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Wandering Jew: What is the halacha?

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muman613:
One more point...

There is debate whether we should wait for Moshiach to arrive before we make Aliyah {move to Israel} or whether we should make the move and trust that Moshiach will arrive soon, so that we may already be in Eretz Yisroel before Moshiach comes.

Of course there are many opinions of the sages... This involves the prophecy to rebuild the Holy Temple...

muman613:
One more post from me then I will resume my work...

Last Shabbat we read Parasha Kedoshim from the Torah... This parasha contains many mitzvot, and this article brings some of the issues which we are discussing in this thread...



http://modzitz.org/torah/kedoshim.htm

Holiness - Only in the Holy Land

based on a ma'amar in Imrei Shaul, Parshas Kedoshim

"Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, "Speak to the entire congregation of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I, Hashem your G-d, am Holy.'" [Vayikra, 19:1-2]

Rashi points out that this portion was said "b'hakhel" [in an assembly], for a major body of the Torah was dependent on it. The holy sefarim ask, wasn't the rest of the Torah also told to all of the Jews? Rashi then brings the Midrash which says, "You shall be holy" - perhaps like Me [Hashem]? The verse continues, "for I, Hashem your G-d, am Holy" - My Holiness is above yours. This amazes Reb Shaul - how could one imagine Himself to be like Hashem in the realm of Holiness? Doesn't the verse say, "To whom will you liken Me, that I should be his equal, says the Holy One" [Yeshayahu, 40:25].

Another Midrash ties our verse to the verse [Tehillim, 20:3], "May He send you help from the holy [place], and support you from Zion." What does this have to do with, "You shall be holy"? Finally, the Zohar relates that when the Chevraya [Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his disciples] came to this parsha, they rejoiced. What was it in our parsha that caused them to rejoice?

In his answer, Reb Shaul begins by telling us that the main source of sanctification for the Jew is in the Holy Land, when the Jewish people are dwelling there. Indeed, the Mishna [Keilim, 1:6-9] relates that there are ten levels of holiness in the Land of Israel - "the Land of Israel is holy, and Yerushalayim is holier than it, etc." Similarly, the verse says, "The remnant in Zion, and those left in Yerushalayim, shall be called holy" [Yeshayahu, 4:3].

Now we can explain the first Midrash. "You shall be holy" - perhaps like Me [Hashem]? This means, one might think that just like Hashem's Holiness is everywhere, "Holy, holy, holy...the entire world is filled with His Glory" [ Yeshayahu, 6:3] - so it is with the Jewish People, they can achieve holiness anywhere, even in the Diaspora. Therefore the verse continues, "for I, Hashem your G-d, am Holy" - My Holiness is above yours. This means, only in the place where there is the Mikdash, where my Kedusha [holiness] Above is directly over your kedusha below; only there can your kedusha be complete. This is indicated by Rashi on the verse [Shemos, 23:20], "I will...bring you to the place I have prepared," wherein he comments, "The Mikdash Above is directly opposite the one below."

Now the second Midrash is understood as well. "You shall be holy" - "May He send you help from the holy [place], and support you from Zion." From the holy deeds of your hands, which can only be achieved in Zion [Israel], from there you will become holy.

The Holy Chevraya rejoiced when they arrived at this parsha, because the Torah says, "Kedoshim tihiyu" - you shall be holy, forever. They understood that the ultimate kedusha could only be achieved in the Holy Land, when Hashem will return His exiled People. They therefore rejoiced and were filled with hope in the ultimate Redemption of our people.

Finally, this portion was said "b'hakhel", that is, when all the exiles are ingathered, then the sanctity of each individual will be complete. For our Sages teach us that Kedoshim, to be holy, means to be separate and distant from all forms of lust and sin. This can only be fully accomplished when we are separated from the rest of the nations - for it is their influence which ruin us, as our Sages say [Brachos, 17a], it is the "leaven in the dough, and the subjugation to the nations" which causes the Jew to sin. Therefore, the shelaimus - completion, perfection - described in this parsha, can only be "b'hakhel" - by the ingathering of the entire Jewish People from the four corners of the earth to our Holy Land.

muman613:
This may also be very interesting concerning this topic:


http://roshhashanah.torah.org/learning/perceptions/5766/toldos.html

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Thus, it is no coincidence that Jews view making aliyah as a sacrifice. That is why it is called Eretz YISROEL (the Land of Yisroel), and why the Malbim interprets Yirimyahu's words in the following manner:

For thus said Hashem: Sing, O Ya'akov, with gladness, exult on the peaks of the nations; announce, laud [G-d], and say, "O Hashem, save Your people, the remnant of Yisroel!" Behold, I will bring them from the land of the North and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, the pregnant and birthing together; a great congregation will return here. With weeping they will come and through supplications I will bring them; I will guide them on streams of water, on a direct path in which they will not stumble; for I have been a father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn. (Yirmiyahu 31:6-8)

At the end of their exile, the oppression will be removed from them, and they will be joyous because they will be on the peak of the nations. The gentiles will give them honor and they will be their heads, instead of being disgraced and lowered amongst them as they were at first. Ya'akov will be the masses of the people, and the lesser amongst them; Yisroel are the great ones. The joyousness from being at the peak of the nations will be Ya'akov's only, and not Yisroel's, because they will want to return His Presence to Tzion. However, at that time they will "announce" and publicly proclaim, and "praise" Hashem when they say, "O Hashem, save Your [righteous] people, the remnant of Yisroel," because they will want the true salvation of the ingathering of the exiles and return to Tzion. Then it will be like that, that Hashem will return them: Behold, I will bring them . . . (Malbim, q.v. v'Tzahalu B'Rosh HaGoyim)

Thus, the Malbim sees a division that will occur in the Jewish people at the end of days, one which will not occur along traditional lines. There will be two camps amongst the Jews, one called Ya'akov and one called Yisroel, and the difference between the two will be based upon the desire, or lack thereof to reject acceptance amongst the gentiles as sufficient redemption.

Apparently it is the Ya'akov side of the Jewish people (the masses) who will be joyous about staying in the Diaspora, enjoying acceptance amongst the gentiles and even positions of leadership. On the other hand, this will not be satisfactory for the Yisroel camp of the Jewish people, and they will publicly long for the ideal form of redemption, for return to Eretz Yisroel and to Tzion - true Tzion. It will be a great Kiddush Hashem, and apparently, trigger the final stage of the Final Redemption, and may it happen speedily in our time.

SerbianPatriot89:
Thank you Muman,that information was really insightfull and educational.

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