I am not in the "everyone has to live in Israel" camp. We see that there were plenty of Amoraim who didn't live in Israel even though there was plenty of travel back and forth from Bavel to Eretz Yisrael. So if there are compelling reasons then one may clearly live outside of Israel.
I certainly don't subscribe to the idea that living in Israel overrides the entire Torah, that is all that really matters and everything else is secondary. חס ושלום. A Jew who lives in Chutz La-aretz and keeps Shabbos and Kosher etc. etc. is a much much better Jew than a secular Jew in Israel. There are some religious people who believe that living in Israel is the most important mitzva in the Torah - more than Taharas Hamishpacha or learning Torah. חס ושלום!!!
But as we come off Shabbos Parshas Shelach I must express that there is something that I just don't get. How is it that there are extremely pious Jews, who are tremendously careful about things that have no basis in Halacha - but living in Israel isn't even on their radar?!?!?! How is that possible?? Like, READ THE CHUMASH!!! It is CLEAR from the Chumash that Eretz Yisrael is the place where Hashem wants the Jews to be. Living in Israel is the reward. Chu"l is the punishment for sin. Mitzvos were given to be kept in Israel. Take one of numerous psukim that expresses this idea:
Read Ma'amarei Chazal that say things like "anyone who lives outside of Israel is as if he has no G-d" or "living in Israel is equal to all the mitzvos in the Torah". See how many Rishonim and Acharonim who pasken that it is a mitzva to live in Israel.
How can people not even have an inclination to live in Israel? The other day I was talking to 2 Chasidishe Bochrim from Chu"l who are learning here and I asked them if they are planning to live here. Both answered without hesitation "no".
It is not their fault. They are poorly educated. For them - it is only the Zionists who think that there is a mitzva to live in Israel but not "Ehrliche Yidden". Even many people who live in Israel don't view it as a mitzva and just live here b/c it is the frummest place to live or b/c it is the best place to raise children or b/c they were brought up here or for other reasons. No! One should live in Israel b/c this is where Hashem wants his people.
Part of keeping mitzvos is to appreciate the importance of the mitzva. You can't compare one who keeps Shabbos b/c it is a cool, fun, day off with lots of good food and rest, to a person who has learned through all that the sfarim have to say abt. Kedushas Shabbos. You can't compare a person who lives in EY "just because", to a person who appreciates that EY is the Land that Hashem chose to give to the Jewish people and that it has special Kedusha that elevates every mitzva we do. Making a shehakol on water in Chu"l is not NEARLY as holy as making a Shehakol on water in EY. The very air of EY is holy while the air of CHU"L is not. Chazal's expression "טומאת ארץ העמים".
Look at the Meraglim. They spoke against EY and were executed. Many people today have no concept of what it means to live in Israel. The ultimate goal of our lives is קדושים תהיו and there is no better place to achieve that than in the Eretz Hakodesh!!!!
