Teshuvot Maharam · Berlin Edition, Part II, Chapter 28
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שאלה. וששאלת אם האב יכול לעכב ע"י בנו מלעלות לארץ ישראל כיון דקיי"ל מצוה לעלות וכתי' אני ד' דבכל דבר מצוה לא ישמע לו דכבוד המקום קודם.
Q. Does a father have the authority to restrain his son from emigrating to the Holy Land? A. Since it is a mitzvah to settle in the Holy Land, a father has no authority to restrain his son from fulfilling this mitzvah; for one must honor the Almighty above one's father. Q. Will a person whose wife refuses to accompany him on his emigration to the Holy Land, be liable to punishment for divorcing her? A. Were any punishment connected with divorcing one's wife under such circumstances, the Rabbis would not have permitted such a divorce, and would not have released the husband from paying the wife's ketubah. Q. Have you heard what were the reasons that prompted the prominent men to order their sons to return from the Holy Land? A. It seems to me that the following were the reasons: a) No mercy was shown there; b) they were constantly troubled by the necessity of earning their bread, so that they could not devote their time to study; c) consequently they were lacking in knowledge of the Torah, and they were uncertain regarding the details of ritual law. I believe that I heard the above reasons from their children. SOURCES: Am II, 28; ibid. 79.
שאלה. וששאלת אם האב יכול לעכב ע"י בנו מלעלות לארץ ישראל כיון דקיי"ל מצוה לעלות וכתי' אני ד' דבכל דבר מצוה לא ישמע לו דכבוד המקום קודם.
Q. Does a father have the authority to restrain his son from emigrating to the Holy Land?
A. Since it is a mitzvah to settle in the Holy Land, a father has no authority to restrain his son from fulfilling this mitzvah; for one must honor the Almighty above one's father.
Q. Will a person whose wife refuses to accompany him on his emigration to the Holy Land, be liable to punishment for divorcing her?
A. Were any punishment connected with divorcing one's wife under such circumstances, the Rabbis would not have permitted such a divorce, and would not have released the husband from paying the wife's ketubah.
Q. Have you heard what were the reasons that prompted the prominent men to order their sons to return from the Holy Land?
A. It seems to me that the following were the reasons: a) No mercy was shown there; b) they were constantly troubled by the necessity of earning their bread, so that they could not devote their time to study; c) consequently they were lacking in knowledge of the Torah, and they were uncertain regarding the details of ritual law. I believe that I heard the above reasons from their children.
SOURCES: Am II, 28; ibid. 79.