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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Ein Ayah
If not for these three p’sukim, the legs of the enemies of Israel would have caved in (a Talmudic way of saying the dreaded opposite, that Bnei Yisrael would have been destroyed). One is: "those whom I [Hashem] have wronged" (Micha 4:6). Another is: "Indeed like the clay in the hand of the potter, so you are in My hand, Israel" (Yirmiya 18:6). Another is: "I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh" (Yechezkel 36:26). Rav Pappa said from this pasuk: "My spirit I [Hashem] will put in your midst and will make it that you will follow My statutes" (ibid.:27).
Ein Ayah: If there was a lacking that had to exist that caused the possibility to choose evil, there could be no hope that the matter would ever be fixed. That is why we are consoled by the pasuk of "those whom I [Hashem] have wronged" (which the gemara seems to understand as "caused you to do evil"). In other words, Hashem related the bad and improper choices to Himself, which shows that Hashem arranged the possibility of bad choices in order for good things to emerge from it. If that is the case, then there is hope that there will be a more ideal situation where this will not be necessary.
In theory one could have said that Hashem voluntarily decided to put into the world the possibility of bad choices, but that after He did so, it is no longer in His hands to change that reality. Then there would be no room for hope. That is why the second pasuk, "like the clay in the hand of the potter..." is brought. In other words, Hashem still has the ability to form us in the mold He wants.
We might still think, though, that Divine Wisdom mandates that it is proper for there always to be full free choice, with all of its drawbacks. To dispel this notion, the third pasuk is cited: "I will remove the heart of stone ..." Thus, the Divine Wisdom agrees that there shall come a time when the world will be truly fixed and that choice will be removed.
All of this only has shown that there will be a limitation on the level of choice on a general level, that mankind’s nature, represented by the heart and the flesh, will be improved. To assure us that the specific actions taken will also be fixed, another pasuk is brought: "My spirit I will put in your midst and will make it that you will follow My statutes."
Unnatural Satiation
(condensed from Ein Ayah, Berachot 5:44)
Gemara:
[In explaining how the great riches that Bnei Yisrael had after leaving Egypt had a part in bringing on the sin of the Golden Calf, Rabbi Yannai gave the following parable]: A lion does not roar from a container of straw but from a container of meat.
Ein Ayah: Riches that go well beyond a person’s needs bring a hardening of the heart because that is a state of unnatural satiation. It is natural to have enough for one’s needs. Unnatural satiation takes a person from a state of shleimut that he could reach according to his nature. This is represented by the lion who, in his ultimate state of shleimut should eat straw instead of meat, as he will in the Days to Come, as the pasuk (Yeshaya 11:7) says. That is why, when the lion is fed meat, his unnatural evil powers are awakened in him (thus, the roaring). This is a danger for a person who is exposed to unnatural wealth, who is tempted by desires that are far from the path of service of Hashem including the inclination toward idol worship.
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.
