QUESTION:
1) The Rav said that the main changes that will take place in our world now, beginning from onset of the coronavirus last year, will take place in Eretz Yisrael. What is the depth of this? Is it because the situation of the world at large depends on the physical and spiritual situation of Eretz Yisrael?
ANSWER:
Yes, that is very true. [There are three things that everything revolves around, in terms of the three dimensions of soul, time, and place.] In terms of the soul, everything revolves around the souls of the Jewish people. The time that everything revolves around is Purim, and the place that everything revolves around is Eretz Yisrael.
QUESTION
2) The Rav has said in several responses so far that the events in the world are a sign for those living in chutz l’aretz that it’s time to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael. This sounds like we need to be in a certain place in order to serve Hashem. This is hard to understand, especially because we know that the main thing is to serve Hashem with our souls, and that our avodas Hashem isn’t dependent on certain times or places. So why should we care about where we are living? Is it because we can only live a life of truth in Eretz Yisrael and in no other place? That can’t be, because there are so many tzaddikim and very worthy Yidden who live in chutz l’aretz. And, we also know that even in Eretz Yisrael not everyone does well, and they sometimes fall even lower in their ruchniyus there. So, why is it so important to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael?
ANSWER
It is because a person needs to have all the qualities where he will gain the most from the dimensions of soul, time, and place. Even more so, though, Chazal state that “Hashem is the very Place of the world, and it is not that the world is merely the place that has Him in it.” That awareness is more fully revealed in Eretz Yisrael, where it can be clearer to a person that Hashem is everything and that there is no place other than Him, just as the Aron had no measurements, because it revealed how Hashem takes up all space, for He is everything.
QUESTION
3) On one hand the Rav is saying that we need to live now with temimus and walking with Hashem, thinking about thoughts of emunah and bitachon, but at the same time the Rav is telling people in chutz l’aretz to make aliyah now to Eretz Yisrael. So if we live in chutz l’aretz, does that mean that we have to be worried about chevlei Mashiach and that we need to get out of here to be in Eretz Yisrael for Mashiach? It’s hard to imagine that this is what Hashem wants from us right now, because making aliyah to Eretz Yisrael is something that is external in comparison to all that we need to do right now, especially in light of the fact that the airports are closed right now and we can’t even make aliyah if we wanted to. Is our avodah in chutz l’aretz to live now with more bitachon, living with the awareness and pure trust in Hashem that He won’t abandon us chas v’shalom?
ANSWER
Live with pure emunah and bitachon in Hashem, and at the same time you should be yearning to move to Eretz Yisrael, and make plans for aliyah to Eretz Yisrael when the time allows for it.
QUESTION
4) The Rav has a response that in certain scenarios, a person living in Eretz Yisrael is allowed to move to chutz l’aretz, such as if he is needed by others there, or for reasons of honoring parents, or for child education reasons, etc. Obviously this is because it’s all about doing what Hashem wants from us, and there are certain situations where Hashem doesn’t want the person to live in Eretz Yisrael. So shouldn’t that apply to most people living in chutz l’aretz, who usually have very good reasons why they can’t just pick up and move their families to Eretz Yisrael? For example, if parents don’t want their married children to live in Eretz Yisrael, or if someone needs to take care of elderly parents, or if they have an ill child in the hospital who cannot be transferred to Eretz Yisrael, and moving to Eretz Yisrael would be too heartbreaking for them. A person has to do what Hashem wants from him, so it is simple that in any of these scenarios Hashem doesn’t want a person to move to Eretz Yisrael. So why is it so simple to the Rav that we should make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael? Doesn’t this depend on every person’s individual circumstances? It seems that only very few people in chutz l’aretz can really move to Eretz Yisrael….
ANSWER
If one’s parents want him to remain in chutz l’aretz, the child is not obligated to honor the parent’s wishes. Most people only have “excuses” not to move to Eretz Yisrael, and in most cases they don’t have a really compelling reason not to move to Eretz Yisrael.
QUESTION
5) Can the Rav explain what the proper attitude is about this whole matter, if we really have an obligation to move to Eretz Yisrael? (The question is not relevant right now of course, when the airports are closed, but the question will be relevant when the airports open again and then we can think of making aliyah.)
ANSWER
There are views whom you may rely upon to be lenient, when it comes to halachah l’maaseh about not moving to Eretz Yisrael. However, the general advice is that it is better to move to Eretz Yisrael.
QUESTION
2) The Rav has said in several responses so far that the events in the world are a sign for those living in chutz l’aretz that it’s time to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael. This sounds like we need to be in a certain place in order to serve Hashem. This is hard to understand, especially because we know that the main thing is to serve Hashem with our souls, and that our avodas Hashem isn’t dependent on certain times or places. So why should we care about where we are living? Is it because we can only live a life of truth in Eretz Yisrael and in no other place? That can’t be, because there are so many tzaddikim and very worthy Yidden who live in chutz l’aretz. And, we also know that even in Eretz Yisrael not everyone does well, and they sometimes fall even lower in their ruchniyus there. So, why is it so important to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael?
ANSWER
It is because a person needs to have all the qualities where he will gain the most from the dimensions of soul, time, and place. Even more so, though, Chazal state that “Hashem is the very Place of the world, and it is not that the world is merely the place that has Him in it.” That awareness is more fully revealed in Eretz Yisrael, where it can be clearer to a person that Hashem is everything and that there is no place other than Him, just as the Aron had no measurements, because it revealed how Hashem takes up all space, for He is everything.
QUESTION
3) On one hand the Rav is saying that we need to live now with temimus and walking with Hashem, thinking about thoughts of emunah and bitachon, but at the same time the Rav is telling people in chutz l’aretz to make aliyah now to Eretz Yisrael. So if we live in chutz l’aretz, does that mean that we have to be worried about chevlei Mashiach and that we need to get out of here to be in Eretz Yisrael for Mashiach? It’s hard to imagine that this is what Hashem wants from us right now, because making aliyah to Eretz Yisrael is something that is external in comparison to all that we need to do right now, especially in light of the fact that the airports are closed right now and we can’t even make aliyah if we wanted to. Is our avodah in chutz l’aretz to live now with more bitachon, living with the awareness and pure trust in Hashem that He won’t abandon us chas v’shalom?
ANSWER
Live with pure emunah and bitachon in Hashem, and at the same time you should be yearning to move to Eretz Yisrael, and make plans for aliyah to Eretz Yisrael when the time allows for it.
QUESTION
4) The Rav has a response that in certain scenarios, a person living in Eretz Yisrael is allowed to move to chutz l’aretz, such as if he is needed by others there, or for reasons of honoring parents, or for child education reasons, etc. Obviously this is because it’s all about doing what Hashem wants from us, and there are certain situations where Hashem doesn’t want the person to live in Eretz Yisrael. So shouldn’t that apply to most people living in chutz l’aretz, who usually have very good reasons why they can’t just pick up and move their families to Eretz Yisrael? For example, if parents don’t want their married children to live in Eretz Yisrael, or if someone needs to take care of elderly parents, or if they have an ill child in the hospital who cannot be transferred to Eretz Yisrael, and moving to Eretz Yisrael would be too heartbreaking for them. A person has to do what Hashem wants from him, so it is simple that in any of these scenarios Hashem doesn’t want a person to move to Eretz Yisrael. So why is it so simple to the Rav that we should make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael? Doesn’t this depend on every person’s individual circumstances? It seems that only very few people in chutz l’aretz can really move to Eretz Yisrael….
ANSWER
If one’s parents want him to remain in chutz l’aretz, the child is not obligated to honor the parent’s wishes. Most people only have “excuses” not to move to Eretz Yisrael, and in most cases they don’t have a really compelling reason not to move to Eretz Yisrael.
QUESTION
5) Can the Rav explain what the proper attitude is about this whole matter, if we really have an obligation to move to Eretz Yisrael? (The question is not relevant right now of course, when the airports are closed, but the question will be relevant when the airports open again and then we can think of making aliyah.)
ANSWER
There are views whom you may rely upon to be lenient, when it comes to halachah l’maaseh about not moving to Eretz Yisrael. However, the general advice is that it is better to move to Eretz Yisrael.
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