A Short Tribute

"The forefathers' deeds are embodied in their sons". The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham, may he rest in peace, testing him with a great challenge, "Go from your country" – your country and its people, to which you are accustomed, where your commerce thrives as it should, "and from your homeland" – where you were born and have many friends and acquaintances, "and your father's household" – leave your family, parents, brothers and sisters. You must leave everything behind and go to the place I will show you…
Why did He test him with the challenge of immigration? For the reason we mentioned above, "forefathers' deeds are embodied in their sons". It was revealed and known to the Holy One, blessed be He, that the People of Israel were to be in exile and become accustomed to the place where they were born, to being outside the Land, in a place where their commerce runs well, and where their acquaintances and friends extend beyond their families, and where they may even have friends among the non-Jews. How then would they be able to leave everything behind, to separate from their families and acquaintances, and leave their successful businesses? It is all well and good to cite the commandment of settling the Land of Israel and the reunification of the exiled as a reason…
If life outside Israel was good to us, it will be all the better in the Land of Israel, where Divine providence always dwells, as is written, "It is a land which the LORD your God looks after, on which the LORD your God always keeps His eye, from year's beginning to year's end." Heaven forbid that we dare say that our life here is not good.
We must stand up to the test as did Abraham our forefather, may he rest in peace, who succeeded in all his endeavors thanks to his powerful faith in the Holy One, blessed be He. So must we believe with complete faith, and follow the same path we did outside Israel, worshipping God with all our might, here, as well. God is only testing us, and if we stand up to the challenge we will certainly meet with success and wellbeing.