641. Inheritance of the Land
August 28, 1962
“Justice, justice you shall pursue, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
We should ask how inheritance of the land is connected to justice, and why we cannot inherit the land without justice. If someone does not walk in justice, can he not inherit his father’s lots?
We should understand that the inheritance of the land that the Creator promised our forefathers does not pertain to the corporeal land, since we see that to the nations of the world, the Creator gave bigger lands than our land. Also, King David already said about corporeal matters, “Behold, these wicked and those who are tranquil in the world gained riches” (Psalms 73).
Rather, inheritance of the land pertains to spirituality, as I heard from Baal HaSulam regarding the verse, “How will I know that I will inherit it.” The Creator replied to him, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers,” and he replied that through the exile they will have suitable Kelim [vessels] and will have a need to receive the higher land.
This is the meaning of “Justice, justice you shall pursue,” meaning that you will calculate justly if the corporeal matters are on the path of Torah, and also concerning spiritual matters, meaning Torah and prayer, if they are on the side of purity.
If a person calculates justly, he sees “who will be just before You in judgment,” meaning that for his part, man is still unable to work in purity. Hence, the person will need the Creator to give him the inheritance of the land, meaning the higher land, called “instilling of the Shechina [Divinity] and the secrets of Torah.”
It is called “inheritance” because the person did not labor for it, since man’s labor is not enough to be able to acquire the spiritual things. This is why it is called “inheritance of the fathers”: That which the Creator gave to the forefathers, He gave the same thing to him as an inheritance. This is called “the light of faith,” and afterward we are rewarded with the reception of the Torah.
This is called “a gift,” as our sages said, “It is not an inheritance to you.” Rather, each one is given a different measure in attainment of the Torah.
However, concerning faith, it is the same discernment, divided by each and every tribe, meaning that every tribe has a part in the matter of the land, and the matter of faith comes by inheritance.
Conversely, the Torah is called “a gift,” regarded as each veteran disciple being destined to renew his part in the Torah. However, inheritance requires qualification, meaning a need, and the need for the inheritance is through “Justice, justice you shall pursue.”
“Justice, justice you shall pursue.” One to pursue Torah and Mitzvot [commandments], called “justice,” and this is regarded as Lo Lishma [not for Her sake].
The second justice is after he already engages in Torah and Mitzvot. He must pursue the second justice, which is the quality of Lishma [for Her sake], since the beginning is in Lo Lishma. This is called “justice” with respect to corporeality, when all the corporeal things are as a lie compared to the Torah and Mitzvot, even in Lo Lishma, called “the first justice.”