QUESTION:
1) What is the necessity to be in Eretz Yisrael in order to greet Mashiach? Don’t Chazal say that that at the time of the Geulah all of the batei midrashim and shuls will fly to Eretz Yisrael? (And this would probably include all houses where Torah was learned, especially since corona when everyone had to be quarantined at home and there was so much Torah learning done at home, which transformed all of our homes into a beis midrash…so wouldn’t our houses just fly to Eretz Yisrael when Mashiach comes? Why do we need to actually make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael?)
ANSWER:
Chazal’s words about batei midrashim flying to Eretz Yisrael at the time of the Geulah is not meant to be taken literally. Chazal were referring to something deeper: to use the inner light of holiness that is found in those holy places.
QUESTION
2) Should a person make aliyah now to Eretz Yisrael even if this will bother his parents, because now the parents will be upset that they can’t see their married children and they won’t have the nachas of seeing their grandchildren? Although there is a discussion if a person is obligated to listen to his parents if they want him to stay with them when he will learn better in Eretz Yisrael, here we are talking about making aliyah to Eretz Yisrael not for reasons of learning Torah there, but to greet Mashiach and be saved from chevlei Mashiach in chutz l’aretz. So what’s more important, honoring parents or making aliyah to Eretz Yisrael?
ANSWER
Honoring parents is never a reason to forego any mitzvah. Just as one is not obligated to listen to his parents if listening to them will cause him financial harm (parnassah overweighs kibud av v’aim), certainly one is not obligated to listen to his parents if they are causing him not to fulfill a mitzvah. And certainly when there is possible physical danger involved if one listens to them [i.e. enduring chevlei Mashiach in chutz l’aretz] that one is not obligated to listen to his parents.
QUESTION
3) If the husband is ready to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael but the wife doesn’t want to go, what’s more important - shalom bayis or moving to Eretz Yisrael? On one hand shalom bayis should be the deciding factor, but on the other hand, we are living in dangerous times in chutz l’aretz and it’s like when Sodom was about to destroyed and Lot’s family was escaping, and Lot’s wife refused to come with him. In the times we are living in, when we are at the end of the Galus and there is possible danger for Jews in chutz l’aretz due to the intensifying chevlei Mashiach, is it upon husbands to pressure their wives into making aliyah to Eretz Yisrael? What should a husband do if his wife doesn’t want to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael?
ANSWER
The Gemara (Tractate Kesubos 111a) states that everyone should go to Eretz Yisrael, and Tosafos there says that we are not allowed to force anyone into doing this mitzvah. The Tashbetz takes this further and says that not forcing a wife to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael means that if one were to divorce his wife for refusing to come with him to Eretz Yisrael, he does not have to pay her a kesubah. The Chazon Ish says that not forcing a wife to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael just means that she’s not regarded as a rebellious wife if she refuses [and therefore she is still entitled to her kesubah. See also Rambam Hilchos Ishus 13:20 and Tzafnas Paneach 1:21].
In order to convince one’s wife to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael, a husband should speak to her in a pleasant way about it, and with common sense, about when and how to move.
QUESTION
4) And, what if the wife has absolutely no interest in moving to Eretz Yisrael with him and gives her husband an ultimatum, “It’s either me, or Eretz Yisrael. If I move to Eretz Yisrael, I’ll go crazy there. You must choose what’s more important to you – your wife, or Eretz Yisrael.”
ANSWER
This requires tefillah to Hashem.
QUESTION
2) Should a person make aliyah now to Eretz Yisrael even if this will bother his parents, because now the parents will be upset that they can’t see their married children and they won’t have the nachas of seeing their grandchildren? Although there is a discussion if a person is obligated to listen to his parents if they want him to stay with them when he will learn better in Eretz Yisrael, here we are talking about making aliyah to Eretz Yisrael not for reasons of learning Torah there, but to greet Mashiach and be saved from chevlei Mashiach in chutz l’aretz. So what’s more important, honoring parents or making aliyah to Eretz Yisrael?
ANSWER
Honoring parents is never a reason to forego any mitzvah. Just as one is not obligated to listen to his parents if listening to them will cause him financial harm (parnassah overweighs kibud av v’aim), certainly one is not obligated to listen to his parents if they are causing him not to fulfill a mitzvah. And certainly when there is possible physical danger involved if one listens to them [i.e. enduring chevlei Mashiach in chutz l’aretz] that one is not obligated to listen to his parents.
QUESTION
3) If the husband is ready to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael but the wife doesn’t want to go, what’s more important - shalom bayis or moving to Eretz Yisrael? On one hand shalom bayis should be the deciding factor, but on the other hand, we are living in dangerous times in chutz l’aretz and it’s like when Sodom was about to destroyed and Lot’s family was escaping, and Lot’s wife refused to come with him. In the times we are living in, when we are at the end of the Galus and there is possible danger for Jews in chutz l’aretz due to the intensifying chevlei Mashiach, is it upon husbands to pressure their wives into making aliyah to Eretz Yisrael? What should a husband do if his wife doesn’t want to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael?
ANSWER
The Gemara (Tractate Kesubos 111a) states that everyone should go to Eretz Yisrael, and Tosafos there says that we are not allowed to force anyone into doing this mitzvah. The Tashbetz takes this further and says that not forcing a wife to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael means that if one were to divorce his wife for refusing to come with him to Eretz Yisrael, he does not have to pay her a kesubah. The Chazon Ish says that not forcing a wife to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael just means that she’s not regarded as a rebellious wife if she refuses [and therefore she is still entitled to her kesubah. See also Rambam Hilchos Ishus 13:20 and Tzafnas Paneach 1:21].
In order to convince one’s wife to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael, a husband should speak to her in a pleasant way about it, and with common sense, about when and how to move.
QUESTION
4) And, what if the wife has absolutely no interest in moving to Eretz Yisrael with him and gives her husband an ultimatum, “It’s either me, or Eretz Yisrael. If I move to Eretz Yisrael, I’ll go crazy there. You must choose what’s more important to you – your wife, or Eretz Yisrael.”
ANSWER
This requires tefillah to Hashem.
Categories
