THE ART OF LIVING IN ISRAEL
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THE ART OF LIVING IN ISRAEL
My 19 year old daughter came to Deal this summer, to spend time with her grandparents. She sees how in America, there is Torah, Chinuch, Tzniut, Tefillah, endless classes that are packed from wall to wall, and delicious Kosher food. She was even more blown away by visiting Lakewood. She tells my wife, Ma! It is so beautiful here. What are we doing in Yerushalayim? Kids here are happy and calm. People live well. What are we doing, with our family of 10 kids in Jerusalem, living in a 110-meter apartment, in Bayit Vegan, Jerusalem? Religion is the in thing, here. The cool thing. This daughter, is very spiritual, only looking to grow, and this is what she tells my wife.
My wife asks me, with tears, “Yossi, what are we doing here? Am I stupid? I am killing myself! Are all your siblings smart and we are the dumb ones?” She knows that there is an answer, she just wanted to make sure, I know the answer, because too many times, I complain about it.
I constantly ask, my parents, my Rabbis, my siblings, if I should come back to America, and they all tell me, STAY IN ISRAEL!!! But why?!?
The Talmud tells us that someone who lives in Galut, out of Israel, it is like he does not have a G-d. (Ketubot 110b): “Whoever lives in the Land of Israel is like someone who has a G-d, and whoever lives outside the Land is like someone who has no G-d. As it is written: ‘To give you the land of Canaan, to be your G-d.’ (Vayikra 25:38) What? If one doesn’t live in the Land, he does not have a G-d?
And it gets worse. The Talmud brings proof from the words of King David, that anyone who lives outside the Land of Israel it is as if he worships idolatry. Why is living outside Eretz Yisrael seen as so severe—even if someone keeps all the mitzvot?
This is something that always bothered me.
Here is the answer that I love, because it is based on understanding the nuances of the Hebrew language. The passage does not condemn someone who is forced to live abroad. Rather, the sharp criticism is aimed at those who choose to dwell permanently outside Israel, without any yearning or effort to return.
The Gemara uses the word “dar” not “gar”. כל הדר בארץ ישראל – דומה כמי שיש לו אלוה, וכל הדר בחוצה לארץ – דומה כמי שאין לו אלוה Someone who has settled with a sense of permanence abroad. Only he, is one who is similar to not having a G-d. Only he is similar, to serving idols.
Why? Because he has become spiritually disconnected from the Divine plan for Am Yisrael to live in their homeland. Someone who lives in galut, in exile, temporarily, with the yearning to return, is not included in this criticism.
This differentiation, between dar and gar, is exactly the intended meaning in Yaakov’s words “עִם לָבָן גַּרְתִּי וָאֵחַר עַד עָתָּה” (Bereshit 32:5). He had been living temporarily “גרתי” = like a ger, a stranger or temporary dweller, with Lavan. His stay was never meant to be permanent. “ואחר עד עתה” means: I delayed my return until now, but my intention was always to come back. He was telling Esav. “Don’t think I settled in Haran! I was merely a temporary guest there, and now I’m finally coming back home.”
This is in line with the Gemara in Ketubot (75a) that states: “Whether one is born in Eretz Yisrael or merely longs to see it—both are precious.” The Hafla’ah explains why. If someone longs to return—even if physically in exile—they are spiritually counted as part of the Land. As R’ Yehuda Halevi famously penned, לִבִּי בְמִזְרָח וְאָנֹכִי בְּסוֹף מַעֲרָב My heart is in the East, and I am in the far west. This is so different than what many Americans answered, about living in Israel. “I love Israel to tour, to visit, but not to live.” The opposite is true. To live in America, is just for a visit, even if it is a long visit. America is not good to live. America is good to tour.
Why is it so wrong to dwell permanently out of Isael?
One who settles permanently in the “lands of the nations” demonstrates a lack of faith in the promise of G-d, given through His prophets, that the entire purpose of exile is only as atonement until the return to Jerusalem. Such a person is as if he has no G-d within him. One who truly has a G-d, works to perfect the world under the sovereignty of G-d. And Hashem is sanctified only within the people of Israel, in the Land of Israel, not only as a Jewish State, but as a State of G-d. As the prophet Yechezkel saysוְאֶת־שֵׁ֨ם קָדְשִׁ֜י אוֹדִ֗יעַ בְּתוֹךְ֙ עַמִּ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְלֹֽא־אַחֵ֥ל אֶת־שֵׁם־קָדְשִׁ֖י ע֑וֹד וְיָדְע֤וּ הַגּוֹיִם֙ כִּי־אֲנִ֣י יְקֹוָ֔ק קָד֖וֹשׁ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל: (39:7)
On the other side of the coin, the Baal Shem Tov adds a twist to the words, that someone who lives in Israel, דומה , it is similar that he is has a G-d. “Seems like he has a G-d” can mean, it seems to him he has a G-d. He feels great about himself: he’s living in Israel, in a Jewish state, and in his mind, he is in Geulah mode. He thinks he’s on G-d’s VIP list of Geulah Jews, and already fulfilled his divine obligations!
But the one who lives out of Israel, it “Seems like he doesn’t have a G-d”: It seems to him he has no G-d. He actually realizes how far he is from true godliness. That’s when he wakes up. That’s when the real work begins for him, when he knows he has to do teshuva and bring the Shechinah into his life.
The one who thinks he’s close may be very far. The one who knows he’s far… he’s already getting closer.
