"Come to Israel, come and see the splendor of a desirable land, the splendor of the Carmel and of the Sharno, the splendor of the pleasant and beautiful azure skies, the magnificience of the clear, pure, and temperate air that reigns in its majesty and glory, even in Tevet. Delight and rejoice in this desirable, fair and pleasing land. A land of life, a land whose air is the wellspring of the spirit. How beautiful and graceful she is!
Come to Israel, come and see 'and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like grass' (Isaiah 66:14). Come and see how our beloved and precious nation like an eagle renews its youth, how she begins to stretch her bones, aching and shattered from wandering and bitter exile; some and see how she accustoms herself to standing erect as a date palm. Come and feel how our national invigorates its spirit by remembering its strength and majesty, by remembering its grandeur and glory at every turn. Come and delight in memories better than good wine, that exalt the soul and increase wisdom, memories of kings and princes, memories of heroes and prophets, memories of glory and strength, greatness and majesty. Come to the Land of Israel - here you will behold the vision of all this, here you will know that you are alive, living a life worthy of the name, in the land of life".
from Rav A.Y.Kook, Selected Letters, translated and annotated by Tzvi Feldman, Ma'aliot Publications of Yeshiva Birkat Moshe, Ma'aleh Adumim, Israel, 1976, pp. 239-240
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