לוּלֵא הֶאֱמַנְתִי לִרְ אוֹת בְטוּב ה ‘םי יַח ץֶרֶאְּב. - If I wouldn’t have believed in seeing the good of Hashem in the land of the living. [Tehillim 27:13]
Various commentators offer their understanding in what Dovid HaMelech was referring with the words, “the land of the living.” The Malbim explains that ‘the land of the living” is Eretz Yisroel.
But what is the meaning behind it? In his powerful poem, ציון הלא תשאלי which became one of the Kinos of Tisha B’Av, R. Yehuda Halevi (c. 1075 – 1141) expressed the following regarding Eretz Yisroel: חַיֵּי נְּשָמוֹת אֲוִּיר אַרְּ צֵּךְ “the life of the souls is the air of your land.” Commentators on the Kinos interpret these words literally: “the very air of Eretz Yisroel gives an extra measure of vitality to a person’s soul.” (R. A.C. Feuer/R. A. Gold). In fact, a similar idea is found in words of Chazal: “The air of Eretz Yisroel makes one wiser.” (Baba Basra 158b). Perhaps then, this sheds light to Dovid HaMelech’s description of Eretz Yisroel as םי יַח ץֶרֶא - namely, that Eretz Yisroel is a land whose physical air adds a special, holy lifeforce to a Jew who lives there.
