Donny walked up to the podium. It was his high school graduation, and he was the valedictorian. After thanking his classmates, teachers, and family, he paused before sharing this story:

Right now, I’m standing here as the valedictorian of my high school class. I excelled in my studies, I am good friends with my classmates, and I am heading toward a bright future.

Many of you may not remember this, but four years ago, I moved here from another country. I was new to this school, and I had trouble speaking the language, but I was excited to start fresh and meet new people. That excitement was short-lived. On the first day of school, I was teased, bullied, and ignored. Nobody sat with me at lunch, and nobody tried to talk to me during breaks. I had hope things would get better. They didn’t. Over the next few weeks, things began to fall apart. I tried telling my parents, but they were so focused on adjusting to their new lives here that they barely had time for me. I felt absolutely lost and completely alone.

One day, as I was walking home from school, I tripped, and my books scattered all over the street. As I bent down to pick them up, I heard a voice. “Hey Donny, would you like some help?” It was Moshe. He was popular and fun; everyone liked him. Why would he be talking to me? But he bent down and helped me pick my books. “Wow, these are a lot of books. I’m happy to help you carry them back home.” I tried to tell him it was OK, that he didn’t have to, but he wouldn’t hear it. He was so nice and so friendly. On the walk back, he told me about his dreams and aspirations and how he would never give up until he achieved his goals. He asked me about my own dreams. No one had ever asked me that before, and I began to feel hopeful for the first time as I shared them with him. As we arrived at my house, he invited me over later that night to meet his other friends. Before I could respond, he said, “I won’t take no for an answer. See you there!”

After that, everything changed. I got along with all of Moshe’s friends and started to pick up the language. I began to excel in my classes and genuinely enjoyed school. I had friends, I was learning every day, and I was beginning to pave my path. As the years passed, Moshe and I became best friends, taking on the world together, as a team.

As I stand here today, I want to share something I’ve never shared with anyone before. That night, when I was carrying my books home, I wasn’t just heading home. I was heading home for good. The previous night, I had decided to end my life, to finally escape my misery. The reason I was carrying all my books home was to make it easier for my parents so they wouldn’t have to collect them from school. I was on my way back when Hashem sent me Moshe. If not for Moshe, I would not be here right now. Moshe saved my life. He was the first person to care about me, to make me feel like I mattered, and to show me that I’m important. He was the first to ask me about my dreams and to actually listen when I shared them. Well, because of Moshe, I’m still here; because of Moshe, I’m still dreaming.

Sometimes, there’s more to greatness than meets the eye.

 

Kefitzas Ha’derech

In our previous article, we began exploring the deep and inspiring ideas relating to the greatness of Eretz Yisrael. In addition to the kedushas ha’aretz and the unique mitzvos of Eretz Yisrael, there is another fascinating phenomenon in the Torah that relates to the uniqueness of Eretz Yisrael. There are several instances where Chazal mention the concept of kefitzas ha’derech, literally translated as “jumping the path.” This refers to the unique ability to travel at a pace quicker than the laws of nature would normally allow, thereby enabling someone to travel extraordinary distances in mere seconds or perhaps even instantaneously. How and why does this occur?

Chazal mention a few cases of kefitzas ha’derech. One is when Yaakov travels from the house of Yitzchak, narrowly escaping Eisav’s clutches. There are several others as well, but what do these cases have in common?

 

Transcending Time and Space

Kefitzas ha’derech enables one to transcend the laws of time and space. Why is this possible? It is due to the unique location in which kefitzas ha’derech always occurs: Eretz Yisrael, the land that transcends the bounds of time and space. Yaakov’s return from Beis El back to the makom haMikdash took place within Eretz Yisrael and was a journey to the root of creation itself. This journey completely transcended time and space.

When Yaakov awoke the next morning, he states: “Mah nora ha’makom ha’zeh—How awesome is this place.” Nora spelled backwards is “aron” (the holy ark), the vessel that would later be housed in that very same spot, i.e., the Kodesh Hakodashim, a place beyond space and time. Yaakov traveled to a place beyond place, a time beyond time. As such, he was able to transcend space and time through kefitzas ha’derech.

 

Moving vs. Stationary Mikdash

It’s interesting to note that there were two forms of Mikdash within Jewish history. The first is a moving, traveling Mikdash, i.e., the Mishkan in the midbar. The second is a static, set Mikdash, i.e., the Beis Hamikdash in Eretz Yisrael. Why are there two, what are the differences between them, and what can we learn from this?

While we generally think of the Mishkan as the precursor to the Beis Hamikdash, the Beis Hamikdash actually predates the Mishkan, in a sense. The roots of Beis Hamikdash appear at the beginning of Sefer Bereishis by Akeidas Yitzchak and when Yaakov slept at the makom haMikdash (place of the Temple). This was the root of our connection to the transcendent and of our ability to bridge the gap between the finite and the infinite. This unique ability is most powerful in the makom haMikdash, at the heart and center of Eretz Yisrael, above the Even Shesiyah.

However, as we have explained many times, every process has three stages:

The first stage is the high, the inspiration, and an experience of perfection and clarity.

Next comes the second stage: a complete fall, a loss of everything that was experienced in the first stage.

Following this is the third stage: a return to the perfection of the first stage. However, this third stage is fundamentally different than the first. It is the same perfection and the same clarity, but this time it’s a perfection and clarity that has been earned. The first time it was given to you; now you have worked to build it for yourself.

Our foundation was the makom haMikdash—the gift our Avos gave to us. We then had to rebuild toward that ideal through the Mishkan in the midbar. Then, we were finally able to reconnect to that original perfection through the Beis Hamikdash in Eretz Yisrael.

Now that we have lost the Beis Hamikdash, it is our job to rebuild it, beginning within ourselves. This is the meaning of the phrase: “Bilvavi Mishkan evneh—Within [myself], I will build a Mishkan [for Hashem]”—not a Beis Hamikdash, but a Mishkan! This is because when the Beis Hamikdash is gone, when we have lost that ideal, we are called upon to recreate that light within ourselves. We transform ourselves and our lives into a vessel that connects us to Hashem, receives His light, and projects it into this world. We thereby connect the physical to the spiritual, the finite to the infinite, and the limited to the transcendent. In transforming our lives into a Mishkan, we work our way back to the perfection of the Beis Hamikdash.

 

Levels of Spirituality

We can now understand the sin of the meraglim on a much deeper level. The spies not only spoke lashon hara; they rejected the uniqueness, holiness, and transcendence of Eretz Yisrael. While the entire world is infinitely spiritual, Eretz Yisrael possesses a fundamentally higher spiritual quality. Eretz Yisrael has no equal; there is nothing that can be compared to it. May we be inspired to continuously deepen our connection with Hashem and Eretz Yisrael, and may we become the ultimate vessels for Hashem in this world, fully fulfilling the words of “bilvavi Mishkan evneh.”

Rabbi Shmuel Reichman is an international speaker, bestselling author, business coach, the CEO of SMA, and a TED Talk Speaker. His bestselling book, The Journey to Your Ultimate Self, serves as an inspiring gateway into deeper Torah thought. After receiving his BA from Yeshiva University and Semicha from Yeshiva University's RIETS, Rabbi Reichman received a Masters degree from the University of Chicago. As part of his Masters Degree at the University of Chicago, Rabbi Reichman received an Ivy Plus Scholarship to Harvard where he spent a year studying as an Ivy Scholar. Additionally, he received a Masters degree in Educational Psychology from Azrieli Graduate School and a Masters degree in Jewish Thought from Yeshiva University's Bernard Revel Graduate School. As a business and leadership coach, Rabbi Reichman provides a unique 1-on-1 coaching program where he helps high-achievers, coaches, and business owners achieve their financial and personal goals. To learn more or to get in contact with Rabbi Reichman, visit his website: www.ShmuelReichman.com .