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The Torah views extreme weather conditions, unusual for the place and season that it occurs as evidence of God’s presence in history and part of His constant revelation, so to speak, to humans. The devastating floods in Pakistan, the hurricane in Haiti, the tsunami in East Asia are all somehow manifestations of God’s authority over us. Even though there is no way for us to understand or explain why these events occurred and why to those sections of humanity - the ways of the Lord are completely hidden from us - there is no doubt that they serve to illustrate human puniness in the face of God’s natural forces. When I was a rabbi in Miami Beach my family and I experienced a number of hurricanes during our stay there. The hurricanes invariably arrived before Rosh Hashanah during the month of Elul. I always remarked to my children, to my students at the local yeshiva and to my congregants that the hurricane was the strongest and most influential mussar -ethical and religious - lecture that anyone could deliver at that time of introspection and attempted self-improvement. The prophet Samuel to prove his message to Israel about the dangers of monarchial rule invoked a rainstorm in Israel in mid-summer when it usually never rains. Moshe in attempting to convince Pharaoh to free the Jews brought major natural disasters upon Egypt to prove his point and illustrate God’s will to the hard-hearted king. Throughout the Bible it is the unexpected and unusual natural phenomenon that is employed to remind a stubborn people of their duties and obligations to God and His value system and Torah.
There is no power of prophecy extant in our midst today. No one can therefore point to natural exceptionalism and teach us an immediate lesson from its occurrence. But as the Days of Awe approach it is obvious to us that the beginning of faith and religious accomplishment lies not so much in the minutiae of the law, as important and vital and necessary as that undoubtedly is, but rather in the acknowledgment of the supremacy of the Divine will in human affairs. Rosh Hashanah is in reality a coronation service and commemoration. God is referred to as king and not only as God. It is the existence of the all powerful force, not understood nor controlled in any way by human beings and our resources and wisdom that govern our lives. So in a strange way, talking about the weather and its extremes leads us to talking or at least thinking about our Creator and His influence on our lives. So-called normalcy, in weather, personal and national events, or even in mundane events breeds complacency and apathy. It is the unusual event, the "black swan," that stirs the pot and causes humans to assess their true thoughts, beliefs and positions in life. So, even though I am convinced that all of you, like me, are delighted that it has cooled off outside even slightly, we should gain spiritually and emotionally from the experience of the recent exceptional weather as we prepare for the High Holy Days.
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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.
