Don’t build more galuyot.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, Rosh Yeshiva of Tiferes Yerushalayim (1895-1986)

Regarding your question if there is a mitzvah nowadays to live in Eretz Yisroel, as the Ramban says, or if there is no mitzvah nowadays, as Rabbeinu Chaim says, quoted in Tosafos on Kesubos 110b: Some poskim hold it is a mitzvah. But it is obvious that this is not an obligatory mitzvah in our time, for if so, it would result in a prohibition to live in Chutz Laaretz because doing so would be violating a positive commandment, like wearing a four-cornered garment without tzitzis, which is forbidden because it transgresses the positive commandment of tzitzis. But we only find a prohibition regarding one who lives in Eretz Yisroel, who is forbidden to leave with the intention of dwelling permanently in Chutz Laaretz – see Rambam Hilchos Melachim 5:9. And this prohibition is certainly not a negative commandment. Had it applied to the Jews of Chutz Laaretz, the Rambam would have written, ‘It is forbidden to live in Chutz Laaretz unless there is a strong famine in Eretz Yisroel.’ So we see that it is a Rabbinic prohibition, only for those who dwell in Eretz Yisroel. But as far as the Biblical positive commandment, it is not obligatory, only that if one lives there he fulfills the mitzvah. And in my Chiddushim I have written at great length about the words of Rabbeinu Chaim in Tosafos in Kesubos. Now, since it is not an obligatory mitzvah, you must definitely take into consideration the concern of Rabbeinu Chaim in Tosafos as to whether you will be able to keep the special mitzvos of Eretz Yisroel.” (Igros Moshe, Even Hoezer 1:102)

From various comments here, it seems clear that there are various definitions of the term galus
1. literal, exiled from the Homeland, living anywhere but E”Y. This is not dependent on whether there is a beis hamikdash or not- for example, 10 hashevatim went into galus way before the churban bayis I.
2. Used as a general term to describe the overall tragedy that followed the destruction of the beis hamikdash, being persecuted by goyim, spiritual failures, hester panim, etc. This is not dependent on geographical location.
3. As Geordie used it, to refer to subjugation by a specific nation, which meant loss of political independence and loss of freedom to practice Torah. Again, this is independent of the Beis Hamikdash. According to chazal, we are in galus roma (with a contribution from Yishmael) now until Mashiach comes.
So while Jews living in E”Y are not in galus in the literal sense of definition 1, they are by definitions 2 and 3.

AviK……………….
WRONG AGAIN.
When I was subject to the draft, the college student deferral had already ended and I’d have been taken immediately after high school ended in June. NO time to join ROTC in college.

Furthermore, I knew many former ROTC members who went to Viet Nam as officers, a number were killed there, ROTC was no guaranty of a cushy job at the Pentagon.

I don’t have a BA degree…so the government would not have paid for it! I have B.Sc., M.B.A. and J.D. degrees.

I did not compare 2017 USA and Tsarist Russia (which ceased to exist 100 years ago. I compared a mandatory draft in 1960/70s USA and the Tsar’s draft. Other posters mentioned the Israeli Draft.

Your comparison to a murderer bribing a judge is simply twisted logic and no such words came out of my mouth or fingers.
I specifically posted that the donation to the Doctor’s hospital construction project was approved my my Rav in my circumstances at a specific time and place. I was not alive in WWII and could not extrapolate based on this. My father and uncle volunteered to serve in the US Army in WWII, they did nit wait to be drafted. The USA was attacked before declaring War in 1941 and our response was self defense. Viet Nam never attacked the USA, we were interlopers.

“LU, there si no Torah like the Torah of Eretz Yisrael. In fact, Chazal say that if one lives in Shmutz laAretz it is if he has no Gd and it is as if he commits idolatry (Ketubot 110b). Ramban says (Vayikra 18:25) that we only do mitzvot there in order not to forget themThe Gra says (Likutim on Sefer HaTzeniuta) that it is a graveyard for Jews. It follows that a Jew there is considered dead.”

I am well aware of all that and I am well aware that the ideal is to live in Eretz Yisrael (which is why I’m here, Boruch Hashem). However, it does not follow that every Jew is obligated to or even should live in Eretz Yisrael.

It is also an ideal to learn Torah full-time, but there are times when it would be a big aveira for someone to be learning.
All Mitzvos can be made into “avoda zara”. All Mitzvos can be done in the wrong way or in the wrong time. We are not supposed to worship anything but Hashem and that includes not taking any Mitzvah out of the context of Avodas Hashem.

There is a famous story about a meeting of Rabbanim to save the Yidden (maybe during the Holocaust?). One man got up and said, “We must daven Mincha or we will miss shkiya.” One of the Gedolim who was there said, “We are in the middle of saving lives. It is assur to daven Mincha now, and anyone who joins that man in davening Mincha is a murderer.

That is the classic example of using a Mitzvah as avoda zara. The Mitzvos don’t have inherent value in themselves but only as tools to serve Hashem and they are only tools to serve Hashem when they are kept the way Hashem wants. Every Mitzvah has parameters – times and ways that it is supposed to be done and times and ways that it is forbideen.

Your tzitzis example is a great example. If you were to ask me if it’s a Mitzvah to wear tzitzis, I would say yes. But if you were to ask me if it would be a Mitzvah for me to wear Tzitzis, I would have to say no. In fact it is proabably assur for more than half of Am Yisrael to wear Tzitzis. Less than half of the Frum members of Am Yisrael wear Tzitzis (none of the women as well as boys under 3). And even men and boys over 3 are not obligated to wear Tzitzis at certain times of day (namely at night).

Thanks mw13! When I saw Winnie the Pooh’s post in response to Avi, I had to comment on the tzitzis comparison. It was too good of a “chap” to pass up.

A question for AviK . Say history turned out differently, or we had a time machine and you went back in time. Would you be living in E”Y if there was no midinat yisroel, say under the Mandate or Ottoman rule (assuming you had permission to enter)? Or would you say, it is too difficult/dangerous/economically unviable/ etc? The mitzva would still apply though, so you would have to get a heter, right?