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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Ein Ayah
[The prayer that this gemara focuses on is known to us as Birkat Hachodesh (as we declare the new month)]. It should be Your will ... that we have ... life that has in it the fear of sin ...
Ein Ayah: The idea is that the fear of sin should be in the midst of the life. There are people who have fear of sin, but it is not strong within them. These people can maintain their fear of sin when they are able to distance themselves from the activity of life. However, when they come into the social elements of life and get involved in commerce in a major way or in different areas of science, the fear of sin will leave them because it is not meshed into their life. That is why the author of this prayer asked for life that has in it - in the midst of the life itself - fear of sin. This follows the concept of what Chazal say on the pasuk, "I will walk before Hashem in the lands of the living" (Tehillim 116:9). Chazal posit that the pasuk refers to the marketplaces (Yoma 71a).
The Root of Love and Fear of Hashem, Respectively
(based on Ein Ayah, Berachot 2:36)
Gemara:
[We continue with the same prayer.] It should be Your will ... that we have ... a life that there should be in us the love of Torah and yirat shamayim (literally, fear of Heaven) ... life within which the requests of our heart will be fulfilled for good.
Ein Ayah: Love of Hashem and fear of Him each come from a different recognition. In the higher ways of Hashem, there are ways in which man can, to a certain degree, emulate Hashem. This, Chazal capture with the charge, "Just as He is merciful, so should you be merciful ..." (Shabbat 133b). When a person goes about emulating Hashem, this causes him to love Hashem more and more.
Fear of Hashem comes when one contemplates His greatness and the ways in which He is beyond our comprehension and our ability to approach His ways, as they are so perfect that they are out of our grasp.
Because of this dichotomy we say that the love of Hashem is analogous to the love of Torah. That is because the foundation of Torah is to make a person one who follows in [those of] Hashem’s paths [that man is capable of following]. This is what the Torah describes about Avraham, who educated his family to "guard the path of Hashem to do charity and justice" (Bereishit 18:19).
Fear of Hashem is called fear of Heaven, in other words, the awe from His loftiness, to the extent that he is more powerful than our intellectual grasp and our capabilities. As the pasuk says, "Go high to the Heavens, what can you do?" (Iyov 11:8).
Regarding "life within which the requests of our heart will be fulfilled for good" - since the heart desires imaginary pleasures, it is not possible to fulfill all of its requests. After all, if one has 100 zuz, he will desire 200 zuz. Therefore, we ask that our requests be fulfilled to the extent that they are for the good.
Various Rabbis
Various Rabbis including those of of Yeshivat Bet El, such as Rabbi Chaim Katz, Rabbi Binyamin Bamberger and Rabbi Yitzchak Greenblat and others.
Moreshet Shaul Moreshet Shaul: A Crown and its Scepter – part II
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 294-5
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.
