God, goodness, and the people who dwell in the Land of Israel

טַעֲמ֣וּ וּ֭רְאוּ כִּֽי־ט֣וֹב יְהֹוָ֑ה אַֽשְׁרֵ֥י הַ֝גֶּ֗בֶר יֶחֱסֶה־בּֽוֹ׃

 "Taste and see that the Lord is good, happy is the man who finds shelter in Him." (Psalms 34:9)

The Malbim (1809-1879, Ukraine) interprets this verse by stating that we can derive pleasure from HaShem through our senses no less than we derive it from human beings. The only difference is that we also discover that HaShem is good, a pure spiritual goodness that people, he says, cannot provide.

However, the Malbim never had the good fortune to live among the millions of those who dwell in the Land of Israel. After all, every Jew is חלק אלוה ממעל, a part of God from above (Job 31:2). Thus, where you have millions of Jews living together, the awareness of God is palpable. And as Israel's numbers increase, this awareness grows from day to day.





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