„When the Rebbe fell ill”

When the Admor of Drohobych, Rabbi Chaim Meir Yechiel Shapira of blessed memory, fell ill, our master Rav Kook of blessed memory came to visit him. The Rebbe opened and said: The Hasidim asked me, why do I urge them to ascend from Poland to the Land of Israel, when here too there are troubles, and Jews are being beaten? I answered them: In Poland Jews are beaten because there are too many of them, whereas in the Land of Israel Jews are beaten because there are too few of them.

The Rav responded and said: I too was asked this question, and I replied that there are two kinds of illness — the illness of decay caused by old age, which everyone dreads, and the illness that comes with childbirth, which despite its danger everyone desires.

The troubles outside the Land are the illnesses of old age and decay, while the troubles in the Land of Israel — they are the birth pangs... (Chayei HaRe'iyah, p. 192).

(The astonishing painting is by the artist Anita Arba.)

Shabbat Shalom.

In memory of Michael ben David.