By Rabbi Yisroel Reisman
People who for Yom Tov want to travel (in no Covid circumstances) and they go to Switzerland, they go to France, they go to exotic countries but not to Eretz Yisrael. They are bored of Eretz Yisrael. Do you have a bigger (וַיִּמְאֲסוּ, בְּאֶרֶץ חֶמְדָּה)?
Some people stay home, some people don't travel. But someone who is traveling and is spending money, where is he going? What a Rachmana Litz'lon, what a terrible thing it is. People go and spend money and for the same money they could be in Artzeinu Hakedosha. They could go Daven Mincha at Kever Rochel, they can go Daven Vasikin at the Kosel. What do they do? Rachmana Litz'lon. Terrible. Anyway, so the Chasam Sofer says that is when the Tzaros come.
I once heard a Mashul of a child who brought home a report card and his father looked at it. In math he got a C, in Science he got a C, Social Studies he got a C. In Music he got an A. so the father saw the A and he slapped the child. The child says why are you slapping me because I got an A in music? The father replied if you are not doing well in School why are you singing so happily, why are you playing happy music? If you are in Galus why are you playing happy music? What a Chasam Sofer. Incredible!
An incredible Chasam Sofer here. I have to tell you the Chasam Sofer is extraordinary in his Chibah, in his love for Eretz Yisrael and many of the extraordinary Divrei Torah regarding Eretz Yisrael and this is certainly one. The Chasam Sofer writes in the beginning of this Parsha on the Posuk that is found 26:5 (וַיֵּרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה, וַיָּגָר שָׁם בִּ מְ תֵ י מְ עָ ט). He says the following. He says that as long as Jews were in Galus and their desire was to be in Eretz Yisrael, they lived in Galus in peace. Whenever there came a time when the Jew in Galus forgot about his connection to Eretz Yisrael, where his connection to Eretz Yisrael became meaningless, then the difficulties, the Tzaros in the individual Galusin began.
He gives examples. When the Shevatim come to Pharoh, they say as is found in Beraishis 47:4 (וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל-פַּרְעֹה, לָגוּר בָּאָרֶץ בָּאנוּ) we came here not to settle in Mitzrayim but to be here temporarily. We want to go back to Eretz Yisrael. Says the Chasam Sofer Lakol Zman She'haya Dai'tan Kach Lo Shalat Ba'hem Pharoh. As long as they wanted to be in Eretz Yisrael Pharoh did not start up with them. It only says as is found in Shemos 1:6 (וַיָּמָת יוֹסֵף וְכָל-אֶחָיו, וְכֹל הַדּוֹר הַהוּא) and (וַיָּקָ ם מֶ לֶךְ-חָ דָ שׁ) the problems began.
He says the same thing by Bikkurim as it says in 26:5 (וַיֵּרֶד מִצְרַיְמָה, וַיָּגָר שָׁם בִּמְתֵי מְעָט(. )וַיָּגָר) they lived there as visitors. (וַיְהִי-שָׁם, לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל עָצוּם וָרָב) and they then became a big nation. No longer visitors but settlers in the land (וַיָּרֵעוּ אֹתָנוּ הַמִּצְרִים). Which means to say that as soon as they forgot about the desire to be in the land of Israel the difficulties began. The same thing.
In the second Parshas of Kriyas Shema as is found in Devarim 11:17 (וַאֲבַדְתֶּם מְהֵרָה, מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה(. )וְשַׂ־ )לְמַעַן יִרְבּוּ יְמֵיכֶם, וִימֵי בְנֵימְתֶּם אֶת-דְּבָרַי אֵלֶּה, עַל-לְבַבְכֶם(. ־ כֶם, עַל הָאֲדָמָה). Says the Chasam Sofer when you have difficulties in Galus, (וְשַׂמְתֶּם אֶת-דְּבָרַי אֵלֶּה, עַל-לְבַבְכֶם) if you are going to think about the Torah (לְמַעַן יִרְבּוּ יְמֵי־ כֶם, וִימֵי בְנֵיכֶם, עַל הָאֲדָמָה) you want to be back in Eretz Yisrael that is when the Yeshua comes. A person has to have a Chibah for Eretz Yisrael. If he has a Chibah for Eretz Yisrael then even if he is in Galus he is protected in the Galus in which he is. What an extraordinary Chasam Sofer.
Dovid Hamelech says in Tehillim 106:24 (וַיִּמְאֲסוּ, בְּאֶרֶץ חֶמְדָּה; לֹא-הֶאֱמִינוּ, לִדְבָרוֹ). When Klal Yisrael acts with a lack of desire to Eretz Yisrael (וַיֵּרָגְנוּ בְאָהֳלֵיהֶם; לֹא שָׁמְעוּ, בְּקוֹל יְרוָר) and as the Meraglim did there are complaints. (וַיִּשָּׂא יָדוֹ לָהֶם-- לְהַפִּיל אוֹתָם, בַּמִּדְבָּר) and then (וּלְהַפִּיל זַרְעָם, בַּגּוֹיִם; וּלְזָרוֹתָם, בָּאֲרָצוֹת) the Galusin come from what? (וַיִּמְאֲסוּ, בְּאֶרֶץ חֶמְדָּה). Rachmana Litz'lon.
