Twenty years ago, I had the merit of writing a devar Torah on parshas Va'Eschanan portraying the centrality of Eretz Yisrael in facilitating complete fulfillment of the Torah, Hashem's masterplan for His beloved people.[1] This is highlighted beginning with Moshe Rabbeinu's fervent prayer for entry into the Holy Land at the very beginning of our parsha continuing throughout the parsha with its repeating refrain - anticipating the imminent entry of the Jewish people into the Land - of the performance of all the mitzvos, even those not dependent on the land, specifically in Eretz Yisrael. This clearly indicates that this land is the main epicenter of the performance of all of them. Since there are many additional ideas I believe worthy of developing, and, in my humble opinion, many international events have occurred recently highlighting the timeliness of these themes, I, with considerable trepidation, write the following thoughts in the hope of inspiring greater love for the Holy Land and fostering additional interest of more families in building their homes in Eretz Yisrael.
The Holy Land is endowed with a dual sanctity: a Divinely-bestowed one, and a humanly created one. The first is reflected in the Land being called "the land of Hashem"(Hoshei'a 9:3) Hashem Himself being referred to as the "G-d of the land" (Melachim II 17:26), in the increased Divine providence present in the Land, and in the Land being the focal point of the direction of prayers and the location from which prayers throughout the world soar heavenward (Berachos 30a). These themes and many other unique aspects to the Land have been presented majestically by many, among them the Ramban, in his commentary on Chumash.[2] The second, a more technical one, is effected by conquest or possession of the Land (see Rambam, Hilchos Beis Habechira 6:16). This generates the Torah obligations of most mitzvos hateluyos ba'aretz - agricultural commandments.[3] [4] This duality, reflecting an oft-occurring theme in Jewish life - a fixed Divine component and a human variable component, seems to indicate the Divine Will of maintaining an active partnership with mankind in bringing about a more perfect reality.[5]
The motivations for aliyah to Eretz Yisrael can be divided into several categories: 1) the pragmatic, 2) the mitzvah based, 3) the idealistic, and 4) the messianic. On the pragmatic level, many have immigrated to Eretz Yisrael as refugees - among them refugees from the periods before, during and after the Holocaust, those banished from multiple Arab lands after the foundation of the State of Israel, and many fleeing persecution or economic hardship in the former Soviet Union. The Land of Israel served as a place of refuge for all of them.[6] To be sure, many among this group - even if historical events had not forced them to flee - were still filled with love of the Land and viewed their immigration there as a great fulfillment of Torah concepts and even Biblical prophecies, but, nonetheless, the main motivation was escape. Some even find better employment opportunities for their particular field of work or cheaper housing and education as well in Israel. These motivations are primarily practical, not spiritual.
On the other hand, many have made aliyah convinced that living in the Land is a mitzvah, whether obligatory as indicated by the simple reading of Ramban and others or optional but still constituting the fulfillment of a Divine commandment (mitzvah kiyumis) as might be the view of the Rambam and was the view of Igros Moshe and Rav Y.D. Soloveitchik zt"l. Some maintain that even if living in the Land does not fulfill a specific Divine command but comprises the Will of Hashem.[7] This latter viewpoint was expressed poignantly by Rav Sholom Gold shlit"a:[8]
The story is told of a Diaspora Jew who studied in depth the whole range of opinions about yishuv haAretz and then called and made an appointment with R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. The appointed day came; he arrived at the airport, took a cab to Shaare Chesed, made his way up the steps and soon found himself in the Rosh Yeshiva's presence. He proceeded to begin to pour out all the knowledge he had committed to memory, when R. Auerbach said softly in Yiddish, "Es iz nisht vichtig" - "It is not important." Our Diaspora hero was devastated - but nevertheless pressed on until he heard again, "It's not important." In his desperation he asked, "What does the Rosh Yeshiva mean, it's not important?" To which R. Shlomo Zalman replied, "Just open up a Chumash and read and you will see that ratzon Hashem (G-d's will) is that Jews should live in Eretz Yisroel."
Many have been inspired or could be inspired based on idealism to build up the land agriculturally, economically, and spiritually. As one example, Rav Moshe Ze'ev Katz zt"l, a prominent, energetic Rabbinic personality, came to Beit Shemesh in the 1970s when it was a spiritual wasteland. Singlehandedly, he built up a network of Torah centers and inspired hundreds to return to Torah observance. It might be fair to say that the foundation of the entire Ramat Beit Shemesh (now, Baruch Hashem, comprising Aleph, Bet, Gimmel and Dalet and more!), with its thousands of families and growing each year, all rode on the coattails of this initial investment of mesirus nefesh, if not through direct cause and effect but at least on a spiritual level. Furthermore, on a klal Yisrael level, every religious family's aliyah increases the spiritual nature of the entire yishuv. In the powerful words of one of the great Torah giants of the last century, Rav Yechiel Michel Tikutchinksy zt"l, calling to us now (and perhaps even more so!) as when they were written over half a century ago:
What of today? How easy travel is to Eretz Yisrael! From America to [Israel] is only 36 hours (!)... All the roads are paved, water and other food staples are not lacking, electricity [and] fuel. Those who control the land is the government of Israel; the gates of the land are open wide. There is no remnant of the [certificate system]...
What is lacking today? That strong yearning which burned in the hearts of the faithful of Israel of previous generations in chutz la'aretz. Had travel and entry to Eretz Yisrael been so easy one hundred years ago or if all of the faithful of Israel in our era been drawn by the same soul-strings to our Holy City and Land, Eretz Yisrael would have been settled by a solid majority of shomrei Torah u'mitzvos. On the seats of the Knesset would be sitting authentic Jews who know and feel what Eretz Yisrael means and the intensity of the bonds which connect [the Land] and [the people]. Eretz Yisrael would then have an entirely different character. The Knesset laws would be based on the Torah of Israel; there would be no question in Israel about keeping Shabbos... and certainly there would no freedom for missionaries to proselytize Jews. No perikas 'ol, no desecration of Jewish values, no war of the mundane over the sanctified, no youth educated wantonly, degrading human life.
All this would occur if the faithful of Israel in chutz la'aretz were drawn to the land. They could save the Jewish religion and the sanctity of the Land from its desecrators and its enemies. True, even today, most of them feel a great connection to our holy Land; they pray toward it... raise its mention above all of their joy. Even today, they support the Jewish yishuv no less than in the past, but they still embrace dwelling in Exile. Many view their domicile there in the future [as well].
It is incumbent upon all shomrei Torah u'mitzva, especially all of our Rabbanim, to learn a lesson from the previous aliyot who entered Eretz Yisrael with great self-sacrifice and desired to take refuge in the chatzros Hashem and to release the land from its defilers. ברצות ד' דרכי איש גם אויביו ישלימו אתו, and Israel will dwell securely from its external enemies, and the Jewish people in Eretz Yisrael would shine in splendor as in days of old. We would then draw near, day by day, to our complete redemption and our hoped-for destiny. (Sefer Eretz Yisrael, end of Chapter 27)
Additionally, many have been inspired by messianic yearnings. In past centuries, it is a well-documented fact of history that many aliyot of hundreds of families were inspired by messianic hope.[9] Some were anticipatory: based on passages in the Zohar, messianic speculation was rife in the years 1740 and 1840. Some were proactive. Many students of the Gaon of Vilna and many Chassidim made aliyah at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries to jumpstart the process of the spiritual awakening of the Land hopefully to be met with Divine favor; the Master of History would then hopefully take the redemptive process to the next step. Rav Tzvi Hirsh Kalischer zt"l (see his Derishas Tzion) even thought that, in addition to the founding of agricultural settlements, we must bring korbanos even before the Mikdash is built (following the pattern of the Shivas Tzion in the days of Zerubavel and later Ezra) in order to awaken Divine mercy to hasten the redemption. Many have seen or currently see within either the Balfour declaration, the San Remo conference, the 1947 United Nations vote, or, more recently, the explosion of the Jewish yishuv to over six million (kein yirbu!) a fulfillment of at least a pekida, the first step of the redemptive process to be followed by the zechira, the last step.[10] The pekida step of redemption during the Shivas Tzion leading up to the second Mikdash began with the call of Coresh, king of Persia, "Who among you of all His people, may the Lord his God be with him, and he may ascend!" (Divrei Hayamim II 36:23). Many believe our era is directly parallel to that one. Recently, inspired and perhaps frightened by the global pandemic of COVID-19 and now the more recent Delta variant, as well as the on-again, off-again closing of most air travel to Eretz Yisrael, rising anti-Semitism, and additional security concerns, some have been talking of mashiach's imminent arrival even pronouncing, "We better go now before the gates close totally!" Understandably, many Rabbinic personalities past and present have forcefully objected to some or all of these movements. One claim advanced is that such speculation, especially if advanced by Rabbinic scholars, if not met by fulfillment of the messianic expectation would be followed by lessening the stature of Rabbinic viewpoints in the eyes of the Jewish people. An additional concern is that the disillusionment of the final redemption not coming when expected would lead to spiritual malaise or even worse, as unfortunately has happened often in our tragic history in the aftermath of false or misguided messianic movements.
In my humble opinion, although the second motivation for aliyah based on ratzon Hashem seems to be the most basic, pure motive as well as the third motive of idealism both of which indeed have led to many thousands of current residents of the Promised Land uprooting from their former domiciles,[11] all the motivations have their proper place as well. Perhaps an analogy can be drawn to the various inspirations to teshuva. Rabbeinu Yona in his crucial work Sha'arei Teshuva (Sha'ar 2) outlines several motivations to repent, among them ideal and non-ideal ones. But as Chazal (Pesachim 50b) tell us and even recommend[12] "לעולם יעסוק אדם בתורה ובמצוות אף על פי שלא לשמה, שמתוך שלא לשמה, בא לשמה" - "a person should constantly engage in Torah [study] and [the performance of] the commandments even for ulterior motives, for from these ulterior motives will sprout pure ones." If even an ulterior motive inspires the person to act properly then it can be viewed positively. But one has to be certain that the person does not make the desirable activity dependent solely on the motivation. The motivation is exactly that - a motivation, not the essence of what is being done. I believe that the same can apply to messianic motivations. If the person is motivated to make aliyah based on his belief that mashiach's arrival is imminent, which can be premised not just on an emergency sense of leaving the Exile before it is too late but on heeding the Divine call of history, he must temper this vision with the fact that he does not dictate to G-d how He chooses to run Jewish and world history! Messianic expectation need not be an all or nothing proposal; it can provide inspiration and cause a pause from life's routine to explore fundamental values including yishuv ha'aretz, but cannot and should not be the overarching principle with the concomitant danger of leading to a "spiritual crash" if one's expectations are not fulfilled.
Although necessary caution in too much messianic speculation is certainly in order, I believe this does not exempt us from attempting, with proper humility and uncertainty, from trying to "read the map" of individual and national events in our lives. Elsewhere[13] I referenced Rav Schwab's enlightening insight on the phrase in the last blessing of the morning Shema, "ashrei ha'am sheyishma l'mitzvosecha v'toras'cha ud'var'cha yasim 'al libo" - "praiseworthy is the nation who hearkens unto your commandments and places your Torah and your Word on its heart". "Your Torah" and "Your Word" seem to be redundantly synonymous. Rav Schwab explains that "Your Word" refers to the messages Hashem sends to us indirectly through intervention in our lives. In this vein, Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld zt"l, at the beginning of the 20th century, concerning the Balfour Declaration exclaimed:
"Where are the Torah Jews from the lands of exile? Don't they see G-d's finger in all of this? Now I understand what it says in the musaf prayer for Yom Tov. 'And because of our sins we were exiled from our country and were distanced from our Land.' 'We were exiled from our country' by G-d, and then 'we were distanced from our Land' by ourselves! Have we ceased our anticipation? Imagine it hadn't rained for 2,000 years, and then suddenly one day a tiny cloud appeared. Wouldn't everyone become excited, and say, trembling, 'Perhaps this is it? Maybe, after all...?' Isn't the (British) Mandate at least comparable to this little cloud?'"
We can only guess what Rav Sonnenfeld would have proclaimed in an era where over six million Jews live in Eretz Yisrael, the economy is flourishing and yeshivos and kollelim, attended by thousands of students, abound.
Mori v'Rabi Rav Hershel Schachter shlit"a has often described the dual mitzvos of yishuv ha'aretz, building up of the land, and yeshivas ha'aretz, actually dwelling in the land. One who financially supports the yishuv from chutz la'aretz fulfills the former but not the latter. One who lives in Eretz Yisrael but is supported from chutz la'aretz fulfills the latter but possibly not the former. The outlook some convey that living in Eretz Yisrael is the only important mitzvah in the Torah and especially the attitude of those not leading proper Torah lifestyles living in Israel who point an accusing finger at those who are more dedicated to Torah values than they are or even at those who are spiritually guiding hundreds if not thousands of Jews who live in chutz la'aretz - because the latter live in chutz la'aretz and the former live in Eretz Yisrael - are grossly misguided. But the dual truisms that leading meaningful Torah-filled lives in chutz la'aretz is also fundamental avodas Hashem and that supporting the yishuv also partakes of one part of the mitzvah should not, to my mind, serve as a sufficient reason to ignore the possibility of actual yeshivas ha'aretz. An analogy may be drawn to the relationship between supporters of Torah and learners of Torah. This partnership is a crucial one with the former sometimes even being awarded primacy due to the fact that without them the Torah would not be studied; but no one would claim that being a tomech Torah exempts one who can from learning Torah! Certainly, as Rav Y. D. Solovetichik zt"l, mori v'Rabi Rav Hershel Schachter shlit"a and mori v'Rabi Rav Mordechai Willig shlit"a (and earlier Maharam Schick) have often stated and advised, irreplaceable Rabbinic leadership and Torah teachers must fill the important role of serving klal Yisrael in chutz la'aretz, but this, to my humble mind, does not exempt those not filling this crucial role from seriously considering aliyah.
How does one who does not feel sufficient motivation to practically consider this central aspect of avodas Hashem become inspired? Telling is an insight of the Abarbanel (Rosh Amana) in his defense of the Rambam's view that there is a normative mitzvah to believe in Hashem - counted among the 613 mitzvos - against the critique of some thinkers that one cannot command belief.[14] He answers that belief is not a direct commandment, but rather an indirect one. The commandment is to act in a way that fosters that belief, primarily through study. He gives an analogy of falling in love. (Even the English phrase is very telling.) One cannot command or instantly feel love, but one can act in ways which will foster that strong emotional bond. In the beautiful phraseology of the Abarbanel, "It comes in an instant, seeming inexplicably, fostered by the person's initial activities." The same is true concerning inspiration toward aliyah - one has to foster an emotional and intellectual bond through study and experience. The footnote makes some recommendations of inspiring works.[15]
Many articles have been written and crucial, informative Rabbinic input has been presented about various difficulties new olim can encounter especially concerning education of children. These issues cannot be ignored in one's pursuit of this noble dream. But I firmly believe that the correct path is to seek out solutions to these issues, not just to dismiss aliyah as an option because of them. Indeed, much has been done in the past 20 years in Israel to address these issues. Job networks abound, many new schools have been created catering largely, if not exclusively, to the Anglo, Torah-observant crowd presenting all kinds of different combinations of Torah and general subjects and varied across the hashkafic spectrum. Additionally, professional support groups especially for tweens and teens have been formed and provide crucial assistance and safety nets. Living in Israel, although certainly having its unique challenges - as it simultaneously presents even greater, unique opportunities - has gotten more and more feasible for families of all types in just the past decade. Telecommuting, once the province of the few, has become much more of a norm in the "COVID-19 era" enabling additional employment opportunities once not feasible. A world-renowned Yeshiva has even founded a group to study the feasibility of the aliyah of tens, perhaps hundreds, of families to establish their own community. Families who have explored options some time ago should re-explore based on the current situation which keeps changing for the better. Whereas due research is certainly in order, too much hesitancy in this area to make sure every single detail is in place might be counterproductive. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt"l often would quote the popular saying that "before entering Eretz Yisrael one has to kill the king of Cheshbon (calculation)!" [A playful reference to Sichon, the king of Cheshbon.] (See Halichos Shlomo, Tefilah 23:fn 16.)
Every day, three times a day, we pray to Hashem: "Blow the great shofar for our freedom; lift up the banner to gather our exiles!" Perhaps it would not be too presumptuous to say that this banner has been lifted up by the Great Actor of History higher and higher especially with recent events.
The Rambam, in disagreement with others, states that the mashiach will prove his messianic mission not with miracles but by doing what the Messiah is supposed to do - bringing the Jewish people back to Torah, gathering the Exiles, fighting against the enemies of Israel and defeating them and building the Mikdash. Perhaps the best way we as a people can partner with Hakadosh Baruch Hu in the great messianic drama - a drama to whose exact scenes and denouement we are not privy - but one whose initial steps certainly include kibbutz galuyos (see Megilla 17b) is by actively participating in this stage.[16] Even if the final redemption is chas v'shalom still far away, one who chooses to uproot and replant his family back in the primary place of the Jewish people, will be a beneficiary of the great spiritual value - and mitzvah according to many Rishonim - of living in the Land which is present even during the darkest period of exile.
How fortunate we are to live in an era where living in Eretz Yisrael is orders of magnitude easier than it had been for so many centuries! How fortunate we are to live in an era to be able to choose a career in Eretz Yisrael and an appropriate school for our children instead of dealing with practically no employment or schooling opportunities! How fortunate we are to live to see the yishuv in Eretz Yisrael blossom at such a rapid pace so that in a short period of time, even in the natural course of events, a majority of the Jewish people will be living in the Holy Land!
If we beseech HaKadosh Baruch Hu אתה תקום תרחם ציון כי עת לחננה כי בא מועד - "May you arise, have mercy on Zion for the time has come to favor it, for the designated time as arrived", it certainly behooves us to seriously consider dwelling in the Eretz Hashem.
I heard an informative vignette from my father z"l concerning a Chassidic Rebbe who wished to embark on a massive spiritual project to benefit the Jewish people. His detractors chided him, "Rebbe, du bizt a chalomer!" ("Rebbe, you are a dreamer!"), to which he responded, "Ken zein az ich bin a chalomer, ubber ich shluft nisht!" ("It could be that I'm a dreamer, but I am not sleeping!") If we view aliyah as a desirable goal or even if we do not yet but we are convinced that it should be a goal of ours, we must keep the dream alive by constantly learning, experiencing and inquiring so that the dream can become a reality for thousands, and hopefully even hundreds of thousands, of more Jews, faithful to Torah values, who have the ability to elevate themselves along with their families, greatly affect the yishuv in the Holy Land, and b'ezras Hashem bring the day of our final redemption closer!
[2] Also see Yadav Emunah by Rav C. D. Sapirstein (Sha'ar 7) where these themes are presented in an organized, thought-provoking manner. See there also for an important treatment of the deeper meaning of the seemingly incomprehensible statement of Chazal, as popularized by Ramban, that mitzvos in Eretz Yisrael are fundamentally significant, whereas in chutz la'aretz they are performed in order that we "keep in practice" for when we return. Can it be that the mitzvos performed by klal Yisrael in exile together with its exalted leaders for almost 2000 years are just "practice"?! Whereas some might be satisfied with the simple reading of this statement of Chazal, one would be hard pressed to envision the water-carrier in Eretz Yisrael receiving a higher reward in Gan Eden than the Ba'al Shem Tov or the GR"A! Rav Sapirstein formulates the difficulty and presents a very cogent, profound answer to this conundrum.
[3] See Encyclopedia Talmudit, Eretz Yisrael: 2: Kedushasa U'Mitzvoseha for a thorough treatment of these two sanctities.
[4] It would appear that the debate between Tosfos and Ramban (beginning of Gittin) whether one fulfills the mitzvah of living in Eretz Yisrael in land conquered by the olei Mitzrayim but not resettled by the olei Bavel revolves around the following point: Is the mitzvah of living in the Land based on the goal of living under direct Divine providence (dependent on the first, Divinely- bestowed sanctity) or is it based on enabling oneself to fulfill all of the mitzvos hateluyos ba'aretz (dependent on the second, humanly-endowed sanctity)? See also Avnei Nezer (Y. D. 454:14 ff.).
[5] See Meshech Chachma (on beginning of Behar, s.v. "ובתו"כ") who compares Shabbos vs. Yom Tov and shemitta vs. yovel. Also see Midrash Tanchuma (Tazri'a 5) which records the famous conversation between R. Akiva and the Roman general, Turnusrufus, concerning mila.
[6] Also see Fleeing From; Running To.
[7] See a thorough treatment of the various views in the RJJ Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, Vol. 5, "The Mitzva of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael", by mori v'Rabi, Rav H. Schachter shlit"a and Contemporary Halakhic Problems, Vols. I-II, by mori v'Rabi Rav J. D. Bleich shlit"a and Encyclopedia Talmudit, Yeshivas Eretz Yisrael.
[9] See Hastening Redemption: Messianism and the Resettlement of the Land of Israel by Dr. Arie Morgenstern.
[10] See the eye-opening work, Acharis K'Reishis by Rav Aryeh Shapira shlit"a based on the teachings of Ramchal and GR"A that all redemptions have occurred and will occur with these two steps.
[11] When I recently asked a prominent doctor in Ramat Beit Shemesh what motivated him to make aliyah 20 years ago, he responded, somewhat surprised at my question, "Have you seen Tanach or the Kuzari?"
[12] Heard from Rav Noach Isaach Oelbaum shlit"a based on the language of "l'olam".
[13] Divine Communication: Two Different Types
[14] Even those Rishonim (see Or Hashem) who maintain that belief is not formally a mitzvah certainly agree that is it obligatory since it is a reasonable Divine expectation. They claim that for technical reasons it cannot be counted in the list of mitzvos since mitzvos are only relevant to those activities that are subject to free will.
[15] To Dwell in the Palace: Perspectives on Eretz Yisroel by Tzvia Ehrlich-Klein, A Drop in the Ocean - A Daily Dose of Eretz Yisrael by Rabbi Moshe Lichtman and Michael Freund, Yadav Emunah (Hebrew) (Sha'ar 7) by Rabbi C. D. Sapirstein, and Sefer Eretz Yisrael (Hebrew) by Rav Y. M. Tikutchinsky (chapters 25 & 27). The following websites also contain many inspiring and informative articles: www.nachliel.org and see there under "Resources" for additional websites and https://www.qdushat-zion.022.co.il/, a gateway to a relatively new Israeli organization and publication promoting aliyah and a Torah society in Eretz Yisrael, Kedushas Tzion.
[16] As mori v'Rabi Rav Dovid Miller shlit"a often states, "One living in Israel is living in the front seat of Jewish history, not the bleachers!"
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