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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- D'varim
- Ekev
Unfortunately over the ages the Jews have not always chosen wisely. People hear what they wish to hear no matter what the speaker really said. We are prone to misquote, misunderstand, repeat phrases out of context and generally ignore what we do not wish to hear and understand. Moshe’s attempt to portray the great achievements of the desert and especially of Sinai and balance them with the reminders of the tragedies and wars that also marked Israel’s journey through the desert in the long run had only limited influence on the people. Our sages taught us that the Jewish people simply did not believe that the dire predictions that Moshe warned them about if they sinned would ever really occur. God simply had too much invested in the Jewish people. It was a forerunner of our modern "too big to fail" philosophy regarding otherwise corrupt financial institutions. So Moshe’s darker side of the coin was never really believed by the Jewish people. They heard only the good - what they wanted to hear - and ignored the rest. There are many Jews today that unfortunately listen to the opposite strains of Jewish life. They despair of our future and our wonderful state. They also only hear what they wish to hear and fueled by a biased and ignorant media and screwy intellectualism see no grand future for Israel, the people, the state and the land. A well considered study of Moshe’s words and realistic and balanced message would certainly be in order for everyone.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
Sukkot Bug-Free Sukkah: Essential Halachic and Practical Schach Guide
How to inspect, clean, and store bamboo mats and palm branches to protect your mitzvah and holiday meals.
