The Elimination of Exile, Part 2
Do you want Mashiach and the glorious return to Eretz Yisrael, or do you wish to prolong the exile under foreign rule in strange lands indefinitely?
The Elimination of Exile, Part 2
Many of our leading Rabbis, both in the Diaspora and in Eretz Yisrael, agree that we are now living in the Messianic era. This must mean that after nearly 2000 years of terrible suffering and self sacrifice, God in his mercy is finally rewarding his people with redemption. Just as the long cruel exile is the climax of punishments, so is the final redemption the ultimate reward for the Jewish people.
There is no denying that the terrible Holocaust and the return of sovereignty of all of Eretz Yisrael to the Jewish people after miraculous victories in war, and the subsequent “in-gathering” of millions of Jews into their own Land is a clear sign of the impending arrival of our righteous Mashiach. How many realize the enormity of belonging to this generation of the Jewish people in these awesome times?
This makes it difficult to understand why so many Jews living in exile, especially the observant ones, continue to spend huge amounts of money in building new schools, synagogues, and other expensive community centers.
Isn’t it hypocrisy and lack of faith to take out long term loans with no intention of moving anywhere while the congregation cries out “Mashiach Now?” Do people want Mashiach and the glorious return to Eretz Yisrael, or do they wish to prolong the exile and live under foreign rule in a strange land for an indefinite period?
There is a tradition in Judaism that says the final redemption will be like the first. In the first redemption-the exodus from Egypt- God declared that whoever failed to leave Egypt for the Land of Israel would die in Egypt.
Why did God bring darkness upon them? Blessed is the name of God, Who accepts no bribes and Who examines man’s innermost thoughts. Some of the Jews had Egyptian patrons. These Jews had wealth and honor and did not wish to leave. God said, “If I bring a plague upon them out in the open and they die, the Egyptians will say, ‘just as God punished us, so did he punish the Jews.’” He therefore brought darkness upon the Egyptians for three days so that Israel would bury their dead without their enemies seeing them. (Shemot Rabbah 14;3)
We find in Tanchuma (Beshalach 1) “Well-armed (Chamushim) did the children of Israel leave Egypt (Ex 13;18): One out of five (Chamesh).” In other words one in five Jews left Egypt. The rest died because they did not wish to leave.
Heaven forbid this should occur in the final redemption- but we have been warned.
Today we are seeing a continuing resurgence of antisemitism – many times violent – all over the Diaspora; yet Jews continue to settle down amongst the gentiles.
The Torah says, “The people of Israel lived in Egypt, in the Goshen district, and they took possession of it, and were fruitful and multiplied exceedingly” (Gen.47:27). The Kli Yakar explains: “This whole verse levels an accusation against the Jewish people. God decreed that their seed would be ‘strangers’(Gen15:13)[i.e. temporary residents], whereas they sought to live there permanently…”.
The verse likewise blames them for seeking a foothold in a land not theirs. So entrenched did they become, and so much did they wish to remain in Egypt, that God had to take them out by force. Those who still wished to remain died in the three days of darkness.
Despite the rise in antisemitism – which I believe is a message to all Jews living outside of Israel to come to their true home – Yeshivas, synagogues, schools and other Jewish institutions continue to flourish and grow in many parts of the Diaspora.
Jews in the Diaspora are so comfortable in exile, both spiritually and materially, that they simply refuse to leave their foreign lands. Worse most of them do not even feel “deep pain or remorse” for still being in exile away from their home land.
Once again, Heaven forbid, should Jews be made leave the exile by force?
For all those Jews who refuse to believe in the mitzva of living in the Land of Israel until the arrival of Mashiach or feel that their mission in exile is more important, let them be reminded of the following passages from the Talmud:
“The Rabbis learned: One should always live in Eretz Yisrael, even in a city whose majority is idolaters, and he should not live outside Eretz Yisrael, even in city with a Jewish majority. Whoever lives in Eretz Yisrael is like someone who has a God, and whoever lives outside of Eretz Yisrael is like someone who has no God…. (Ketuvot 110b.)
Our sages said further (Tosefta, Avodah Zarah,5;2):
“A person should live in Eretz Yisrael, even in a city whose majority is idolators, and not outside the Land, even in a city that is entirely Jewish.” This teaches that living in Eretz Yisrael is of equal weight to all the mitzvot of the Torah combined. If someone is buried in Eretz Yisrael, it is as though he is buried under the altar.
To that end we come to the issue of living in Israel. The Torah tells us that, “When you came to the Land of Israel which Hashem your God has given you, the Land shall keep a Sabbath for the Lord” (Vayikra 25). The Ibn Ezra tells us that when the Jewish people will return to the Land of Israel, it is Hashem who will enjoy the Sabbath. All His children will be Home, and He will finally feel at peace. What greater joy can Hashem get from His children?
Not only Hashem is happy when the children of Israel are home. Our “grandmother” Rachel, the great matriarch of the Jewish people will be consoled from her continuous weeping.
Every Jew that comes Home will bring joy and nachas (gratification) to Rachel, because we are fulfilling her greatest wish.
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The author can be contacted at babchon@telkomsa.net
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