The Simcha Of Coming Home!

A group of students went to Rav Meir Shapiro to say goodbye before moving to Israel.

He quoted the Ohr Hachaim - והיה כי תבוא - אין והיה אלא לשון שמחה שאין שמחה כביאת הארץ. The word והיה denotes simcha for there is no simcha like coming to Israel.

He added that the Zohar contrasts the pasuk which says to serve Hashem out of fear [עבדו את השם ביראה] with the pasuk that says that we must serve Hashem out of joy [עבדו את השם בשמחה]. The former pasuk is referring to outside the land while the latter pasuk is referring to when we are dwelling in Israel.

He continued by noting that when Yaakov left Israel he poured an oil libation while when he returned to the land he poured a wine libation because wine represents simcha [ויין ישמח לבב אנוש] which is only really felt in the Land of Israel.

When he left it says that the sun set for him while when he returned to Israel it says that the sun shone for him in Pnuel.

May we merit the simcha of Eretz Yisrael!!

Good Shabbos Beloved friends!!:-):-)