Is It Important For Jews To Be In Israel?
Question
Why is it important for the Jews to be in Israel?
Answer
Shalom!
Thank you for your question.
The Land of Israel is one of the most important and central matters in all of Judaism. The Promised of Land was a component of God’s covenant with Abraham that forged us into a nation.
The rabbis tells us that God gave us the Land of Israel in order to be able to observe the Torah in it, including the fulfillment of many mitzvot (about 2/3rds of the Torah!) that may only be performed in the Land of Israel.
It is a mitzva to live in the Land of Israel, as it says in the Torah, "You shall possess the Land and dwell in it" (Numbers 33:53). So too, we are told that the mitzva of settling the Land of Israel is equal to all the other mitzvot of the Torah combined! Not only is living in the Land of Israel a mitzva but even visiting it is a mitzva too. As our sages teach, “One who even walks 4 amot (about 7 feet) in the Land Israel is assured a place in the World to Come" (Ketubot 111a).
There is much discussion, however, whether living in the Land of Israel is an obligation or merely an optional mitzva, a famous dispute between the Rambam, Maimonides and the Ramban, Nachmanidies.
The Rambam does not count the mitzva of living in Israel as one of the 613 mitzvot of the Torah. Nevertheless, his opinion is that living here is indeed a mitzva, just not obligatory. The Ramban disagrees and rules that there is an obligation to live in the Land of Israel even nowadays.
It is the view of most authorities that living in the Land of Israel nowadays is what known as a mitzva “kiyumis” – optional but not “chiyuvis” – obligatory.
Either way, I think it is clear that the Land of Israel is extremely important, and yes, it is best for Jews to live here whenever possible!