Thursday, December 8, 2011

No one is forcing you to live in exile

Hi,

"Know, my brothers, that we do not view the Jewish nation, who are scattered throughout the Diaspora, as people of improper conduct. Rather, they are fulfilling an ancient decree recorded in the Torah's rebuke, 'Gd will scatter you among all of the nations, from one end of the land to the other.'

"However, the fact that a rebuke is stated in the Torah does not command each individual to personally fulfill the punishment!"

(R' Yisrael Meir Kagan (Chafetz Chaim), Shem Olam, Kuntrus Nefutzot Yisrael 7))

[Note: R' Kagan expressed this in the context of a rebuke for those who left Poland for America. Interesting.]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

1 comment:

  1. Very interesting. It seems that the Chafetz Chaim is saying why exchange the exile of Poland for the exile in America?? The Jews lived in Poland for hundreds of years and those who didn't leave were slaughtered. Yes, the rebuke and hester panim of exile are written in the Torah, but so are the ingathering of the exiles and the final redemption. The ultimate rebuke is not Hashem's but the rebuke of those who refuse to be part of that redemption.

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