I see you forgot the main one. This is where Hashem wants to be. We live in Israel because that is ultimately the ratzon Hashem.
Also, for those who made the choice to live in Israel we are indeed eagerly awaiting for Moshiach. By moving here we clearly made the first and most important step in preparation for Moshiach arrival.
Another great reason is to have your married kids close to you. There is a strong chance that by living in Israel you kids will decide to stay as well once they get married. Its nice to have the married children around almost all the time not to mention having the grand kids close by as well.
reminds me of a great uncle of mine. He was pretty well off, not used to being argued with. He went to Israel for the first time with his wife. When he got off the plane, he said to her "honey, we're home." They got in a cab. Somehow, a huge argument ensued with the taxi driver. By the time it was over, he screamed at his wife "come on honey, we're going home!" and they went back to the airport. I hear this is a true story in my family.
"Our nation, the B'nei Yisroel, is a nation only by virtue of the Torah" Rav Saadiah Gaon, Emunos V'Deos 3:7. That means that the Torah -- and only the Torah -- is what makes a nation. If we "get" that, i.e., internalize it, I think G-d will help us. If not, if we want to impress the goyim by trying to be a nation like all other nations ("look at us, we have so many Nobel prize winners, we have so many tech companies, IBN and Intel built factories here," if that is our pride, rather than Torah, the G-d will bring anti-semitism to wake us up, as He has been doing for a while now, r'l
”I will rouse them to jealousy with a no-people;” ... It seems as if G–d is referring to bands of terrorists who will invade their land temporarily before leaving destruction in their wake. These terrorists are called “no-people,” as they are hated universally, seeing they do not only single out the land of Israel for their activities. Daas Zekanim.
Read Chumash especially Sefer devarim where it talks about the land of Israel, has Jen’s connection to it etc. Read how Moshe davened to be allowed in. Learn the Gemara at the end of Kesubos that says better to live in a city of non Jews in Israel then a city of Jews outside of Israel and all the other things about the land of Israel. Read the Rambam Al hatorah. He actually says that we keep the mitzvas outside of Israel just so we don’t forget them when we return.
The answer for me is very simple. This is where the Torah says a Jew should live.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who recalls decades - yes, decades- of an absolutely haughty dismissive attitude about anti-Israel propaganda by certain Israelis - those in charge- for a very, very long time.
Mere non-Israelis couldn’t tell Sabras about danger! Israelis knew danger, not stupid soft advertising executives and movie industry experts from America. Or anyone else with half a mind.
The bloody calls for Israeli extinction were present from the 1940s onwards, but the Arab leaders were preaching to their masses.
But Yasser Arafat changed the field, by carefully aiming two levels of talk - one of internal savage Arabic language of murder, and another version pitched to the West.
Did he take a page from Soviet communist double speak, and pitch a siren song to a younger crowd in the West, who knew nothing of the complex situation and never would? Who knew nothing of religious hatred towards Jews by Islam, and Arab horror that infidels were building up a land once ruled by the Caliphate? Of course he would.
I know I wasn’t the only one seeing the long game. Arabs are acutely aware of their history, and the successful 100 years it took to finally defeat the Crusaders. A long game beats short sighted planners much of the time.
Professionals in Hollywood and the advertising world in at least the 80s knew this, of course! They were experts in influencing. Knowing well what the blood lust propaganda meant, some offered Israel effective Hasbara for free. The article I read, I believe in the 80s, went on to briefly describe a wall of stunning ignorance, high school strutting arrogance towards those who didn’t fight in Tzahal. Israeli officials strutting about because they thought physical war was the only one that mattered. That was so stupid I remember my jaw dropping and feeling despair as I read it.
These were group-think idiots who clearly ignored the dotted lines of the very effective Nazi propaganda and death camps that led to the current Arab propaganda and the danger to the Jewish state and the Jewish people.
So the story of the leader of Neturei Carta as amusing by some “upper” Israelis, referenced above, reveals a naïveté beyond their understanding. Even though the N.Karta and Satmar were involved in a notorious kidnapping case in Israel. And it is another example of the above history: The N. Karta are most certainly useful idiots for the Arab world, and used as decades as examples of the correct Jews.
But Hamas has taken over the propaganda and are completing the strategy started by the PLO. Last week, the Wall Street Journal ran a report on this. The FBI has been following the Hamas agenda in the US since at least 1983, when they taped the 3 day strategic session held in Philadelphia: “I swear by Allah that war is deception !” The education Institute, the training of future American leaders in Universities, funding groups with vague innocent names, etc. I invite you to find the article and read it:
“Opinion: The Global War against the Jews” in the WSJ
As Rabbi Meir Kahane says, an antisemite is a non jew who hates Jews more than s/he's supposed to. Living amongst non Jews, with this idea in mind, is very burdensome and unpleasant (but also provides clarity which many delusional Jews are lacking). I personally feel liberated walking around as a Jew in Israel. It's great to be home.
Living in Israel diminishes the chances (read "probability" in some Jewish sectors: secular, reform, Conservative, Reconstruction ) that your children will marry outside Judaism. It's nice to have Jewish grandchildren.
Because we don't belong anywhere else. Hashem has told us this in the Torah and history has confirmed it. Lands where Jews have felt comfortable have had its citizens turn against the Jews. This is our only home.
Would just like to add that it may seem for the moment that outside of Israel Jews are safe. For now. But we've seen that in the past that ultimately we are at the mercy of non-Jewish governments. If one charismatic Hitler type leader rises again, nothing can stop it happening again. All so-called Democratic laws can be changed overnight, as Germany did in the 1930s.
Many writers, such as Orwell spelled out how such a thing can happen, not necessarily against Jews, but it's not a stretch of the imagination for it to develop that way too.
Yes, Israel might be struggling for survival for the past few decades, but once it establishes itself and sorts out the crisis's before it, we are secured with our own destiny. Whatever happens after is up to us as a country and as a nation.
There are no guarantees in other countries where we are less than 2.5% of the population.
Better the devil you know..... So you can deal with it now ... Then something coming where you're powerless.
In the same vein, give me freedom or give me death. Give me the empowerment to choose my own destiny then be at the mercy of others. This applies to Torah Jews too.
How we decide to progress as Torah Jews, and all the difficult decisions we're going to have to make in the future, can only be made if we are in control of our own destiny. Many things will need to be decided within the next few decades.
Thank you for such a beautiful post. I would like to add another reason.
Israel is the one thing that ties all jews together. There are many jews all over the world that have become secular and have little connection to Judaism. Within the groups that do have a connection to Judaism, they bitter fight each other over various matters. Yet Israel ties everyone together. Israel reminds us that we are all brothers and that whether you are Secular, Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Chasidish, Charedi, Dati, Ashkenazi, Sefardi or any other kind of jew, life is precious.
All the reasons you state are correct, and there are many more. And make no mistake: we in Chu"l think the exact same thing of our own country: "What are we doing here in ___ (US, Canada, France, etc.)? We don't belong here."
In short, you can list reasons to live in Israel, but you dont have to. We're all living a lie here, and halevai we will one day have the courage/guts/resources to go up.
I understand why many religious Jews "can't" make Aliyah. But isn't it time for religious Jews to prepare their children to make Aliyah through preparation such as intense Hebrew language instruction,financial support, and preparing them with an appropriate vocation to live in Israel. Most importantly to instill in the community that the ideal is to live in Israel not to have the the fanciest house in Teaneck e.t.c..or to be with the grandchildren outside of Israel.You may strive for the "good" life but in Israel.This has to be the focus. It is important for every religious Jew to take steps towards realizing this goal.
I see you forgot the main one. This is where Hashem wants to be. We live in Israel because that is ultimately the ratzon Hashem.
Also, for those who made the choice to live in Israel we are indeed eagerly awaiting for Moshiach. By moving here we clearly made the first and most important step in preparation for Moshiach arrival.
Another great reason is to have your married kids close to you. There is a strong chance that by living in Israel you kids will decide to stay as well once they get married. Its nice to have the married children around almost all the time not to mention having the grand kids close by as well.
Beat me to it (as to the first). Don't forget the mitzvot as well.
I live in America, and as safe as it is, it's not Home. A Jew in Israel is Home. When I visited Israel in the past I felt it.
Choosing Home over safety isn't strange when you put it that way...
reminds me of a great uncle of mine. He was pretty well off, not used to being argued with. He went to Israel for the first time with his wife. When he got off the plane, he said to her "honey, we're home." They got in a cab. Somehow, a huge argument ensued with the taxi driver. By the time it was over, he screamed at his wife "come on honey, we're going home!" and they went back to the airport. I hear this is a true story in my family.
"Our nation, the B'nei Yisroel, is a nation only by virtue of the Torah" Rav Saadiah Gaon, Emunos V'Deos 3:7. That means that the Torah -- and only the Torah -- is what makes a nation. If we "get" that, i.e., internalize it, I think G-d will help us. If not, if we want to impress the goyim by trying to be a nation like all other nations ("look at us, we have so many Nobel prize winners, we have so many tech companies, IBN and Intel built factories here," if that is our pride, rather than Torah, the G-d will bring anti-semitism to wake us up, as He has been doing for a while now, r'l
הֵ֚ם קִנְא֣וּנִי בְלֹא־אֵ֔ל כִּעֲס֖וּנִי בְּהַבְלֵיהֶ֑ם וַֽאֲנִי֙ אַקְנִיאֵ֣ם בְּלֹא־עָ֔ם בְּג֥וֹי נָבָ֖ל אַכְעִיסֵֽם׃
”I will rouse them to jealousy with a no-people;” ... It seems as if G–d is referring to bands of terrorists who will invade their land temporarily before leaving destruction in their wake. These terrorists are called “no-people,” as they are hated universally, seeing they do not only single out the land of Israel for their activities. Daas Zekanim.
Well said Andrew. We need more of your way of speaking and less of slifs
G-d blessed Avraham and our accomplishments are part of living as Jews especially in the Holyand.
That Torah to be practiced in Eretz Yisrael. There is no disconnect between us Am Yisrael ,Torah, and the the land of Eretz Yisrael.
Read Chumash especially Sefer devarim where it talks about the land of Israel, has Jen’s connection to it etc. Read how Moshe davened to be allowed in. Learn the Gemara at the end of Kesubos that says better to live in a city of non Jews in Israel then a city of Jews outside of Israel and all the other things about the land of Israel. Read the Rambam Al hatorah. He actually says that we keep the mitzvas outside of Israel just so we don’t forget them when we return.
The answer for me is very simple. This is where the Torah says a Jew should live.
The long game
I’m sure I’m not the only one who recalls decades - yes, decades- of an absolutely haughty dismissive attitude about anti-Israel propaganda by certain Israelis - those in charge- for a very, very long time.
Mere non-Israelis couldn’t tell Sabras about danger! Israelis knew danger, not stupid soft advertising executives and movie industry experts from America. Or anyone else with half a mind.
The bloody calls for Israeli extinction were present from the 1940s onwards, but the Arab leaders were preaching to their masses.
But Yasser Arafat changed the field, by carefully aiming two levels of talk - one of internal savage Arabic language of murder, and another version pitched to the West.
Did he take a page from Soviet communist double speak, and pitch a siren song to a younger crowd in the West, who knew nothing of the complex situation and never would? Who knew nothing of religious hatred towards Jews by Islam, and Arab horror that infidels were building up a land once ruled by the Caliphate? Of course he would.
I know I wasn’t the only one seeing the long game. Arabs are acutely aware of their history, and the successful 100 years it took to finally defeat the Crusaders. A long game beats short sighted planners much of the time.
Professionals in Hollywood and the advertising world in at least the 80s knew this, of course! They were experts in influencing. Knowing well what the blood lust propaganda meant, some offered Israel effective Hasbara for free. The article I read, I believe in the 80s, went on to briefly describe a wall of stunning ignorance, high school strutting arrogance towards those who didn’t fight in Tzahal. Israeli officials strutting about because they thought physical war was the only one that mattered. That was so stupid I remember my jaw dropping and feeling despair as I read it.
These were group-think idiots who clearly ignored the dotted lines of the very effective Nazi propaganda and death camps that led to the current Arab propaganda and the danger to the Jewish state and the Jewish people.
So the story of the leader of Neturei Carta as amusing by some “upper” Israelis, referenced above, reveals a naïveté beyond their understanding. Even though the N.Karta and Satmar were involved in a notorious kidnapping case in Israel. And it is another example of the above history: The N. Karta are most certainly useful idiots for the Arab world, and used as decades as examples of the correct Jews.
But Hamas has taken over the propaganda and are completing the strategy started by the PLO. Last week, the Wall Street Journal ran a report on this. The FBI has been following the Hamas agenda in the US since at least 1983, when they taped the 3 day strategic session held in Philadelphia: “I swear by Allah that war is deception !” The education Institute, the training of future American leaders in Universities, funding groups with vague innocent names, etc. I invite you to find the article and read it:
“Opinion: The Global War against the Jews” in the WSJ
"Some people say that God is on our side, but unless He has issued a new update since October 7th, I am not reassured."
After beating around the bush for the past 15 years, thank you for finally revealing what your personal view of G-d is.
I'm pretty sure he means as opposed to the Holocaust for example where God was "against" us. Read it in good faith and charitably and it's not so bad
So you mean he wrote it "allegorically". In such a case a little more sensitivity should require things to be a bit more nuanced.
Maybe
The way he speaks about Hashem shows who he really is. What a filthy way to talk. Feh!
Touch some grass please
As Rabbi Meir Kahane says, an antisemite is a non jew who hates Jews more than s/he's supposed to. Living amongst non Jews, with this idea in mind, is very burdensome and unpleasant (but also provides clarity which many delusional Jews are lacking). I personally feel liberated walking around as a Jew in Israel. It's great to be home.
I wouldn't be surprised if R' Kahane said it, but it's an old British saying.
For Jews, it provides some clarity about non-Jewish attitudes.
Living in Israel diminishes the chances (read "probability" in some Jewish sectors: secular, reform, Conservative, Reconstruction ) that your children will marry outside Judaism. It's nice to have Jewish grandchildren.
This sounds like the "why judaism posts".
Except I like this one;)
He means there are much better reasons.
Because we don't belong anywhere else. Hashem has told us this in the Torah and history has confirmed it. Lands where Jews have felt comfortable have had its citizens turn against the Jews. This is our only home.
Would just like to add that it may seem for the moment that outside of Israel Jews are safe. For now. But we've seen that in the past that ultimately we are at the mercy of non-Jewish governments. If one charismatic Hitler type leader rises again, nothing can stop it happening again. All so-called Democratic laws can be changed overnight, as Germany did in the 1930s.
Many writers, such as Orwell spelled out how such a thing can happen, not necessarily against Jews, but it's not a stretch of the imagination for it to develop that way too.
Yes, Israel might be struggling for survival for the past few decades, but once it establishes itself and sorts out the crisis's before it, we are secured with our own destiny. Whatever happens after is up to us as a country and as a nation.
There are no guarantees in other countries where we are less than 2.5% of the population.
Better the devil you know..... So you can deal with it now ... Then something coming where you're powerless.
In the same vein, give me freedom or give me death. Give me the empowerment to choose my own destiny then be at the mercy of others. This applies to Torah Jews too.
How we decide to progress as Torah Jews, and all the difficult decisions we're going to have to make in the future, can only be made if we are in control of our own destiny. Many things will need to be decided within the next few decades.
Thank you for such a beautiful post. I would like to add another reason.
Israel is the one thing that ties all jews together. There are many jews all over the world that have become secular and have little connection to Judaism. Within the groups that do have a connection to Judaism, they bitter fight each other over various matters. Yet Israel ties everyone together. Israel reminds us that we are all brothers and that whether you are Secular, Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Chasidish, Charedi, Dati, Ashkenazi, Sefardi or any other kind of jew, life is precious.
Well said!
All the reasons you state are correct, and there are many more. And make no mistake: we in Chu"l think the exact same thing of our own country: "What are we doing here in ___ (US, Canada, France, etc.)? We don't belong here."
In short, you can list reasons to live in Israel, but you dont have to. We're all living a lie here, and halevai we will one day have the courage/guts/resources to go up.
I understand why many religious Jews "can't" make Aliyah. But isn't it time for religious Jews to prepare their children to make Aliyah through preparation such as intense Hebrew language instruction,financial support, and preparing them with an appropriate vocation to live in Israel. Most importantly to instill in the community that the ideal is to live in Israel not to have the the fanciest house in Teaneck e.t.c..or to be with the grandchildren outside of Israel.You may strive for the "good" life but in Israel.This has to be the focus. It is important for every religious Jew to take steps towards realizing this goal.
We should all move to Israel while slifkin moves away. He doesn't think Hashem is on our side. Get out of God's country, you big fake!
You're not here yet yourself?
"Unfortunately, while Israel might psychologically feel safe, the objective reality is that it is certainly far from the safest place."
In the physical or spiritual dimension?
.ore learning and more identity with the Jewish people. Less chance of intermarraige. Israel where the Torah was meant to be fulfilled.
National Post
Nov 04, 2023
Page 16
Reconsidering Canada
Joe Roberts wonders whether he should stay in Canada or move to Israel.