Family and Society
The Mitzvah of Settling the Land

Is It Permitted to Buy an "Investment Property" in Judea/Samaria?

I would like to buy a home in Yesha (Judea/Samaria) in order to make some money Is this appropriate, or should I assume that it is not a good idea, because it makes it harder for others to fulfill the commandment of settling the Land of Israel?

Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed

Iyar 12 5782

Translated by Hillel Fendel

Question: I would like to buy a home in Yesha (Judea/Samaria) in order, simply put, to make some money - either by renting it out, or selling it later for a profit. Is this appropriate, or should I assume that it is not a good idea, because it makes it harder for others to fulfill the commandment of settling the Land of Israel? I can actually ask the same question about a home anywhere in Israel, but in Yesha, the stakes are higher, given the situation there.

Answer: Whoever buys a house or apartment in Judea or Samaria thereby strengthens the Jewish presence in the Land of Israel – and if he also profits financially from it, let him enjoy it happily! It is permitted to buy houses for purposes of profit. I don't see how such a purchase could harm the settlement of the Land; the opposite is true, as it actually strengthens it.

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The Mitzvah of Settling the Land