YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- The High Holidays
- Rosh Hashana
Of course, we cannot ignore the fact that the very first ingredient listed above is "repentance," from the verb shuv, which means "return." Clearly this implies that it is of utmost importance that we "return" to the ways of God and His Torah, in order to receive His forgiveness and the promise of a good year to come. It also behooves us to recall that the same verb shuv is used countless times in reference to our "returning" to our Land. Indeed, both ideas are intertwined at the end of the Haftarah for the second day of Rosh HaShanah. We would do well at this time to remember that "Whoever lives in Eretz Israel is sinless" (Ketubot 110b), "Eretz Israel atones" (ibid. 111a), and "Whoever walks four cubits in Eretz Israel is assured of a place in the world-to-come" (ibid.).
Lest one say, "Isn't it too late to act now?" - it is nice to know, as R. Chaim Kanievsky states in his Derech Sicha, that God uses the resolutions we make today as "post-dated checks" to credit our Yom Kippur account as of now!
Tichleh shana vekileloteha; tachel shana u'virchoteha - May the coming year bring us only blessings!
Ketiva vachatima tova!
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
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.
