Likutay Moharan - Volume 2 - Torah-teaching 116

The Land of Israel Is in This World Itself

He said that when he was in the Land of Israel, the prominent people who were there, who came from these countries and established their residence there in the Land of Israel, as is well-known, told him that before they were in the Land of Israel, they could not imagine to themselves that the Land of Israel exists in this world. And they thought that the Land of Israel is entirely another world because of the great holiness of the Land of Israel explained in the books and expounded in our holy Torah, the merit of the holiness of the Land of Israel many, many times. And the Torah itself explains all the boundaries of the Land of Israel for the greatness of its merit and its awesome and very great holiness. Therefore, they could not imagine in their eyes that the Land of Israel would be in this world until they came there and saw that the Land of Israel is in this world itself. For in truth, the Land of Israel is like these countries themselves, and the dust of the Land of Israel is in appearance and form like the dust of these countries themselves. For the white dust that is sometimes brought from there is only in specific places, and also in this country, white dust and soda dust are found in several places. But the essence of the dust in the Land of Israel is like the dust of these countries themselves. For in truth, in form and appearance, there is no difference at all between the Land of Israel and other countries, to distinguish. And even so, it is very, very holy, in the ultimate awesome and very great holiness. Fortunate is the one who merits to walk there even four cubits, etc., as our Sages, of blessed memory, and all the books have expounded on its great and awesome holiness. And our master, of blessed memory, said this, for it is a very necessary matter for many matters in which people are confused with errors. For there are those who err, thinking that one must recognize the tzadik [righteous one] or another holy matter by his face, in his image and form, that his form and movements should be specifically different. But in truth, it is not so, for the tzadik is in the form and image like all people, and there is no change in him. And even so, he is entirely another matter. And other people are not at all in his form in true truth, as our master, of blessed memory, said, that an upright person seems to walk with carriages and thin garments like other people, and even so, he is entirely another matter. And so the Land of Israel is in truth completely separated and distinct from other lands in all its matters and aspects. And our master, of blessed memory, said that the Land of Israel has a different firmament from other lands, as is understood in the holy Zohar, parashas Terumah [see Zohar Vayechi 249a]. But even so, in physicality, according to the sight of human eyes, no difference is seen between the Land of Israel and other lands, except for one who merits to believe in its holiness, who can somewhat discern the difference. Similarly, the tzadik and upright people compared to the rest of the world, in truth, they are similar in all their movements, in their form and image, and there is no difference in physicality to all the sight of fleshly eyes. And even so, in true truth, we believe that they are completely separated and distinct, for an upright person is entirely another matter, as above, all the more so true tzadikim.