Eretz Yisroel ..... Explaining the Different Views ..... by DIN

I am approaching my second year living in the promised land, and I am thankful to the Creator that He gave me this opportunity! 

הודו לה' כי טוב כי  לעולם חסדו

For years I said three times a day

המחזיר שכינתו לציון

"Blessed are You, Hashem, Who restores His presence to Zion"

Did I know what I was talking about ?

The Midrash says that when the Jews were exiled to Bavel, the Shecheene was exiled with them.....

When the Jews were exiled to Edom the Shecheene was exiled with them...

Because according to the Midrash the  Schcheene goes where the Jewish people go.

 Now that I live in Israel and am witnessing the return of the Jewish people to their inheritance I now understand the true meaning of 

המחזיר שכינתו לציון

Blessed are You Hashem.... who restores the Shecheene (where it belongs) in Zion!

The Schecheene doesn't come to a deserted land ... the Shecheene returns when the Jewish people return...

I  always asked Hashem 

ותחזינה עינינו בשובך לציון ברחמים

"May our eyes behold Your return to Zion"

and now I am witnessing it!

 I have been approached by many people who still live in Chutz Le'aaretz and who visit Eretz Yisroel from time to time and who ask me 

"What was your motivation for making Aliyah?'"

Some of those asking, were huge Talmeidei Chachamim (Torah Scholars),  who were seriously asking me to prove to them that 

"Yishuv Eretz Yisroel" (settling in Israel) is a Mitzvah......
they explained that they were really seeking the truth..

 If it is a Mitzvah .... they questioned..

is it a "Mitzvah Medeoriisah" (Biblical)

or is it a "Mitzvah MeDrabbanan (rabbinical)?"

And if it is either one.... is it applicable now...?
or is it applicable only when there is a Bais Hamikdash?

Is it even a Mitzvah at all.... maybe it's just a "nice thing."

So I decided, that I will for the next couple of weeks אי''ה, discuss the Mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael in depth and bring down all the different "shitos" that either hold that it is a Mitzvah De'Oriisah, or hold that it is a "Mitzvah De'rabbanan." 

And, again, if it is either one ...is it applicable in the here and now!

I will do this in a respectful manner and will argue and debate this solely on its merits...

I will bring the view of the Rishonim such as the  Rambam, the Ramban, the Megilas Esther (commentary on the Rambam), Meeri, Ritvah, Rosh, Baal Haturim, Ran, and Terumas Hadeshen and others...with its sources...

I will bring the views of the Achronim such as Shiltei H'giborim, Radvaz, Mabit, Alshich, Mahrshal, Hachareidim, Maharal, Ramah, Drisha, Maharsha, Shlah, Yaavitz, Gra, Chidah, Haflah, Chayeh Adam, Yismach Moshe, Chasam Sofer, Aruch Lener, Yetev Lev, Netziv, Bais Haleivi, Reb Zadok HaChen, Aruch Hashilchan, Sdei Chemed, Ben Ish Chai, Chafetz Chayim, Ohr Samach, R Yosef Chaim Zonnenfeld, Rav Kook, Chazon Ish, Avnei Nezer and others .. with its sources ..

I will bring the views of the contemporary rabbanim and poiskim such as the Satmar Rav, and Reb Moshe Feinstein, Rav Henkin. etc..
and I will also discuss the view of the Minchas Eluzer whose views are even more radical than the views of the Satmar Rebbe.

I will discuss the Shalosh Shevuoit... "The Three Oaths!"
and of course I will discuss how Zionism plays into all of this...

Once it is posted ... I will place it on the side of the blog so that everyone can reference it when needed..
Read below for Part 1

**********
PART 1
INTRODUCTION

The connection that the Jewish people have with Eretz Yisrael is forever .... yes ...even now.... absolutely ..

and it all began with the genesis of the Jewish people when Hashem commanded our father Avraham:

 לך לך מארצך וממולדתך ומבית אביך , אל הארץ אשר אראך 

Hashem commanded Avraham, the very first Jew, to leave his land, his birthplace and his family.... and make Aliyah and settle in the holy land, Eretz Yisrael...

Hashem's very first commandment to Avraham wasn't to ask him to have a bris.... hold shabbos, eat kosher ...put on tzizzit..

learn the Torah ... nope.... 
Hashem's very first commandment to Avraham was to make Aliyah and to settle the land of Eretz Yisrael...

 The Holy Gaon from Ostravstza wrote...

and I found it in the Mishnah Halachois written by the Ungvarer Rav, R' Menashe Klein z"l:

שמצות ישוב ארץ ישראל הוא מצות עשה עוד מזמן אברהם אבינו  .ממה שנאמר

"לך לך מארצך וגו' אל הארץ אשר אראך ואעשך שם לגו גדול" 

הנה היתה מצות עשה לו ולזרעו אחריו להיות בארץ ישראל ,

 והוא כמו מצות מילה שהיתה המצוה עוד מזמן אברהם אבינו 

The commandment to live in Eretz Yisrael is one of the positive commandments and it dates back to our father Avraham as it is written in the Torah ...

"Leave your land..... and go to the land that I will show you and there I will make you into a great nation."

This Mitzvah is not only for Avraham but for all his children as well and this mitzvah is similar to the mitzvah of making a Bris that was also given to Avraham personally!

Now that we established that Eretz Yisrael was given to Avraham ... How do we know from the Torah that it was to be passed to his children as well?

 The Gaon of Ostravstza continues:

וראיה מיעקב שכתב במדרש רבה וישלח 

"וירא יעקב מאד" 

אמר יעקב כל השנים הללו הוא יושב בארץ ישראל שמא הוא בא עלי מכח ישיבת ארץ ישראל, 
הרי שזה הוא כבר מצוה עוד מימי אברהם  לזרעו אחריו לשבת בארץ ישראל

(שו''ת משנה הלכות חלק טו.סימן צו)

I have proof that this Mitzvah is a Mitzvah given to all of Avraham's children ..

The Medrash Rabba Parshas Va'Yishlach says that the Torah states that 

"Yaakov was very fearful" from his brother Eisav

But Why? Didn't Hashem guarantee him safety?

Says the Medrash that Yaakov that lived in Chutz Le'aaretz was fearful of Eisav because Eisav lived all these year in Eretz Yisrael..and he felt that the merit that Eisav had for living in Israel, would override all of Yaakov's merits!

This Midrash is proof positive that the commandment of living in Israel was given to Avraham's children... otherwise Yaakov would have had nothing to worry about.

This land was given only to us... to us the Jewish people..

 See what the Ramban wrote over 800 years ago:

זו מדה טובה לישראל שלא ימצאו האויבים נחת רוח בארצם 

שתהא שוממה מיושביה

(רמב''ן ויקרא כ''ז) 

"One of the great characteristics of Eretz Yisrael is that its enemies will never find comfort in Eretz Yisrael ..it will be a wasteland for them"

See what Rabbeinu Bechayeh wrote over 700 years ago:

וכל האומות ישתדלו לבנותה ואין להם כח , ויש בזה סימן גדול לישראל שמיום שחרבה לא קבלה אומה ולשון ולא תקבל עד שישובו אפרוחיה לתוכה 

(רבינו בחיי ויקרא ד''ה ושממו)

"All nations will attempt to build in Eretz Yisrael but will not have the strength ... this is a great sign to the Jewish people ...that from the day that Eretz Yisrael was destroyed no other nation will be able to inhabit it and not impose another language there  ...until the Jewish people populate it..."

Listen my friends to what Rav Yaakov Me'Emdan wrote about the connection between the Jewish people to Eretz Yisrael and the connection of Eretz Yisrael to the Torah...

כי ישראל קרוים נחלת ה' והארץ היא נחלתו, והתורה תלויה בשניים 

(הקדמה לסידור בית יעקב סולם בית אל אות ו)

The Jewish people are called Hashem's "inheritance" and Eretz Yisrael is the "inheritance" of the Jewish people, and the Torah is dependant on both

Read the immortal words of Rav Elchonen Wasserman הי''ד in reference to Eretz Yisrael

ארץ ישראל תופסת מקום עיקרי בתורה , כמעט שני שלישי הש''ס תלויים בארץ ישראל .אותו יחס מספרי גם בחומש ,מובן על כן כי ארץ ישראל היא צורך חיוני לישראל 

(קובץ מאמרי עקבתא דמשיחא) 

The primary place for the essential mitzvos are in Eretz Yisrael...

Approximately 2/3's of the entire Talmud teachings can only be fulfilled in Eretz Yisrael..... this relationship between the mitzvos and Eretz Yisrael can also be found in the Chumash. 

Therefore it is understood that Eretz Yisrael is essential for the Jewish people

My dear friends, despite all the prayers and pleadings,  Moshe Rabbeinu did not have the merit to enter and walk in Eretz Yisrael; he could only see the land from afar

הראיתיך בעיניך ושמה לא תעבר

"See it with your eyes, but you will not be able to enter"

But we do have that zechut, Hashem changed the circumstances in our very own generation... all in a short span of time ..
all of us have the ability to  go up and experience the land that G-D in His mercy gave us.... 

Yes it's true that for over two thousand years the land lay desolate, deserted ..and it was almost impossible to live there... and it was with great sacrifice that the early settlers went despite all the odds, because of their love of Eretz Yisrael..

But today the land is no longer desert ... it has infrastructure, highways, trains, buses ...shopping malls, airports,

where anyone can live like a Jew without any restrictions ...

Remember no one wants us anymore ... no one ...

not the UK, not Germany, not Poland, not Hungary, not Spain, not Italy, not France and soon not even the USA....
Can't you see the signs?? The Goyim don't want us in Chestnut Ridge, they don't want us in Toms River, and they don't want us in Monroe ...
There are no other safe havens anymore.... .....

I will begin with Part 2 next week 

We  will  start with the view of the Rambam ...