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Question:

Is it a mitzvah to live in Israel nowadays?



AskTheRabbi.org answered:

In the Book of Numbers, God commands the Jewish people to “possess the Land and settle in it.” This commandment was fulfilled when the Jews entered Israel under Joshua’s leadership, fought the Canaanites and settled the Land.

After centuries of oppression and exile does this mitzvah apply? Does this verse constitute an obligation on Jews today to live in the Land of Israel or did it refer only to a particular time in history? Nachmanides maintains that the verse is timeless. Every Jew in every generation is obligated to live in the Land of Israel.

Maimonides took a different view however. In his authoritative listing of the mitzvot, he does not mention the commandment to live in Israel. Some authorities maintain that Maimonides believed the mitzvah was only applicable during an era of Jewish monarchy, when the Temple in Jerusalem existed, and will only be obligatory once again the Messianic Era.

Some commentaries maintain that although the commandment may no longer apply to the Jewish nation as a whole, nevertheless, individuals still fulfill a mitzvah by living in Israel. One of the most respected authorities of Jewish law in our times, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, wrote that he felt inadequate to resolve a controversy between two such great authorities as Maimonides and Nachmanides. He rules, however, that even though there may be no obligation today (according to Maimonides), it is nevertheless a praiseworthy act to live in Israel. Ultimately, the choice of where to live affects virtually every aspect of a person’s life – physically, spiritually and emotionally. The decision of whether or not to make aliyah must take into account all these factors, and should be made with rabbinic guidance.


 
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