“Should I Leave Israel? Should Yeshivah Bochurim Come Back? HaRav Zilberstein Responds

 HaRav Yitzchak Zilberstein has received thousands of shailos regarding the situation in Israel since the war began.

One of the shailos was from a woman living in Israel who is very fearful and asked whether she should travel to Chutz L’Eretz for a few weeks. [It is unclear whether the woman is a native Israeli or is originally from Chutz L’Eretz.]

HaRav Zilberstein responded: “Chav V’shalom to leave Eretz Yisrael – for it is the most kodesh place and at every moment you can fulfill the mitzvah of yishuv Eretz Yisrael.” The Rav also quoted the passuk in Ovadia: “ובהר ציון תהיה פליטה והיה קודש.”

HaRav Zilberstein was also asked by many yeshivah bochurim who live abroad whether they should return to Eretz Yisrael for the winter z’man.

HaRav Zilberstein responded that “there’s nothing to fear in Bnei Brak due to the promise of the Chazon Ish and there’s also a special shemirah in Yerushalayim, about which it’s said that it’s: “משוש כל הארץ.”

And in any event, HaRav Zilberstein continued, the bochurim are returning to learn Torah ‘ותורה מגנא ומצלא’ – so they have nothing to fear.

HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau also told yeshivah bochurim from Chutz L’Eretz who asked him to return to Eretz Yisrael to learn, saying: “Bochurim from Chutz L’Eretz who are not afraid and whose parents are not afraid should return to learn here and ‘ותורה מגנא ומצלא.'”

However, HaGaon HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman last week expressed a different opinion, saying that bochurim who are still in Chutz L’Eretz should wait several weeks and shouldn’t come to Eretz Yisrael until matters become clear. “But they are obligated to be makpid to establish for themselves regular learning sedarim, tefillah, and mussar, wherever they live,” the Rosh Yeshivah wrote.

Regarding bochurim who are already in Eretz Yisrael, HaRav Bergman wrote: “The bochurim who are already in Eretz Yisrael should remain in their places of learning in the yeshivos hakedoshos. And they should greatly increase their chizzuk in diligence in Torah and in greater hakpadah on their sidrei limmud, tefilla and mussar.”

“And it’s unnecessary to say that they shouldn’t wander around outside at night, chalilah, and the zechus of the Torah HaKedoshah will protect them and us, as Torah protects and saves.”