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Amram son of Sultana
Here the Khazar king inquires, "Is not your faith in creation and human genealogy as presented in the Torah weakened somewhat by the fact that the people of India possess ancient traditions and practices which are supposed to date back a million years!"
The wise Rabbi responds, explaining that the traditions of the people of India in no way weaken the Jew's faith. How can the people of India have any serious traditions when, in fact, they lack a proper culture altogether? They are idolaters who place their faith in superstitious belief. They have no culture and have produced only a small number of books, which at any rate are incredulous. Only a genuine ignoramus could be convinced of the reliability of their claims.
Were Bedouins from the Sinai Desert - a people who possess no intellectual background - to approach us with the claim that they have ancient traditions which differ with ours regarding the creation of the world and the history of humankind, should we even feel the need to defend our tradition against their claims? Do the traditions of peoples who lack intellectual standing hold any genuine significance? This was the state of the people of India in the days of the Kuzari.
True, people who live more closely to nature develop unique senses that cannot be found among cultured people - they know how to sense when rain will fall, they are able to uncover footprints and therefore make excellent trackers, and they boast various other sharpened natural talents. They are even likely to possess certain spiritual capacities and unique decorum. However, all of this is far from being a reason to place faith in their traditions - the sort of traditions which are passed down from generation to generation by the light of a bonfire. They are no more than the fruit of healthy imagination. In short, such traditions are not worthy of serious consideration.
All sorts of interesting natural characteristics developed among the people of India, as did unique and even praiseworthy mannerisms. Nevertheless, they were not a learned or intellectual people. In this respect they were very undeveloped, and there is therefore little value to their tales about ancient traditions. This, though, is in no way true when it comes to the Jewish people, "a wise and intelligent nation." The Jews are "the People of the Book" who, throughout the generations, have occupied themselves with learning and Torah. The Jews' profuse literary output in the fields of both Oral and Written Torah serves as proof of the Jewish people's commendable spiritual level.
Foundations of Faith (51)
Rabbi Shalom Arush
1 - Emuna From the Cradle
2 - 45. The “Hassid” (Saintly Person)
3 - 47. The “Hassid” - The Ideal Jew
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D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
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.
