Q:
Why do we say לשנה הבאה בירושלים on Pesach? Is it true? Where is our attempt?
A:
This person is throwing it up to us why we don’t go immediately and settle in Eretz Yisroel.
Now my friends, let me explain something to you. Suppose somebody will go and settle in Yerushalayim at a certain address – you know, I specialize in gay literature. You don’t know about it, but I do. And I have a gay handbook. I didn’t pay any money for it – people bring these things to me. In that handbook, he gives you addresses in Yerushalayim. If you’re a gay and you want to geyn into Yerushalayim, so there are certain addresses where you can go.
It’s interesting, by the way. He says there that in Saudi Arabia you have to watch out because it’s dangerous if you’re a gay – your head might be chopped off. He says to watch out from Iran entirely. He says don’t go to Iran. Keep away from Iran. It’s a handbook. It tells you where to go, safe places. But he warns you to keep away from the Muslim countries.
But when it comes to Yerushalayim, it’s a different story. It tells you some places where you can cruise; he gives you addresses in Yerushalayim where you can go.
So suppose a man who said לשנה הבאה בירושלים, and the next year he goes to one of these places. Did he fulfill his vow? It’s לשנה הבאה בגהינום!
So it depends where you’re going in Yerushalayim. Suppose a person will go to Yerushalayim where he can’t make a living. If you can’t make a living, then you’re going to be reduced to doing all kinds of wrong things. So better stay here and make a living.
Suppose he goes to Yerushalayim and he loses the good influence, the good chaveirim, that he has. Let’s say he’s in a yeshiva where he’s learning, he’s succeeding. So he’ll go to Yerushalayim and he’ll get lost? Don’t think Yerushalayim has facilities for everybody.
If you’re fit for Yerushalayim to do at least what you’re doing here spiritually, and also you can make some kind of a living, then לשנה הבאה בירושלים. But if not, you have to wait until the time will come when you can do it in the proper way.
Just to get up and rush to Yerushalayim? Many people have been ruined. They went on aliyah and on their aliyah, they first were put in a place where they were passed through the washer, the wringer, and they were brainwashed by people who spoke Hebrew but didn’t have any kind of interest in Torah. And when this poor immigrant got through with the whole training, he was ready now to go back to Chicago.
And so, לשנה הבאה בירושלים is something that we have to say. We have to aspire to it but it must be done properly. Otherwise there’s a great error for some people to go to Yerushalayim right now.
TAPE # 508 (May 1984)
