Reply To: Derech Emuna settlement

Avira D’ara

the hailige satamr rov indeed quotes many sources first and primarily the Rambam.

However, he bases himslef on sefer hamitzvos.

The Rambam in hilchos melochim clearly writes OSSUR LOTZEIS [not codified in shulchan Oruch]

In hilchos Shabbos he is matir amira le’acum for yishuv ha’aretz, and does not differentiate between earlier times and today. [codified in Shulchna Oruch, somewhat limited by the rema based on the Ohr Zarua]

Moreinu R’ Yaakov Rosenheim testifeid that prior to the Satmar rov’s departure from e”y he visited both the Griz and the hailige chazon Ish to express his opinion that one may no live in a land of resha’im, and there is no mitzva to do so.

The chazon Ish responded “דער ישיבות זענען אונזער מדבריות”

The Griz responded “חלילה זאגען אז די רמב”ם האלט נישט פון מצוות יישוב ארץ ישראל”

I do not pretend to consider myself the final arbitrator on the Rambam, however as a general rule halcha folows yad hachazaka, and sefer hamitzvos is a discussion of how classify the taryag mitzvos.

Additionally as you point out, many gedolim made no effort to be mekayem mitzvas yishuv ha’aretz, R’ Moshe deals with this in a teshuva and suggests that they held it is a mitzva kiyumis rather than a mitzva chyuvis.

All the best