YOM HA'ATZMAUT SPECIAL
RABBI DAVID SAMSON Torah Tidbits is proud to feature a teaching from Rabbi David Samson shli"ta. Rabbi Samson has written extensively on the thought of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook ztl and he has done pioneering work in the area of developing schools which address the needs of olim in Israel.
Coming Home
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any Orthodox Jews who have not (yet) joined their brethren in Israel, rely on the Rambam as their source that the G-d of Abraham, Joshua and King David approves of them staying on the banks of the Hudson and the Thames. A glance at the text of the Rambam will open our eyes to recognize that the Rambam not only mentions the personal mitzvah to live in Israel numerous times (Kings 5, 9; Ishut 13,1920; Slaves 8,9;Shabbat 6,11) but he actually sees political Zionism as reason to recite Hallel! But first let’s ask, “What is the halachic atomic weight of the establishment of the State of Israel? The Ramban (Sefer Hamitzvot, Positive Commandments, 4) includes the mitzvah of establishing the Jewish State as one of the 613 basic precepts! That means 66
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that a Torah true Jew has to not only keep Shabbat, tefillin and prayer, but must establish a state In Israel to serve as our national homeland. He states unequivocally “It is a mitzvah [to make sure] that the Land of Israel be under Jewish sovereignty and not under the sovereignty of any other nation.” Some people think that the establishment of the State of Israel is a hechsher mitzvah – a facilitator of a mitzvah enabling Jews to make Aliya. The Ramban however says the exact opposite.” … and it is my opinion that the mitzvah that Chazal so extol … the mitzvah of living in Israel… is a part of the mitzvah to liberate and settle the Land.” (ibid). Here he explains that political Zionism is actually the root and source of the individual’s obligation to make Aliya!!! This means that if a person performs the mitzvah of making Aliya but believes in a separation of Synagogue and state- He doesn’t go to the army or help resettle barren lands then this person is doing only a partial part of this mitzvah. The full mitzvah of living in Israel includes national involvement as well. That means that paying taxes, lobbying for annexation, and celebrating Israel’s independence are not only part of this mitzvah but they are actually the greater part! I would expect that meticulous Jews who invest in Shmura Matzah, perfect Etrogim,
