If you read Rabbi Winston on the Parsha below, you will like this:
THE GOOD OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL - TUV HAARETZ BY RABBI SHAPIRA
This is a Sefer - book that describes many aspects of the spiritual concept of the Land of Israel and what it means both spiritually and physically. It is a series of classes that will be reading from this book and will be quite meaningful to understand on a personal level what it means when a leader of the Jewish People calls on the Jewish Nation to return to the Good Land of Israel.
TUV HAARETZ: Tuv HaAretz
Author: Rabbi Nathan Shapira
By David Slavin -the Translator and Commentator of this book
Rabbi Nathan Schapira published this holy book in 1655. Rabbi Schapira made the arduous journey to Eretz Yisrael from Cracow during the second quarter of the 17th century. He was the son of one of the most prominent leaders of the community of Cracow. He himself was one of the rabbinical leaders of that city as well. His uncle was a famed kabbalist of the same name who is famous for his Magnus Opus, the "Megale Amukot”.
According to testimonial writings of the times, we find that Rabbi Schapira was considered a venerable scholar upon his arrival in Eretz Yisrael. He learned together with two other rabbis who themselves were deeply involved with disseminating the writings of the Arizal, namely, Rabbi Yaakov Tzemach and Rabbi Meir Paparush. Through them he had free access to a vast array of manuscripts of the Arizal that they had been safeguarding.
Rabbi Schapira became the chief Ashkenazic Rabbi of Jerusalem, shortly after his arrival. He assumed the responsibility of providing for his constituents both spiritually and materially. Therefore, when the health and finances of the community deteriorated to an overwhelming level, he took upon himself the onerous burden of Rabbi telling throughout Europe to raise the funds necessary to rehabilitate the city.
The financial straits were caused by a lack of donations from Eastern Europe. This was due to the mass destruction and annihilation of Jewry throughout the Polish and Russian communities in 1648-1650, by Bogdan Chmielnetsky and his revolution. Therefore, the Rabbi fled to Italy, France, Germany, The Netherlands and possibly England to raise the funds.
It appears that this holy book was written during his first journey to Italy. There he was encouraged and assisted by the Ramaz (Rabbi Moshe Zaccuto) to print this treatise. The Ramaz not only edited the book but raised the finances as well. It stands to reason that the Ramaz felt that this very book would encourage people to contribute generously to allay the difficulties in Eretz Yisrael.
Our translation and commentary is by R. David Slavin.
UNIQUENESS OF THE LAND
Chapter One, Part 1
By Rabbi Nathan Schapira; translation & commentary by David Slavin
"Hearken to the word of G-d". Lovers of intellect, fashioners of reverence, flee for yourselves from "Keziv" until "Amana". These are names of biblical cities. chanoch adds: See below: These concepts are befitting for the tables of kings, "Who are the kings? The sages". For I shall say poignant statements, and I will make known the veracity of the true words based on the foundations of the reliable Kabbalistic teachings emanated from the mouth of the "ark of faithful testimony", "great of biblical light", "the revealer of great depths", "the great honored holy wondrous rabbi", "as an angel of G-d": Rabbi Yitzchak Luria Ashkenazi, known as the Arizal. And from his successor, the father of wisdom, who fulfilled his task as the faithful student "The one who emanates G-dly light" the honored Rabbi Chaim Vital, of blessed memory.
My words shall flow with the pleasantry and harmony of both together. "Hearken yea, and rejuvenate your souls" (Isaiah 55:3) with the words of the Arizal regarding the greatness of the Land of Israel. From just the edge of them you shall see visions of G-d. For are not his words based upon the passage from the Holy Zohar, "In the firmament above the Land of Israel exists a portal called G'vilon; under it exists seventy other portals with seventy guards at a distance of 2000 cubits, and they don't approach the main portal. G'vilon extends upwards until it reaches the Divine Throne. From that portal towards all directions, until the gates of opening, is referred to as Megadon, where the end of the firmament of the boundary of the land of Israel lies.”
chanoch's Commentary
Each Name of a location in the Tanach has many levels of information and connection. In our study of the animal called lion we read a verse from Job which has this same name of a city "Amana". It is spelled in Hebrew like this אמנה. Please note that the word Amen - Aleph Men Nun is the shoresh or root of this city name. Amen as we know represents a center or middle point that connects the spiritual and physical worlds. Keziv translates as "like brightness". This word also means "deceitfull.”
The above paragraph includes a flowery description of the soul of the ARIzal and His student Rabbi Chaim Vital. This is quite normal for the way Kabbalists speak of the Arizal and his student. we in this generation find it difficult to understand how a human being can be referred to as "The Godly Rabbi Isaac". Yet this is something that is necessary for a student of the ARIzal to develop within themselves - How High is the ARIzal relative to the last few generations. Also how important this type of information that was revealed by the ARIzal is to our generation.
The words / names G'vilon and Metadon also need to be analyzed Kabbalistically. Unfortunately i do not have access to the Hebrew spelling of these Names. This is why it is so important to read books on Torah that have both the original language and a valid translation.
returning to the reading
The Arizal explains that in the middle of this gate and opening, which is in line with Eretz Yisrael, there is a large opening. Around that opening there are seventy openings from which the seventy nations of the world receive their sustenance (which is only a fraction of the divine influence that flows from that large gate). In that very gate there is a holy curtain which prevents the forces of the Other Side from being nurtured from the influx, as is mentioned in the Zohar (Teruma 141a). This curtain is a garment as well, rather, being that it is holy, therefore the holiness is not revealed in our time.
chanoch's Commentary
The Parasha of Teruma deals with the subject of the Mishkan and the creation of the physical world. This paragraph is explaining that the flow of Shefa goes through the land of Israel. This Shefa fulfills all nations as well as the Children of Israel. When someone is in exile they are being fulfilled using a different route for that flow of Shefa.
ERETZ YISRAEL EXISTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORLD
The opening is in the middle of the firmament and consequently influences the land underneath it. Yet there is another curtain which functions as a preventative, so that the Other Side shouldn't gain entrance to Eretz Yisrael.
chanoch's Commentary
Notice that the word for protection is "curtain". What is the difference between a curtain - window - and a wall? Nothing gets past a wall. A window lets certain energy through and allows someone to peer out. A curtain moves with the wind only when the window is open. A curtain always moves back to block the flow of the wind. the curtain is flexible and adjustable. How many curtains are there? On the physical level the Van Allen Belts of energy is a physical metaphor for the curtain mentioned as a protection shield. There are 7 van Allen belts.
This entrance is in line with the middle of all the firmaments until it reaches the level of "yesod of malchut", The yesod of malchut is the ninth particular sefira of the general sefira of malchut, which is the tenth of the general system of sefirot. the holy essential point of all the realms up to the Holy Throne; this is the very path that all souls upon sleeping and prayers use to ascend. Even though the Zohar states elsewhere that "prayers ascend in the east and west", that is in regards to the ascension through the airspace until they all meet under this portal. These firmaments are not moveable. They are permanent, therefore their openings are constantly aligned directly over Eretz Israel. Yet the heavenly bodies do rotate around in the firmaments.
We find that our meaning of a "permanent firmament" refers to the one in which exists that portal. When we refer to the rotating bodies, the rotating is done by the bodies not the firmament. Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Eliezer focus not on the path of orbit, rather the star that follows the path. For they have said, "the astrological zodiacal planetary force has a cycle, not the firmament". For the orbit and planet on its path are referred to as the planet alone. For the planet is the point of the orbit - its soul. The orbit itself is of the aspect of the "Secret of the Igulim (Circles)" The concept of Igulim is a realm of a rather constant, enveloping divine influence; it is vaguely similar to what is known as "Or Makif". Most of the Kabbalistic literature seems to pay little attention to it, rather focusing its explanations of the realm of Yosher (hierarchical divine influence). of each world.
chanoch's Commentary
There are two kinds of lights - Direct light and Returning light. There are two kinds of vessels - Ohr Makif and Ohr Penimi. There is a relationship between these two different metaphors as well as the concept of Line and Circles. This is a third metaphor. To truly study these requires a discussion of the ten luminous emanations by Rabbi Ashlag.
Rabbi Chaim Vital z"l wrote, "Know that Eretz Yisrael exists in the middle of the world (civilization). Corresponding to it, in the firmament above it in its middle, there is a large opening the size of the land of Israel. It is named G'vilon. From that opening downward there are another seventy gates, totaling 71, which corresponds to the 71 head rabbis of the Sanhedrin. These 71 gates are known as "Shaarei Tzedek (gates of righteousness)", and they are holy gates, for they are not of the portion the nations. Surrounding these gates is a space measuring 2000 cubits [a cubit is a measurement equal to a handbreadth] in each direction, at which point the boundaries of that firmament end. These 2000 cubits are the root of the rabbinic injunction of the city limits.
The Rabbis established the limits of the boundary of a city to extend 2000 Cubits past the last home of the town in each direction. Within those limits one was allowed to walk on the Shabbat, yet walking past those limits would be a violation. At the end of this firmament there is a door that closes off the firmament over Eretz Yisrael; it is open and closed by the Holy One blessed be He. The name of this door is Megadon.
Chanoch's Commentary
The Hebrew words G'vilon and Megadon need to be explained as said above. we have not done this yet. The 2000 cubits relate to a spiritual law associated with the Holy system and the impure system. i can not say more at this time.
[When Joshua entered the Land of Israel he passed through this door and established one of the blessings in the "grace after meals" known as "Hazan" which concludes "Upon the Land and sustenance". The numerical value of 'sustenance' ("hamazone" = 108) equals Megadon. Numerical value is a system of assigning a number value for each letter, aleph = 1, beit = 2,…yud = 10,chaf = 20…kuf = 100,reish = 200 This is the secret of the verse "The name of G-d is a tower of strength, through it a righteous man shall race and be strong" (Proverbs 18:10). The last three words beginning letters spell the word tzvi (deer).
This implies that the tower of strength is called the "Land of the Deer (tzvi)", within which dwells the Name of G-d, which is the Shechina [The Divine Presence, usually connoting a feminine aspect]. And with it shall run yesod (the foundation) The ninth sefira, the precursor to malchut, the tenth., which is called the tzadik through the opening and door known as G'vilon Megadon whose numerical value (204) equals the value of tzadik (204). That is the secret of the verse "this is the gate for G-d, tzadikim (righteous people) shall enter it" (Psalms 118:20).]
Chanoch's Commentary
It is important to realize that these spiritual descriptions are different than our perceptions of physical descriptions. Tzadikim are channels for HaShem to work through. This is the meaning of "Gate”.
Through these seventy one gates are nourished the inhabitants of the Land of Israel. They are in correspondence to the seventy souls of the house of Jacob. The secret of this is that they correspond to the seventy branches of the Etz Hachaim (the supernal tree) Literally the "tree of life", yet it alludes to a level of divine revelation of a very lofty nature.. Therefore, each branch has its own gate, and not all Jews are sustained through one gate. The most central opening is opposite the Shechina, which is referred to as "Righteousness shall lodge in it", whereas the remaining seventy are called "gates of righteousness".
Chanoch's Commentary
The number 70 comes from the 7 lower Sefirot with a structure of 10 sefirot within each of the 7. The 12 Tribes relate to the 70 nations. The Shefa "feeds" the 12 Tribes of the Children of Israel which relates to the 72 Nations.
OVER ISRAEL THERE IS NOT ANY SHELL OR MEMBRANE SEPARATING G-D FROM US
Surrounding these gates is a space measuring 2000 cubits in each direction. At which point ends the boundaries of the firmament of Eretz Yisrael. There dwell the seventy overlords each in charge of a different gate. They derive sustenance for their countries from the remnants of the influence that Eretz Yisrael receives, yet they (these overlords) do not actually get close to the gates themselves. The rest of the firmament ends in seventy strips, each ruling force controls the strip for his country.
The firmament that corresponds to Eretz Yisrael and all the extensions are all one firmament, but the air-space directly over the land of Israel has those seventy gates around it. The same holds true for all ten levels of heavens all the way up to the Divine Throne. That being so, there is a direct channel open between the land and G-d's throne. This makes it easy to understand the verse that says; "The eyes of G-d are observing the land of Israel all year round" (Deut. 11:12). This implies that over Israel there is not any shell or membrane separating G-d from us. Through this very same channel ascended the incense sacrifice, as well as the scent of all the other sacrifices that were brought in the Holy Temple (may it be speedily rebuilt).
Chanoch's Commentary
Understand the above paragraph well. My understanding is the following: there is a firmament which is an energy membrane. There are gates in this membrane which allow Shefa to flow down and prayers to flow up. This flow goes through a central pipe directly from the physical world of earth to the Throne of HaShem. Around this central pipe are 70 gates of 2000 cubits in all 6 directions which allow the flow to go directly to the Children of Israel who live in the Land of Israel. Outside of these Gates the Angelic Cheiftans receive the energy they need to provide for their children or nation. We will learn later that when a child of Israel is in exile he is receiving his Shefa not from HaShem but through the Angelic Messenger for the land and nation that that child of Israel lives within. The Child of Israel who lives in Israel receives his Shefa flow directly from HaShem through the Gates discussed above.
Please note that the Land of Israel is unique since the Shefa flows directly from HaShem through the Gates and to the Children of Israel who live in the Land of Israel.
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