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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Ki Tisa
- Family and Society
- A Nation and its Halachot
- Leadership
Aharon dealt with people and was always sympathetic to their wants, needs and moods. This led him into an unintentional role as a facilitator in creating the Golden Calf, a role for which he paid dearly in family tragedy. He was unable to firmly stand against the apparent wishes of the people, believing somehow that by cooperating with the people he could eventually save the situation. Yet it was this exact personality trait of limitless empathy with the people that allowed him on Yom Kippur to be the instrument for bringing forgiveness and heavenly compassion down on the Jewish people. He could not see wrong or baseness in the Jewish people for his love for them was unbounded and sincere. The Lord Himself, so to speak, also will eventually no longer see evil in Jacob or sins amongst Israel. The power of love overcomes rational analysis and reasonable assessments of seeming facts. We often pay a steep price for too much love but that is a personality trait that is very hard to overcome if one possesses that trait within one’s personal makeup. It was this weakness of personality that also eventually led to King Saul’s forfeiture of his right to be the king of Israel. He listened to the people too diligently, he feared for the loss of his own popularity with them and he therefore made a fatal national and personal error. Yet a High Priest who does not have unconditional and overflowing love for his people cannot really be the right man for the job.
Moshe also loved the Jewish people. He is willing to sacrifice his name and his eternity even for the sake of Israel’s survival and welfare. Yet Moshe’s trait is tough love. He is the leader not the High Priest. His task is not to always acquiesce to the demands and whims of the people. He is their teacher, their guide, the cold realist whose nature does not allow him to gloss over error and sin. He is not reticent to use any means to stamp out idolatry and treason from within Israel. He constantly reminds the people of the goal of being a holy nation and a kingdom of priests and he is always dissatisfied with their backsliding excuses. He is not interested in winning a popularity contest. Rather his task is to instill Torah into the minds and hearts of Israel in a fashion that will make Torah knowledge and its values eternal within that people. Thus he destroys the Golden Calf that Aharon helped make and punishes those who worshipped it. He chastises Aharon for his role in the debacle and accepts no excuses. This type of tough love is necessary for any leader. It is especially necessary for those who wish to lead such a strong minded fiercely independent and opinionated people such as the people of Israel. Moshe and Aharon together, each in one’s own proper role and attitude is the perfect template for Jewish leadership throughout the ages.
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.
