[Avodah] aliyah to EY

[Eli Turkel via Avodah]

This week's parshah has (at least) 2 problems.
1) At the nd of Noach Terach and Avraham head to Canaan. No reason given
for leaving Ur Kasdim and for going to Canaan.  They stop in Charan. Then
in Lech Lecha G-d commands Avraham to go to Canaan.

2) Pesukin 4 and 5 from the beginning of Lech Lecha seems to repeat the
same idea that Avraham went to Canaan

Answer I heard this morning:
There are two types of aliyah to EY: both legitimate
1) Person leaves a place because of persecution or economic reasons etc.
Once leaving already he goes to EY rather than somewhere else because EY
has something special about it.
2) One goes to EY because it is a mitzva (on whatever level)

Terach  (and Avraham) leave for EY for some reason  i.e. (1). Once in
Charan Avraham continues for reason (2).

The Zohar explains that G-d doesn't just help people. Once one starts on
one's own then G-d helps. So once Avraham started the journey to Canaan but
stops for some reason then G-d comes and  helps/commands Avraham to
continue.

Historical examples
1) Ramban leaves for EY only several years after the debate in front of the
king. Rumor has it that he had to leave because he distributed the
deatils of the debate with his arguments against Xtianity. Once he leaves
he goes to EY at the age of over 70.

2) Tamidei haGra and Talmidei of Besht leave for EY because it is a mitza.
i.e. they feel an active desire to move to EY

3) Herzl and many later zionists move (or at least advoacte moving) because
of anti-semitism in Europe. Once leaving they want a Jewish homeland in EY.
The Uganda proposal was not adopted.

-- 
Eli Turkel
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