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Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Sefirat Haomer
- The Meaning Sefirat Ha'omer
One of the basic teachings of Avot is that of the necessity of respecting others - respecting their space, their property, their right to opinions that disagree with ours, and of their innate humanity. There are special levels of respect that are demanded of us regarding parents, teachers, Torah scholars, people of age and experience and of venerated leaders. A society that shows little respect for its elders and even worse for the "others" in society eventually brutalizes itself. Respect for humans who are created in the image of the Creator Himself is an innate Torah value. It leads to respect for the Almighty Himself for after all respect for the unseen and unknown and the ineffable is almost impossible if one is not previously trained in respect to those that we can actually see and interact with. Even a cursory perusal of Avot convinces us that this concept of respect is central to the Jewish concept of derech eretz. In fact the concept of derech eretz extends to one’s own person and body as well. The Torah that forbids the abuse of others also forbids self abuse. It is not coincidental at all that the commandment of honoring and respecting one’s parents appears in the Torah as the bridge between the commandments pertaining to our relationship with God and those commandments that deal with our required behavior towards fellow human beings. For without this concept of respect and honor we cannot effectively serve either God or humans.
Another facet of Avot is its emphasis on tradition. Each of the great men identified in Avot, the people who more than anything else guaranteed the survival of the Jews in Greco-Roman times, are recorded to have had a teacher, a transmitter of tradition. It is the importance of tradition and of a direct connection to that tradition through a human teacher of stature and importance that is the basis of all religious Jewish life. It is only this connection with human greatness that guarantees the vitality, let alone the survival, of Judaism and the people of Israel. Judaism is a religion of books but certainly not of books alone or even of books mainly. It is again no accident that the basis of Judaism is the Oral Law of Sinai. The written Bible has become the property of all of civilization and is not exclusively Jewish any longer. But the Oral Law of Sinai has remained exclusively the property of the Jewish people. It constitutes the main curriculum of study of all of the yeshivot and many of the courses of higher Jewish studies the world over. Without understanding the role of the tradition of Sinai as transmitted generation after generation by great human beings and awesome scholars, one never can really appreciate the majesty and worldview of Judaism. It is the teachings of Avot that allow us therefore to march forth confidently to the great moment of acceptance of the Torah as symbolized in the forthcoming holiday of Shavuot.
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.
