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Making Aliyah –

Alone and Together

Rabbi Reuven
Taragin

(PHOTO: DOV KRAM)

The centrality of Aliyah fulfillment of the mitzvot complete not meant to fully separate from his
(Ketubot 110b); only then are we truly past. Just before Hashem commands
iving in Eretz Yisrael is a central
component of Judaism. People considered a national entity (Horiyot Avraham to leave, we read that
3a). Living in Israel atones for our sins
often focus on whether it Avraham’s father, Terach, intended
Lhas the formal status of a (Sifri Ha’azinu 28) and guarantees us to move to Eretz Yisrael; Avraham,
mitzvah. But even if it does not (as is a place in olam haba (Ketubot 110b). ultimately, fulfilled the dreams of his
The Rabbis even permitted violating
Rambam’s view), it is not because it father.
lacks significance, but because living certain Shabbat prohibitions to This is even more true for our
purchase land in Israel (Gittin 8b)
in Eretz Yisrael is fundamental and generation. Ever since we were exiled,
assumed. Rav Soloveitchik explains and granted the right to force a our people have yearned to return to
that living in Israel is not formally a spouse to move there (Menachot Eretz Yisrael. And so when individuals
44a), highlighting the overriding
mitzvah because it is a prerequisite to move to Israel ‘on their own’, they are
so many other mitzvot. Presenting it importance of living in Israel. actually realizing the dreams of their
as a mere single mitzvah would have Returning, one by one forebears, making Aliyah on behalf of
minimized its significance.
How should we return to the Land? the Jewish people’s past and future.
The centrality of Aliyah is evident in Should the entire nation return en
that it was the first command that masse, or should each person return When my wife and I made Aliyah and
Hashem gave the first Jew (Bereishit individually? Yeshayahu depicts faced the difficulty of moving away
12:1). And when Ya’akov and family Hashem bringing each Jew back from our families, we told ourselves
were forced to leave the land, the “echad echad” – individually, one-by- we were making Aliyah so that our
Jewish people’s return became the one (27:12). Based upon this verse, children would not need to separate
Scan here to ultimate goal of Yetziat Mitzrayim Rashi describes Hashem figuratively from their parents. At some point, each
join Rabbi (Shemot 6:8). ‘holding the hand’ of each individual family requires a pioneer to make
Taragin’s The Torah assumes that Jews live in returnee, guiding them back to Israel Aliyah so that the rest of the family
daily Divrei Eretz Yisrael and considers exile to be (Devarim 30:3). Every Jew has his own will later follow and join the Jewish
Torah story and must return at his own pace future in Eretz Yisrael. In the years since
WhatsApp the worst of all punishments (Vayikra in his own way. we made Aliyah, my parents and two
group 26:33, Devarim 28:64). Conversely, siblings have joined us here, Baruch
our return to the land is a sign of In the late 19th and 20th centuries we
Hashem’s reconciliation with our saw the beginning of the fulfillment Hashem. The individual who initially
people (Devarim 30:3–5). The prophets of the prophecies of ingathering. Most comes alone often facilitates the Aliyah
foretold the eventual ingathering of came as individuals without the rest of of the rest of the family.
the Jewish people to Eretz Yisrael, our their family, just as Avraham, the first Whether we come as families or as
yearning to return to Eretz Yisrael Jew, made Aliyah – not only without individuals representing our families,
appears prominently in our tefillot, and his parents and broader family, but one by one, echad echad, we play a role
the Rishonim saw the return as a sign purposely separating from them. “Lech in returning the Jewish people to the
of redemption (for example, Emunot lecha” – Hashem commanded Avraham place that was the destination of the
V’deiot 8:1, Yeshu’ot Malko Yoreh Dei’ah 66). to go to Israel as part of a process of first Jew at the dawn of Jewish history.
For this reason, the Rabbis considered finding himself and developing a Living here, we continue that story.
living in Eretz Yisrael as equal in personal relationship with Hashem
A member of by leaving his past behind.
the Mizrachi significance to the fulfillment of all
Speakers Bureau the other mitzvot (Sifri Re’eh 28, Eikev This does not mean that we, as Jews, Rabbi Reuven Taragin is Educational Director
mizrachi.org/ 7). Only by living in Israel is our are meant to separate ourselves from of Mizrachi and Dean of the Yeshivat Hakotel
speakers relationship with Hashem and our our past. In fact, even Avraham was Overseas Program.

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