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Why is this? For the completely secularized and assimilated Jew Israel as a nation and Jerusalem as a holy city no longer resonate in mind and soul. In the nineteenth century Reform German Jewry stated that Berlin is our Jerusalem. Well, it didn't quite work out that way but that is a whole different matter than the thrust of this present article of mine. There simply is no longer any emotional or historical attachment left within this group to the Land of Israel or to Jerusalem. Interestingly enough, this group has representation even here in Israel itself amonst those who deny Israel's own right to exist as a Jewish state. They see Jerusalem and Israel in all of its imperfections, in its traffic jams and its army, in its failure to be the most liberalized, secular Westernized state on the face of the earth. They despise religion and Jewish tradition as being anachronistic and not worthy of preservation or continuity in enlightened society Since Jerusalem is not perfect in their eyes, since worse still it does not seem to be inclined to adopt their standard of perfection - it stubbornly does not wish to be more enlightened than the rest of the enlightened world - than Jerusalem no longer has any meaning to them. Next Year in Jerusalem only applies to their make-believe utopian pie-in-the-sky Jerusalem. And since that Jerusalem has never existed and will never exist, than why bother with Jerusalem at all? After all, it is only a place on the map, not necessarily very scenic and somewhat of a backwater. There are far too many Torah institutions located in the real Jerusalem to allow the fantastic idealized enlightened completely secularized Jerusalem to emerge.
Religious Jews in the Diaspora also find it difficult to come to grips with the real Jerusalem. A fantasy of a Jerusalem that will somehow be perfect in their eyes, in its particular parochial brand of religious and rabbinic leadership, in its uniformity of custom and observance, in its totality of obediance to traditional law and custom, prevents their seeing Jerusalem as it really is. Since their Jerusalem of perfection is also not currently available then Next Year in Jerusalem has come to mean Next Year in Jerusalem but only on my terms and specifications. The imaginary Jerusalem is much more attractive than the real city. The imaginary Jerusalem poses no problems of housing, education and difficulty of work opportunities. It is purely messianic in nature and therefore Next Year in Jerusalem is really the Messiah's prayer but not ours. So this group of wonderful and loyal Jews who support the people and land of Israel with all of their hearts and thoughts nevertheless also await the arrival of their definition of perfection to arrive in order to give reality to their recitation of Next Year in Jerusalem. Too bad, for they themselves, the Jewish people generally, the State of Israel and Jerusalem particularly, are all missing out on a great opportunity to build the real Jerusalem here and now. But let us hope and struggle that next year will truly arrive and that the real Jerusalem will continue to grow and prosper now and in the future.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
