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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- The Four Parshiyot
- Sh'kalim
The ways of the Lord are inscrutable but somehow they are altogether just. I have no answer as to why so many wonderful Jews who were the mainstays of Jewish charity throughout the world should suddenly face varying degrees of financial reversal and ruin. There is no logical answer that I am aware of why the equity markets of the world should lose half of their value in such a short period of time. There is also no logical answer as to how Madoff could have swindled fifty billion dollars out of smart, astute, successful people and under the alleged scrutiny of regulatory agencies that supposedly checked him out and found nothing amiss. Again we are witness as to how Heaven disposes no matter whatever man proposes. Money has now taken on a more subdued role in our lives. It is no longer an end in itself - the accumulation of wealth for the sake of wealth itself; it is reduced now to be a necessary commodity to enable us to have food, shelter, medical care and other true necessities of life. The coin of fire has returned to haunt us and even to taunt us. What we felt was secure in our future is now exposed as being unstable and impossible to rely upon. Apparently the coin of fire should be held gingerly, with protective gloves and with holy purpose.
And even then there are no guarantees.
The rabbis of the Talmud also taught us that when there is general misfortune, the "angel of destruction" no longer differentiates between the righteous and the evil. This truism is certainly present in the present debacle. Righteous people who devoted their financial resources to help people in need, Torah institutions and the Jewish people generally have nevertheless suffered horrendous losses. Their ability to support others has been crippled. This is part of the great unknown that is being played out before our very eyes. The fire of the coin rages in all of its intensity and fire consumes everything in its path, good, bad or indifferent. Nevertheless, parshat shekalim is always bound together to the month of Adar. The Mishna teaches us that on the first of Adar the proclamation to pay the half-shekel was publicized. The month of Adar as we know from the story of Purim which highlights this month, is a month of unforeseen and unexpected reversals of fortune and circumstance. Even though it is highly unlikely that a dramatic turn for the better is in the near future we should recall that in life everything is possible, even if it is unlikely. But perhaps it will take us some time to internalize the message of the coin of fire so there will not be any sudden dramatic improvements forthcoming. In any event we should realize that the eternal message of parshat shekalim - of the coin of fire - remains valid and relevant to us in good and better times as well.
Igrot Hare’aya Improving New Yishuv More Practical than Alternatives
Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook #107
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
