Peace in the Holy Land

And the Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him… For all the land that you see I will give to you and to your seed to eternity. (Bereishit 14:15) 
 

Government officials, heads of state, the Israeli Prime Minister, other interior ministers, heads of intelligence agencies, and the overall national security complex are all proposing various solutions to guarantee Israel’s safety and security. Everyone has a perspective rooted in their own life experiences and they are all subjective. 
 

However, the yidden who believe in Hashem and His Torah that has been handed down throughout the generations, know that the true answer can be uncovered in the Torah. The pasuk says (Vayikra 26:3-6), If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them…And I will grant peace in the Land, and you will lie down with no one to frighten [you]… 
 

Before the yidden entered Eretz Yisroel, Hashem told them (Vayikra 18:26-28), But as for you, you shall observe My statutes and My ordinances, and you shall not do like any of these abominations… And let the land not vomit you out for having defiled it, as it vomited out the nation that preceded you. Rashi taught: This can be compared to a prince who was fed obnoxious food, which could not stay in his intestines; so, he vomited it out. Likewise, the Land of Israel cannot retain transgressors [and thus, it vomits them out]. 
 

We know that this galut was caused by the yidden not properly fulfilling the mitzvot. They had a strong and mighty army. Militarily, they were invincible. No other nation or people could conquer Eretz Yisroel. Nevertheless, because the yidden were not living a Torah-directed lifestyle, the Romans walked into Eretz Yisroel, destroyed the Beis HaMikdash, and ended the Jewish monarchy and its sovereignty over the land. 
 

The promise of Eretz Yisroel is dependent upon how the yidden choose to observe Torah and mitzvot. 
 

Even in the diaspora, when tragedies happen, the yidden realize that they cannot put their faith in man and the nations of the world. They realize that they must use this moment, this tragedy, to strengthen their faith, their Torah study and observance of mitzvot. This reality is even more potent in Eretz Yisroel.  
 

The Great Flood 

The Maharal from Prague wrote in Derech Chaim (Chapter Five) that Eretz Yisroel is called the “Holy Land”, and therefore the land itself does not tolerate behaviors that damage or weaken its holiness, and especially if the society indulges in the three leading causes of impurity – idol worship, illicit sexual relationships, and murder – they cannot live in the land peacefully and securely. 
 

When the gates of holiness are breached there is a tremendous accusation in the Heavens. As we saw during the Great Flood, first the boundaries of modesty were violated and eventually that led to illicit relationships, as Targum Yonasan taught (Bereishit 6:2-3) that this was the sin that caused the Mabul. As Chazal taught (Bereishit Rabba 26:5) wherever you find places engaging in deviant, illicit relationships, the Angel comes and slaughters the good and the bad. 
 

On Lag BaOmer 5671, during the lighting of the bonfire by the grave of R’ Shimon Bar Yachai, in Meron a balcony collapsed killing nine and wounding about 50 other people. Some yidden when to the Bava Sali seeking an explanation for the tragedy. 
 

He responded: The Ministering Angel of Yishmael aroused an accusation in the Heavens because of the promiscuity that began to take hold of the community. On that Lag BaOmer, the crowd was co-ed. There was an enormous tumult in the Heavens that such impurities were happening in such a holy place. The accusations multiplied and tragedy occurred.  
 

The Fire of Sodom 

We saw this in Sodom where the boundaries of holy behaviors were defiled. The depravity knew no bounds as the people became consumed by their promiscuity. Eventually, they even invented sodomy. Therefore, their sins are described as “extreme” and “great”. This sin is so terrible that it contaminates the entire body. The fiery passion for this sin causes a yid to become cold and callus to the beauty of Torah, mitzvot, and good middot. Therefore, they were punished and destroyed with brimstone and fire. 
 

When Lot became wealthy, he and his family began acting like the people of Sodom. He moved to a different neighborhood, just like we see today, that some orthodox people who become wealthy, move to places where the quality of Yiddishkeit is compromised and they distance themselves from Hashem and His Torah. In the end, Lot was captured and taken prisoner during the wars with the kings. His wealth was stripped away from him. Nothing saved him. This was the inevitable outcome from Heaven because of his behaviors.  
 

The Holy Land 

This is the message of our pasuk: And the Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him… For all the land that you see I will give to you and to your seed to eternity… Avraham separated himself and his family from Lot, so that they would not learn from his wicked ways. Hashem saw how careful he was to protect the boundaries of holiness. Therefore, at this moment, Hashem promises Avraham that he can dwell in Eretz Yisroel. For, only through holiness can one live in Eretz Yisroel, the Holy Land, in peace and tranquility. 
 

It is imperative that each yid is careful to protect himself and his family; to ensure that they uphold the boundaries and laws of modesty and holiness. They need to distance themselves from sites where people behave promiscuously. May it be Hashem’s Will, that every yid finds the strength to guard his holiness, and, through this, merit to be protected from all of our enemies and all those who wish us harm. May the years only be long and filled with peace and tranquility. 

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The Kalever Rebbe is the seventh Rebbe of the Kaalov Chasidic dynasty, begun by his ancestor who was born to his previously childless parents after receiving a blessing from the Baal Shem Tov zy”a, and later learned under the Maggid of Mezeritch zt”l. The Rebbe has been involved in outreach for more than 30 years and writes weekly emails on understanding current issues through the Torah. Sign up at www.kaalov.org.