| Is it a mitzvah to live in Israel? In our
portion today, the Torah seems to say it is a mitzvah. "And you shall
conquer the land and sit (dwell, live) in it." Rashi, the French
Medieval commentator believes that this verse simply states the good
advice of ridding the land of the enemy, in order to dwell there, but this
verse is not saying that it is a mitzvah to dwell there. Similarly, Rambam,
Maimonides, does not list living in Israel as one of the 613 mitzvot.
However, Ramban, the Spanish Medieval commentator
believes very strongly that this is a positive Mitzvah. He bases himself
on various passages in the Talmud. (1) (Ketubot 110b) A person should
always live in Israel even in a city of mostly gentiles and let him not
dwell in diaspora even in a city which is mostly Jews…. This passage is
codified by Maimonides as well. (2) (Midrash Sifrei) A story is told of
some rabbis who were going out of Israel. When they arrived at one place
they remembered Israel and their eyes swelled up with tears, and they tore
their clothes, and they read this verse: You shall conquer it and dwell in
it, and you should do (the mitzvot).. and they said: the land of Israel is
equal to all the mitzvot. (3) (Mishnah, Ketubot, codified by Maimonides)
He (the husband) says he wishes to go up (to Israel) and she does not wish
to, he has the upper hand, and visa versa.
Of course, if we need to be here to make a proper
living, that is allowed, but we can only use that excuse for so long.
Ultimately, a Jew’s place is in Israel, and the State of Israel has made
that quite doable for us. But if we can’t move today, the least we can
do is visit and contribute often, pray for her, and be active politically
on her behalf. |
