I've recently gotten into a little friendly dialogue with an Arab on YouTube (at least it's friendly on my side) regarding the history of Eretz Yisrael. There was one issue that he brought up that actually made me a little angry, not at him, but because he brought up a sad truth.
The Jewish people have yearned, hoped, dreamed, and prayed to return to their Homeland. We went through the worst oppression throughout history, and now we finally have been given access to our Home, and are able to finally move there.
What happened? G-d gave us this opportunity after thousands of years, and there are still over six million Jews in America and more in other parts of the world. Why didn't every Jew in the world pack up and move in 1948 as soon as it was announced that the Jews finally had a homeland?
The comment that the Arab said was the number of Jews going out of Israel was higher than the number of Jews going in. Well that's not exactly true, but I will agree that the number of Jews coming to Israel is not nearly as high as it should be.
But why not? Why aren't Jews packing up and moving to Israel in large numbers?
The truth is they did. We had mass Aliyah from Russia & Ethiopia and we had large amounts of Jews come from other countries they were oppressed in.
But Western Jews, these are a different breed.
Western Jews have been given the chance to equally be a part of the societies in which they live. They are able to go the same schools & entertainment complexes that the resident goy can go to. They are able to join in the governments of the country they live in.
They have the same rights as everyone else in the country.
So there really isn't any reason for them to pack up and move to a war-torn, milk-in-bags, no-carpeting, no-air-conditioning, bureaucratic-mess, that we like to call Israel.
Or is there?
Even if they live in America, most Jews still associate somehow with Israel. It's really the one thing that all American Jews have in common from the Orthodox to the Unaffiliated. Of course there are plenty of people out there who try to convince them otherwise, saying that the Jews have no right to that land, how we're oppressing the "poor Palestinians," how New York (not joking) is the Jewish State, why do they need Israel?
The truth is Jews need Israel.
As Rav Kook said, "Am Yisrael is nothing without Eretz Yisrael." Jews who live in the golah, are following Torah (for the most part) why do they need Eretz Yisrael? Is it really that important!
Yes it is. It's our land, and no matter how comfortable someone is in a foreign country, it still isn't home. It's a land that is rich with our history, our heritage. And the land just wants for it's people to come home.
I was talking with someone yesterday, who was visiting America from Maaleh Adumin, and he told me that the first thing that I should do when I make Aliyah is visit Kever Rachel.
I asked why, and he said told me that she's been waiting for a long time for her children to come home, and she wants to see all of her children when they come home.
Someone else this past Shabbos told me the I should stay in America, that Baltimore (there, I said it) is "Little Yerushalayim," and how I should find a nice, Jewish girl and settle down here.
My Response: I feel sick here in America, and has nothing to do with the country. I feel sick when I'm away from Eretz Yisrael, and how ever since I've been away (now 16 months) the only thing that's been on my mind has been to find some way to get back. Regarding Baltimore being "Little Yerushalayim," they said the same thing about Berlin (you know, Germany?) how Berlin was the "New Yerushalayim."
Well we know what happened there.
Eretz Yisrael is calling her children home, the Jews of the Exile, just have to tune their hearing and listen to the calling.
Regardin Mr. Palspal (my Arab friend), yes the Jews are not coming as fast as they should, but wait, in the very near future, the Jewish People are going to return HOME! That's right PEOPLE, not religion. We are connected by a covenant that was given to our forefather Avraham 3000 years ago, and no matter how much you, and everyone else in history that have tried to break that covenant, we're still here. And we're going to be here long after you're are dead and gone, when the Jewish People have returned home and the light of G-d will be spread out to the entire world, and everyone will know the true might of the Jewish People.
The Jewish people have yearned, hoped, dreamed, and prayed to return to their Homeland. We went through the worst oppression throughout history, and now we finally have been given access to our Home, and are able to finally move there.
What happened? G-d gave us this opportunity after thousands of years, and there are still over six million Jews in America and more in other parts of the world. Why didn't every Jew in the world pack up and move in 1948 as soon as it was announced that the Jews finally had a homeland?
The comment that the Arab said was the number of Jews going out of Israel was higher than the number of Jews going in. Well that's not exactly true, but I will agree that the number of Jews coming to Israel is not nearly as high as it should be.
But why not? Why aren't Jews packing up and moving to Israel in large numbers?
The truth is they did. We had mass Aliyah from Russia & Ethiopia and we had large amounts of Jews come from other countries they were oppressed in.
But Western Jews, these are a different breed.
Western Jews have been given the chance to equally be a part of the societies in which they live. They are able to go the same schools & entertainment complexes that the resident goy can go to. They are able to join in the governments of the country they live in.
They have the same rights as everyone else in the country.
So there really isn't any reason for them to pack up and move to a war-torn, milk-in-bags, no-carpeting, no-air-conditioning, bureaucratic-mess, that we like to call Israel.
Or is there?
Even if they live in America, most Jews still associate somehow with Israel. It's really the one thing that all American Jews have in common from the Orthodox to the Unaffiliated. Of course there are plenty of people out there who try to convince them otherwise, saying that the Jews have no right to that land, how we're oppressing the "poor Palestinians," how New York (not joking) is the Jewish State, why do they need Israel?
The truth is Jews need Israel.
As Rav Kook said, "Am Yisrael is nothing without Eretz Yisrael." Jews who live in the golah, are following Torah (for the most part) why do they need Eretz Yisrael? Is it really that important!
Yes it is. It's our land, and no matter how comfortable someone is in a foreign country, it still isn't home. It's a land that is rich with our history, our heritage. And the land just wants for it's people to come home.
I was talking with someone yesterday, who was visiting America from Maaleh Adumin, and he told me that the first thing that I should do when I make Aliyah is visit Kever Rachel.
I asked why, and he said told me that she's been waiting for a long time for her children to come home, and she wants to see all of her children when they come home.
Someone else this past Shabbos told me the I should stay in America, that Baltimore (there, I said it) is "Little Yerushalayim," and how I should find a nice, Jewish girl and settle down here.
My Response: I feel sick here in America, and has nothing to do with the country. I feel sick when I'm away from Eretz Yisrael, and how ever since I've been away (now 16 months) the only thing that's been on my mind has been to find some way to get back. Regarding Baltimore being "Little Yerushalayim," they said the same thing about Berlin (you know, Germany?) how Berlin was the "New Yerushalayim."
Well we know what happened there.
Eretz Yisrael is calling her children home, the Jews of the Exile, just have to tune their hearing and listen to the calling.
Regardin Mr. Palspal (my Arab friend), yes the Jews are not coming as fast as they should, but wait, in the very near future, the Jewish People are going to return HOME! That's right PEOPLE, not religion. We are connected by a covenant that was given to our forefather Avraham 3000 years ago, and no matter how much you, and everyone else in history that have tried to break that covenant, we're still here. And we're going to be here long after you're are dead and gone, when the Jewish People have returned home and the light of G-d will be spread out to the entire world, and everyone will know the true might of the Jewish People.
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