Yeshiva
Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Ki Tisa
I suspect that it was Aharon’s great and unconditional love for the Jewish people that drove him to cooperate in the construction of the Golden Calf. Moshe’s love for Israel was also unbounded and unconditional but Aharon was incapable of Moshe’s tough love approach. He therefore sought to mitigate the evil act that he felt was inevitably coming and tried to soften the eventual consequences of that act. He was willing to provide Israel with the excuse - "Look, Aharon was with us and he participated in the Golden Calf so it was not entirely our fault nor could it have been that bad." There is a concept in Judaism called aveirah lishmah - a sin committed knowingly but for a higher purpose, for the sake of Heaven itself, so to speak. A sin committed for the sake of the eventual salvation of the Jewish people from destruction is still a sin but it has a moral content to it that allows the sinner to rise and recover from participating in that sin. Aharon’s love of Israel, even though in this case misplaced and exaggerated was nevertheless the cause of his redemption and his becoming the High Priest of Israel for all history. Such an insight aids in understanding the complexities of personality and circumstance that this week’s parsha occasions. It is beyond human abilities to make such reckonings and judgments. However the Torah does allow us a glimpse as to how Heaven deals with such issues and we should be most grateful for having that insight brought to our knowledge and attention.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
Various Events FOR WHOM NOT TO VOTE
Rav Zvi Yehuda Kook stressed that Israeli politics is G-dly, so I have no problem answering this common question on a Torani blog. Also, Free-Will is a G-d-given right and obligation, to "destine one's fate" (R. Soloveichik, Kol Dodi Dofek, 67), so I obviously don't tell others how to vote. But once not a few (especially young) have already asked, a couple of personal words from experience and thoughts from chazal & Rav Kook which may be of help to others, mainly for whom NOT to vote.
P'ninat Mishpat Fallout from Failure to Install Elevator – part II
based on ruling 85007 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
