Letter No. 57

Hello and all the best to…

I have no news to write; I move about from place to place and from country to country until we return to the land of Israel. We should hope that when we return, we will merit tasting the good taste of the land of Israel and there will be no need for exile anymore. Exile comes only when one does not cautiously keep the value of the land, and the land is not appreciated as it should be. As a result, the land throws that person out, as it is written, “And the land shall vomit out.”

Although the reception of the Torah was specifically in the desert, the intention was that we would keep it in Israel. Therefore, if we accept, during the reception of Torah, that we will keep it in Israel, then we are rewarded with entering the land and keeping the Torah. However, without Torah it is impossible to enter the land, for only the light in the Torah reforms one.

This is the meaning of “Everyone admits on the eighth of the assembly that you are needed, too.” It is known that there is the “Torah [teaching/law] of the Creator,” and there is “His Torah.” On the eighth of the assembly, which is the reception of the Torah, it should be for you [in plural form], meaning that it will be His Torah. Otherwise it is not the reception of the Torah, but is rather called the “Torah of the Creator.” Through the Torah of the Creator we are rewarded with the light of Torah, by which we are rewarded with entering the land of Israel, and subsequently with His Torah, which is the Torah that comes after the land of Israel.

But then, at the time of reception of the Torah by Moses, they were immediately awarded freedom, as our sages said, “Do not pronounce it, Harut [carved] but Herut [freedom].” At that time they were not enslaved to enter the corporeal land of Israel and were immediately rewarded with the spiritual land of Israel.

However, this was for the time being. Later, our sages said that the two crowns that Israel were given when they preceded “we will do” to “we will hear” were taken away from them.

At that time the work began anew—in order to enter the land of Israel and be awarded the light of Torah, and then the actual Torah, called the “names of the Creator.”

May the Creator grant us understanding the great merit of the land of Israel, and to know how to appreciate it so it will not vomit us out. It is written in The Zohar (Tazria [Inseminate], item 6) about the verse, “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her sell [price] is far above pearls.” The holy Zohar asks, “It should have said, ‘Her price is far above pearls,’ so why does it say, ‘her sell’?” It replies that one who does not know how to keep it and appreciate it, she sells that person to the Klipot [shells]. This is why it is written, “sell.”

Therefore, let us hope that from this day on we will know how to walk on the straight path and be awarded the reception of the Torah.

With blessings of a happy festival,

Baruch Shalom HaLevi Ashlag