27 June 2016

"Are You A Dirt Worshipper?"

22 Sivan 5776

In response to my post for Parshat Sh'lach last week, this is the question I received as a comment: "Are you a dirt worshipper?" Since this week is Parshat Sh'lach in the Diaspora, it is still relevant, so I will answer this question now.

If by "dirt worshipper" the commenter means as follows...

"For Your servants hold dear her stones and cherish even her dust." (Tehillim 102:15)

The touching scene of Jews kissing the earth upon their arrival in Eretz Yisrael has its roots in the words of King David and in the actions of our Talmudic Sages. Rabbi Abba kissed the rocks at the port of Acco. Rabbi Chiya bar Gamda rolled in the dust of the land. Rabbi Chanina went even further by repairing the roads so that his beloved country would not have a bad reputation with those who traveled upon them. (Kesuvos 112)

...then I must plead guilty. I think Eretz Yisrael is the most beautiful land on the face of the Earth and I never tire of extolling her virtues to whomever is willing to listen. It's our marital home with HKB"H. How can I not love it? Every image of her thrills my soul. 

Every day I look out across the hills of the Judean Desert towards the towers and spires of Holy Yerushalayim and I thank God and I think dayenu!

I listen to the happy little birds singing their hearts out from the walls and the trees and I know that this is the song they sing so joyfully - every single day: The Beautiful and Holy Land of Israel!



May we merit to witness the elimination of all idolatry and houses of avodah zarah from our Holy Land.

See also: Ohr Somayach's Love Of the Land Archives - Selections from classical Torah sources which express the special relationship between the People of Israel and Eretz Yisrael

9 comments:

  1. Beautiful video! Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, I'm right there with you. I love being out in the air and historical places of Eretz Yisrael. And the birdies and doves are delightfully melodious. There is so much to love here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, my just watching it, and its just so beautiful.
      Thanks to whoever made this video for all to see and enjoy and know how beautiful the land of Israel is.
      Thank you Devash for putting this up.
      I paused the video to watch it.. cause i just had to come back here to thank you for it..
      and back i go to watch the rest of it.
      Bless you.

      S/c

      Delete
  3. And you all ARE blessed. Blessed for being in Eretz Israel.

    Hope i can, (please Hashem) at least get to visit Israel, and touch the Kotel, and yes, if Hashem grants me this wish,.. the first thing i always have said i would do, when i disembark the air-plane that brings me to the Holy Land, is to get on my knees, no matter how painful and how my knees will protest, I will kiss the Holy soil, and i will not care who will be watching me. This i will consider a priviledge and This will be just between Hashem and me..
    Amen and Amen.
    S/c

    ReplyDelete
  4. wow! Truly the Land flowing with milk and honey, the good and beautiful land. This video made my heart yearn to return.
    Jacobs words still ring true today, "How awesome is this place..." Thanks for posting this. stingray

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello Devash,
    Thank you so much for your work and courageous fight on both the Geula and nibiru awareness fronts.
    As we saw in parashat Shlakh the meraglim cried and said (approximatve translation) "eretz okhelet yoshveiha - a land that eats its residents" when Yehoshua and Kalev said " Tova hi meod - (this land) is very very good"
    I remember that somebody told me that both contradictive reactions were related to the same fact they saw in the land: everywhere they saw funerals. The comments tell us it was for the practical purpose to distract the dangerous local residents attention from their presence, and the meraglim thought the land itself was dangerous. Yehoshua and Kalev didn't see it the same way, and I've been told that in their righteous perception, a funeral in Eretz Israel is not a threat but a goal to achieve for every Jew. Its not the end but the most desirable summit of a jewish carrier on earth (of course after we live here ad 120...): to be buried in the land's dust, to unifie with it, and like our sages say, to be buried under the mizbeah. The funerals they saw were intended to test them with the question: do you understand what it means (the ultimate goal of your life), is this desirable for you and why?
    I remember in the army training, an officer used to throw dust into our mouthes with his foot, at the real moment we laid on the ground and started to shoot real bullets, when he shouted "don't stop shooting, don't stop shooting" It wasn't by sadism but to gave us a better simulation of combat conditions, while everything is against you and you have to stay concentrated on your mission's goal.
    As a young lonely soldier (my family was still abroad, b"H they all came a few years later) I was conscious of the importance of the privilege to endure hardships here, even in the hardest conditions, and I remember that in this surrealistic moment I thanked G-od for the taste of the dust in my mouth... I knew like many others that it's our treasure and privilege...
    Sorry for my approximate English.
    Be blessed you and your readers and thanks again.
    Itzhak, Yerushalaim

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Itzhak, my English should be so good! Beautiful! Thank you!

      Delete
  6. Devash, thank you for sharing so much with your readers.

    Wishing you and yours, Shabbat Shalom and to all those lovely people who visit this blog.
    S.c

    ReplyDelete
  7. oh, dear Devash, it is really wonderfull, thank you so much.
    it is make happy my heart.INES

    ReplyDelete