561. Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion with the verse, "When you have eaten and are replete, then you shall bless Hashem your Elohim for the good land which He has given you" (Devarim 8:10). HE QUESTIONS, If we bless in the land of Yisrael, how do we know THAT WE HAVE TO BLESS outside of the Land of Yisrael? FOR IT SEEMS that in this circumstance, OUTSIDE OF THE LAND OF YISRAEL, it is not necessary to bless. HE ANSWERS, When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He divided the earth. The PLACE OF habitation was on one side and THE PLACE of desolation was on the other side. And He divided the inhabited PLACE, and circled the world around one point. What is it? It is the Holy Land, because the Holy Land is the center of the world and in the center of the Holy Land is Jerusalem, and the center of Jerusalem is the Holy of Holies. Every goodness and all the food of the entire habitation descend there from above and there is not one place inhabited that is not nourished from there.

562. He divided the desolate place, and there was no greater desolation in the entire world as in that wilderness, that the children of Yisrael broke its strength and power for forty years, as it is written, "... who led you through that great and terrible wilderness" (Ibid. 15). The Other Side dominates in that wilderness and, against its will, the children of Yisrael walked on it and smashed its strength forty years. Had they been righteous during the forty years, they would have removed the Other Side from the world, but because they angered the Holy One, blessed be He, so many times, the Other Side grow strong. They all fell under its power there.

563. If you ask, Behold Moses, who was elevated over all the people of the world, how did he die there? HE ANSWERS, It was not so, for Moses was not under the jurisdiction OF THE OTHER SIDE, but rather on the Mount Avarim. What means Avarim? Quarrels, FROM THE EXPRESSION WRATH (HEB. EVRA) AND FURY. The supernal rulers of above quarreled over it, FOR THEY WANTED TO DOMINATE THE MOUNTAIN, but it was handed not to any other ruler and it remained so until Moses, the Faithful Servant, came and dominated it. Moses was buried there, and no one took part in his burial except the Holy One, blessed be He, alone, as it is written, "And he buried him in the valley" (Devarim 34:6).

564. "And he buried him... " HE QUESTIONS, Who is the one WHO BURIED HIM? HE ANSWERS, The one of whom it is written in a non-descriptive way, "And he said to Moses" (Shemot 24:1) and similarly, "And... called to Moses" (Vayikra 1:1). It did not write who he is. "And he buried him:" It is not written who he is. But certainly this place is known to the friends, THAT IT IS THE SHECHINAH CALLED 'PLACE,' FOR IT IS THE SHECHINAH WHEREVER IT IS SAID JUST 'HE.' Therefore, no one dominated in this mountain except Moses himself, and he was buried there. He did it so that all the generations of the world would know that those who died in the wilderness will rise AT THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. The Holy One, blessed be He, caused their shepherd to dwell among them, so that they all will be present in the rising to existence of the World to Come.

565. If you ask, If that wilderness is the strength of the Other Side, how could the Holy One, blessed be He, command that this goat shall be sent to a different mountain that is called 'Azazel?' They should have sent it to that mountain that Yisrael went over in the wilderness, for there is the place of the strength of the Other Side. HE ANSWERS, Since the children of Yisrael had already gone there forty years, its power was broken. And its power grew strong in a place where nobody ever passed before. Yet that mountain THAT IS IN THE WILDERNESS THAT YISRAEL WALKED IN was the dwelling place of Yisrael for forty years.

566. But that place, WHERE THEY SEND that goat, is a supernal strong rock, and under the depths of that rock, where no man can enter, THE OTHER SIDE dominates exceedingly to eat its prey. Then it will be removed from Yisrael and there will be an accuser against them will in the inhabited region.

567. The dominion of the secret of Faith is found in the central point of the whole Holy Land, in the Holy of Holies, and even though it does not exist today, NONETHELESS, in its merit the whole world is fed. Food and sustenance emit from there to all, in every inhabited place. Therefore, even though the children of Yisrael are outside the Holy Land, because of the strength and merit of the Land there is food and sustenance in the world. Therefore, it is written, "And you shall bless Hashem your Elohim for the good land that He has given you," "the good land" certainly, for there is found food and sustenance in the world because of it.

568. One who delights at his table and has pleasure in foods should remember and care for the holiness of the Holy Land, and the sanctuary of the King that has been destroyed. Because he was sad about his table there, in the midst of joy and feasting, the Holy One, blessed be He, considers for him as though he built His house, and built all these ruins of the Temple. Happy is his portion.