Shabbat Mattot & Massei

Should we settle in Israel

“When you cross over the river Jordan into the land of Canaan and take possession of the country you should remove all the idolatry, and you should take possession of the land and to dwell in the land which I have given to you” (abbreviation of BeMidbar 33: 50 to 53).

The great Spanish authority Nachmanides, known as Ramban (1194-1270) says in his commentary on these verses that there is a binding obligation on all of us to settle in the land of Israel. “We are commanded to take possession of the land that God gave to our forefathers… and not to leave it in the hands of other nations or desolate.” In contrast to Maimonides known as Rambam (1138-1204) who had not listed this in his famous Book of (obligatory) Commandments. Yehudah Halevy (1075-1141) in Spain also thought it was a spiritual obligation, and he was killed or died when he got there (as did Nachmanides). Despite a good life in Spain, they saw the writing on the wall.
The commentator Rashi (Troyes 1040-1105) on the text, said it implied that if  Israelites do not take possession of the land this is a betrayal of the divine will.

This is a debate that runs through the Talmud. It says very clearly that “At all times a person should reside in the land of Israel even if it’s a city inhabited mostly by non-Jews which is preferable to residing outside of Israel even in a city which is mainly inhabited by Jews because whoever resides in the land of Israel it’s like somebody who has a God and whoever lives outside Israel it’s as though there was no God”( TB Ketubot 110b-111a) . Others argue that since the destruction of the Second Temple it no longer applies ( Tosfot ad loc).

But there’s equally an opinion that it’s forbidden to leave Babylon because Babylon was a centre of Jewish life at a time when it was not flourishing in Israel. Even so, many of the great scholars of Babylon made a point of going to settle in Israel. At the same time there were those who left Israel because conditions were so tough, in order to go and live in Babylon and other thriving Jewish communities.

The Shulchan Aruch (Even HaEzer 75:3) says that a husband or wife can demand moving to Israel and a refusal is grounds for divorce. Early Chassidism also took a very positive approach and were amongst the Eighteenth-century pioneers. But the question of obligation has divided us ever since especially since the amazing success of Zionism.

We are still divided over the issue of whether we have a religious obligation to go and settle in the land of Israel. As much today to us as it did thousands of years ago to those coming out of Egypt.

Amongst those who believed it remains a religious obligation most notably was Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook ( 1884-1934) and his son Zvi Yehudah and recent followers Rabbanim Aviner, Lior, Melamed. The late Rav Aharon Lichtenstein wrote a magisterial responsum in favour. On the other hand, the late major American authority Rav Moshe Feinstein said it was meritorious but not obligatory for everyone. And followers of the Satmar Rebbe Yoel  Teitelbaum still oppose any Aliyah until the messiah comes. Even so thousands of his followers live there even if they do not recognize the State.

For those of us committed, it is not a matter of removing other people,  but rather reclaiming an ancient heritage. But of course, trying to use  the Bible to justify anything only works if you are speaking to an audience that accepts the authority of the Bible or any other document. To claim it is God’s will to justify our possession of Israel today is all well and good, even if the Koran states as much. But just as love can conquer all, hatred succeeds in destroying.

If things continue to deteriorate in the Diaspora those of us who do not want to assimilate and wish to be free to practice Judaism and live at peace without constant fear of hatred and opposition, we may have no other option.

 

Rabbi Jeremy Rosen lives in New York. He was born in Manchester. His writings are concerned with religion, culture, history and current affairs – anything he finds interesting or relevant. They are designed to entertain and to stimulate. Disagreement is always welcome.