Someone –
“The Torah tells us that a man has to leave his father and mother when he gets married and cling to his wife”
1. This does not mean in a country 3,000 miles a way.
2. You are still Muchuyav in Kibbud Av V’em. If you think that can be accomplished with a phone call once a week and a birthday card, thats a whole diff issue.
“Why do we seem to view Torah and Olam Haba as obligatory, despite the yisurim, and Eretz Yisrael as optional”
Eretz Yisroel isn’t optional it was promised to us by Bris Bain Habisorim. Our forefathers have suffered a heck of a lot for E”Y. Do I think we should be sacraficing our young innocent children at the altar known as Israel? NO 1,000X!
Before the Zionists caused the massive flow of Jews to Israel there were hardly any Jews living there (ironically, my grandfather x10 generations were there). I forget which Gaon said, “Ki M’Bari Tetzi Torah U’Dvar Hashem M’Utranto” Do you think they weren’t aware of Kedushas E”Y? Is this suddenly a new thing? No! It’s the Zionistic movement E”Y isnt even a Frum state, it is as peverse as it is Kadosh (which is the most unfortunate thing of all).