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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Ein Ayah
Ein Ayah: The reason the gemara has to find a source for the beracha on smell is that there is logic to say that the reason for berachot is to prevent one who is involved in animalistic enjoyment from sinking into animalistic lowliness. In that regard, the function of the beracha would be to remind him to attach to the physical benefit a spiritual benefit of recognizing Hashem’s role in creating with kindness all of mankind’s enjoyments.
If it were the case that the beracha was to prevent negative influences, then it would be necessary only for lower-level enjoyments such as eating and drinking. In contrast, delicate enjoyments such as smell, which by nature elevate the spirit and its strengths, would not require a beracha. That is why the gemara refers to smell as something from which the soul benefits and the body does not. In other words, it does not bring one to animalistic behavior. Yet the pasuk that refers to benefit of the soul says that this experience should also be the impetus to praise Hashem. The reason is that the purpose of a beracha is not merely to protect from negative but for the positive of elevating one to recognize his Maker. When one makes a beracha on a good smell, where there is no fear of the negative, he strengthens the realization that the beracha exists so that we should gain the positive.
The Loss of a Tzaddik
(condensed from Ein Ayah, Berachot 6:43)
Gemara: When Rav died, his disciples escorted him to burial. When they came back, they said: "Let us go and eat bread by the Dank River." When they were about to eat, they wondered whether each one should make his own beracha because they were sitting but not reclining, or whether the fact that they discussed eating together is equivalent to reclining and one could exempt the others from making the berachot. They did not know the answer. Rav Ada bar Ahava got up and moved the rip in the garment (from the mourning for Rav) to the back and made another rip, saying: "Rav has died, and we don’t even know the laws of berachot on food." Finally, a sage came, contrasted a mishna and a baraita, and concluded that discussing eating together is equivalent to reclining.
Ein Ayah: The loss to the world upon the death of a tzaddik is two-fold, like his importance to the world during his life. One element is the lofty segula (roughly, the special spiritual conduciveness). Namely, when a holy person is in the world, it certainly brings on shleimut to those who are both near to and far from the tzaddik. The second element is from the more direct benefit that people extracted from his Torah knowledge and his righteousness.
The first element is broader and deeper and is thus the focus of one’s thoughts during the ripping of the clothes. However, when the halachic issue arose and they did not have a solution, Rav’s disciples felt more strongly their personal loss of a teacher to whom to turn, and Rav Ada decided to do something in recognition of this feeling. They turned the clothes around to indicate that this second element now eclipsed, in their cognizant thought, the first, general element.
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 3
The second speaker invited to convince the Khazar King is the Christian, who presents their beliefs. Even before the questions of the King, "between the lines", the author R. Yehuda HaLevi already begins disproving them.
Ein Aya "Intimacy: Love, Life & Giving or Egocentric Taking & Expiration"
Today, many confuse between intimacy in marriage, based on love, giving and life which are diametrically opposed to empty "sex", pornography and prostitution which destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. The practical importance of clarifying this topic in today's western society is obvious, especially for young adults.
