G-d not only gave the Jewish People a special land, but also decreed that they must live in it. Living in the Land is not merely a right, but a duty that cannot be foregone. It is a mitzvah, a Divine decree, that we must live in Eretz Yisrael under G-d's dominion, sanctifying His name, in order to create a holy state and society which clings to mitzvot completely and properly, uninfluenced by the alien, false culture of the nations.

At the same time, it is an unforgivable, loathsome sin to refuse to live in Eretz Yisrael, and to prefer the depravity of the exile and foreign rule. It is a Chilul Hashem, and Israel are, thus, exposed to the influence of the nations and their abominations.

G-d, therefore, was angry at our ancestors in the desert when they refused to go up to Eretz Yisrael and called out, "Let us appoint a new leader and go back to Egypt" (Num. 14:4). Surely the spies Moses sent out were prominent and righteous, as our sages said (Tanchuma, Shelach, 4):

"'Send out men' (Num. 12:2): This is in line with, 'He that sends a message by the hand of a fool, severs his own feet and imbibes damage' (Prov. 26:6). Were the spies fools? Surely the Torah said, 'Send out men [anashim],' and anashim always refers to righteous persons... Rather, they were called fools only because they slandered the Land... ALL THE SAME, THEY WERE GREAT MEN WHO MADE THEMSELVES INTO FOOLS."

Likewise, Num. 13:3, "All men were leaders of the children of Israel", was rendered by Targum Yonatan as, "All were wise men who had been appointed heads of the children of Israel."

Thus, they were great and righteous men, yet they sinned in turning their backs on Eretz Yisrael and wishing to settle down in the exile, in Egypt. As King David said, "They scorned the Desirable Land, they believed not His word" (Ps. 106:24).

Here we see that even the great luminaries of the generation made themselves fools in that they wished to return to Egypt and they treated the Desirable Land with contempt. This happened only because they feared the might of the nations there and did not trust in G-d, as it says, "They believed not His word."

Ostensibly, they had a good argument, pikuach nefesh, i.e., they wished to prevent loss of life. The spies said of the Canaanites, "We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so were we in their sight" (Num. 13:33). They were certain that the war against the Canaanites would be severe, and it would be hard to defeat the giants. Moreover, even if they defeated them, a few Israelites would fall. After all, we do not rely on miracles.

For that reason, these great and righteous men rendered a halachic ruling that pikuach nefesh overrides all areas of Eretz Yisrael; it overrides Eretz Yisrael in its entirety. They certainly did not intend to abandon G-d's Torah, but rather to return to Egypt and keep it there. This, however, was their sin, because G-d had decreed that it was forbidden for them to dwell outside the Land, and that only in Eretz Yisrael could they sanctify His name and live in the isolation of Torah. For that reason, no danger to the nation overrode Eretz Yisrael, the only place the Jewish People could keep the Torah completely and properly.

A war over the mitzvah of living in and conquering Eretz Yisrael is a milchemet mitzvah, which no danger to life overrides. Quite the contrary, this mitzvah overrides such danger, as Ramban wrote in Sefer HaMitzvot (Ibid., Mitzvah 4):

"This is what our sages call milchemet mitzvah. In the Talmud (Sotah 44b) Rava said, 'Joshua's war of conquest was an obligatory duty according to all opinions.' ONE SHOULD NOT MAKE THE MISTAKE OF SAYING THAT THIS MITZVAH ONLY APPLIES TO THE SEVEN NATIONS WE WERE COMMANDED TO DESTROY... That is not so. We were commanded to destroy those nations when they fought against us, and had they wished to make peace we could have done so under specific conditions. Yet, we cannot leave the Land in their control OR IN THE CONTROL OF ANY OTHER NATIONS IN ANY GENERATION."

Fear of the nations is just one dismal reason the Jewish People treat the Desirable Land with contempt (longing for the good life in another). Precisely because of this delusion that the exile is safe but Eretz Yisrael is dangerous, G-d became angry and decreed death in the desert for the generation that left Egypt, adding, "You said your children will be taken captive, but they will be the ones I will bring there, so that they will know the land that you rejected" (Num. 14:31). Those who feared that they and their children would die in Eretz Yisrael, died precisely in the desert, whereas their children entered the Land and lived. This teaches that the only security for the Jewish People is in Eretz Yisrael, whereas the exile is their burial place. Our sages said (Torat Kohanim, Bechukotai, Ch. 1): "'You will live securely in your land' (Lev. 26:5): In your land you will live securely, but not outside it." Likewise, Obadiah said (v. 17), "Upon Mount Zion there shall be deliverance". In other words, in Zion but not in the exile.

G-d, Who knows His people's mind, knew, as well, that Israel would always prefer the non-Jewish life of the exile, whose abominable depravity is so sweet to the sinner among us. As King Solomon said, "Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant" (Prov. 9:17). G-d, therefore, decreed that Israel would never find safety and security in the exile. Bereshit Rabbah, 33:6, teaches:

"'He sent out the dove... It could find no place to rest its feet' (Gen. 8:8-9): Yehuda bar Nachman said in the name of R. Shimon, 'Had it found a place to rest, it would not have returned. Just so, it says, 'She dwells among the nations; she finds no rest.' (Lam. 1:3); and , 'Among those nations you shall have no repose; there shall be no rest for the soles of your foot.' (Deut. 28:65). If Israel found rest in the exile, they would not return.'"

Thus, G-d decreed that Israel would never find permanent rest [manoach] in the exile, and whoever says that they really can find it is an "ignoramus" [in Berachot 61a, R. Nachman calls Samson's father Manoach an "ignoramus."].

Not in vain did our sages (Mechilta, Bo, 1) compare the exile to a cemetery, for if Israel refuse to dwell in Eretz Yisrael, if they spurn it for the depravity of the exile, they have no future, but suffering, tragedy and annihilation. As the prophet Ezekiel said (20:32-34):

"That which comes into your mind shall not be at all, your saying, 'We will be like the nations, to serve wood and stone.' As I live - says the L-rd G-d - with a mighty hand, an outstretched arm AND WITH FURY POURED OUT, will I be King over you. I will remove you from the nations and gather you in from the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand, an outstretched arm AND WITH FURY POURED OUT."

In saying, "to serve wood and stone", Ezekiel did not mean that Israel actually wished to worship idols. His point was really in line with Onkelos's translation, quoted above, of the verse, "There you will serve other gods, wood and stone, unknown to you and your fathers" (Deut. 28:64): "There you will serve NATIONS that worship idols." That is, Israel would not actually worship idols, but would serve the non-Jews who worship idols. This bondage to these nations constitutes terrible Chilul Hashem, for it thereby appears as if their idols have vanquished G-d, Heaven forbid. Likewise, Yonatan rendered the same verse, "You will pay taxes to idol worshippers." In other words, instead of the nations being subjugated to Israel in Eretz Yisrael with taxes and servitude, Israel will be subject to them the same way. Jeremiah says (5:19), "Just as you have forsaken Me and served strange gods in your land, so shall you serve strangers in a land that is not yours."

Today's alien culture has replaced idolatry, one more reason G-d promised not to let Israel dwell among the nations. G-d said, "With fury poured out will I be King over you" (Ezek. 20:33), and He said He would remove Israel from the exile by force - at least those who survive the suffering there and are not killed by G-d like the Jews who, despising Eretz Yisrael, preferred to remain in Egypt. (It is known that the last redemption will be like the first.)

Woe to the stubborn children who think it possible to flee G-d and Eretz Yisrael, and who think that despite their having lost their homeland, Eretz Yisrael, they will be able to settle in the exile in ease. Of them it says, "I will scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send the sword after them, until I have consumed them" (Jer. 9:15). G-d have mercy.