel

The distinction between the Jewish souls who dwell in the Land of Israel and those who live outside the Holy Land. Know that the Jewish neshamot (souls) dwelling in the Land of Israel emerge from the ten sefirot of the world of Yetzirah [the world of formation]. Thus, these souls are called the “House of Israel.” They are also called “children.” For when a Jew lives outside the Holy Land, he possesses only a nefesh (soul) from the level of the Ofanim (angels). When a person merits entering the Land of Israel, he receives a new nefesh (soul) from the world of Yetzirah, which clothes itself in his previous nefesh. On the first night that a person sleeps in the Land of Israel, both souls leave [the body] and ascend [to visit the Heavenly realms during the allotted time of sleep]. Only the new soul returns. Therefore, such a person is not subject to punishment [for any sins committed outside the Holy Land], because the new soul [which now dwells in the body] is no longer the one that sinned. Thus our blessed Rabbis taught (Ketubot 111a) that one who lives in the Holy Land has all his sins forgiven. Furthermore, every Jew who lives in the Land of Israel is called a tzadik (righteous person), even if this is not actually the case. For if a person were not a tzadik, the Land itself would vomit him out, as it is written: “and the land vomited out its inhabitants” (Vayikra 18:25). Since the Land does not vomit such a person out, we must recognize that he is a tzadik (righteous person), even if he is considered a rasha (sinner). Also know that a person who lived in the Land of Israel and then moved to live outside the Land is considered to have committed a sin. Moreover, this sin causes it that [regardless of which land he goes to] the ministering angel does not rule over him. One who undertakes to live all his days in the Land of Israel and not leave it is considered to be proclaiming the unity of G-d throughout all his days. Furthermore, know that the Land of Israel atones only for sins committed accidentally, without intent. Nevertheless, if these sins were committed deliberately [when a person knows that what he is doing violates the laws of the Torah], they are not forgiven except through personal suffering. For those who [in the Holy Land] commit deliberate sins in a spirit of arrogance, there is no forgiveness except through repentance and Torah study. (Rabbi Avraham Azulai, Maayan 3, Nahar 12, 13, “Chesed Le-Avraham”)