The Three Rules of Real Estate

The property of the righteous men – i.e., the remainder of the city's inhabitants who were not led astray (to idolatry) with the majority – that is located within the city should be burned together with all its property. Since they resided there, their fortunes are destroyed. – Rambam, Laws of Idol Worship, Ch. 4.  

Then, things changed. An Arab family moved into the neighborhood. They invited other families in their clan to join them.  

A crime wave began. The value of the properties in the  neighborhood f ell like a brick.  

The estate, once a diamond necklace, now became an albatross tied around this family’s neck. They couldn’t sell it even for a pittance, but had to pay property taxes on it as if it was still worth a mint. 

All due to the behavior of their neighbors.  

Maintaining the Value of What’s Yours 

It happens all the time.  

A nice town goes bad. A ghost town is revived. What was once swampland transformed into a mega metropolis. So much of what we have can be attributed to our surroundings.  

Other people building businesses in every corner makes it easier for us to find work. The value of our own home rises, giving us  opportunities  we never had before.  

The community we choose to live in plays a huge role in the people we become.  

The people we decide to have around us can play an even bigger role in the individuals our children will become.  

If we decide to keep righteous friends, there is social pressure to be righteous. Baruch Hashem, along with our own desire to serve G-d, we enjoy peer pressure that creates a momentum driving us in the right direction.  

But what happens when our inner group starts to include unsavory people? What happens when some of the people in our group change, and stop doing good? 

The momentum changes. It throws us off course.  

We must decide whether to make a course correction or not.  

This becomes one of those life-or-death choices where indecision is itself a decision.  

In the Mishneh Torah, the Rambam describes a city of idolatry as a place where a small group came in, started to proselytize evil, and ultimately turned the city into one of idolatry.  

Even though it was one or two despicable people who started it all, everyone must pay with their lives and their fortunes.  

A Great Change to Every Community 

For the first time since the United States institutionalized Sodomy, all branches of elected government are ruled by those who worked to “normalize” such abomination.  

This past week, a prayer was recited in the Capitol Building invoking idols, even desecrating the word “Amen,” which derives from the Hebrew word L’Ha’amin, to have faith. Amen shares the same root as the word emunah.  

Within 72 hours this building was overrun for the first time in over 200 years. 

This is no coincidence. Just like the Wuhan Plague, we have been warned.  

Righteous and Wicked Alike Must Make Their Choice 

When a wicked city is destroyed, even the property of the righteous is burned to ashes.  

When your friends stop meeting every day to learn Torah and start drinking at the local bar, it’s time to find new friends. You are not betraying them; they already betrayed you.  

When the family your family spends its time with suddenly includes bad people at their get togethers, and you see your children mimicking what they are doing, say goodbye.  

If your life is in danger somewhere, you get out of there pronto. All the more so when your soul is in danger. Even more when it is the life and soul of your children, the very beings Hashem made you personally responsible for.  

Our obligation to Hashem supersedes our commitment to friends, leaders, even our community – especially if they begin to tear us apart from our Maker.  

Rome was indestructible. It was never defeated. It fell due to its own debauchery.  

The seven nations that ruled the Land of Israel were unconquerable. Hashem told us that He is replacing them with us due to their evil, idolatrous ways.  

Never in human history has a nation survived Sodomy, unlawfulness, and idolatry. These are all part of the seven universal laws Hashem gives to all mankind – and when they are publicly permitted, the society literally disintegrates, ripping itself apart at the seams.  

Anyone who remains in a place that flaunts G-d’s legal and spiritual foundations of existence puts everything they have worked for their entire life at extreme risk.  

Save Your Family. Save Yourself.  

No nation has ever survived open revolt against G-d and no nation ever will.  

Egypt. Greece. Rome. Nazi Europe. The Soviet Union. . . and the United States.  

How much money has been created in the form of COVID-19 stimulus packages? $4 trillion and counting. The incoming government is talking about giving away money on a permanent basis by creating trillions of more dollars.  

The creation of money is a tax on every citizen because it devalues the currency everyone is holding.  

As that currency devalues, the cost of everything increases, forcing people to sell all their assets to buy basic essentials at twice, three times the price. This type of inflation burns everyone’s wealth at an alarming rate.  

Rome is burning. Jerusalem is being rebuilt.  

In one corner of the world, abomination and idolatry are rampant. The media is hiding the truth from us – according to R’ Nir ben Artzi, the media is reporting less than 1% of the truth of the revolution that is happening in America, and even less of the real weight of the dread of anti-Semitism around the world. The situation is much, much worse already now than they want you to believe – and all the tzaddikim are screaming that it is going to keep getting worse. 

Here in Israel, there are over 200 mincha minyanim in Tel Aviv alone. The resistance to it is becoming increasingly desperate.  

To my brothers and sisters in the west: Get out while you can.  

Save what you have. Starting with your connection to G-d.  

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David Ben Horin lives in Afula with his wife and children. Since moving to Israel in 2002, David has discovered Torah, writing hi-tech, hiking, coding ReactJS Apps, and hearing stories about the Land of Israel from anyone excited to tell them. Check him out on Highway 60 or email him your favorite Israel story at:  

david.ben.horin@spreadyourenthusiasm.com.