Source of Chofetz Chaim's story

Question

This article quotes the Chofetz Chaim, on the words "that the land not vomit you out" (Vayikra 20:22), where the Chofetz Chaim allegedly would say (according to his son):

“The Zionists err in thinking that keeping Torah and mitzvos is a side issue, having nothing to do with the mitzvah of living in Eretz Yisroel. But the Torah slaps them in the face, saying, “Let the land not vomit you out as it vomited out the nation before you.” This has already come true, and since then we have wandered in exile. Now we say, “Let the land not vomit us out, as it vomited out our forefathers.”

It is tracked back to כל כתבי חפץ חיים on page 74. The sefer is not available online. Does anyone maybe have a physical copy of this page where the Chofetz Chaim says this, and if so, what is the full context of him saying this?

Answer 1

This is the quote that there are referring to.

Here is the page before for context

Just to clarify, this part of the sefer was written by his son, talking about his father. In summary, he’s discussing his fathers’ attitude towards Zionism. He says that for a long time he didn’t get involved publicly, as his way was always to avoid machlokes. Those close to him knew his opinion, but he never came out in public about it. Until once, someone wrote in the newspaper “Hameilitz” that by speaking Hebrew, one can be considered Jewish even without Torah and mitzvohs. That was too much for him, and he published his opinion on Zionism in a public letter. The quote you mentioned is part of the letter that his son says he wrote at this time.

Answer 2

In addition to what Chatzkel wrote, I found that in Chofetz Chaim Al HaTorah (Parashas Bo, p. 101), it also relates the story that someone from a Zionists newspaper wrote that you could be a Jew, even without Torah. The Chofetz Chaim then responded that if we will not keep the Torah, the land will vomit us out, as the posuk says.

לחלח עתון שכתב בו סופר אחד שאפשר להיות יהודי טוב גם בלי התורה יצא הח"ח במאמר גדול שנפוץ בין כל העם הח"ח הוכיח שקיום עם ישראל תלוי דק בתורה וקיומה ולא במדינה ושפה אם לא נשמור את התורה אזי המדינה והשפה לא תצילנה אותנו אבותינו ישבו בארץ והגלו מחמא עונותיהם כדברי הנביא וידעו הגויים כי בעוונם גלו בית ישראל על אשר מעלו בי ואסתיר פני מהם ואתנם בידי צריהם יחזקאל ל"ט טעות מרה עושים אלו החושבים שתורה ומצוות זה ענין צדדי ואין להם קשר עם בנין הארץ זכרו את דברי התורה ולא תקיא האדץ אתכם בטמאכם אותה כאיטר קאה את המי אשר לפניכם ויקרא י"ח כ"א ארץ ישראל היא פלטרין של מלך והחוטא שם חטאו גדול עד מאד והסכנה גדולה ביותר

Also cited in the sefer Mishkenos HaRo"im (p. 476) (first paragraph).