Upright in the Land: The Inner Meaning of Komemiut

One of the most beautiful things about Penimius HaTorah is that once you open your eyes to it, you see it everywhere.

While it’s true that Penimius can be found in abundance in the Zohar, the Kisvei Ari, and the writings of the Baal Shem Tov, one need not look any farther than the siddur, the Chumash, and the machzor to see hints of the most amazing, sublime ideas.

One of these concepts caught my eye as we were finishing up Sefer Vayikra several weeks ago — a small word, describing how when they left Egypt, Hashem brought them out upright: Komemiyut.

Leviticus 26:13
“I am Hashem your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt to be their slaves no more, who broke the bars of your yoke and made you walk upright (komemiyut).”

But this concept doesn’t appear only there. We say it every day in the blessing before Kriat Shema in the morning, and again every time we eat bread and recite Birkat Hamazon:

“…And bring us to peace from the four corners of the earth and lead us upright (komemiyut) to our land…”
(Siddur Ashkenaz, Shacharit, before Shema)

“The Merciful One will break the yoke from our necks and lead us upright to our land.”
(Birkat Hamazon)

But What Does “Komemiyut” Really Mean?

Rashi gives a short but cryptic comment:

“Komemiyut means erect in stature.”
(Rashi on Leviticus 26:13)

What exactly does that mean? Standing straight as opposed to bent over? Is this a posture exercise? Why don’t we just stand up ourselves if that’s what we really want?

To go deeper, let’s turn to a couple of Gemaras in Bava Batra that open up this sugya:

Bava Batra 75a
“And I will make you go upright (komemiyut)” — Rabbi Meir says: in the future, the Jewish people will be two hundred cubits tall, equivalent to two times the height of Adam HaRishon.

Adam was 100 amot tall, and in the end of days we’ll be double that? This can’t be literal. What is Chazal teaching us with this imagery?

Bava Batra 88b
Rabbi Levi says: The Holy One, Blessed be He, blessed Israel with 22 (letters) and cursed with only 8. The blessing spans from “If (im) you walk in My statutes” to “upright (komemiyut).”

This is also cryptic. Why is “komemiyut” the end of the blessing spectrum? Why emphasize this word so strongly?

Rav Kook’s Revelation

Let’s begin unlocking this with a powerful teaching from Rav Kook:

Olat Reiyah
“Komemiyut — two statures like that of Adam HaRishon. For the body and soul together are a complete stature — one physical, one spiritual. In the resurrection, the physical will also be elevated to eternal status. Thus, Hashem leads us with both ‘statures,’ and eternity is only possible through Him.”

Adam HaRishon was a towering spiritual giant. His neshama could shine from one end of the universe to the other — that’s what it means he stood at 100 cubits tall.

But he failed to integrate that spiritual potential into the physical world. His eating from the Tree of Knowledge symbolized that disconnection. It’s up to us — the rest of humanity — to restore that balance, to bring spiritual energy into the physical world.

It’s no coincidence that the two times we say “komemiyut” daily are:

• Before Shema, when we declare the unity of God, integrating all divine attributes into oneness.
• During Birkat Hamazon, where we elevate the act of eating, channeling Hashem’s infinite bounty into our physical experience.

This integration — spiritual and physical — is the full spectrum of divine connection, stretching from Alef to Taf, from “im bechukotai” to “komemiyut.”

A Light in the Darkness – Aish Kodesh

The Piazeczner Rebbe, writing in the Warsaw Ghetto, gave voice to this ideal even in the worst darkness:

“A person must give their whole being — to fulfill Torah and mitzvot, and know this is their essence. Not only one whose Torah is their full-time occupation, but even one who works all day and only has a bit of time for learning and prayer — he too can make Torah and tefillah his essence, if he gives it his entire being. In times of suffering, we must remember we need salvation not merely as people, but as Jews. When a Jew gives himself over to God completely, then Hashem’s desire turns toward him… and we are uplifted, both spiritually and physically. That’s why the verse first says, ‘I will turn toward you’ — like a face reflected in water — and then says, ‘I will lead you upright (komemiyut),’ meaning you too will be elevated.”

Even amidst the horrors of the Ghetto, he believed that this inner surrender to Hashem could bring about “komemiyut” — not just standing up, but rising with divine dignity.

Rav Tzadok: Komemiyut and Geulah

Let’s go even deeper with Rav Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin:

This was the mission of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair in the redemption of captives: to rescue souls that had fallen into captivity at the hands of an oppressor, due to the descent that comes through one man’s domination over another. Since he was at the pinnacle of holiness, he had the ability to perceive them and to extract them. For someone who has reached such a lofty level of holiness—becoming the spiritual head of the generation and its “Holy of Holies”—is intrinsically connected to all the souls of Israel in that generation. He is their root, from the side of holiness that is within the souls of Israel. And through his efforts in his elevated holiness, he also arouses the sparks of holiness in all the souls that make up the structure of Knesset Yisrael in that generation. The distinction between them and the nations is clarified: Israel, all of them, are holy. Through this, even those in the lowest spiritual state can be redeemed from their captivity. And even though the general arousal of holiness is not yet sufficient for a complete redemption in actuality—for all of us to return to the Holy Land upright (komemiyut, in full stature), and not as it is today, where people go to the Land of Israel to live in humiliation and exile among foreign rulers (for that is not truly a return to our land and our holiness in actuality)—nonetheless, such a person can bring about, through his inner awakening, at least a shift in judgment to redeem those captives who are in actual physical captivity.

Rav Tzadok links komemiyut not just to personal elevation, but to national redemption — to standing independently in our land, rescuing hostages, asserting our spiritual dignity over foreign rule.

How much do we need this koach today — as we hope and pray for the return of hostages held in Gaza!

Final Reflection

Imagine if we had this in mind every time we prepared for Kriat Shema or said Birkat Hamazon:

• That “komemiyut” is not just standing tall — but fusing heaven and earth.
• That we’re carrying the double stature of Adam: spiritual light and physical presence.
• That even in our lowest moments, Hashem reflects our turning toward Him with His turning toward us.

May we walk upright in our Land — in body, in soul, and in unity.