Rabbi Chaim Druckman, Rosh Yeshivot Bnei Akiva, questions “after all that has happened to the Jewish People, how is it possible that there are Jews still living in The Diaspora?”
Speaking at an assembly in Yerushalayim, addressing shluchim of the dati leumi community, the rav questioned why Jews are not coming from around the world. He explained that religious Jews daven three times daily to return to Israel, yet many remain in The Diaspora today when there should be ‘kibbutz galiyos’, the ingathering of the exiles.
During his address, the rav added that we must not forget the paramount importance of learning Torah, warning if not, assimilation will result.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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24 Responses
Your see! Looking frum but in thr the head is KRUM.
The great Shofar to proclaim our freedom already sounded? Mashiach came already? How come I did not hear it? Silly me..
Rabbi Chaim Druckman should read YWN. Every day there are new reasons not to live there.
Because America is a free country, at least for the moment, I think. Over here you can sit and learn Torah without being harassed by the Government. One is not forced to throw out his Yiddishkeit and join the army. One can go to work as a Charedie and not be discriminated against. Over here one can get along with our “not yet frum” brothers and sisters without all the hate. There aren’t all the tensions between the two and Kiruv rechokim is so much more pleasant and welcoming. Unfortunately in Israel it’s all the opposite.
Btw, we’ve had generations of Gedolim/Rabbanim/Roshey Yeshiva /Rebbes etc… from all segments who did NOT move to Eretz Yisroel. When Moshiach comes and reveals himself, we’ll pick ourselves up and go.
Well for one, God cursed us. Hashem said that until the 3rd Bais Hamikdash is rebuilt, we will be spread among the other nations.
because yr goverment is corupted
worrse then in the usa
That’s a very good question. I’m not sure what to answer, but R’ Aharon Kotler, R’ Moshe Feinstein and R’ Yaakov Kaminetzky must have had a good reason. Of course there are many more names of Gedolim that could be included in the previous sentence.
With all due respect to Rav Druckman, I have been living in Eretz Yisrael for almost thirty years, would never consider going back, however there are reasons why at this point in history it is not for everyone.
1) The lack of communal structure – say what you want about the yishuvim, the new communities they are trying, it is not the same. I have been there and I grew up in USA, it is just not the same. It is much more difficult here for a person to feel he belongs, to offer his services (even free of charge), and to get involved. When I was in High School, the school saw it as a responsibility to make sure a shiva-house had a minyan and would send a group for Mincha in the winter, here with the huge numbers, I see them flagging people down. A person wants to give a shiur who is not a great talmid chacham, in USA will have an audience, here probably not. Simchas – there people go and stay for a while, here “if I have time I will pop in”. This can make people feel very lonely.
2) The total separation of “black hat” from “kippa sruga” is disturbing and very unhealthy. Our shul had a bit of this and that without making an issue out of it. What is happening here is that many come with good intentions, and feel they belong in kippa sruga, without the “black hatters” to befriend them and keep them honest, the demands of the community are just not as great and children of olim chadashim who would have succeeded abroad are getting lost. On the other hand, the “black hatters” without the other side to keep them honest, can lose their children if not religiously then certainly in other ways related to attitudes towards others.
3) I was drawn to Israel by the simplicity of life, much to my chagrin materialism is rampant here, there is no longer the simple living that I was charmed by. Just look at old houses in yishuvim and the new ones to see the difference.
4) The list goes on.
Yes, it is a mitzvah, it is the land Hashem gave us, and I am very happy here, however there are many who would grow further in Yiddishkeit abroad than here and at this point until things change, they need to be respected as good Torah-observant Jews.
Because a bunch of רשעים took over the land of Israel and actively persecute Jews for being too frum. In America the current regime is at worst “benign”. It doesn’t see a Torah lifestyle as something to be surpressed. At worst, we are seen as “quaint” or “archaic”, but hardly a threat to society. At least the national anthem isn’t about creating a world free from the yoke of Torah.
THIS IS THE REAL REASON
RABBI CHAIM DRUCKMAN OPEN YOUR EYES
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Unfortunately, all the commenters here are correct! In even more ways than you’ve mentioned and can even imagine. The assembly where Rav Druckman was speaking was not a gathering of yeshiva bochurim or avreichim in kollel. I fail to understand altogether why Dati Leumi news reports belong on a chareidi website at all. Particularly someone like Rav Druckman who has just about zero standing in the chareidi tzibbur here.
Nevertheless, the possibilities for sheiging in learning and in avodas Hashem here are staggering. If you’ve never experienced it, you can’t really understand it. And so, despite all the above mentioned reasons not to come, I’d still urge people (– with children not older than 8-9 yrs. old; NOT teenagers), to come visit and “check out the situation.” If you presently own a house in the U.S. that you could sell, you could then afford to buy a nice apartment here. Yes, you’ll have to be willing to settle for an apartment, but there are some really nice ones available. And you must have some reasonable idea how you will support yourself and your family. If the above checks out, it’s worth exploring the possibility. Everything that was said by the various commenters about the government is true, but once you are settled here (after about a year), you generally don’t have many run-ins with the authorities on an ongoing basis. So, as some commenters remarked, “there are reasons why it is not for everyone,” you’ll never know unless you try. Trying could mean coming for a yomtov, or for a month in the summer (depends on work obligations back home), with or without the entire family. Get a feel for the place and the goings on here. At least, you’ll be making an educated decision. The fact that Reb Aharon Reb Moshe, and Reb Yaakov zt”l didn’t move here decades ago is not proof to what one should be doing now. And anyway, Hashem needed them to build Torah in the U.S.!! And regarding govt. corruption — yes, it’s all true in more ways than you know. But, after Nov. 6, especially if the machsheifa is elected (C”V!!!), you’ll be treated to a quantum leap in govt. corruption that will start being revealed in the great US of A.
All the true gedolei Torah encourage yidden to come. There’s a brief video on You Tube showing Reb Chaim Kanievsky answering someone, “it’s a mitzva (!) to come!” This is all on condition that it’s possible, i.e., parnassa, housing, schools. You can’t really know unless you check it out up close and not rely on hearsay. Despite everything, it’s definitely worth a close look.
R’ Druckman,
They’ll come when it gets tight, as in France.
Meanwhile, as you see here, excuses, excuses, lies, distortions, and more excuses. Of course some of the government frummies are as corrupt as anybody else .
They refused to come in the early Aliyah waves, and now they moan about conditions.
Using Moshiach as an excuse is untenable, as there are so many rabbonim in the past who explained it well.
The question, Rabbi Druckma,, is this:
When it’s time to run, will they still be able to take their $$$$$$$$$$ from their bank accounts. Better yet, will they even be allowed to sneak out of their sweet Diaspora.
“Zovas Cholov Udvash”, yeah, but___ EFES. EFES.
Heard that before from even from the gedolei hador.
From Chapter 4, EHS, Rav Teichtal H”YD :
Margeleh befumeei of Rav Sonnenfeld ZT”L;
Urei Betoov Yerushalayim; One always must see the good in EY, meaning the good aspects of it, and not chas vesholom be meragel like the meraglim. And they were meragel when there wasn’t a single Jew, al achas kama vekama when there is a kibbutz Yidden.
Orach Chayim : 17the of Ellul is a taanis tzaddikim because the meraglim died then.
Mogen Avraham asks: But, B’avod Reshoim Rina?
Shaloh Hakadosh answers that they were tzaddikim.
Hence we see that that even tzaddikim can be meraglim.
Please, watch how you demonize Eretz Yisroel, especially in the 3 weeks. Many things wrong ?? Make Aliya, encourage the masses to do the same, and fix it. In Galut it’s like avodah zarah. No charifus pilpul can deny it.
The Jews of Eretz Yisroel daven the same shemona esrei, we’re all still unfortunately in golus.
VERY SIMPLE:
PARNUSE ISSUES!
Would u buy me a house Hacham Druckman? Very easy to say!
Broche be hotsloche!
Parnassah isn’t an issue unless you are so frum that you are excluded from much of the economy – meaning modern Orthodox, including “kippah srugah” types are probably better off economically in Israel where they will rarely have a problem with employment due to Shabbos and kashrus. The Israeli discrimination doesn’t become a factor unless you have a beard and pe’os, and refuse to serve in the army.
Housing in Israel is quite affordable if one wants to live outside the major cities. The same is true in America, but the minimum for a Jew (a shul to go to, a shul not to go to, a mikva, kosher food, etc.) are rarely available in America except in fairly large cities. In you insist on a minyan of Bnei Torah, some restaurants, a choice of high quality Torah schools, then in America only the dozen or so largest cities are even close.
However the problem remains that outside of non-frum Jews (and their militantly secular associates), there is very little discrimination or prejudice in America – and the legal system protects us. In Israel the country is run by secular Jews, and the legal system targets us.
Frum Galus Jews:
I lived in Israel during the bus bombings. Don’t think you have bitachon BaHashem until you live in Israel. Israeli Jews have more bitachon Bashem than you do.
Harav Drukman is a tzaddik and I’m sure that he really has difficulty understanding why Jews choose to remain in galut. Sure, there are some extremists who buy into the reasons given by many of the above commentators but most mainstream orthodox Jews don’t stop themselves from making Aliyah for such reasons (or even give them much credence). The simple answer is: Inertia. It requires real effort to move to a different country. All right, harav Druckman would say, but why isn’t the love for Israel and the desire to live in it a sufficiently strong force to overcome such inertia? And the simple answer to that is: because the leadership in the diaspora, which is comfortable and invested in the status quo, plays down these issues. Even those who are vocally Zionist do not, by and large, do much to encourage Aliyah. And so their flocks feel no push and readily give in to the comfort of inertia.
ZionGate – I don’t think that the commentators here are trying to speak badly of EY. Rather they are explaining some of the real issues that one faces when moving to Israel today and thus answering up Rabbi Druckman’s questioning of why people aren’t doing kibbutz galiyos in droves.
However, with that said, in my opinion only half the people in Chutz L’Eretz have legitimate excuses not to make the move. There are those, unfortunately, that deep in their hearts are happy to be in Ch’L and never want to leave (similar to those 4/5th that died in Mitzrayim). The many legitimate reasons given by others, by them are just excuses to justify their desire to stay. This is very bad. For those who’s hearts yearn for EY Hashem will give them Siyata Dishmiya to come when the time comes (or at least reward them for yearning). For those that don’t and make statements like “why would anybody move to Israel?” and the like, it seems to me that they are causing self prophecy upon themselves.
There is no place in the world that can elevate a Jew more than Israel. Those that merit living here are already living a taam of Mein Olam Habah! However, with that said, there are considerations to contemplate before taking that big step and each should consult Chochamim they know before making the move.
May you all be zoche to Kedushas Eretz Yisrael!
Such hatred that some commenters here have towards their fellow Jews…
The Megarlim had “legitimate” reasons as well. “How could we defeat giants?” What I am reading in these comments appears to be the very same type of loshen hara and lack of amunah. We need to be very careful as pointed out by others here. Paranassah comes from Hashem wherever in the world you are as does everything else. Today all leading the Gedolim live in Eretz Yisrael… Jews from around the world (including YWN) travel here to ask them Shilos. Open your eyes.
To #22 Pinchas: I could really put your monthly paycheck to good use here in E.Y. Why don’t you forward it to me? You just said that parnassa is from Hashem. Are you seriously suggesting that people fling all caution and common sense to the winds, and just pick up and move? Encouraging moving to E.Y. without a plan is a recipe for ruination. There are (former) Americans who lost everything and who now sleep in the underpass at Jerusalem’s Central Bus Station or in Lifta. I know what I’m talking about? Do you?
#23- Unfortunately, there are destitute Jews in the US as well and there are Israelis who came to the US and lost everything too. While I do not question the existence of a few American Jews that lost everything in Israel they are clearly anecdotal exceptions. So what is your point?
Overall, American Jews enjoy greater wealth and financial security than Israelis do and will likely continue to do so for some time to come, but Israelis still enjoy relatively high average salaries (in comparison with the rest of the world), relatively inexpensive medical care and education, extensive social services and an expanding economy. Almost all Quality of Life indices rank Israel very highly.