Seeing the Shechina Eye to Eye

 

And the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the Land that I will show you."                 Genesis 12:1

            Netivot Shalom (Ḥassidic Master Rebbe Shalom Noaḥ of Slonim [1911 – 2000]) points out that the classical commentators note the fact that there is no verse which informs us that Abram reached the land designated for him, and quotes Sforno's explanation that God's words "I will show you" refer to showing Abram "a Divine vision." Thus, the indication that Abram had reached the Land was the fact that the Shechina was revealed to him there. Based upon Sforno's comment Netivot Shalom suggests that intention of the words "I will show you" is "There I will appear to you." The Master notes that prior to Abram's arrival in the land of Canaan, we hear God speaking to Abram, but not appearing to him. It is only upon Abram's arrival in the Land that God, as it were, appeared visually to Abram.

            The Master continues by noting that the "internal aspect" of this explanation is that "The Land of Israel is the venue where God appears to the Jew." Indeed, Rabbi Yehuda haLevi writes in Kuzari that the Nation of Israel can achieve the "level of Divine revelation (prophecy) only within the Land." The unique status of the Promised Land in this matter results from the fact that God chose to personally supervise the Land while entrusting the care of all other lands to His ministering angels, as the verse states: "the eyes of Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year." [Deuteronomy 11:12] Thus, God's words to Abram are interpreted to mean that he go to the Land in which it is constantly possible to see the Shechina.

            Netivot Shalom concludes his enlightening comments by writing "This is the unique and special trait of the Land of Israel, wherein one is able to see eye to eye direct and personal providence."