Tafsiran Yehezkiel 37:10: Tze'enah Ure'enah

“I prophesied” [37:10]. I prophesied to the bones. There was a sound and a noise as the bones banged together as they had been created. I saw sinews, flesh and skin on the bones, but there was no spirit in them. The Holy One said to me: you must say to the spirit that God said from all four directions where the souls spread from the bones, they should now again come into the bones and the bones should live again. As soon as I said this, a spirit appeared and they came to life and they stood up on their feet and they were a great multitude. God said to me: these bones were the children of Israel. They said that our hope is lost, and they did not seek the help of the Holy One. Thus said the Holy One: I showed with the bones that Israel should know that I will make them live in the days of the Messiah, as if they had lain in the earth in the exile for a thousand years or more.

Some sages said that the dead from outside the land of Israel will rise from their graves and will go to the land of Israel. Some other sages said that the dead from outside the land of Israel would have to roll in the earth until they will come to the land of Israel, in the days of the Messiah. The truth is that here was shown that the sages told the truth. The dead outside the land of Israel will rise from their graves and will walk to the land of Israel in the days of the Messiah. They will not roll through the earth with pain, since it is written here, “I will lift you out of your graves, My people, and bring you to the land of Israel” [37:12]. That is to say, I will bring you out of your graves and will bring you to the land of Israel.⁴Genesis Rabbah, 96.5.