The Mitzvah of Eretz Yisrael

Can non-Jews dwell in Eretz Yisrael according to halacha today? Rav Shlomo Katz explores the status of ger toshav—a non-Jew who commits to the seven Noahide laws and aligns with the values of a Jewish society—and the halachic tension created by the absence of yovel. Drawing from the Rambam, Rav Herzog, and modern examples like the Druze community, this shiur probes the practical and emotional chal...

As Am Yisrael returns home, the Torah presents clear halachic guidelines about who may dwell in the Land and under what terms. Rav Shlomo Katz explores the opinions of Rashi, the Rambam, and the Sefer HaChinuch on the mitzvos of lo techanem and lo yeshvu be’artzecha —not as political slogans, but as enduring halachic frameworks. Through real-life examples and historical context, he unpacks the com...

When Am Yisrael returns home, who else is here, and what does the Torah ask of us in response? Rav Shlomo Katz opens a deeply sensitive and essential conversation around two core prohibitions in the Torah: forming covenants and selling land to non-Jews in Eretz Yisrael. With humility and fire, he brings the words of the פסוקים, the wisdom of the sages, and the lived experience of modern return int...

It’s not just about being back in the Land. It’s about being back in our place . Rav Shlomo Katz opens the gates of time and prophecy, guiding us through the halachic and prophetic conditions for the return of Shemitah and Yovel. With the Rambam, the Gemara in ערכין, and Yechezkel’s vision of tribal boundaries, we’re reminded that the geulah isn’t merely about presence, but placement. And as we im...

Rav Shlomo takes us on a breathtaking historical sweep of the mitzvos that only come alive in Eretz Yisrael. From Yehoshua’s conquest to Ezra’s second sanctification, from exile to return, we trace how mitzvos like Shemitah, Yovel, Terumos and Ma’asros waxed and waned with the presence—or absence—of Am Yisrael in the Land. But the real heart of the episode is the invitation: you can actually turn...

Now that we’ve mapped the borders, Rav Shlomo brings us into the heart of what it means to live Torah in Eretz Yisrael. Beyond Shemittah and Terumos, there’s a mitzvah that rests on the entire nation: to establish a society guided by Torah justice. But what happens when the most powerful judges can’t say Shema Yisrael? Through a moving reflection on the state of leadership, the power of Sanhedrin—...

Rav Shlomo wraps up our deep dive into the גבולות of Eretz Yisrael with a story that’s as hilarious as it is holy—about a בעל תשובה, a chicken parmesan, and a very literal take on the Ramban. But from this “flying mashal,” we soar into something deeper: what it means to keep Torah in the Land versus outside of it, and why mitzvos done here carry a different kind of soul. As we prepare to explore t...

Back east we go, tracing the uncertain outlines of עבר הירדן המזרחי. With love, clarity, and a dash of cartographic chaos, Rav Shlomo Katz explores what happens when the Torah says “from the desert to the river” but leaves the rest to us. Through Rambam’s squared geometry, the conquest of Sichon and Og, and the promise of נהר פרת, we touch the dream of the future borders of ארץ ישראל—stretching in...

Rav Shlomo Katz leads us into the northern edges of the holy land, where the mountains rise and the halachic questions deepen. What and where is הר ההר? How far does the Torah's promise stretch? With ancient maps, differing opinions, and the tension between עולי מצרים and לעתיד לבוא, we journey through the evolving shape of ארץ ישראל. As Rav Shlomo reminds us, every detail of these גבולות isn't ju...

From the wars of Sihon and Og to modern-day Eilat, the southern borders of Eretz Yisrael remain a halachic and historical mystery. Rav Shlomo Katz takes us deep into the confusion around Nachal Mitzrayim , the shifting number of nations to conquer, and the conflicting maps passed down through Torah and tradition. What does all this mean for the mitzvah of yishuv ha’aretz today? Are places like Be’...

Was Moshe Rabbeinu ever in Eretz Yisrael? It’s not as simple as it sounds. Rav Shlomo Katz explores the spiritual and halachic status of עבר הירדן המזרחי—the eastern side of the Jordan River—conquered before we ever entered the land proper. Can mitzvot tied to the land be fulfilled there? Can you force someone to move from east to west? Why couldn’t the Mishkan dwell there? Through midrash, halach...

What defines the halachic borders of Eretz Yisrael—and what happens when our feet tread beyond them? Rav Shlomo Katz opens a deep dive into the tension between the Torah’s promised boundaries and modern questions like the status of Eilat or Yamit. Is every inch we settle inherently a mitzvah, or must the original g’vulot come first? With sources from Avraham to Yehoshua, and the insight of recent...

Rav Shlomo Katz reveals a breathtaking halachic truth: in Eretz Yisrael, working the land isn’t just agriculture. It’s divine service. With the Chasam Sofer as a guide, we learn that planting in the Holy Land is itself a fulfillment of the mitzvah of yishuv ha’aretz . From Boaz’s threshing floor to our own hands in the soil, every act of development here becomes a sacred declaration. In a world wh...

Rav Shlomo Katz tackles a painful truth: there is one kind of Lashon Hara that might be worse than speaking badly about another person—speaking negatively about Eretz Yisrael. Through Rav Kook’s writings and the example of Chazal, we explore how the Meraglim’s sin wasn’t just ancient history. It repeats every time we diminish the Land with our words. This episode calls for a deeper awareness, a sh...

Beyond halachic obligation, does the Torah command us to love the Land? Rav Shlomo Katz brings down a striking Rambam in Hilchot Melachim and a teaching from Rav Eliezer Melamed that reframes everything: when Chazal kissed its stones and rolled in its dust, it wasn’t poetic symbolism. It was halacha. If the Rambam records this in Mishneh Torah , then this is how a Jew is meant to feel. This episod...

Rav Shlomo Katz continues exploring the modern implications of the mitzvah of living in Eretz Yisrael—this time focusing on the halachic and spiritual weight of leaving . Whether it’s a short family vacation or a necessary journey, halacha permits it—but what’s the internal consciousness we carry? Quoting the Rambam, Rav Goren, and contemporary poskim, this shiur reminds us that just being in the...

Rav Shlomo Katz opens up a charged halachic question: Is the mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael fulfilled by owning a home here, or does the Torah demand constant physical presence in the Land? We explore the Rambam 's rulings, the Gemara in Avodah Zarah, and modern questions of travel, shidduchim, parnassah, and Torah learning. What counted as a heter to leave the Land in Chazal’s day may no longer...

A sensitive and common question meets the clarity of halacha: When parents object to a child’s desire to move to Eretz Yisrael, what does Torah say? Rav Shlomo Katz dives deep into the rulings of the Shulchan Aruch , the Rambam, and the Ramban to show why living in the Land is a mitzvah that even parental wishes cannot override. With compassion and wisdom, he offers the path forward: to speak gent...

Rav Shlomo Katz brings a halacha from Even HaEzer that might surprise you: when a couple disagrees about making aliyah, the side refusing to move could lose their halachic standing. Based on the Gemara in Ketubot , we explore powerful rulings that prioritize living in Eretz Yisrael—even over major marital contracts. Whether moving from chutz la’aretz to Israel or from Israel to Yerushalayim, halac...

Rav Shlomo Katz explores one of the most misunderstood aspects of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael: the difference between Jews merely living in the Land, and actual sovereignty over it. Drawing on the halachic writings of the Beit Yosef and the Bach, we learn that the mitzvah klalit —national fulfillment—requires Jewish control, not just Jewish presence. Even a city that’s mostly Jewish, if ruled by foreign...

Rav Shlomo Katz delves into the deep halachic question: does conquering and settling the Land of Israel override pikuach nefesh —the Torah’s command to preserve life? Through the teachings of Rav Kook, Rav Goren, and the Minchat Chinuch, we discover that Yishuv Eretz Yisrael is a klal Yisraeli mitzvah, one that may require mesirut nefesh when it comes to the collective mission of Am Yisrael. But w...

Rav Shlomo Katz unpacks a key question: is living in Eretz Yisrael optional, or an actual obligation? We explore the difference between a mitzvah you fulfill by living here ( kiyumit ) versus a mitzvah you’re obligated to fulfill ( chiyuvit ). With halachic sources from the Gemara, the Rambam, and the Tosefta, we learn that dwelling in the Land isn’t just another mitzvah—it’s the foundation for a...

Rav Shlomo Katz shares how the pasuk “Ufaratzta Yama Vakeidma…” teaches us that the mitzvah of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael starts from Yerushalayim and spreads outward. Drawing from Rav Melamed and the vision of Yaakov Avinu, we explore how settling desolate areas—especially near the heart of the land—is a direct fulfillment of the Torah’s call. Even today, there are many parts of Israel still waiting to...

Rav Shlomo Katz introduces the powerful teachings of Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook zt”l, who helped shape modern halachic understanding of settling the land of Israel. We explore a fascinating halacha: Chazal allowed certain Shabbat laws to be pushed aside in order to buy land in Eretz Yisrael from non-Jews. Why? Because the mitzvah of Yishuv Ha’aretz is so great, it can outweigh even serious halachic rest...

Rav Shlomo Katz explores the famous question: why didn’t the Rambam include Yishuv Eretz Yisrael in his list of 613 mitzvot? We dive into the Rambam’s view that living in Israel is a foundational principle —a mitzvah that holds up the rest of Torah, even if it’s not listed like Shabbat or kashrut. Through insights from Rav Teichtal and Rav Rabinovitch, we begin to understand how central Eretz Yisr...