"Ephron's field ... thus became [Abraham's] property" (Boreyshiet 23:17).

"Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) makes a person wise." The essential holiness of Eretz Yisrael is the holiness of da'at: awareness of HaShem (literally "the Name", referring to the One True G-d). The acquisition of Eretz Yisrael - da'at began when Avraham Aveinu (our forefather Abraham) purchased the Ma'arat HaMachpeleh (The Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron) as a burial place for his wife, Sarah Imeinu (our foremother, Sarah).

Our sages tell us: Ma'asey avot simon l'vonim: the deeds of our ancestors indicate how we should progress in life  =97 even now. How can we, like Avraham and Sarah, acquire Eretz Yisrael - da'at every day anew? Rebbe Nachman explains that through eating bread in a state of simcha - joy, we can acquire the ten different types of holiness inherent in Eretz Yisrael - da'at.

(Lekutey Halachot, Orach Chaim, B'tziyat HaPat, Halacha 3, Paragraphs 6-7.)

 **********

Names are not an accident. The Rebbe points out the significance of the name "Ephron", the man from whom the first portion of Eretz Yisrael was purchased. It was through this transaction that Avraham and Sarah merited to rescue the Land from the category of "dust" (Efron is from the Hebrew root ofar - dust) and elevate it to holiness.

Dust became the food of the nachash (serpent  - embodiment of unholiness) -- "... dust you shall eat..." (Boreyshiet 3:14) and: "... a serpent -- dust shall be his food" (Yishayahu 65:25) -- as a punishment for drawing mankind into a lack of da'at. But might this not actually be seen as a kindness rather than a punishment? After all, dust is everywhere, so the nachash would now have easy and constant access to all the food it could ever want. Wouldn't this be a blessing to any living creature?

But with this directive HaShem was distancing Himself from the nachash, as if to say, "You have your food. Now don't ask Me for anything again." Meanwhile, all other creatures, from the elephant to the amoeba, must search incessantly for their sustenance, and all rely  =97  directly or indirectly =97  on rainfall to sustain them. This means that every animal except the snake depends on the ever renewed kindness of HaShem which brings the rain.

And rain, as we know, depends on the actions and prayers of  Am Yisrael (the People of Israel) who direct their hearts heavenward each day. This delicate spiritual-physical ecosystem keeps all living beings intimately bound up with our Creator. All, that is, except for the nachash. Only the serpent has everything it requires without having to ask for it. This ensures its isolation from the Source of Life, and is thus a curse which serves to limit its ability to harm our world's intricate life "network".

Now we can better appreciate the concept of Eretz Yisrael's "promotion" from the category of "dust" to that of "holiness." The Rebbe describes how the term "dust" indicates sadness, heaviness, and lack of vitality.  (See Lekutey Moharan 189). So, when Avraham purchased the first bit of our Holy Land from Efron, he liberated it from the klipa (unnecessary covering) of "dust" and brought it into the realm of faith in HaShem and holiness for all his descendants.

 **********

Dwelling in Eretz Yisrael in a state of joy is one of the 613 mitzvos (commandments) of the Torah. Not only is this mitzva an expression of faith in HaShem, it is also a way to cultivate that faith -- as Dovid HaMelech says " Dwell in the Land and nurture faith" (Tehilim 37).

But how can the gates to Eretz Yisrael  =97 da'at be opened anywhere Jews have had to travel, no matter what their age, education, or level of belief? Through saying "amen" (from the root emunah - faith) to a blessing. This is illustrated through the verse "Open the gates, so that a righteous nation, those who remain faithful, may enter" (Yishayahu 26:2), as explained by our Sages (Sanhedrin 110b): "Don't read [simply] shomer emunim (those who remain faithful) but rather sh'omer amen (those who say amen).

Avraham and Sarah encouraged the people of their generation to da'at and holiness through providing them with food and teaching them to acknowledge HaShem after they ate. This, explains Rebbe Nachman, is a powerful antidote to the sadness, heaviness, and lack of vitality that is represented by "dust."

Ashreynu (how fortunate we are) that by by answering amen to blessings and eating our food in a state of joyful faith in HaShem we can receive vitality from the holiness of Eretz Yisrael and can strengthen our da'at - awareness of the Eternal Source of Life.

**********

A gutn Shabbos from N'shey Yeshivat Chasidei Breslov