THOSE OF US who associate appreciation of Eretz Yisroel with Zionism may be surprised to read this quote from Michtav MeEliyahu, a four-volume collection of the teachings of Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, zt"l, renowned Torah sage of the last generation:

"The holiness of the Land has its effect on people at all levels to some degree - even to the extent that a man buned in the Land will benefit from its influence. But the degree of influence of this holiness - whether it be a slight effect which iss almost imperceptible, or the sort of effect which raises a man to the point of complete absolution of his sins - this varies with each one's situation. Even we today at our low level are able to discern the effects of the sanctity of Eretz Yisroel.

"When I come to the holy Land, I feel clearly that here my heart is more easily aroused by the study of musar. We also see palpably the supernatural help one gets here in Torah learning." (vol.111, p. 194)

These words deserve our most careful consideration. Rabbi Dessler is not particularly known to us today as one who preached aliya. Political Zionism, in all its shadings, was far from his worldview. His goal was a more basic, more comprehensive one. Like any Torah~ommitted Jew, it was to serve the Almighty in the best possible way. This means alertness to every nuance, to every conceivable means of improving service to G~d. Utilizing his great intellectual gifts and vast Torah knowledge, Rabbi Dessler was able to discern such aids to service.

The environment - Eretz Yisroel or chutz laAretz - is more than just a nuance. The entire character of our service is affected by it. The written and the oral Torah emphasize the extraordinary benefits of living in the Land of Israel. To today's Jew, however, many of these pronouncements appear hyperbolic.

Can it really be that living in Eretz Yisroel atones for all transgres- sions, and makes one "free of sin?" Can it possibly make the differ- ence between G-dlessness and "having a G-d?" The temptation today for a Torah Jew is to reach a mistaken conclusion: Whatever these words once meant, they no longer apply to us.

Rabbi Dessler corrects that error, and attempts to clear up the enigma. He describes the tangible effect that the Land has on everyone, at every time. There are supernatural forces at work in this country, and they can be seen. Politics can not change the qualities of Eretz Yisroel.

For those on the lowest levels of Torah observance, the improvement achieved by moving to the Land of Israel may be slight, although it will be - unquestionably - an improvement. But for those already doing their utmost to keep the Torah outside the Land, the change wrought by aliya is crucial indeed. For it is of men like these that chazal spoke when they outlined the potential benefits of Eretz Yisroel. Since in all other areas such a man is on a lofty plane, the deficiency of living outside the Land is a critical one; indeed, our sages compare it to idol worship. This is the man who, by ascending to Eretz Yisroel, will be elevated to a genuine level of purity in service.

Such an understanding of what living in Eretz Yisroel means is authentic; it is the Torah view, and no -isms or political movements past or present can diminish its validity.

1) What do I really strive for in this world?
2) If it is to serve G-d, how can I do it best?
3) If I can do it better in Eretz Yisroel - no matter what my current level is - dare I shrug my shoulders and stay put?

B.Z. Meyer
Adopted from To dwell in the Pallace by Tzvia Ehrlich-Klein (ed.), Feldheim Publishers; Yerushalayim, 1991.

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