VBM On Aliya: The Uniqueness of Living in Eretz Yisrael By Harav Aharon Lichtenstein zt"l

Why Yaakov Settled in Eretz Yisrael Parashat Vayeshev begins: “Yaakov settled in the land of his father’s dwelling, in the land of Canaan” (Bereishit 37:1). What need is there for the seeming repetition about where he dwelt? The commentators offer several explanations; I believe the simplest is a combination of those suggested by Rashbam and Ibn Ezra. The verse sets forth two separate reasons for Yaakov’s choice of where to settle. One is the fact that it was “the land of his father’s dwelling,” his family home. The other is that it was “the land of Canaan,” as the Ibn Ezra explains, “the chosen land.” What is significant about the fact that it was “the land of his father’s dwelling?”