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Beit Midrash
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- The Nation of Israel
- Israel and the Nations
The Torah study is dedicatedin honor of
עם ישראל
There are however permanent defeats. Neither the empires of Alexander the Great nor of Rome will ever return again to power or existence. I think that it is safe to say that England will never again own India or Hong Kong. Russia still exists but the Soviet Union lies irretrievably on the ash heap of history. No American thinks that it would be wise to control Vietnam. There are no real comebacks in history. Events may morph one into another but the original strength and power once lost never returns in any real historical sense. The ancient languages, Assyrian, Babylonian, Classical Greek, Latin, etc. all are now "dead" languages hardly even part of any important curriculum of what was once considered a classical and essential education. The Roman Catholic Church after almost millennia of use has been forced to give up insisting that Latin be used as the language of its rituals. This change reflects in my opinion not so much the vaunted modernization of the Church as perhaps it does the recognition that Latin is never going to return to be a spoken or written language in any sort of general or popular use. Even long accepted ideas and philosophies that ruled the world for centuries are no longer considered relevant or vital. There are very few true believers in Aristotle left amongst us. All defeats can contain a degree of finality with them.
The Jewish people and its State of Israel is the exception to this rule promulgated in the previous paragraph. Hebrew is certainly not a "dead" language. It is the only language of the ancient Middle East that has survived and is spoken by millions today. The Jewish people have returned to their homeland after an absence of power and sovereignty that lasted for almost two thousand years. Our victories may not be permanent but neither are our defeats. We are the comeback kids of history. I feel that a large part of the enmity directed against us as Jews and the State of Israel particularly in today’s mean and bigoted world is because the current scenario of there being a Jewish state in the Land of Israel is simply historically unacceptable. It flies in the face of the commonly accepted rule that there are no comebacks allowed by history. But here we are, Hebrew and all. We are witness to the fact that our military victories over the past sixty plus years, impressive as they have been are not permanent. Each victory granted us a further temporary lull in the fierce struggle for our existence here in the land of our fathers and mothers. But each victory also illustrated for all to see that our defeats were also not permanent and the resilience of the Jewish people relative to all adversities remains intact and alive. The torah advises us that we will yet achieve permanent victory and Moshe will sing to us again, this time in finality and security. May that be soon and in our days.
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
