The Sages teach that one should live in the Land of Israel even if it means living among the gentiles, and one should not live outside of the Land of Israel, even if it means living among Jews. One who lives outside of the land, it is as though he worships idols, whereas dwelling in the Land of Israel is equivalent to all of the mitzvot. With regard to one who desires to settle in the Land of Israel, but who is compelled to remain abroad, God considers it as though he actually has done so.

One who lives in the Land of Israel demonstrates his faith in God:

Anyone who resides outside of the Land of Israel, it is as though he is engaged in idol worship. And so it says with regard to David: “For this day they have driven me away from cleaving to the inheritance of the Lord, saying: Go, worship other gods” (I Samuel 26:19). Who said to David: “Go, worship other gods”? Rather, this comes to tell you that anyone who resides outside of the land, it is as though he is engaged in idol worship (Ketubot 110b).

Because the mitzva of settling in the Land of Israel is so great, the one who lives there demonstrates his faith in God, and one who dwells outside of the land, it is as though he worships idols. The statement in the Sifrei is correct: “The mitzva of dwelling in the Land of Israel is equivalent to all the mitzvot in the Torah” (Re’eh 80). One demonstrates God’s divinity through this mitzva, and not doing it is considered like idol worship, which is like a rejection of the entire Torah.

If one merely desires to settle in the Land of Israel, this causes God to regard his intent as though it were the deed itself:

The entirety of one’s desire when he immigrates to the Land of Israel must be for the holiness of the place, for the sake of God’s commandment…. Even if he cannot immigrate and is constrained for some reason, he must desire and yearn for the Land of Israel…. The Holy One, blessed be He, attaches a good thought to a deed [and considers it as though he has settled in the Land of Israel]. (Rabbi Ĥayyim Palagi, Tokheĥat Ĥayyim, Ĥayei Sarah)