Living Outside the Land (part 11 of 14)

1)Where is G-d truly our G-d?

In Israel

BeReishis 17:8

I will give you and your descendants after you the Land in which you sojourn, the entire Land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession, and I will be for them a G-d, והייתי להם לאלקים.

Rashi, BeReishis 17:8

…but a Jew who dwells in Chutz LaAretz is like one who has no G-d.

BeReishis Rabbah 46:9

…If your children enter the Land, they accept My Divinity אלהותי, and if not, they do not accept it…

VaYikra 25:38

I am Hashem your G-d, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to give you the Land of Canaan, to be for you a G-d, להיות לכם לאלקים.

 2) Is someone living in Chutz LaAretz like one who worships foreign gods, עבודה זרה ?

Yes!

Rashi, VaYikra 25:38

…for anyone who lives in Eretz Yisrael, I am a G-d to him; anyone who leaves the Land is like one who worships foreign gods, כעובד עבודה זרה.

Sifra, Toras Kohanim, BeHar 5:4

…Chazal said: Any Jew who lives in Eretz Yisrael accepts upon himself the yoke of the Heavenly Kingdom, and anyone who leaves it to go to Chutz LaAretz is as one who worships foreign gods, כאילו עובד עבודת אלילים. 

Talmud Bavli, Kesuvos 110b

Our Rabbis taught: A person should always dwell in Eretz Yisrael, even in a city inhabited mostly by gentiles, and should not dwell outside the Land, even in a city inhabited mostly by Jews. For anyone who dwells in Eretz Yisrael is like one who has a G-d כמי שיש לו אלוה , and anyone who dwells in Chutz LaAretz is like one who had no G-d כמי שאין לו אלוה…anyone who dwells outside the Land is like one who worships foreign gods, כאילו עובד עבודת כוכבים.

3) What can one learn about a great Rabbi (Gadol HaDor!) leaving Eretz Yisrael, even during a famine where one should have permission התר  to leave Israel?

From the story of Rus, we learn that there was a famine and the greatest Rabbi of the generation left Israel with his sons; this was Elimelech. Ironically, only Elimelech and his sons died whereas his entire city [of Beit Lechem] survived the famine! This is because living in Chutz LaAretz is like serving a power other than Hashem.

Tosefta, Avodah Zarah 5:2

…dwelling in Eretz Yisrael is equal to all the mitzvos of the Torah…Rav Shimon used to say, Elimelech was one of the generation’s greatest figures גדולי הדור and one of the leaders of the people. Nonetheless, because he left the Land and went to Chutz LaAretz, he and his sons died of hunger, while the rest of Israel survived on their soil. Accordingly, it says, “The entire city was a stir over them” (Rus 1:19) – this teaches that the entire city was alive, while he and his sons died of hunger.

…Rav Shimon ben Elazar said: Jews in Chutz LaAretz are idol worshippers in purityעובדי עבודת כוכובים בטהרה הן  .

Talmud Bavli, Avodah Zarah 8a

It was taught in a Beraisa: Rav Yishmael says: Jews in Chutz LaAretz are idol worshippers in purity

4) Currently, Israel is at war with Iran and its proxies on several fronts. Is this a good excuse to leave Israel?

No. We Jews actually have special Divine protection from G-d, only in Israel.

Talmud Bavli, Bava Basra 91a-91b

Our Rabbis taught in a bereisa: one may not leave the Land to go to Chutz LaAretz…Rav Shimon bar Yochai used to say: Elimelech, Machlon, and Kilyon were the greatest Torah scholars of the generation and leaders of the generation. Why were they punished? Because they left the Land and went to Chutz LaAretz…What does this teach us? That even someone who has paternal merit, the merit will not stand by him when he leaves the Land to go to Chutz LaAretz…

5) Many Jews do not want to make Aliyah because of the severe financial implications. Is this a legitimate reason not to make Aliyah?

No. This is one of the oldest excuses “in The Book” of the Torah.

BeMidbar Rabbah 22:7

…regarding the children of Gad and the children of Reuven. They were wealthy and had an abundance of cattle, but they cherished their money and dwelled outside the Land of Israel. Therefore, they were the first to be exiled from among all the tribes…What caused them to receive this punishment? The fact that they separated themselves from their brethren for the sake of their possessions…

6) Many Kohanim leave Israel for vacations in Europe and the USA. Is this allowed?

Not according to Talmud Yerushalmi.

Korban, HaEida, Talmud Yerushalmi, Mo’ed Kattan 3:1

…a Kohen is forbidden to go to Chutz LaAretz, because the Sages decreed ritually impurity דגזרו טומאה upon the lands of the nations…a Kohen who left the Holy Land is forbidden to shave on Chol HaMoed since he left against the wishes of the Sages.

7) Is living in the USA a reward or a punishment for a Jew?

A punishment. A Jew who willingly settles in Chutz LaAretz is declaring that they have given up hope on the redemption (Geulah).

Kli Yakar, BeReishis 47:27-28 (Rav Efrayim Shlomo Luntshitz 1550-1588)

Israel settled וישב in the land Goshen…the pasuk reproaches the Jews for this “settling” ישיבה  for they sought a portion in a land not theirs…And they became so settled in Egypt that they did not want to leave until Hashem had to take them out forcibly. And those who still did not want to leave died during the three days of darkness.

…there are many simpletons who settle down in the lands of the nations and build themselves prominent, paneled homes – stone edifices made to last. For this reason they do not seek G-d’s countenance פני ה’  wholeheartedly, beseeching Him, to bring them to their Land. Therefore, G-d leaves them there.

Responsa Chasam Sofer, Yoreh Deah 138

…it is more of a mitzvah to build houses in Eretz Yisrael than it is to plant palm trees there, because of the settlement of Eretz Yisrael…so too the opposite is true in Chutz LaAretz…

 8) Is it, technically, a Chilul Hashem חילול השם, desecration of G-d’s Holy name that there are Jews living outside of Israel?

According to the Navi Yechezkel – yes! Even more significant is that every Jew who lives in Israel is creating a sanctification of G-d’s name קידוש השם every moment they live in Israel.

Yechezkel 36:16-28

…They came to the nations into which they came and they desecrated My holy name ויחללו את שם קדשי , when the gentiles said of them, “These are the people of Hashem but they went out from His Land ומארצו יצאו. But I took pity on My holy name, which the House of Israel desecrated חללוהו among the nations into which they came…Thus says Hashem, I do not act for your sake…but for the sake of My holy name לשם קדשי that you have desecrated among the nations into which you came. I will sanctify My great name…and the nations will know that I am Hashem כי אני ה’ …and I will bring you to your own soil והבאתי אתכם אל אדמתכם …You will dwell in the Land that I gave to your forefathers, and you will be to me a nation and I will be to you a G-d.

9) What will happen in Israel after Moshiach arrives ?

Many say, we don’t know; we have no idea. That is not true. Rav Chaim Vital reveals some of these details. There will be a great jealously and regret of those who did not make Aliya prior to Moshiach.

Yalkut Reuveini, V’Zos HaBeracha p.41 ( Rav Avraham Reuven HaKohen Sofer 1605-1673)

Know that we have a tradition that on the day Moshiach arrives with the ingathering of the exiles to Eretz Yisrael…On that day, the dead will be resurrected in Eretz Yisrael [not in Chutz LaAretz]…the Beis HaMikdash will be built from precious stones and pearls and those who died in Eretz Yisrael will become new spiritual beings בריה חדשה רוחניית. Also…people who will be found there alive will all become new beings, body and spirit, with bodies like that of Adam before he sinned…All of them will fly in the air, soaring like eagles. All if this will happen in front of the eyes of the ingathered exiles, and when they see that their brethren have turned into new beings, flying in the air to go and live in the lower Garden of Eden, to learn Torah from the mouth of G-d, may He be blessed, the ingathered exiles will become worried and despondent. They will complain to the Messianic King and say, “Are we not the children of Israel like they are?”…The Messianic King will say, “…G-d always operates according to the principle of a measure for a measure מדה כנגד מדה. Therefore, those Jews who were outside the Land and endeavored to come to Eretz Yisrael in order to gain a pure soul and they did not take pity on their money or their bodies…since they emphasized their spirits and their souls, not their bodies and their money, their spirituality returned to them when they were resurrected, measure for measure. You, however, who could have come to Eretz Yisrael like they did, but neglected to come because of your love for money and you were worried about your money and your bodies…this is why you remained physical, measure for measure. Because of your love of money, Hashem will give you money.”…This concludes the words of our master Rav Chaim Vital…