In our previous article, we laid the initial foundation for rectifying the state of Israel at the super-conscious and conscious-intellect levels of the psyche. With the first part in mind, we can now turn to the practical implications of the program for building a Jewish state. Settling the Land – Loving-kindness
The first of the attributes of the heart according to Kabbalah is the sefirah of chesed (loving-kindness). Like the right hand that offers and distributes goodness and blessing to all, this attribute is likewise motivated by love. The archetypal personality for this property is the first Jew, Abraham, the great believer and the man of loving-kindness, as the Torah phrase states, “Loving-kindness is to Abraham.”
On the public arena, the main relationship of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel is love, “The greatest sages would kiss the borders of the Land of Israel and kiss its stones and roll in its dust, as it says, ‘For Your servants desire its stones and its dust they have favored’.” Like a groom who loves his bride, such love effects a powerful attractive force, which, like a magnet, surpasses vast expanses of time and space.
That same love by power of which we have returned to the Land (not just because we were looking for a “safe refuge”) must be confirmed by a formal consummation of love, by declaring Jewish sovereignty over the entire country, as a natural right. We must also emphasize that this love is not just a natural love for our homeland, but a love that contains the full array of loving God (“Love Havayah, your God”); loving the Jewish People (“‘Love your fellowman as you love yourself’ is a great rule of the Torah”); and loving the Torah, because this fundamental triplet can only manifest in its entirety in the Land of Israel.
A clear statement must be issued to assert the fact that the source of our right to the Land of Israel is God’s promise to us in the Torah (as millions of gentiles all over the world also believe), and that the success of the reestablishment of the Jewish People in its land is only through God’s help. The Torah warns us that once we have settled the Land of Israel we should not say, “My power and the might of my hand has made me successful,” rather, we should “remember that Havayah your God is the one who has given you the power to be successful.” Following these lines, we suggest revising the declaration of independence for the Jewish state to include these basic principles of the Jewish People as it returns to its land.
Declaring sovereignty over all parts of the country that are in our possession is the “best thing” that can happen to the Jews and a necessary reaction on our part to the revelation of Divine loving-kindness in our era. This is not referring to a political declaration that is empty of content, but a statement that is accompanied by actions – because actions speak louder than words, as the mishnah states, “Say a little and do a lot.” We should wholeheartedly support settling the entire country, redeeming land, and developing agriculture and sources of livelihood, while heading towards financial independence and instilling a culture that balks at chasing after luxuries and advocates living modestly and frugally, “Who is rich? One who is happy with their lot,” “When you eat the efforts of your hand, happy are you and it is good for you.” A special emphasis should be placed on encouraging and preferring Jewish labor and raising the prestige of the Jewish worker through brotherly love, as the verse states, “And your brother shall live with you.”
