Aliyah - Revision history

Ron: /* The bottom line: */

2009-10-16T12:13:07Z

The bottom line:

Ron at 04:53, 14 October 2009

2009-10-14T04:53:31Z

Show changes

Ron at 04:44, 14 October 2009

2009-10-14T04:44:07Z

Ron at 19:55, 13 October 2009

2009-10-13T19:55:03Z

Ron at 19:52, 13 October 2009

2009-10-13T19:52:05Z

Ron at 19:46, 13 October 2009

2009-10-13T19:46:51Z

Ron at 19:36, 13 October 2009

2009-10-13T19:36:09Z

Ron: /* Leaving home is hard to do */

2009-02-12T17:53:02Z

Leaving home is hard to do

Ron at 05:46, 7 November 2008

2008-11-07T05:46:06Z

Ron at 07:23, 30 May 2008

2008-05-30T07:23:44Z

@@ Line 129: / Line 129: @@
 ''Updates:''
-* We finally made ''aliyah'', landing in Israel on the 31st of July 2007.  We currently live in the town of Maaleh Adummim, just east ofJerusalem.  You can read about our adventure [[Blog|in my ''aliyah'' blog]].
+* We finally made ''aliyah'', landing in Israel on the 31st of July 2007 (ט"ו באב תשמ"ז).  We currently live in the town of Maaleh Adummim, just east ofJerusalem.  You can read about our adventure [[Blog|in my ''aliyah'' blog]].
 {{devar}}
 [[category:aliyah]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 __NOTOC__
 <big><center>Aliyah: why am I doing it?</center></big>
 <center>A guide for the perplexed</center>
-Once I publicized my decision to pursue aliyah (immigration to Israel), my friends and family started asking me, "what on Earth is wrong with you?". This essay is an attempt to answer that question, not only for others' benefit but for my own as well. A note to those of you who are careful not to erase Holy names, even in English - I do not hyphenate the English word for the Deity; you may therefore wish to avoid printing this document. A note to those of you who are not yet fluent in Hebrew: "hashem" is the Hebrew term used to refer to God by name; since we are careful not to use His name unnecessarily, we use an indirect reference. "hashem" just means, "the name".
+Once I publicized my decision to pursue ''aliyah'' (immigration to Israel), my friends and family started asking me, "what on Earth is wrong with you?". This essay is an attempt to answer that question, not only for others' benefit but for my own as well. A note to those of you who are careful not to erase Holy names, even in English - I do not hyphenate the English word for the Deity; you may therefore wish to avoid printing this document. A note to those of you who are not yet fluent in Hebrew: "hashem" is the Hebrew term used to refer to God by name; since we are careful not to use His name unnecessarily, we use an indirect reference. "hashem" just means, "the name".  "Torah" refers to the "Pentateuch", or the first five books of the Bible.
 ==Leaving home is hard to do==
-It's never easy to leave the place one grew up, where everything is familiar.  Particularly so when one has a relatively secure job and is not facing persecution. This is why one of the methods of teshuva (repentance) is to exile oneself to a distant land ( MT Laws of Teshuva 2:5[4] - "שגלות מכפרת עוון, מפני שגורמת לו להיכנע ולהיות עניו ושפל רוח." ) . There are good reasons to avoid living in Israel, particularly at this time: the threat of terrorism, poor economic outlook>, the Byzantine governmental bureaucracy -- not to mention Israeli's well-known lack of politeness. However, there are many good reasons to live there, and with God's help I will try to lay out for you my reasons and goals.
+It's never easy to leave the place one grew up, where everything is familiar.  Particularly so when one has a relatively secure job and is not facing persecution. This is why one of the methods of ''teshuva'' (repentance) is to exile oneself to a distant land {{hcite|i/1502n.htm#5|Laws of Teshuva 2:5}}. There seem to be good reasons to avoid living in Israel, particularly at this time: the threat of terrorism, poor economic outlook, the Byzantine governmental bureaucracy -- not to mention Israeli's well-known lack of politeness. However, there are many good reasons to live there, and with God's help I will try to lay out for you my reasons and goals.
 ==The obligation of living in the Land==
@@ Line 66: / Line 69: @@
 One last point on this topic: medical care. Whatever the pros and cons of socialized medicine, it is a fact that no Israeli need go without medical care, no matter how poor. The medical care in Israel is world-class, and researchers there break new ground in treatment of all sorts of ailments every day. Whereas in the US there are hundreds of thousands of people who cannot get basic medical care because of their circumstances, this is unheard of in Israel.
 ==You can't move before mashiach comes!==
@@ Line 99: / Line 105: @@
 Of course, the preferable solution to this problem is for all Jews to return to the Land, to their inheritance. Were we to live in the same Land, even in different cities, this issue would be altogether moot.
 ==But what about your children?!?==
@@ Line 118: / Line 128: @@
 Despite the inherent difficulties, and the many obstacles in our path, we have committed to making the move in the shortest practical timeframe. We urge you to do the same.
-===Updates====
+''Updates:''
-* We finally made aliyah, landing in Israel on the 31st of July 2007.  We currently live in the town of Maaleh Adummim, just east ofJerusalem.  You can read about our adventure [[Blog|in my aliyah blog]].
+* We finally made ''aliyah'', landing in Israel on the 31st of July 2007.  We currently live in the town of Maaleh Adummim, just east ofJerusalem.  You can read about our adventure [[Blog|in my ''aliyah'' blog]].
 {{devar}}
 [[category:aliyah]]

@@ Line 59: / Line 59: @@
 Nevertheless, there are jobs available and the economy is improving slowly and the mid to long-term forecast is good. It will probably never be as comfortable a place to live as the US or Europe, but as long as one has enough to live on, what else is necessary? I should also note that I know many people here in the US who have been looking for work for a long time without success.
 While it is true the economy is difficult in Israel, it is also true that being an observant Jew in the US is both difficult and very expensive. Kosher meat is three or four times more expensive than non-kosher. Our children attend private Jewish schools. The combined tuition costs us the equivalent of a new car every year.  I have to use my personal vacation time for Jewish holidays rather than for actual vacation. All these expenses would be significantly lower in Israel, and one doesn't have to justify taking off for Jewish holidays to the Gentile boss.
@@ Line 67: / Line 65: @@
 One last point on this topic: medical care. Whatever the pros and cons of socialized medicine, it is a fact that no Israeli need go without medical care, no matter how poor. The medical care in Israel is world-class, and researchers there break new ground in treatment of all sorts of ailments every day. Whereas in the US there are hundreds of thousands of people who cannot get basic medical care because of their circumstances, this is unheard of in Israel.
 ==You can't move before mashiach comes!==
@@ Line 99: / Line 95: @@
 Of course family visits would take place less frequently when half the planet intervenes; but that is neither a reason to stay in exile nor an insurmountable problem. To anyone wishing to visit us wherever we end up, we pledge B"N to make available as comfortable a guest room as we can accommodate.
 Those for whom the flight would be too lengthy if taken as one or two flights, could split it into three or more legs; stopping en-route and visiting or resting as needed. Flight time should be the least of one's concerns if the desire to visit is great enough.
@@ Line 127: / Line 121: @@
 * We finally made aliyah, landing in Israel on the 31st of July 2007.  We currently live in the town of Maaleh Adummim, just east ofJerusalem.  You can read about our adventure [[Blog|in my aliyah blog]].
 * The economy of Israel has proven to be much stronger and more resilient than the US.  Of course, when this was originally written I had no idea that things would work out this way...
 {{devar}}
 [[category:aliyah]]

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 ==Leaving home is hard to do==
-It's never easy to leave the place one grew up, where everything is familiar.  Particularly so when one has a relatively secure job and is not facing persecution. This is why one of the methods of teshuva (repentance) is to exile oneself to a distant land ( MT Laws of Teshuva 2:5[4] - "שגלות מכפרת עוון, מפני שגורמת לו להיכנע ולהיות עניו ושפל רוח." ) . There are good reasons to avoid living in Israel, particularly at this time: the threat of terrorism, poor economic outlook<ref>When this was written, in the early 2000s it was true.  As of 2006 the picture has improved</ref>, the Byzantine governmental bureaucracy -- not to mention Israeli's well-known lack of politeness. However, there are many good reasons to live there, and with God's help I will try to lay out for you my reasons and goals.
+It's never easy to leave the place one grew up, where everything is familiar.  Particularly so when one has a relatively secure job and is not facing persecution. This is why one of the methods of teshuva (repentance) is to exile oneself to a distant land ( MT Laws of Teshuva 2:5[4] - "שגלות מכפרת עוון, מפני שגורמת לו להיכנע ולהיות עניו ושפל רוח." ) . There are good reasons to avoid living in Israel, particularly at this time: the threat of terrorism, poor economic outlook>, the Byzantine governmental bureaucracy -- not to mention Israeli's well-known lack of politeness. However, there are many good reasons to live there, and with God's help I will try to lay out for you my reasons and goals.
 ==The obligation of living in the Land==
@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 The [[wikipedia:Ramban|Ramban]] (Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, or Nachmanides) in his commentary on this pasuq (verse) says, "My opinion is that this is a positive commandment; He commanded them to settle and possess the land because He gave it to them, and they should not despise the inheritance of Hashem". In other words, he takes this pasuq as a source for the obligation of living in the Land.
-My teacher, the [[wikipedia:Rambam|Rambam]] (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, or Maimonides), does not enumerate living in the Land as a separate mitsvah (commandment). This has caused many to mistakenly infer he did not view it as a mitsvah. That point of view is difficult to understand, considering he specifically mentions numerous mitsvot which only apply inside the Land. Further, he says in the Laws of Kings 5:15:
+My teacher, the [[wikipedia:Rambam|Rambam]] (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, or Maimonides), does not enumerate living in the Land as a separate mitsvah (commandment). This has caused many to mistakenly infer he did not view it as a mitsvah. That point of view is difficult to understand, considering he specifically mentions numerous mitsvot which only apply inside the Land.  Further, he says in the {{hcite|i/e505n.htm#15|Laws of Kings 5:15:}} "One should always endeavor to live in the Land, even in a city which is mostly non-Jews, rather than live outside the Land even in a city which is mostly Jews".
 It seems the Rambam does indeed believe there is a mitsvah of living in the Land. He further states {{hcite|i/4113n.htm#25|Laws of Women 13:25}}, that in the case where one spouse wishes to live in the Land and the other does not, the one who wants to live in the Land has the upper hand - and the other spouse must either move, or divorce. He further states {{hcite|i/c508n.htm#10|Laws of Slaves 8:10}} : that a slave who escapes to the Land is not extradited to his master who is living outside the Land. Even further, he says that the only reasons one may leave the Land are to find a wife, to engage in Torah study, or because of extreme financial hardship {{hcite|i/e505n.htm#11|Laws of Kings 5:11}}! If there are only three valid reasons to leave the Land, does it not imply that all our elaborate justifications for remaining in exile are self-delusion?
@@ Line 125: / Line 123: @@
 Despite the inherent difficulties, and the many obstacles in our path, we have committed to making the move in the shortest practical timeframe. We urge you to do the same.
-----
-'''Note:''' we finally made aliyah, landing in Israel on the 31st of July 2007.  We currently live in the town of Maaleh Adummim, 7km. from Jerusalem.  You can read about our adventure [[Blog|on my aliyah blog]].
+===Updates====
 {{devar}}
 [[category:aliyah]]

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 "One should always endeavor to live in the Land, even in a city which is mostly non-Jews, rather than live outside the Land even in a city which is mostly Jews".
-It seems the Rambam does indeed believe there is a mitsvah of living in the Land. He further states in the Laws of Marriage <ref> MT Ishut 13:25[20]: אמר האיש לעלות לארץ ישראל, והיא אינה רוצה - תצא שלא בכתובה; אמרה היא לעלות, והוא אינו רוצה - יוציא וייתן כתובה; והוא הדין לכל מקום מארץ ישראל, עם ירושלים: שהכול מעלין לארץ ישראל, ואין הכול מוציאין משם; והכול מעלין לירושלים, ואין הכול מוציאין משם </ref> , that in the case where one spouse wishes to live in the Land and the other does not, the one who wants to live in the Land has the upper hand - and the other spouse must either move, or divorce. Further, in the laws of slaves <ref> MT Avadim 8:10[9] - עבד שאמר לעלות לארץ ישראל - כופין את רבו לעלות עימו, או ימכור אותו למי שיעלהו לשם.  רצה האדון לצאת לחוצה לארץ - אינו יכול להוציא את עבדו, עד שירצה העבד.  ודין זה בכל זמן, אפילו בזמן הזה, שהארץ ביד גויים </ref> : that a slave who escapes to the Land is not extradited to his master who is living outside the Land. Even further, he says that the only reasons one may leave the Land are to find a wife, to engage in Torah study, or because of extreme financial hardship <ref> MT Melachim 5:11[9] - אסור לצאת מארץ ישראל לחוצה לארץ לעולם - אלא ללמוד תורה, או לישא אישה, או להציל מיד הגויים, ויחזור לארץ; וכן יוצא הוא לסחורה.  אבל לשכון בחוצה לארץ, אסור - אלא אם כן חזק שם הרעב, עד שנעשה שווה דינר חיטין בשני דינרין </ref> ! If there are only three valid reasons to leave the Land, does it not imply that all our elaborate justifications for remaining in exile are self-delusion?
+It seems the Rambam does indeed believe there is a mitsvah of living in the Land. He further states {{hcite|i/4113n.htm#25|Laws of Women 13:25}}, that in the case where one spouse wishes to live in the Land and the other does not, the one who wants to live in the Land has the upper hand - and the other spouse must either move, or divorce. He further states {{hcite|i/c508n.htm#10|Laws of Slaves 8:10}} : that a slave who escapes to the Land is not extradited to his master who is living outside the Land. Even further, he says that the only reasons one may leave the Land are to find a wife, to engage in Torah study, or because of extreme financial hardship {{hcite|i/e505n.htm#11|Laws of Kings 5:11}}! If there are only three valid reasons to leave the Land, does it not imply that all our elaborate justifications for remaining in exile are self-delusion?
 Why then doesn't the Rambam list living in the Land as a separate mitsvah? He clearly seems to believe it is required! I think the answer is clearly that he feels it is a prerequisite for other mitsvot, therefore he doesn't feel the need to mention it specifically. Just as we don't have a mitsvah to eat -- but there is a mitsvah to say a blessing over food, so too regarding the Land. There are hundreds of mitsvot which can only be done in the Land -- obviously, one must live there if possible!
@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 The Rambam, however, doesn't specifically enumerate living in the Land as a positive commandment; it seems he would not say there is any transgression involved in not living in the Land. That is a bit simplistic, though. If a person says by analogy, "I have no tefillin, therefore I am not obligated!"... is that person not transgressing by avoiding performance of a mitsvah? How much more so with respect to living in the Land, upon which so many mitsvot depend!
-The famous episode of the "spies"<ref>Numbers 13:2 etc.</ref> is recounted in Deut 1:26 as a sin. Our traditional commentators on Torah mention that the sin of the spies was that they slandered the Land and caused the people to lose faith in God's promise. When we avoid living in our Land for any but a very few reasons, we compound the spies' sin, keep it alive and bring disaster upon ourselves.
+The famous episode of the "spies" {{hcite|p/pt/pt0413.htm#2|Numbers 13:2, etc}} is recounted in Deut 1:26 as a sin. Our traditional commentators on Torah mention that the sin of the spies was that they slandered the Land and caused the people to lose faith in God's promise. When we avoid living in our Land for any but a very few reasons, we compound the spies' sin, keep it alive and bring disaster upon ourselves.
 ==You can be a good Jew outside the Land!==
@@ Line 128: / Line 128: @@
 '''Note:''' we finally made aliyah, landing in Israel on the 31st of July 2007.  We currently live in the town of Maaleh Adummim, 7km. from Jerusalem.  You can read about our adventure [[Blog|on my aliyah blog]].
 {{devar}}
 [[category:aliyah]]