Rabbi Pinchas Winston of www.thirtysix.org says that now is a unique time in history for coming to live in Israel. Interviewed on Israel National Radio's The Aliyah Revolution, Rabbi Winston said there are two stages to the in bringing of the exiles.
The rabbi stated that the first stage happens in advance of the Messiah's arrival, quoting Jewish sources that it is "totally a function of free will. It's totally a function of a person's willingness to give up some measure of materialism for the sake of… being closer to G-d and being in the Holy Land, and walking in those footsteps our great ancestors." According to those sources, Jews coming in the first stage have benefits during Messianic times that Jews in the Diaspora won't have until the resurrection of the dead.
Rabbi Winston believes that in the 3,000 years of Jewish history, despite spiritual efforts in the Diaspora, "the exile… we have been living in usually has come to an abrupt end and not a peaceful one, in fact quite a painful one. Of course, we don't go too far back in history to see how painful that can actually be." The author of the book Geulah b'rachamim working to bring the redemption safely tied Israel to anticipation of redemption and said, "The litmus test of a person's yearning, and specifically for Eretz Yisrael, is that when the opportunity presents itself, and it will present itself for a person that yearns, they either take it or have a very, very good halachic [Jewish legal –ed.] reason to not fulfill it and if, for some reason, they're bound to stay in the Diaspora because of the halachic issue, it should pain them."
According to Rabbi Winston, the Oral Law and its interpreters say this yearning is "the key thing at this stage of history that will make all the difference in the world, whether Moshiach comes riding in a cloud, peacefully, or riding on the back of donkey, which…our commentators symbolize the Arab nations."
To listen or download the full interview, click here.