Bittersweet Exile – A Reflection on Galut

Many years ago, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin of Efrat visited Highland Park, and described it as an example of “bittersweet Galut.” The community boasts yeshivas, shuls, mikvahs, and kosher restaurants—a vibrant Jewish life in exile. Highland Park is one of many communities worldwide where Jews are well-educated, professionally successful and comfortably settled. Why would anyone willingly trade such a secure and predictable life for the uncertainties of living in Eretz Yisrael?

This question is not new. Jewish communities have faced this dilemma since the very first exile: the Galut of Egypt. This led to Bnei Yisrael coming home and eventually building the first Bais Hamikdash, but tragically, 80 % of the Jews in Egypt were unwilling to leave and perished during the Plague of Darkness. History has repeated this pattern. For example, during the Babylonian exile, when Cyrus allowed the Jews to rebuild the Temple, only a small percentage returned to Israel. In early 20th-century Europe, many Jews were persuaded by their rabbis to stay put due to concerns over religious observance in Israel and  America. Tragically, countless lives could have been saved had Jewish leadership encouraged emigration in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Hindsight reveals the profound dangers of inertia and complacency, yet radical change remains challenging in every era.

The Comfort of Exile

In Parashat Vayigash, we read how the children of Israel grew comfortable in their new, albeit foreign, surroundings. The Torah states:

וישב יִשְׁרָאֵל בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרִים בְּאָרֶץ גּשֶׁן וַיַחֲזוּ בָּה וַיִפְרוּ וַיֹרְבּוּ מְאָד

“Thus, Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen; they acquired property there and were fruitful and multiplied greatly” (Bereishit 47:27).

Yaakov Avinu foresaw the dangers of this complacency and took proactive steps to ensure his descendants would not lose sight of their ultimate mission.

Yaakov’s Final Request

In this week’s parsha, Vayechi, as Yaakov’s life drew to a close, he summoned Yosef and made an unusual request:

אםּ־נָא מָצָאתִּי חֵן בְּעֵינֵיךּ שִׁים נָא יִדְךּ תַּחֲת יָרַכִי וְעָשִׁיתָּ עָמָדִי חֶסֶד וֶאֵמֶת אַלּ־נָא תְקַבְּרִנִי בֶּמַצָרִים

“If I have found favor in your eyes, please place your hand under my thigh and do kindness and truth with me: do not bury me in Egypt” (Bereishit 47:29).

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains the deeper meaning behind this request. While Yaakov trusted Yosef to fulfill his wishes, he insisted on an oath to emphasize the importance of not being buried in Egypt. This was more than a personal preference; it was a national message.

Pharaoh and the Egyptians likely viewed Yaakov’s burial in Canaan as a rejection of Egypt. For Yaakov, this act symbolized that his family did not consider Egypt their true home. After 17 years in Egypt, Yaakov witnessed how the Nile River began to replace the Jordan River in his family’s eyes. Egypt no longer felt like exile to them. This troubled Yaakov deeply, prompting his emphatic request to be buried in the land of his forefathers.

By expressing this wish as Yisrael, the bearer of the national mission, Yaakov left a lasting message: Galut is unnatural— a punishment— and must never become permanent. His descendants were to strive for their return to Eretz Yisrael—not just after death, but ideally during their lifetimes.

Living, Not Just Dying, in Eretz Yisrael

The Chatam Sofer sharply criticized those who choose to live in exile but arrange to be buried in Eretz Yisrael. He interpreted the verse “Komemiyut L’artzeinu” (“standing upright to our land”) as a call to return to Israel alive, not posthumously. Chazal also condemned this practice, applying harsh words from Yirmiyahu:

וֶנַחֲלָתִּי שָׁמֶתֶּם לָתֹעֵבָה וַתָּבֹאוּ וַתָּמֹאוּ אֶתּ־אֶרצִי

“You turned My inheritance into an abomination during your lifetimes, and defiled My land after your deaths” (Yerushalmi Kilayim 9:4, Bereishit Rabbah 96).

Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi explained that this critique applies to those who could have lived in Eretz Yisrael but chose not to. The Talmud Yerushalmi teaches that there is no comparison between one who returns their soul in the bosom of their homeland and one who does so in foreign lands.

A Legacy of Longing

Before his death, Yaakov blessed his grandsons, Ephraim and Menashe:

הַמַלְאָךּ הַגֵּאל אֶתִּי מִכָּל־רָע יְבָרֶךּ אֶתּ־הַנְעָרִים וֶיַקָרֵא בָּהֶם שְׁמִי וֶשָׁםִי אַבֹתָי אַבְרָהַם וֶיִצְחַק וִיֳדְגוּ לָרֶב בְּקֵרֶב הָאֶרֶץ

“May the angel who redeemed me from all evil bless the lads, and may my name be called upon them, and the names of my fathers, Avraham and Yitzchak; and may they multiply greatly in the midst of the Land” (Bereishit 48:16).

Yaakov’s blessing subtly reinforced the importance of longing for Eretz Yisrael. By connecting their blessing to the land, he reminded them of their true homeland and their duty to return.

Eretz Yisrael: The Source of All Blessings

Chazal teach that all blessings flow from Zion:

• Torah: כִי מִצִּיוֹן תָּצְא תֹורָה “For out of Zion shall Torah go forth” (Yeshayahu 2:3).
• Blessing: יְבָּרֶכְּךּ ה› מִצִיוֹן “May the Lord bless you from Zion” (Tehillim 128:5).
• Life: כְּטָלִל חַרָמֹן שֶׁיֹרֶד עָל־הָרְרֵי צִיוֹן כִּי שָׁם צָוָה ה› אֶתּ־הַבְּרָכָּה חַיִּם עַד־הָעוֹלָם “Like the dew of Hermon that descends upon the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, eternal life” (Tehillim 133:3).

Today, the opportunity to live in Eretz Yisrael is within reach for almost every Jew. Yet many remain in the comfort of exile, ignoring the profound call of our forefather Yaakov.

The Time to Act

Will we heed Yaakov’s warning and take steps to leave the Galut? The Land of Israel awaits—a land of unparalleled blessings and divine connection. Let us rise to the challenge, fulfill our destiny, and begin planning our future in the land of our forefathers.