Lesson 3 — Why specifically the Land of Israel?
Introduction: The Question Awaiting Us
In the previous lessons we mentioned the great principle — that the Holy One, blessed be He, commands Israel "do not distress Moab," do not wage war against Ammon and Moab, and do not inherit their land. By contrast, the seven nations of Canaan — Israel would indeed inherit them. We laid out the question: what is the difference? Why is one land given to us as an inheritance, while another land — we are forbidden even to provoke it?
Now we reach section three, and the Rebbe opens it with words I love, because they are exactly what we feel:
And to understand the reason for this
"In order to understand the reason for this." The Rebbe is not content that we merely know the halacha — he wants us to understand why. And to that end he takes us a step back, to another well-known question: why was the Land of Israel given specifically to Israel in the first place? What is so special about this soil?
Follow along with me — because in order to understand why we do not take Moab, we must first understand why we do take the Land of Israel.
The Reason for the Giving of the Land: The Work of Birur
Behold, the reason is known for the gift and inheritance of the Land of Israel to Israel specifically, as it is written, "and He gave their land as an inheritance, etc."
There is a well-known reason, says the Rebbe, for this gift — that the Land of Israel was given to Israel specifically as an inheritance, as it is written, "and He gave their land as an inheritance." And what is the reason?
It is only in order to refine the seven evil traits of klipas noga that fell there from the seven primordial kings of the aspect of Tohu
Here a central concept enters — birur (בירור — the separation and elevation of sparks of holiness from within physical matter). The taking of the Land is not merely a territorial conquest. Its entire purpose is to refine — to rectify and elevate — the seven evil traits of klipas noga that fell there.
What are these? Let us explain simply. Klipas noga (קליפת נוגה) is the spiritual intermediate zone — neither pure good nor outright evil, a mixture. And within it fell sparks of holiness. And from where did they fall? From the "seven primordial kings of the aspect of Tohu" — the seven first kings of the world of Tohu (תוהו — a primordial spiritual world in which the lights were too immense and the vessels could not contain them, and therefore they "shattered" and fell).
Think of it this way: imagine an exceedingly intense light, poured into a small vessel — and the vessel shatters. The sparks scatter and fall. The world of Tohu is precisely this: mighty, extremely powerful traits, which could not hold their stand and shattered. And these fragments of lights fell into this world. The task of Israel in the Land is to gather them back.
How do we refine? Specifically through Torah and mitzvot
that fell there... specifically through Torah and mitzvot that Israel fulfill specifically in the Land of Israel
And by what means do we refine these sparks? Not by force, not by weapons — but specifically through Torah and mitzvot, which Israel fulfill specifically in the Land of Israel. There are two "specifically"s here: the Torah and mitzvot specifically are the vessel, and the Land of Israel specifically is the place.
For through the wisdom of the Torah, the 288 sparks that fell there are refined
Through the wisdom of the Torah the 288 sparks are refined — the 288 sparks that fell. This is a number well-known in Kabbalah for the number of sparks of holiness that fell in the shattering of the vessels. And the vessel to refine them is the wisdom of the Torah.
And therefore it is called the supernal Land of Israel, which is the aspect of the name BaN that is refined through the name MaH of tikkun
Now the Rebbe raises us to the supernal root. There is a "supernal Land of Israel" — the Land of Israel that is above, the spiritual root of the physical land. And it is the aspect of the name BaN — one of the names of the Holy One, blessed be He, whose numerical value is 52, expressing the shattered world of Tohu, the fallen sparks. And the name BaN is refined through the name MaH — a name whose numerical value is 45, expressing the world of Tikkun, the rectifying wisdom.
Do not be alarmed by the names. The idea is simple and profound: there is a shattered reality (BaN), and there is a rectifying power (MaH). The Land of Israel is the place where the shattered meets the rectifier. The wisdom of the Torah — the name MaH — descends and refines the shattered sparks — the name BaN.
Why Most Mitzvot Depend on the Land
And therefore most mitzvot depend specifically on the Land of Israel
Now the Rebbe brings tangible proof. If the role of the Land is birur (refinement), it becomes clear why most mitzvot are bound up with it specifically:
Such as the entire Order of Zeraim, the Order of Kodashim, the Order of Taharot, and most mitzvot even in the other Orders—such as Tractates Pesachim and Chagigah in the Order of Moed, and Nazir, Sotah, Sanhedrin, Shevuot, and the like
Note the precision. The entire Order of Zeraim—terumot, ma'asrot, shemittah—depends on the Land. The Order of Kodashim, the Order of Taharot. And also in other Orders: Tractates Pesachim and Chagigah, Nazir, Sotah, Sanhedrin, Shevuot. Why? Because the Land is the arena of birur, and there most of the avodah is required.
As it is written, "When you come into the Land," etc.—because it is called the Land of the Living above, "the land upon which the eyes of Hashem are," "a land of delight," etc.
"When you come into the Land"—the phrasing of the verse that opens many mitzvot. And why? Because it is called "the Land of the Living above," "a land upon which the eyes of Hashem are" (Devarim), "a land of delight." This is not mere earth—it is a land toward which the eyes of Hashem are always turned.
The Land of the Future — and the Two "Me'od"
Here the Rebbe opens a window to the time to come:
And this is what is said, that in the World to Come "they shall inherit the land forever" (this being that it will spread out across the entire world [in the future], and the wise will understand)
In the World to Come — "they shall inherit the land forever." What is the meaning of "forever"? That then the holiness of the Land of Israel will spread out across the entire world. The boundaries will expand until the whole earth becomes the Land of Israel. And thus:
And as Caleb said, "the land is very, very good" (the first "very" referring to the days of the Messiah, and the second "very" to the World to Come)
Do you remember Caleb, of the spies, who cried out "the land is very, very good"? The Rebbe offers a wonderful linguistic reading: the two instances of "very" are not mere repetition. The first "very" — in the days of the Messiah. The second "very" — in the World to Come. Caleb did not merely praise; he prophesied the two levels of the land's redemption.
And as it is written, "and I will remember the land," etc.
"And I will remember the land" — the land too is remembered in the covenant. Everything points to the same thing: the land is not a fleeting means, but an eternal purpose.
Summary and Bridge
So what have we learned in section 3? We laid down the foundation that the entire purpose of the Land of Israel is birur — the gathering up of the sparks of holiness that fell from the World of Tohu, through Torah and mitzvot, and specifically in the Land. We saw the supernal root: the broken name Ban being refined within the rectifying name Mah. We understood why most of the mitzvot are dependent on the Land, and we even tasted of the future — "very, very," in the days of Mashiach and in the World to Come.
But take note of the question that remains hanging in the air. If the task of birur is so lofty — why were the spies afraid? They were "the great ones of the generation, men of renown"; they saw something real. What exactly did they see, and why were they so terrified? In the next lesson we will dive into the sin of the spies — into "but the people is strong," into the Nefilim and the giants — and we will understand what they grasped, and in what precisely they erred.