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Beit Midrash
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- Jerusalem and The Holy Temple
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.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.
