Tefillah - The Most Crucial Part of Aliyah

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Well, we all know that Chazal said that Eretz Yisrael is acquired through hardships.

But why?

When something is excruciatingly difficult, even impossible, we are forced to turn to Hashem. The Kedushah of Eretz Yisrael intesifies every aspect of life.

Yes, you'll grow wiser because the air of Eretz Yisrael really does positively impact your brain as Chazal said.

But it means that even simple things you took for granted in your country of origin develop a special intensity with Eretz Yisrael.

Oftentimes, this means that certain tasks become more complicated or fraught with seemingly absurd obstacles.

Yet this very intensity means that coming to Eretz Yisrael is an unparalleled opportunity for spiritual growth. That was true for Avraham Avinu. It was true for the Jews who followed Yehoshua Bin Nun. It was true when one rabbi from long ago wrote to another that he should only come if he is willing to forgo his rabbinical honor and be treated just like everyone else.

And it is true today when you are dealing with a government clerk named Re'ut who is completely unqualified for her position but got the job anyway because the guy in charge of that branch is her mother's cousin (who owes her brother a favor).

During the absorption process, it is natural to at times feel angry at:

• Israelis
• Israeli society
• Socialism
• Israeli beaucracy
• Yourself
• Your spouse or children (if you're lucky enough to have such people in your life)

• Anything else

However, directing your anger at the above targets is not correct because these entities are only messengers from Hashem. Yes, I know that outside of Eretz Yisrael, all events and interactions are also messages from Hashem. But like I said, in Eretz Yisrael, these same messages are greatly intensified.

I'll give a you a personal example.

Recently, I needed to call my health clinic to check something. Going through the whole automated "For this__, please press this__" and getting nowhere for twenty minutes made me feel like tearing out my hair.

"Argh!" I said. "This reminds me of it was when I first made aliyah almost two decades ago! I can't believe this is happening again...."

Then I remembered the right way to do things.

So I thanked Hashem for the hardship, both because it was for my own good and because it is blessedly minor and painless in the scheme of things. Then I did teshuvah. Then I asked Him to help me get what I needed.

Within ten minutes, I'd completed my task and as a bonus, received a useful tip from a pleasant secretary on how to expedite the process next time.

Of course, there will be times when you'll be too aggravated to turn straight to Hashem. That's totally normal. Hopefully, you will find an empathetic listener for those moments until your mind settles back into some kind of emuna state.

Hashem is your loving Tatty who is absolutely delighted that you've finally come home! And while He always loved you from afar, your great mesirut nefesh to chuck so much aside and be with Him is reciprocated in kind, middah k'neged middah. From now on, the contact between you and Him will be both constant and intense.

Yes, you will frequently see that you need to daven for every little thing (although even if you don't, Hashem in his great Mercy will often still tweak events to suit you), and that is because of the great benefit that constant connection with Hashem provides you.

And it's not me who says it. Take a look at what Rav Eliezer Papo wrote in Pele Yoetz in 1824:

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The primary purpose of going to Eretz Yisrael is for the rectification of the soul.
And the spirit shall return to G-d who gave it as He gave it, and the soul will praise G-d because the holiness of the place and the respite from the pressures of time is a great help to this matter. As such, whoever merits to go there should be holy and should separate himself [from materialistic goals].

And even if God "expanded his boundary," [i.e. blessed him with material abundance], he should not delight in sensual pleasures...he should behave in the ways of repentance...And great is the power of prayer in that place, the Land that is so desired.

And they already possess awesome prayers which they pray on behalf of all those in Exile [i.e, all those still living outside of Eretz Yisrael].

And from their mouths, we live.

He concludes with:

One who resides in the Land of Israel must be continuously happy with his continuous mitzvah.

All of his suffering should be alleviated in his eyes in his love for here [i.e., the Land].