“Eretz Okhelet Yoshveha (A land that consumes its inhabitants).” (Numbers 13:32)

When a person is close to the tzaddik, even if he does not receive anything at all from him, it is also very good. Faith alone—his believing in the tzaddik—is very beneficial for serving God.

For it is the nature of eating that the nourishment is transformed into the nourished. For example, if an animal consumes vegetation, such as grass, the grass, when it enters its stomach, is transformed into animal. The same applies from animal to man. If a man consumes an animal, the animal is transformed into man.

Moreover, wherever the food that is divided among the limbs enters, it is literally transformed into the substance of that limb. For example, the part of the food that enters the brain is transformed into brain, and that which enters the heart is transformed into heart. The same is true of the other limbs.

This is the meaning of: A land that consumes its inhabitants—“Land” corresponds to faith, as it is written (Psalms 37:3), “Dwell in the land and cultivate faith.”

This is: **consumes its inhabitants—**For when one enters the land, which is the concept of faith, he is consumed by it—i.e., he is transformed into its substance. In other words, when he is attached to and believes in the tzaddik—who is the concept of “land”—he is consumed by the tzaddik and is literally transformed into the tzaddik’s substance.

The Land of Israel itself likewise has this power. Our Sages therefore teach (Ketuvot 111a): Whoever dwells in the Land of Israel resides without iniquity, as in (Isaiah 33:24), “The nation that dwells therein will be forgiven its iniquity.” This is because it is “a land that consumes its inhabitants.” One who dwells there is consumed by it and is transformed into its holy substance. Therefore, someone who walks even only four cubits in the Land of Israel is guaranteed the World to Come, as our Sages taught (Ketuvot, ibid.).

This is also the point explained elsewhere (Likutey Moharan I, 101) concerning the verse, “When evildoers come close to consume my flesh” (Psalms 27:2). The general point there being that when I want to bring close the “two beloveds who do not separate” (Zohar III, 4a), I have to “consume my flesh”—i.e., subdue the corporeality. This is the meaning of, “to consume my flesh”—specifically “to consume,” for the soul must consume the flesh so that it is transformed into its substance.

This is also, “eat, beloved ones” (Song of Songs 5:1)—i.e., the “two beloveds who do not separate.” They are the holy mentalities. For the mind and the holy daat (knowledge) must consume the body, so that the body is transformed into the substance of the holy soul, which is the mind and the daat {as explained elsewhere}. This is the concept of eating: the nourishment is transformed into the nourished, as above.

This is the meaning of, “Dwell in the land and cultivate faith.” That is, you should cultivate and nourish the faith—i.e., be consumed by the faith—the aspect of nourishment that is transformed into the nourished.

However, even so, the main factor is will. If one’s will to draw closer to God and serve Him is very strong, but it is hard for him to break the desires of his body, then, through his closeness to and having faith in the tzaddikim, he is [in] an aspect of eating. He is consumed by the tzaddik—i.e., transformed into his substance.

But if it is not at all one’s will to serve God, no closeness to tzaddikim will be of any help to him. This is the aspect of nourishment which is not transformed into the nourished. For example, if he eats food which by nature he cannot tolerate, then it is neither digested nor transformed into the nourished. Rather, the body vomits it out.

He is exactly like this. He is not at all consumed by the tzaddik, even though he is close to him. This is because the tzaddik cannot tolerate him, and he vomits him out. This corresponds to that which is written about the Land of Israel (Leviticus 18:28), “as it vomited out the nation.” In other words, it cannot tolerate consuming him so that he would be transformed into its substance. Rather, it vomits him out. May God save us.