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The Promise of Return

TANAKH

The promise of divine restoration and return to the land of Israel for the Jewish people is contingent upon their repentance and adherence to God's commandments. Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Torah, contains Moses' final speeches, emphasizing the importance of faithfulness to God and the promise of return from exile.

and you return to your God יהוה, and you and your children heed God’s command with all your heart and soul, just as I enjoin upon you this day, then your God יהוה will restore your fortunes and take you back in love. [God] will bring you together again from all the peoples where your God יהוה has scattered you.

Deuteronomy 30:2-3

The Forced Relocation to Egypt

SECOND TEMPLE

The forced relocation of Jews to Egypt under Ptolemy the son of Lagus led to significant cultural and religious conflicts within the Jewish diaspora. Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, provides a detailed account of these events in his comprehensive historical work.

How Ptolemy The Son Of Lagus Took Jerusalem And Judea By Deceit And Treachery, And Carried Many Thence, And Planted Them In Egypt.
1. Now when Alexander, king of Macedon, had put an end to the dominion of the Persians, and had settled the affairs in Judea after the forementioned manner, he ended his life. And as his government fell among many, Antigonus obtained Asia, Seleucus Babylon; and of the other nations which were there, Lysimachus governed the Hellespont, and Cassander possessed Macedonia; as did Ptolemy the son of Lagus seize upon Egypt…

The Antiquities of the Jews 12:1:1

The Vacuum-Jew

JEWISH THOUGHT

Rapid assimilation has led to the emergence of the 'vacuum-Jew,' who has lost both traditional heritage and the ability to fully integrate into surrounding civilizations. Eliezer Berkovits, in his work written during the Holocaust, critiques the loss of Jewish cultural identity among Jews in Western countries, particularly in the context of Jewish emancipation and assimilation.

The result of this process of emptying the Jew of all Jewish culture has been deplorable. It is most strikingly manifest in the comparatively younger Jewries of the United Kingdom and the U.S.A. There its devastations can often be observed in families under the same roof, where there are two or three generations living together. No outsider would believe that grandchildren and grandparents were of the same stock. It is mostly in the younger Jewries that one meets that unpleasant type of the “vacuum-Jew”…

Towards Historic Judaism, I; Introductory 1:7

Awakening the Beta Israel

HALAKHAH

The mid-nineteenth century marked a pivotal moment for the Beta Israel community in Ethiopia, as missionary activities began to raise awareness and provide much-needed assistance. This historical account delves into the impact of these missionary efforts on the Beta Israel community and their relationship with global Jewry.

In the mid-nineteenth century, relations with the Jewish community outside Ethiopia developed and a process of material assistance for Habash Jewry began. Still, we may say that the main stimulus for awareness of Beta Israel and granting them assistance was missionary activity. As M. Eliav writes, “The main factor in arousing public awareness was missionary activity in Habash. In the early nineteenth century, European Jewry noted with deep concern the expanding activities of the missions in hunting for souls among Jews in various countries…

From Sinai to Ethiopia, Introduction, The Evolution of Ethiopian Jewish Custom 33

Returning Sabbatical Fruits

TALMUD

The specific halakhic requirement that Sabbatical Year fruits that have left the land must be returned for removal highlights the unique connection between Jewish law and the sanctity of the land. This debate among the Sages, particularly Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar, revolves around the interpretation of the phrase 'in your land' from the Torah.

The Sages taught: Sabbatical Year fruits that left Eretz Yisrael and went to the Diaspora must be removed in any place that they are located. Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: That is not so. Rather, the fruits should return to their place of origin in Eretz Yisrael and be removed there. According to his opinion, removal may not be performed outside Eretz Yisrael because it is stated: “In your land,” indicating that this activity may be performed only in Eretz Yisrael…

Pesachim 52b:5

Halakhic Challenges in the Diaspora

HALAKHAH

The halakhic complexities of coercing a get in the Diaspora, especially through the concept of kiddushei ta’ut, are crucial for understanding contemporary Jewish legal responses to marital issues. This text delves into the halakhic considerations and the role of contemporary Poskim in addressing the annulment of marriages under false pretenses when a get cannot be given.

Given that today, at least in the Golah, the Diaspora, we legally and therefore halakhically aren’t empowered to coerce a get, some Poskim such as Rabbi Y. Elhanan Spektor, Eliyahu Klatzkin, Tzvi P. Frank and Moshe Feinstein argue that one must seek whether the conditions are ripe that enable a Posek to void a marriage based upon kiddushei ta’ut in a situation where a get will not be given.

Rabbinic Authority IV, Part II; Rabbinic Authority; The Reality, Chapter 8; Case studies dealing with a wife's claim for bittul kiddushin, b) A husband who is infected with HIV 13

Maintaining the Spiritual Center in Exile

REFERENCE

Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel's efforts were crucial in ensuring that Palestine remained the spiritual center for Jews in exile. Gershom Bader's work provides a detailed account of Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel's leadership and his strategies to prevent the establishment of alternative religious centers.

It has been mentioned before that many Jews settled in the neighboring countries to escape the persecution of the Romans. Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel strove to preserve the significance of Palestine as the center of the Jewish faith in the minds of the exiles and to prevent the establishment of another new religious center similar to the “Temple of Onias” in Alexandria. In this effort he was eminently successful.

The Jewish Spiritual Heroes, Volume I; The Creators of the Mishna, Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel II 36

Hidden Threats and Hidden Salvation

GUIDES

The Purim story unfolds during a time of exile, where God's presence is hidden, making the threat and salvation equally concealed. The Babylonian Talmud's tractate Megillah delves into the holiday of Purim, commemorating the deliverance from Haman's plot during the exile.

The Purim story took place during the period of exile between the two Temples and is typical of a time of exile: There was a threat to the very existence of the Jewish people due to the arbitrary decision of a foreign ruler. Even the salvation merely removed the threat, but did not substantially change the living conditions of the Jews at that time. Furthermore, both the threat and the salvation came at a time when the Divine Presence was concealed. This is expressed by the Gemara's statement: From where in the Torah is the name Esther derived? As it is stated: “And I will hide…

Introductions to the Babylonian Talmud, Megillah, Introduction to Megillah 3

The Obligation to Settle in Israel

HALAKHAH

The debate over whether Jews are religiously obligated to settle in the Land of Israel remains a contentious and relevant issue. Rabbi J. David Bleich explores the differing opinions of Ramban and Rambam on this matter, providing a comprehensive analysis of their positions.

Thus there exists a clear difference of opinion with regard to whether or not there is an obligation in our day to settle in the Land of Israel. According to the opinion of Ramban all Jews presently residing in the Diaspora, in the absence of mitigating circumstances, are religiously remiss in not having made aliyah. In not doing so, observant Jews in the Diaspora presumably rely upon the authority of Rambam. In a recently published letter, allegedly written by the renowned author of Netivot ha-Mishpat, R…

Contemporary Halakhic Problems, Vol II, Part II, Chapter IX Judea and Samaria, Settlement and Return 34

A Cry from Exile

LITURGY

The prolonged exile has left the community feeling a profound sense of despair and helplessness. This Ashkenazi Selichot prayer, recited on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, expresses a heartfelt plea for the end of exile and suffering.

And so may it be Your will Adonoy, our God, and God of our fathers, that this coming year be for us, and for all Your people, the House of Israel, the end and limit of the captivity of Your people, the House of Israel; and the last of our exile and mourning, and a happy end to our days of affliction and misery; for our servitude has been protracted, and the yoke of captivity is long upon us; and behold each day we become more and more diminished, and with the increase in years, we are less in number, and in the length of time, we are dwindling away…

Selichot Nusach Ashkenaz Lita, Erev Rosh Hashana 25:2

Torah Study Amidst Dispersion

MUSAR

The dispersion of Jewish communities across various lands and distant islands, following the era of Rav Ashi's leadership in the Talmudic period, resulted in a significant reduction in Torah study and communal cohesion. Orchot Tzadikim, an ethical work from the 15th century, reflects on the hardships faced by these dispersed communities and emphasizes the crucial importance of maintaining Torah study despite these challenges.

And after the Bet Din of Rav Ashi, in the days of his son, Israel was scattered in a great dispersion over all the countries and they reached the ends of the earth and the distant islands, and strife increased in the world, and the roads were mobbed with mobilizations, and the study of the Torah diminished, and Israel did not enter their yeshivot to study by the thousands and tens of thousands as had been the case earlier, but only a few would gather together, that remnant which the Lord summons in every city and in every country…

Orchot Tzadikim 27:19

The Exile of the Ten Lost Tribes

MIDRASH

The exile of the Ten Tribes of Israel by the Assyrian kings is a pivotal event that shaped Jewish history and led to numerous legends about their fate. The Otzar Midrashim provides a detailed historical account of this exile, including the timeline and locations, distinguishing it from other exiles in Jewish history.

The Ten Tribes: there are various tales told of the Ten Tribes which were exiled from Eretz Yisroel before the exile of the children of the Tribe of Yehudah, part of the Tribe of Binyamin, the Kohanim and the Levi'im. In the days of Pekach, the king of Yisroel, Tiglas-Peleisar, the king of Assyria, came and captured the cities of the Gilead and the land of Naphtali and exiled the people to Assyria (II Kings 15:29). In the days of Hoshea ben Eila, Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, arose and besieged Shomron (Samaria) for three years…

Otzar Midrashim, Midrashim on the Ten Lost Tribes, Introduction 1

Praying for Rain Outside Israel

COMMENTARY

The timing of the prayer for rain outside the Land of Israel differs, reflecting unique agricultural and historical practices. Ovadiah Bartenura’s commentary on the Mishnah explains the specific timing and practice of praying for rain in the Amidah prayer.

בשלשה במרחשון שואלין את הגשמים – We recite “ and grant dew and rain for a blessing” in the blessing of the years (the ninth blessing of the Amidah on weekdays), and these words (of reciting the prayer “and grant dew and rain for a blessing”) are in the Land of Israel. But in the Diaspora, we don’t request [for rain] until sixth days from the autumnal equinox, and on the sixtieth day itself, we begin to pray for rain.

Bartenura on Mishnah Taanit 1:3:1

Observing Yom Tov Sheni in Israel

HALAKHAH

Diaspora Jews visiting Israel face unique halakhic challenges, particularly regarding the observance of a second day of Yom Tov. Rabbi Eliezer Melamed’s Peninei Halakhah provides clear guidance on how Diaspora Jews should navigate these practices while in Israel.

As we have seen, if a Diaspora resident comes to visit Eretz Yisrael with no intention of making aliya, he must observe a second day of Yom Tov. This includes not performing any melakha, reciting the Yom Tov prayers, making kiddush, and having festive meals. At first glance, it would seem that he is required to pray in private, as the Sages have stated that one who visits a place that follows a certain practice should not publicly deviate from the local practice. Nevertheless, there is a general consensus among the rabbis of Eretz Yisrael that visitors may form a minyan for the Yom Tov Sheni…

Peninei Halakhah, Festivals 9:9:2

Sukkot Observance Abroad

TALMUD

Observing Jewish festivals outside of Israel presents unique challenges, especially regarding the uncertainty of festival days. The Gemara in Tractate Sukkah discusses the observance of the eighth and ninth days of Sukkot outside of Israel, focusing on the use of the four species.

The Gemara asks: And we, who live outside of Eretz Yisrael, who have two days of the Festival due to uncertainty whether the eighth day is actually the seventh day of Sukkot, how do we act with regard to deriving benefit from the four species? Abaye said: On the eighth day, with regard to which there is uncertainty that it might be the seventh day, it is prohibited, as due to that uncertainty, the day retains the sanctity of Sukkot…

Sukkah 46b:12-13

Eulogizing the Destruction

KABBALAH

The destruction of the Temple and the scattering of the community are central tragedies in Jewish history, evoking deep emotional and communal responses. The Zohar Chadash, a mystical text from the medieval period, delves into the verses of Lamentations, offering a profound form of collective mourning and remembrance.

1. The Jewish community of Babylon sent a message to the Jewish community of the Holy Land, "It is appropriate for us to cry, it is appropriate for us to eulogize the destruction of the house of God, so much so that the we have been scattered amongst the nations, we should begin to eulogize, to explain the verses in order (from the book of Lamentations), that the master of the world sent in order to eulogize the destruction of His house.

Zohar Chadash, Midrash HaNe'elam Al Eichah 1

The Purim Festival in the Portuguese Synagogue Amsterdam, Louis Fabricius du Bourg, c. 1750, Gift of Dr. Harry G. Friedman, The Jewish Museum, New York.

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