Pt1 The Greatness of Residing in Eretz Yisrael, and the Future Messianic Resurrection (Ketubot 111a-b)

This is the first part of a two-part series. The outline of the series is below.

Intro

Part 1: The Importance of Residing in Eretz Yisrael and Central Babylonia

The sugya opens with a baraita that sets the basic principle: one should always reside in Eretz Yisrael, even in a city dominated by non-Jews, rather than outside of it, even in a city of Jews.¹ Dwelling in the land is equated with having a God, based on Leviticus 25:38: “To give you the land of Canaan, to be your God.”

This ideal is complicated by Rav Yehuda, who, citing Jeremiah 27:22, forbade leaving Babylonia for Israel during exile. R. Zeira, eager to ascend, avoided his teacher to escape opposition. Relatedly, R. Yosei b. Ḥanina taught the “Three Oaths” from Song of Songs: Israel must not ascend en masse, must not rebel against the nations, and the nations must not over-subjugate Israel. R. Levi expanded these to six, adding prohibitions on revealing or delaying the end and on disclosing Jewish secrets, while R. Elazar warned that breaking them would lead to Israel’s abandonment. At the same time, he affirmed that residence in Israel removes sin (Isaiah 33:24), and Rav Anan likened burial there to being interred beneath the Temple altar (Exodus 20:21; Deuteronomy 32:43).

Anecdotes highlight the gravity of leaving the land: R. Elazar lamented Ulla’s death abroad, R. Ḥanina rebuked a man who wished to leave even for levirate marriage, and Rav Yehuda equated residence in Babylonia with residence in Israel, forbidding emigration from there as well. Abaye even claimed that Babylonia would be spared the messianic birth pangs.

Part 2: Resurrection and Burial

The discussion then turns to eschatology. R. Elazar, reading Ezekiel 26:20, asserted that only the dead of Israel will be resurrected. R. Ile’a countered that the righteous abroad would roll to Israel, while Abaye explained that underground tunnels would carry them. Jacob and Joseph’s insistence on burial in the land was understood as concern that they might not merit such tunnels.

R. Abbahu insisted that even a non-Jewish female slave in Eretz Yisrael merits the World-to-Come, and R. Yoḥanan claimed that anyone who merely walked four cubits there was assured of resurrection (Isaiah 42:5).

A sharp dispute followed over who is excluded: R. Elazar declared that amei ha’aretz (non-rabbinic commoners) will not rise, while R. Yoḥanan insisted the verse applies only to idolaters. As a concession, R. Elazar explained that supporting Torah scholars ensures resurrection through the “dew of Torah” (Isaiah 26:19).

R. Ḥiyya b. Yosef further envisions the righteous sprouting forth from Jerusalem itself (II Kings 19:34) and resurrected clothed in their garments.

Individual sages demonstrated devotion through physical gestures—kissing the stones of Akko, repairing its roads, seeking comfort in its climate, and rolling in its dust (Psalms 102:15).²

The sugya closes by reaffirming Eretz Yisrael as the locus of divine presence, the soil of resurrection, and the land of boundless blessing.

Outline

1. Intro

   1. Part 1: Living in Eretz Yisrael

   2. Part 2: Resurrection and Burial

The Passage - Living in Eretz Yisrael and the Future Resurrection (Ketubot 111a-b)

Part 1a: The Greatness of Residing in Eretz Yisrael

1. Baraita - One should always live in Eretz Yisrael, even among non-Jews

2. Living outside Eretz Yisrael is equivalent to godlessness - Leviticus 25:38

Part 1b: Opposition to immigration to Eretz Yisrael, and the 3/6 Oaths

1. Anecdote: R’ Zeira moved to Eretz Yisrael despite Rav Yehuda’s opposition - Jeremiah 27:22

2. R’ Yosei b. Ḥanina - Three oaths: Jews not ascend en masse, not rebel; nations not over-oppress - Song of Songs verses

3. R’ Levi - Expands to six oaths: add not revealing/delaying the end, not exposing secrets - Song of Songs verses

4. R’ Elazar - Breaking the oath leads to abandonment “like gazelles and hinds” - Song of Songs 2:7

Part 1c: The Greatness of Residing and Being Buried in Eretz Yisrael

1. R’ Elazar - Living in Eretz Yisrael removes sin - Isaiah 33:24

2. Rav Anan - Burial in Eretz Yisrael is equivalent to burial under the Temple altar - Exodus 20:21; Deuteronomy 32:43

3. Anecdote - R’ Elazar (re Ulla) - Burial in Eretz Yisrael after death is not as great as living and dying there - Amos 7:17

4. Anecdote - R’ Ḥanina condemned someone for leaving Eretz Yisrael even for levirate marriage

Part 1d: The Importance of Residing in Central Babylonia

1. Rav Yehuda citing Shmuel - Just as leaving Eretz Yisrael is prohibited, so too leaving Babylonia

2. Rabba & Rav Yosef - Prohibited even to go within Babylonia from Pumbedita to Bei Kuvei; Anecdote of Rav Yosef excommunicating for this

3. Prohibited even to go within Babylonia from Pumbedita to Astonia; Abaye commenting that a scholar died because he did this

4. Rabba & Rav Yosef - Worthy of Babylonia buried in Eretz Yisrael; worthy of other lands absorbed by Babylonia

5. Rav Yehuda - Living in Babylonia is like living in Eretz Yisrael - Zechariah 2:11

6. Abaye - Babylonia will not see messianic pangs

Part 2: Burial in Eretz Yisrael and Resurrection

1. R’ Elazar - Dead outside Eretz Yisrael will not live - Ezekiel 26:20

2. R’ Abbahu - Even a non-Jewish female slave in Eretz Yisrael has a share in the World-to-Come - Isaiah 42:5; Genesis 22:5

3. R’ Yirmeya b. Abba citing R’ Yoḥanan - Walking 4 cubits in Eretz Yisrael secures a share in the World-to-Come - Isaiah 42:5

4. R’ Ile’a - Righteous abroad will roll to Eretz Yisrael; Abaye: tunnels provided

5. Karna - Jacob sought burial in Eretz Yisrael lest he not merit tunnels - Genesis 47:30

6. R’ Ḥanina - Joseph likewise made his brothers swear - Genesis 50:25

7. R’ Elazar - Amei ha’aretz will not resurrect - Isaiah 26:14

   1. R’ Yoḥanan - Disagrees: verse refers to idolaters; ordinary Jews not excluded - Isaiah 26:14, 26:19

   2. R’ Elazar (concession) - Remedy: supporting Torah scholars counts as cleaving to God, ensuring life - Deuteronomy 4:4; 30:20

8. R’ Ḥiyya b. Yosef - Righteous will resurrect in Jerusalem - II Kings 19:34

9. R’ Ḥiyya b. Yosef - Righteous will resurrect clothed

Appendix 1 - Rabba’s Brothers Advise Him in a Letter (Ketubot 111a-b)

1. Jacob’s Confidence and Ilfa’s Addition

2. Study With a Teacher

3. Health Advice

4. Mule Breeding Ruling

Appendix 2 - Anecdotes of rabbis’ immigration to Eretz Yisrael, and practices there (Ketubot 112a-b)

1. Anecdote - R' Elazar’s immigration to Eretz Yisrael and ordination (Ezekiel 13:9)

2. Anecdote - R' Zeira’s immigration to Eretz Yisrael

3. Four Practices of rabbis in Eretz Yisrael (Psalms 102:15)

The Passage

Ketubot.110b.23-112b.1

Part 1a: The Greatness of Residing in Eretz Yisrael

Baraita - One should always live in Eretz Yisrael, even among non-Jews

תנו רבנן:

• לעולם ידור אדם בארץ ישראל

  • אפילו בעיר שרובה גוים,

• ואל ידור בחוצה לארץ

  • ואפילו בעיר שרובה ישראל

§ In relation to the basic point raised by the Mishnah concerning living in Eretz Yisrael, A baraita states:

• A person should always reside in Eretz Yisrael,

  • even in a city that is mostly populated by non-Jews,

• and he should not reside outside of Eretz Yisrael,

  • even in a city that is mostly populated by Jews.

Living outside Eretz Yisrael is equivalent to godlessness - Leviticus 25:38

ש

• כל הדר בארץ ישראל

  • דומה כמי שיש לו אלוה,

• וכל הדר בחוצה לארץ

  • דומה כמי שאין לו אלוה.

שנאמר:

״לתת לכם את ארץ כנען

להיות לכם לאלהים״.

[...]

The reason is that

• anyone who resides in Eretz Yisrael

  • is considered as one who has a God,

• and anyone who resides outside of Eretz Yisrael

  • is considered as one who does not have a God.

As it is stated:

“To give to you the land of Canaan,

to be your God” (Leviticus 25:38).

[...]

Part 1b: Opposition to immigration to Eretz Yisrael, and the 3/6 Oaths

Anecdote: R’ Zeira moved to Eretz Yisrael despite Rav Yehuda’s opposition - Jeremiah 27:22

רבי זירא הוה קמשתמיט מיניה דרב יהודה

דבעא למיסק לארץ ישראל,

דאמר רב יהודה:

כל העולה מבבל לארץ ישראל --

עובר בעשה,

שנאמר:

״בבלה יובאו

ושמה יהיו

עד יום פקדי אותם

נאם ה׳״.

[...]

§ The Talmud relates: R' Zeira was avoiding being seen by his teacher, Rav Yehuda,

as R' Zeira sought to ascend to Eretz Yisrael and his teacher disapproved.

As Rav Yehuda said:

Anyone who ascends from Babylonia to Eretz Yisrael --

transgresses a positive mitzva,

as it is stated:

“They shall be taken to Babylonia

and there they shall remain

until the day that I recall them,

said YHWH” (Jeremiah 27:22).

Based on that verse, Rav Yehuda held that since the Babylonian exile was imposed by divine decree, permission to leave Babylonia for Eretz Yisrael could be granted only by God.

[...]

R’ Yosei b. Ḥanina - Three oaths: Jews not ascend en masse, not rebel; nations not over-oppress - Song of Songs verses

(See footnote.)³

לכדרבי יוסי ברבי חנינא, דאמר:

שלש שבועות הללו למה?

1. אחת

   1. שלא יעלו ישראל בחומה,

2. ואחת

   1. שהשביע הקדוש ברוך הוא את ישראל

   2. שלא ימרדו באומות העולם,

3. ואחת

   1. שהשביע הקדוש ברוך הוא את הגוים

   2. שלא ישתעבדו בהן בישראל יותר מדאי.

[...]

taught by R' Yosei, son of R' Ḥanina, who said:

Why are these three oaths (Song of Songs 2:7, 3:5, 8:4) needed?

1. One,

   1. so that the Jews should not ascend to Eretz Yisrael as a wall, but little by little.

2. And another one,

   1. that God adjured the Jews

   2. that they should not rebel against the rule of the non-Jews

3. And the last one is

   1. that God adjured the non-Jews

   2. that they should not subjugate the Jews excessively.

[...]

R’ Levi - Expands to six oaths: add not revealing/delaying the end, not exposing secrets - Song of Songs verses

לכדרבי לוי, דאמר:

שש שבועות הללו למה?

תלתא — הני דאמרן,

אינך:

1. שלא יגלו את הקץ,

2. ושלא ירחקו את הקץ,

3. ושלא יגלו הסוד לגוים.

that which was taught by R' Levi, who said:

These six oaths, i.e., the aforementioned three verses containing oaths, each of which contains the phrase “That you not awaken or stir up,” why are they necessary?

Three are those that we said and explained above.

The other three oaths are as follows:

1. That those who know should not reveal the end (קץ) of days;

2. and that they should not distance the end of days by saying that it is still distant;

3. and that they should not reveal the secret of the Jews to the nations.

R’ Elazar - Breaking the oath leads to abandonment “like gazelles and hinds” - Song of Songs 2:7

״בצבאות או באילות השדה״,

אמר רבי אלעזר:

אמר להם הקדוש ברוך הוא לישראל:

• אם אתם מקיימין את השבועה —

  • מוטב,

• ואם לאו —

  • אני מתיר את בשרכם כצבאות וכאילות השדה.

§ The Talmud discusses a phrase in the verse cited above.

“I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and by the hinds of the field” (Song of Songs 2:7).

R' Elazar said:

God said to the Jewish people:

• If you fulfill the oath,

  • it is good,

• and if not,

  • I will abandon your flesh and all will devour you like the gazelles and like the hinds of the field.

Part 1c: The Greatness of Residing and Being Buried in Eretz Yisrael

R’ Elazar - Living in Eretz Yisrael removes sin - Isaiah 33:24

אמר רבי אלעזר:

כל הדר בארץ ישראל --

שרוי בלא עון,

שנאמר:

״ובל יאמר שכן: חליתי

העם היושב בה נשוא עון״.

[...]

R' Elazar said:

Anyone who resides in Eretz Yisrael --

dwells without transgression,

as it is stated:

“And the inhabitant shall not say: I am sick;

the people that dwell there shall be forgiven their iniquity” (Isaiah 33:24).

[...]

Rav Anan - Burial in Eretz Yisrael is equivalent to burial under the Temple altar - Exodus 20:21; Deuteronomy 32:43

אמר רב ענן:

כל הקבור בארץ ישראל --

כאילו קבור תחת המזבח.

• כתיב הכא:

  • ״מזבח אדמה תעשה לי״,

• וכתיב התם:

  • ״וכפר אדמתו עמו״.

Rav Anan said:

Anyone who is buried in Eretz Yisrael --

is considered as though he is buried beneath the altar.

• It is stated here:

  • “An altar of earth [adama] you shall make for Me” (Exodus 20:21),

• and it is stated there:

  • “For He does avenge the blood of His servants, and renders vengeance to His adversaries, and atones for the land of [admato] His people” (Deuteronomy 32:43).

This teaches that one who is buried in the earth of Eretz Yisrael is considered as though he is buried beneath the altar in the Temple.

Anecdote - R’ Elazar (re Ulla) - Burial in Eretz Yisrael after death is not as great as living and dying there - Amos 7:17

עולא הוה רגיל דהוה סליק לארץ ישראל,

נח נפשיה בחוץ לארץ.

אתו אמרו ליה לרבי אלעזר.

אמר:

אנת עולא,

״על אדמה טמאה תמות״.

אמרו לו: ארונו בא.

אמר להם:

אינו דומה קולטתו מחיים

לקולטתו לאחר מיתה.

§ The Talmud relates: Ulla was accustomed to ascend to Eretz Yisrael from time to time.

However, he died outside of Eretz Yisrael.

They came and said to R' Elazar that Ulla had passed away.

He said:

Woe for you Ulla,

as through you a verse was fulfilled: “You shall die in an unclean land” (Amos 7:17).

They said to him: But his coffin is coming for burial in Eretz Yisrael.

He said to them:

Even so,

one who was absorbed by the soil of Eretz Yisrael while he was yet alive is not similar

to one who was absorbed only after death.

Anecdote - R’ Ḥanina condemned someone for leaving Eretz Yisrael even for levirate marriage

(I cited this section in a previous piece.)

ההוא גברא דנפלה ליה יבמה בי חוזאה,

אתא לקמיה דרבי חנינא,

אמר ליה: מהו למיחת וליבמה?

אמר ליה:

אחיו נשא כותית ומת

ברוך המקום שהרגו.

והוא ירד אחריו?!

The Talmud relates with regard to a certain man from Eretz Yisrael that a yevama, i.e., a woman whose childless husband died and left a surviving brother, happened before him, the surviving brother, for levirate marriage. This yevama was living in the district of Bei Ḥoza’a, far away in southeast Babylonia.

The man came before R' Ḥanina

and said to him: What is the halakha as to whether I may descend to Babylonia to enter into levirate marriage with this woman?

R' Ḥanina said to him:

His brother married a Samaritan woman [kutit] and died. R' Ḥanina described the man’s late brother in these terms because he had left Eretz Yisrael to marry, and for the same reason he called his wife a Samaritan.

Blessed be God who killed him.

And yet the brother wishes to follow in his footsteps and descend after him?! Better that he stay in Eretz Yisrael.

Part 1d: The Importance of Residing in Central Babylonia

Rav Yehuda citing Shmuel - Just as leaving Eretz Yisrael is prohibited, so too leaving Babylonia

אמר רב יהודה, אמר שמואל:

• כשם ש

  • אסור לצאת מארץ ישראל לבבל

• כך

  • אסור לצאת מבבל לשאר ארצות.

§ Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said:

• Just as

  • it is prohibited to leave Eretz Yisrael and go to Babylonia,

• so too,

  • is it prohibited to leave Babylonia for any of the other lands.

Rabba & Rav Yosef - Prohibited even to go within Babylonia from Pumbedita to Bei Kuvei; Anecdote of Rav Yosef excommunicating for this

רבה ורב יוסף דאמרי תרוייהו: אפילו מפומבדיתא לבי כובי.

ההוא דנפק מפומבדיתא לבי כובי,

שמתיה רב יוסף.

Rabba and Rav Yosef both say:

Even to go from Pumbedita to Bei Kuvei, which is located beyond the border of Babylonia proper, is not permitted.

The Talmud relates: A certain man left Pumbedita to live in Bei Kuvei,

and Rav Yosef excommunicated him.

Anecdote: Abaye asserted that a scholar died because he went within Babylonia from Pumbedita to Astonia

ההוא דנפק מפומבדיתא לאסתוניא,

שכיב.

אמר אביי:

אי בעי האי צורבא מרבנן,

הוה חיי.

A certain man left Pumbedita to live in Astonia,

which also lay beyond the borders of Babylonia proper, and he died.

Abaye said:

Had this Torah scholar wanted,

he would still be alive, as he could have stayed in Babylonia.

Rabba & Rav Yosef - Worthy of Babylonia buried in Eretz Yisrael; worthy of other lands absorbed by Babylonia

רבה ורב יוסף דאמרי תרוייהו:

• כשרין שבבבל --

  • ארץ ישראל קולטתן,

• כשרין שבשאר ארצות --

  • בבל קולטתן.

[...]

Rabba and Rav Yosef both say:

• With regard to the worthy of Babylonia,

  • Eretz Yisrael absorbs them;

• with regard to the worthy of other lands,

  • Babylonia absorbs them.

[...]

Rav Yehuda - Living in Babylonia is like living in Eretz Yisrael - Zechariah 2:11

אמר רב יהודה:

כל הדר בבבל --

כאילו דר בארץ ישראל,

שנאמר:

״הוי ציון המלטי

יושבת בת בבל״.

Rav Yehuda said:

With regard to anyone who resides in Babylon --

it is as though he is residing in Eretz Yisrael,

as it is stated:

“Ho Zion, escape,

you who dwells with the daughter of Babylon” (Zechariah 2:11).

This verse equates the two countries.

Abaye - Babylonia will not see messianic pangs

אמר אביי:

נקטינן:

בבל לא חזיא חבלי דמשיח.

תרגמה אהוצל דבנימין,

וקרו ליה קרנא דשיזבתא.

Abaye said:

We have a tradition that

Babylonia will not see the pangs of the Messiah (חבלי דמשיח), i.e., it will be spared the suffering that will be prevalent at the time of his arrival.

Abaye interpreted this statement in reference to the city of Hutzal deVinyamin, “Hutzal of Benjamin”, in Babylonia,

and as a result people call it Karna deShizavta, “Horn of Salvation”, as its residents will not endure the travails of the time of the Messiah.

1. For background on the religious obligation to reside in Eretz Yisrael, see these Hebrew Wikipedia entries:

• “מצוות יישוב ארץ ישראל“

• “יציאה מארץ ישראל (הלכה)“

2. For a broad discussion of the religious aspects of “loving Eretz Yisrael”, see Hebrew Wikipedia, “אהבת ארץ ישראל“.

3. On these 3/6 “oaths”, see Wikipedia, “Three Oaths“:

The Three Oaths is the name for a midrash found in the Babylonian Talmud, and midrash anthologies, that interprets three verses from Song of Solomon as God imposing three oaths upon the world.

Two oaths pertain to the Jewish people and a third oath applies to the gentile nations of the world.

For their part, Jews were sworn not to "ascend as a wall" to reclaim Land of Israel and not to "rebel against the nations of the world."

In turn, the other nations were sworn not to "subjugate the Jews excessively” […]

The Midrash is, in large part, an explanation of three verses in the Song of Songs with the phrase "I adjure you" (השבעתי אתכם).

The midrashic exegesis of these verses is consistent with the traditionalist understanding of the entire book as an allegory for the relationship between God and the Jewish people.

See there for an extensive discussion of post-Talmudic interpretations of these “oaths”, from medieval to modern times.