Ramat Gan Chief Rabbi Yaakov Ariel Shlita admits that he does not understand why so many Jews feel the need or social pressure to fly abroad.

The rav told Arutz-7 Radio that only recent generations have separated the matter of leaving Eretz Yisrael and traveling abroad from halachic rulings.

The rav chose to begin with addressing shmitah issues. “The Israeli chevra is a frum chevra and a frum chevra is united” he stated. He refers to Shmitah year and the inyan of Shmitas Kesafim and how this is “chevrati”, citing ‘שבת לה’ ויש ‘ואכלו אביוני עמך.

The rabbi is opposed to those wishing to be machmir in their adherence of mitzvos on the backs of others, using shmitah as an example again – those unwilling to eat produce during shmitah year that is not from goyim. He asks if while those people who are taking care of business as they view it are also worrying about the Jewish farmers who do not have a livelihood that year. He refers to farmers who adhere to halacha and are not working their fields during shmitah. He adds many of them are compelled to take loans to make it through the year may we demand that these loans are to be repaid – “this is why we have Shmitas Kesafim” he explains.

Breaking from Shmitah concerns he addresses the growing Israeli trend to travel abroad for vacation. He states there are many halachic concerns, not simply ones, concerns that he explains are far more pressing than any social pressures. He rejects the posit that if one does not vacation abroad one is a “sucker” and the rav is more concerned regarding the livelihood of people in Israel, who lose sums of monies because so many vacation abroad.

“A million people are abroad during the summer months. What is this pressure? They spend thousands and if that money was spent here in Israel many more people could earn a living.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)