Question:
According to Jewish Law, is it permitted to leave Eretz
Yisrael to visit the gravesites of Tzaddikim [the righteous]?
Answer:
Before answering your specific question, let's take a
look at the general ruling regarding living in Eretz Yisrael [the Land
of Israel], as recorded by the Rambam (Maimonides) in his halachic opus, the "Mishneh
Torah." He states:
"At all times, a Jew should live in Eretz Yisrael,
even in a city where the majority of inhabitants are idol worshippers, and not
live outside of the Land of Israel, even in a city where the majority of the
inhabitants are Jews. For everyone who leaves the Land of Israel for the
Diaspora is like someone who worships idols, as it says, ‘For they have
driven me out this day from being joined to the inheritance of the L-rd,
saying, Go and serve other gods'" (Shmuel 1:26:19. Rambam, Laws of Kings, 5:12).
Like someone who worships idols? This is a pretty
powerful statement. How can it be that leaving the Land of Israel is like serving other gods? In his "Commentary to the
Torah," the Ramban (Nachmonides) explains that Hashem (G-d) rules over
the Land of Israel
by Himself; whereas outside of the Land, He has appointed celestial ministers
to rule over the nations. Thus, when a Jew prays or learns Torah in the Land of Israel, his worship and service goes straight up to Hashem.
Outside of the Land, however, a Jew's worship goes up to the celestial minister
in charge, thus strengthening the foreign nation where he lives. In this sense, the Jew who lives in the
Diaspora is like someone serving other gods (Ramban, Commentary on the Torah,
Vayikra, 18:25).
Certainly, one point that this law is making is that
the Land of Israel
is the Jew's natural, optimum, spiritually healthy place to serve G-d.
The Rambam emphasizes this by stating: "The greatest
of Sages would kiss the borders of the Land of Israel, kissing its stones and rolling in its dust, as it
says, For her servants desired her stones and cherished her very dust" (Tehillim,
102:15. Rambam, Ibid, 5:10).
The Land of Israel
is the Jew's natural, optimum, spiritually healthy place to serve G-d.
Even though it is permitted to leave the Land of
Israel to study Torah, to marry, and to make a livelihood, Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda
Kook, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav in Jerusalem, would often
add that in our time, thank G-d, Israel is the Torah center of the world, there
are plenty of religious Israeli girls to marry, and plenty of good jobs in
Israel's growing economy, so the need to leave the Land no longer exists.
Regarding the specific question of leaving the Land of
Israel to visit the gravesites of holy Sages and Tzaddikim, the"Pri
HaAretz," states that even if a person lives in Eretz Yisrael and
his soul longs to prostrate himself on the gravesites of Tzaddikim
outside of the Land, this is permitted, as long as he plans to return (See
Mishna Berurah, Section 568:10, Shaare T'shuva, 20, there). According to the "S'deh
Chemed," paying homage to the memory of our holy Sages by visiting their
graves is considered an aspect of studying Torah, since our identification with
the great rabbis of the past has the power to raise a person in his Torah
learning and his worship of G-d. At the same time, there are disagreeing
opinions, especially concerning Torah scholars whose study will be hampered by
the hardships of traveling, so each case must be judged individually.
Former Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Mordechai Eliahu, emphasizes that while there
is a general understanding  Rebbe Nachman's Tomb |
