Q. “Will Aliya help my children’s frumkeit?” I heard someone say that this should decide whether one should make aliya or not… A. The question is clearly based upon a very particular definition of “frumkeit”. In galut, one’s religiosity is often measured by the “uniform” of a black kipa and white shirt that he wears, and whether one’s children will be exactly how their parents are. All agree that outside of Israel, a child who leaves the way of their parents is “off the derech”, and very well may even intermarry and “chuck it all”. Accordingly, the insulated system of staying only within orthodox frameworks, is constructed around the “all or nothing”, black and white measuring. This simplistic and narrow Judaism uses just the galuti yardstick like Shabbos and Kashrus, but doesn’t take into account also the broader and original Torah, as found in the Tanach and from now on in modern Israel. Here, as in the Tanach, those tens of thousands of altruistic soldiers who risk and actually give their lives for the Holy People and the Holy Land are considerably more altruistic=G-dly, than the Jews abroad who are mainly preoccupied with their jobs as usual, as if nothing is going on among Hashem’s children over the past year. Theoretically, some may learn a little less Torah (especially when in the army), and some will learn a little more (or a lot more) than their cousins in NY, but the Living Torah which includes Am Yisrael, Mesirut Nefesh, and Jewish ideals in every aspect of life, is clearly more G-dly and all-encompassing. Especially since Oct. 7th, this has been clarified seven-fold also by the soldiers’ families (which covers most of Israel), by listening to the news, helping neighbors whose husbands are in milu’im (reserve duty) or going down to shelters, treating chayalim to falafel, giving “tremps” (lift) at every junction to each and every soldier, attending funerals and shivas, visiting the wounded and evacuated etc. etc., in short: keeping our chessed and Ahavat Yisrael on a high-burner, 24/7. In Israel, we are actually living and making Jewish history, whereas in America, Jews are clearly on the “sidelines”, mainly as cheerleaders and Tehilim-sayers. Here we unite, sing and serve with Jewish pride together with all, even our non-observant brothers, rather than insulating, separating, and basically giving up on 90% of American Jews to simply assimilate and evaporate, some even joining the anti-Israel demonstrations
There is a common condescending stereotype prevalent among Jews in America (and so I admittedly thought as a child), that Israelis are less religious. This slanderous generalization (probably carried over from the days when Ben-Gurion ruled the State, or based upon negative association with “yordim”- the only Israelis we met, who left the country, usually in pursuit of economic prosperity, who are by no means whatsoever representative of Israeli society- or simply as a result of a disappointing comparison with a wishful, utopian Holy Land) is sometimes mentioned as a deterrent from making Aliyah. This misrepresentation is nothing short of laughably outdated (if it was ever true at all) in today’s Israel, where most (!) of the government ministers are religious, half of the army’s front-line soldiers and most officer’s wear kipot, and just about all gedolei hador and the world’s top yeshivot reside. Aside from the many communities in Israel which are 100% orthodox (as compared to Monsey, Williamsburg, and Boro Park which even have many non-Jews!), America or even New York will never come close to 1/4 of the citizens, or even the Jews being observant- much less have Judaism as the official religion on national radio, TV and bus advertisements! Whichever way you look, whether comparing rabbis, communities, or on a state or surely a national level, whether measuring quantity, quality, or percentage, it is clear to all that objectively, religious life in Israel today is on all counts stronger and growing faster than anywhere else in the world. Thank G-d we have seen that from now on, from Zion already comes Torah and the word of G-d from Jerusalem (Yeshaya 2, 3), and “אין תורה כתורת ארץ ישראל”, “There is no Torah like the Torah of the Land of Israel” (Sifre, beg. of p. Ekev).
In addition, to be orthodox obviously means to observe the mitzvot, one of which is living in Eretz Yisrael. “והורשתם את הארץ וישבתם בה”, “You shall possess the Land and dwell there” (Bamidbar 33, 53). Not only is it a mitzva but our sages laud it as one of the most important and basic of all commandments: “Residing in Eretz Yisrael is equivalent to the rest of the mitzvot combined” (Sifre on Dvarim 12 and Tosefta Av.Z. 5,2 and cited by the Pitchei Tshuva Ev.H. 75,6) (this is Chazal, and not up for debate!). It is “the peg upon which the entire Torah hangs” (R. Ya’akov Emdin, Siddur Beit Ya’akov p.13), a mitzva which “encompasses the entire Torah” (Or HaChayim, Dvarim 30,20). All this in addition to the mind-boggling fact that this is the only mitzva which one fulfills whether at work or in the Beit Midrash, whether standing, sitting or jogging, and every second of his life (Sefer HaCharedim, ch. 59; Resp. Mishneh Halachot, II,56 and III, 189; R. Moshe Shternbuch, sgan n’si HaEida HaCharedit of Yrushaliyim, Mo’adim Uzmanim 5, p. 203). Many other mitzvot as well, can only be done in Israel, and even those one can do in America, are just “practice” (Devarim 5, 28, Sifre Ekev 43). If Chazal teach that “whoever lives outside of Eretz Yisrael is as if he has no G-d” (Ktuvot 110b) and “is as if he worships idols” (ibid), as opposed to “whoever lives in Eretz Yisrael is promised a share in the World to Come” (Psachim 113a), “is without sin” (Ktuvot 111a), and Hashem tells us that “ Eretz Yisrael is more beloved to Me than anything” (Bamidbar Rabba 23,7), it seems that the very question here shows a lack of knowledge of Judaism, as well as being unaware of what’s going on in Israel today. Regarding such a basic life decision, I would strongly suggest first checking out the facts. B’Ahavat Yisrael, Rav Ari Shvat (Chwat)