The "Why don't you live in Israel question?"

• There comes a time in any American Yeshiva kid's sojourn of learning in Israel when the question arises (or should arise!) in his mind as to why doesn't everybody (or, at least, people whom he would - and should! expect to consider such issues)  make aliyah. One of thoughtful talmidim, Sruli Baum, who is currently learning (well! B"H) in EY and I had the following FB conversation on the topic:
• Thursday
• 

  11/14, 11:25am

  Sruli Baum

  I would like to know any reasons for one not to make aliyah. Please let me know. Thank you
• Thursday
• 

  11/14, 7:36pm

  Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer

  In the good old days we would have had a written correspondence on this, which we would both cherish. Alas for the advent of this ephemeral technology!

  There are two schools of thought (broadly speaking).

  One maintains that the value of living in Israel surpasses all other values. To put it somewhat oversimplified, it would be better to be a falafel vendor in Eretz Yisroel than a Rosh Yeshiva in Chu"l.

  The other maintains that one must consider one's purpose in life and then decide where to live in order to best accomplish that purpose.

  About thirty years ago I went through the process of first considering which school of thought appeals to my mind and heart. It was the latter.

  It was (and still is) clear to me that my mission in life is one that, on the one hand, many talented people in EY are engaged in fulfilling, and far fewer in Chu"l.

  On the other hand, that mission in its personalized version for me, requires the capacity to transcend societal boundaries that, since then, have become ever more difficult to transcend.

  The state of Orthodox society in Israel is such that such transcendence is virtually impossible. It is still possible in Chu"l. There is almost no milieu in EY in which I can be as authentically - and, I hope, effectively - myself as in, for example, MTA.
• 

  11/14, 7:51pm

  Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer

  And, there is almost no milieu in EY in which there is not an abundant over-supply of people with similar missions - albeit with different goals and methods, but sufficiently similar so as to create an appearance of over-supply - whereas in Chu"l that saturation point has not been reached.
• 

  11/14, 7:52pm

  Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer

  That being said, of course, I love EY b'lev va'nefesh, and am so depressed every time I have to leave it. But to the extent that it is possible for flawed human logic and emotion to perceive, I believe this is fulfilling, in my case, Ratzon Hashem.
• Today
• 

  12:36am

  Sruli Baum

  Did you make that decision?

  Did you make that decision at 18/19 years old?
• 

  12:41am

  Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer

  I'm not that young.

  Around age 22-23 (I will be 52 this Adar Aleph).

  Yes, my decision.
• 

  12:44am

  Sruli Baum

  Were you already on that path when you made the decision?
• 

  12:46am

  Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer

  Yes.