The Messianic Israel
This is the 4th and final in a series on the importance of Israel, its connection to the Jewish People and its origins in the Torah.
“In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth…. And G-d saw that the light was good…” The Midrash tells us that the sentence about the light is unfinished. So the Midrash finishes the verse for us. And G-d saw that the light was good and he put it aside for the righteous for the World to Come.”
From the beginning of time, G-d established the ultimate purpose of creation. That purpose to bring heaven (the spiritual) and earth (the physical) together.
A taste of the future is embedded in the present. That is the blending of heaven and earth in the land of Israel. As discussed in prior articles, Israel embodies the purpose of our being on this earth. The unity of the physical with the spiritual.
Despite that is the case, Israel today remains a physical space. Sure, one who is in tune can sense the holiness of Israel. Even one who is not in tune, is effected by the holiness as is evidence by the thousands of youth who have visited Israel over the past many years through Birthright trips. This is also evidenced by many of you, dear readers, who have had this experience while visiting yourselves. It’s that holiness that calls to so many to make Aliyah.
Yes, of course there are plenty of other novelties connected with the modern State of Israel, plenty of important reasons for Israel to exist as a State today. The contribution that Israel has made in the areas of technology, science, scholarship is felt around the world. But in its core, this is all a manifestation of the underlying spiritual connection that Israel has with its physical reality.
Nonetheless, we lack a revealed manifestation of this union between heaven and earth even in the land of Israel today. In the Messianic era this will no longer be something one needs to dig for but it will be evidenced and witnessed with our own physical eyes.
Our Sages say that Israel is destined to spread to the entire world. Could it mean that the physical land of Israel will spread and take over the rest of the earth? Perhaps. But the spiritual and underlying meaning is much more relevant and tangible. Israel, the essence of Israel will spread to the entire earth. That is because when Moshiach comes “the entire earth will be filled with knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the sea” (Maimonides).
It is for this reason too that we yearn for the coming of Moshiach. We will no longer have to believe that G-d is inherent in all of existence, that G-d is present in our blessings and challenges, for we will know this to be the case – with our own physical eyes “and your eyes will see your master”.
May this be speedily in our days Amen!
