Eretz-Israel 002

7:
We have seen that most of the poskim [decisors] follow Ramban [Moses Naĥmanides] against Rambam [Moses Maimonides] and hold that there is a mitzvah which requires the Jewish people to live in Eretz-Israel. Certainly, it would seem that the sages of the Talmudic era held that there was such a mitzvah. This becomes very apparent when we consider how they reacted when forced by circumstances to leave Eretz-Israel.

8:
In the Torah [Deuteronomy 12:29-30] we find the following command:

On the words "When God has cut down the nations" we find the following midrash [Yalkut Shim'oni 888]:

These five sages, forced by circumstances to leave Eretz-Israel, are heartbroken when they recall that the Torah juxtaposes the command to reside in Eretz-Israel with the command to observe all the laws of the Torah. Thus they conclude that observing the command to reside in Eretz-Israel is considered as important as all the other commands of the Torah together! (We do know that Rabbi Yehudah ben-Beteyra did eventually settle in Nisibis, which was a town on the very border between the Roman Empire and Persia. Also, Rabbi Matya ben-Ĥeresh settled in the city of Rome itself. I am not aware of the fate of the three other sages mentioned in this midrash; perhaps they resided abroad, perhaps they returned to Eretz-Israel. The Midrash now recounts another incident:

9:
In both these midrashim the sages make a tremendous claim: observance of the mitzvah to reside in Eretz-Israel is the equivalent of observing all the other mitzvot of the Torah! One might think that this is some kind of exaggeration, but the formula is applied to other mitzvot as well. I have searched our classical sources (admittedly, not thoroughly) and have found five other mitzvot whose observance is also considered to be the equivalent of observing the whole Torah.

• Circumcision [Midrash Tehillim, Psalm 6]
• Tzitzit [Nedarim 25a]
• Tzedakah (Charity) [Bava Batra 9a]
• Shabbat [Shemot Rabba 28:12]
• Idolatry [Yalkut Shim'oni, Leviticus 595]

Certainly, the mitzvot listed above may be considered among the most central and pivotal to Judaism; so the inclusion of residence in Eretz-Israel in the same list does give some indication of the importance that the sages attached to this mitzvah.

10:
However, we should also note that under certain circumstances sages who had been resident in Eretz-Istael did settle (presumably on a permanent basis) in other countries. It seems that there was an ideal and a reality. The ideal is expressed very clearly in a passage in the Tosefta [Avodah Zarah 8:2]

There are here two very sweeping statements. The first we have already met: that residence in Eretz-Israel is equivalent to observance of the whole of the Torah. But there is here also a rider: it is better to reside in Eretz-Israel even in a city inhabited by non-Jews rather than reside outside Eretz-Israel, even in a city all of whose inhabitants are Jews! The second statement is that anyone who is buried in Eretz-Israel is considered to be buried beneath the very altar itself in the Bet Mikdash. Since the altar (because of the sacrifices offered on it) was Israel's source of forgiveness and atonement the Tosefta here is saying that burial in Eretz-Israel ensures that all the sins of the deceased are forgiven.

11:
We shall return to the rest of the passage from the Tosefta at a later stage. But it seems to me important to note here a certain caveat. It would seem that many people – especially the rich – who lived outside Eretz-Israel would arrange to be buried somewhere in Eretz-Israel after their death. Not all the sages saw this as an undiluted blessing.

The above incident dates to some time in the middle of the 3rd century. Ulla was a prominent sage in Babylon. He paid regular visits to Eretz-Israel but did not settle there. This prompts Rabbi El'azar [ben-Pedat] to disparage his desire to be buried in Eretz-Israel. This next anecdote, in the same vein, dates to some fifty years earlier:

12:
At any rate, despite the disparaging comments of the sages of Eretz-Israel, it seems that many people who lived abroad desired to be buried in Eretz-Israel.

To be continued.