[Avodah] Living in EY

[Marty Bluke]

Professor Levine wrote:
> Is it not true that living in Israel is contingent upon Torah observance?
> Are not the non-religious Jews living there today weakening our right
> to live in the land?

The Yalkut Shimoni [Eicha 1038] comments on the posuk in Ezekiel "The house
of Israel, as long as they lived on their own Land, they defiled it by
their way and by their misdeeds" -- "God said: 'Would that My children would
be with Me in Eretz Yisrael, even though they defile her.'" According to
this, God's will is that His children be in the Land even if they commit
sins which defile her!

Prof. Levine tells us that Rav Zeira did not leave for the Land of Israel
until he had a favorable dream that showed him that any possible sins of
his were already forgiven;
t(herefore, he was worthy of living in the Holy Land.") and then asks:

I have never heard of anyone considering making Aliyah have Ravi Zeira's
approach in mind. Have you? I wonder why

The story of Rav Zera is a cryptic Gemara in Berachos 57. I looked
at the Yalkut Biurim in the mesivta Gemara and they quote 9 different
interpretations of this Gemara. I will mention 2 that directly contradict
Professor Levines point.

1. The Oneg Yom Tov explained that Abraham was only zoche to get EY because
of the Mitzva of the Omer which is barley. Therefore the dream of barley
told Rav Zera to move to EY.

2. The Sifsei Chachamim explains that EY is mechaper on a persons sins so
we might have thought that Rav Zera moved to EY for this reason. Therefore
Rav Zera said that he didn't need this and this was not the reason he was
moving as he had no sins and therefore he saw barley in his dream.

Professor Levine quoted a Ramban "that the stories of the expulsion from
the Garden of Eden, and the eradication of humanity at the time of the
flood, and the dispersion
of the population in the wake of the building of the Tower of Babel,
all come to warn the Jewish people (and explain to the gentiles) that
our connection to the land is contingent."

The Ramban explains the 2 Tochachas that we have in Vayikra and devarim as
referring to the 2 exiles, the rebuke in *Vayikra* is a prophecy concerning
the destruction of the First Temple, while the rebuke in *Devarim*
foretells the destruction of the Second Temple. The most important
implication of Ramban's interpretation is that there can be no third
destruction, since the Torah offers no third set of curses. After the
ingathering of the exiles described in *Parashat Nitzavim*, there may be
terrible suffering -- as foretold in the song of *Haazinu* -- but there is no
room for a third destruction.

--

[Email #2:]

I will simply quote the Rambam in Hilchos Melachim perek 5 about living in
EY which is restating the Gemaras at the end of Kesubos. I don't see any
qualifications whatsoever about a person needing to be a tzadik to live
there. The Rambam is crystal clear, a Jew should live in EY.

    "Great sages would kiss the borders of *Eretz Yisrael*, kiss its
    stones, and roll in its dust. Similarly, Psalms 102:15 declares:
    'Behold, your servants hold her stones dear and cherish her dust.'
    The Sages commented: 'Whoever dwells in *Eretz Yisrael* will have his
    sins forgiven as Isaiah 33:24 states: 'The inhabitant shall not say
    'I am sick.' The people who dwell there shall be forgiven their sins.'
    Even one who walks four cubits there will merit the world to come
    and one who is buried there receives atonement as if the place in
    which he is buried is an altar of atonement as Deuteronomy 32:43
    states: 'His land will atone for His people.' In contrast, the
    prophet, Amos [7:17, used the expression] 'You shall die in an impure
    land' as a prophecy of retribution.
    There is no comparison between the merit of a person who lives in
    *Eretz Yisrael* and ultimately, is buried there and one whose body
    is brought there after his death. Nevertheless, great Sages would
    bring their dead there. Take an example, from our Patriarch, Jacob,
    and Joseph, the righteous.
    At all times, a person should dwell in *Eretz Yisrael* even in a city
    whose population is primarily gentile, rather than dwell in the
    Diaspora, even in a city whose population is primarily Jewish.
    This applies because whoever leaves *Eretz Yisrael* for the Diaspora
    is considered as if he worships idols as I Samuel 26:19 states
    'They have driven me out today from dwelling in the heritage of
    God, saying 'Go, serve other gods.' Similarly, Ezekiel's (13:9)
    prophecies of retribution state: 'They shall not come to the land
    of Israel.'"