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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Parashat Hashavua
The Torah says that the child who is to fear is "ish" (a man). A child grows into a young man, who has a status of standing on his own, with his own logic, desires, and judgment. Like one who starts off some project, the adolescent has a desire to dismiss the past and be his own beginning. This is specifically the time when there is a need to remember the mandate to revere his parents. When the natural reverence of childhood wanes, there is a need for a command to continue to exhort him to do so.
The halachot of ben sorer u’moreh (the rebellious son) also begin when the child turns into a man. His parents complain that he does not listen to them and that he is eating and drinking like a glutton. Just as the Ramban says that the gluttony is antithetical to being holy, so is not listening to one’s parents.
A soft sapling is weak, and when one becomes a bar mitzva and his yetzer hatov (good inclination) arrives, his yetzer hara (evil inclination) is already well entrenched (see Kohelet Rabba 4:1 and Rashi to Bereishit 8:21). As he grows through adolescence, the yetzer hara just broadens its horizons. What starts with gluttony continues with following his eyes and his heart to promiscuity and corrupt philosophies. This is when he needs the ideal guides, his parents. The mother’s heart, which is focused on concern for the family, together with the eyes of the father, which saw much and know to distinguish between things of value and exciting packaging with no content, are the proper counterbalance to the yetzer hara.
Reverence for one’s parents has a major impact on the child’s developing intellect. One learns from them to accept that which is positive and to weed out that which is negative. While the young generation is drawn to a new style of bravery in an outward manner, it is important to attach to it the power of the internal spirit of strength. One can embark on a new approach but do so in a way where in its core essence, it is a new form of the same old values.
Parents must also learn lessons. As the child grows up, the parents’ roles change and become more complicated. It is possible to impose one’s will on a small child. However, as he grows up, it becomes more important to be a living role model and less of a strict disciplinarian. It becomes forbidden to hit the young adult child, who is, Heaven forbid, capable of hitting back (Moed Katan 17a). It will not be possible to keep up the awe if the parent undermines his own status in the child’s eyes.
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.