According to many Rabbinical Authorities you are only allowed to leave Eretz Yisroel if you have a valid reason. For example Parnasa (livelihood). What other reasons are valid for one to be able to leave Eretz Yisroel?
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2Do you have a source for the premise of this question?– Isaac Moses ♦Commented Oct 6, 2010 at 16:21
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I believe Rav Aharon Lichtenstein substantially answers this question and the parent question in this article: etzion.org.il/dk/1to899/874mamar.htm– WAFCommented Oct 7, 2010 at 21:53
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2WAF, shouldn't your comment be an answer?– Isaac Moses ♦Commented Oct 7, 2010 at 21:56
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1He would need to translate and point out key points for an answer :)– aviCommented Sep 17, 2011 at 18:16
5 Answers
From Rambam Hilchot Melachim 5:9 (emphasis mine):
It is forbidden to leave Eretz Yisrael for the Diaspora at all times except:
to study Torah;
to marry; or
to save one's property from the gentiles.
After accomplishing these objectives, one must return to Eretz Yisrael.
Similarly, one may leave Eretz Yisrael to conduct commercial enterprises. However, it is forbidden to leave with the intent of settling permanently in the Diaspora unless the famine in Eretz Yisrael is so severe that a dinar's worth of wheat is sold at two dinarim.
When do these conditions apply? When one possesses financial resources and food is expensive. However, if food is inexpensive, but a person cannot find financial resources or employment and has no money available, he may leave and go to any place where he can find relief.
Though it is permitted to leave Eretz Yisrael under these circumstances, it is not pious behavior. Behold, Machlon and Kilyon were two of the great men of the generation and they left Eretz Yisrael only out of great distress. Nevertheless, they were found worthy of death by God.
The Gemara says to learn Torah (if you have a better Rebbe in Chutz La'Eretz) or to marry. But I imagine that there are conditions to be met for this.
I would assume that health reasons would similarly be allowed.
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In addition to the reasons given by the Rambam and quoted in this other answer, both the Magen Avraham (OC 531:7) and Mishna Brura (OC 531:14) allow traveling outside of Israel to see a friend.
And as I wrote here R Shmuel Halevi Wosner allows vacation for a constructive purpose such as seeing the wonders and beautiful parts of Hashem’s creation or resting (when this cannot be easily achieved in Israel).
If you came to E"Y on condition that you wouldn't have to stay there in the first place, then yes- you could leave.
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Referencing an answer which is not top voted on another SE question isn't a very good source for an answer :) I downvoted for that reason.– aviCommented Jun 19, 2012 at 15:57
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1@avi: and if it was top voted, would that make it any better of a source? :)– AlexCommented Jun 19, 2012 at 17:09
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@Alex It would at least mean that more of the community agrees with the speculation. I wouldn't say it's what to paskin off of, but it's worth something.– Double AA ♦Commented Jun 19, 2012 at 17:45
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Avi's answer isn't wrong, it just isn't the most correct out of the others to that question. Commented Jun 19, 2012 at 20:16