Q&A: Why Are We in Israel?

Translated by Hillel Fendel

Israeli Flag

Q. Why are there rabbis who say that because G-d exiled us from the Land of Israel, we must remain in Exile until the Mashiach comes. If this is true, what are we doing here in Israel now?

A. Many of our sources teach that Exile and Redemption are in G-d's hands. Exile is a Divine punishment, and we were in fact not allowed to use national force to return to the Land in defiance of this punishment. Not only that, but such attempts cannot succeed. Maimonides, in his Letter to Yemen, cites several attempts to rebel against the Gentiles and return to the Land, and these brought only troubles upon the Jews.

However, just as the Exile is in G-d's hands, so too is our return to the Land – as is clear from many of the prophecies in the Bible. For instance, in Jeremiah 31,10 we read: "For G-d has redeemed Jacob and redeemed him from one who is stronger than him." Therefore, when we see the Nation of Israel successfully returning en masse to its Land, this tells us that G-d has decided to cancel and withdraw the decree of Exile.

Answered by Rabbi Yaakov Kohen, Yeshivat Bet El