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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- D'varim
- V'zot Habracha
The food and drink of Simchat Torah are meant to be only aids to enhance our spirit of accomplishment and inner delight. Like Purim, Simchat Torah allows our bodies to partake freely of food and drink. But also like Purim, Simchat Torah is predicated upon an inner feeling of joy, of uplifted spirit and renewed dedication that create within us the sense of commitment and tenacity that characterizes Jewish life, individually and nationally. Alcoholic intoxication is unnecessary and even counter productive to creating this sense of inner joy and dedication. The rabbis characterized the service of God as being able to be realized through "simcha shel mitzvah" - the inner joy that our soul experiences when doing a good deed and fulfilling one of God’s commandments. It is this attitude towards the service of God that makes Simchat Torah the joyous holiday that it is. We are aware of all of the positive things in life that we have accomplished and all of the myriad opportunities to continue to do so in the future. We sense that in these acts of goodness and Torah observances we are punching our ticket to immortality, to being remembered and appreciated. There can be no greater joy in a person’s life than to experience this feeling of holy importance and positive achievement. And it is this very idea that Simchat Torah and Zot Habracha represent to the fullest.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
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.
