In Parshat Re’eh (Devarim 12:29) we read the following
words: “When God will have eliminated the nations whom you are coming there to
inherit, from before you; and you will inherit them and dwell in their Land.”
Rabbi Shaul Yedidya Elazar of Modzitch tells a story based
on this pasuk:
Rabbi Eliezer ben Shamua and Rabbi Yochanan HaSandlar were
going to Chutz LaAretz (leaving
in order to study Torah. When they got to
they started thinking about the
to cry. They ripped their clothing, read the words from our pasuk “and you will
inherit them and dwell in their Land” and they decided to turn around and go
back to
Their rationale was the teaching of the Sifri that settling the
(commandments) in the Torah.
In Masechet Pesachim 50b Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav:
A person should always engage in the study of Torah and the performance of
Mitzvot even though it is not Lishma (for its own sake) because from learning
Torah and performing a mitzvah not for its own sake he will eventually come to
learn Torah or perform a mitzvah for its own sake.
Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yochanan realized that it would be
better to stay in the
performing the Mitzva of settling the Land they would eventually feel the
holiness of the Land and all of its good attributes.
Different people live in
for different reasons and whether they realize it or not, they are all
performing the Mitzvah of settling the
Some people are like Avraham, who left his homeland to make
aliya. Others are like Yitzchak who were born in
and lived in
their entire lives with no interest in leaving. The third group is like Yaakov
who was born in
but because of the circumstances he had to leave, yet he always yearned to come
back.
People that make aliya by choice usually appreciate that
they are here (unless they had no idea what they were getting themselves
into!). Others, who are born in
they go to Chutz LaAretz.
As the the lyrics in the song by Cinderalla say: “Don’t Know
What You Got Till It’s Gone”
