Developing a Strong Emotional Attachment with Israel

Have you ever spoken to someone who has made aliyah?  If so, what were the questions you asked?  Did you ask about the cost of living, the method used for securing a job, the accessibility of health care, or the necessity for being able to speak Hebrew in order to navigate one’s way through the society?  Or did you merely ask what their motivation was for moving to the Land of Israel?  Did you delve into the impact of their move on their own spiritual growth as well as that of their children?

Part of today’s Torah portion found in Mattot, talks about two tribes, the Reubenites and the Gadites who do not want to enter the Land with the remainder of the tribes.  Their reasoning is that they had large numbers of cattle and wanted a region that was suitable for their animals.  They requested to stay on the other side of the Jordan River.  Moses’ immediate reaction was anger.  What!  Are you going to remain behind while your brothers go to war for you?  Are you going to negatively influence your fellow Israelites from pursuing their entrance into the Land?  The two tribes responded by saying that they would build sheepfolds for their flocks and towns for their children and then they would join the rest of the nation as the shock troops entering the Land.  They would not return to their homes until every one of the Israelites was in possession of his portion.

In many ways, the Reubenites and Gadites remind me of modern day individuals who worry about the economic aspects of their lives and choose not to make aliyah.  Afterall, they mentioned their “things” (i.e. their cattle) before they mentioned their children.  They were fond of their material possessions and in the end, that love influenced them more than their love for G-d’s promise that the Land would be good to them.  They were however, willing to make sacrifices to ensure that others could settle in the Land.

Rav Kook mentioned that one of the concerns Moshe Rabbeinu had when the two tribes wanted to reside in another area was that by being removed from the rest of the nation, they would be influenced by their surroundings.  He feared that in a sense they would assimilate into the greater culture living in their midst.

It true that if you look at the websites geared to helping individuals who want to make aliyah today, they concern themselves with investigating financial support, social services, and employment resources.  They are cognizant of the fact that individuals making aliyah do want to know that they can achieve material success while adapting to their new environment.  However, the assumption is made that if an individual is planning on making aliyah, they have already discovered the spiritual reasons for doing so or the physical necessity for doing so.  They are aware of the question concerning Jewish unity.  Zionism is not about passivity, but about activism that promotes living in one’s own independent State. 

When I talk to my family members who made aliyah at early ages, I do not hear, “I came to Israel because I thought I could make a good living here,” although those individuals have managed to secure financial stability and are thankful for that.  Instead, I hear, “this is the one place where Jews can come that is truly home.”  “This is the one place where you can grow spiritually as a Jew, where you can be part of G-d’s road map for the Jewish people.” “Being here is an enactment of the dream our people held for over 2,000 years while they lived in exile.  We are part of the miracle generation that can now partake of this dream.” 

Life in Israel is by no means easy, nor was it at the time of our Torah portion.   However, I do have the feeling that by doing what the Reubenites and Gadites did, by being present in the land even though they would eventually live elsewhere, they were able to form an attachment to Israel and its people.  Today one of the biggest fears I have is that too many of the Jews who have not experienced Israel first-hand, lack that same strong emotional attachment to the Land and its people.  By going to Israel, one discovers that there is something emotive about being in Ha Aretz!  It is not just about visiting a “house” but a “home,” a home where the physical and spiritual work together.  May we always know the blessing of having a place to connect with G-d and one another, a place that is a reality and not just a dream.