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Beit Midrash
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- Passover - Pesach
The intermediate days of Pesach - chol hamoed - represent the ability of Jews and of the Torah to treat the mundane activities of life and the world with holiness and a special reverence. I remember that one of my daughters once worked as an actuary in the offices of a large American insurance company. The company graciously allowed her to be absent on the Jewish holidays. However she was never able to satisfactorily explain to them why on chol hamoed she was able to appear at the office and accomplish the work that was necessary to be done that day. The world understands that there can be holy days and that there are days that are not holy. It finds it difficult to comprehend how a day can be holy and somehow less than completely holy at one and the same time. Pesach teaches us that we are to sanctify the mundane, the unholy, the regular activities of everyday life. The trips and tours, the meals and outings that we embark on during the days of chol hamoed are different in kind and spirit than those that we enjoy during the other days of the year. The fact that we are still eating matzo ion those occasions only reinforces for us this uniqueness of the time of chol hamoed. It reminds us of the reason for our exodus from Egypt and the purpose of our state of freedom - to be a special people, a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.
The final day of Pesach commemorates for us our miraculous deliverance from the army of the Pharaoh at Yam Suf. The times that the Jewish people have been seemingly on the brink of annihilation over our long history are too numerous to be counted accurately. We have suffered partial annihilation, grievous losses but never total defeat and destruction. From Pharaoh through Amalek, Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Latin Christians, Moslems, Germans, Soviets, Arabs, some present day NGO’s and others many have tried to destroy the Jewish people. We are resented for our particularism and when we assimilate we are resented even more. And yet every time that it appears that history’s curtain is ready to fall on us something unforeseen occurs and Jewish resilience drives us to survival and renewal. The drama of Jewish survival at Yam Suf repeats itself in different forms over and over again in the history of civilization. Though many have wondered over this strange and exceptional phenomenon no logical or completely rational answer to this matter has ever been advanced. The Lord has split many seas for us over the past three millennia of our existence. Pesach reminds us of this inexplicable historical truism. Somehow merely knowing this fact of history is alone sufficient to enable us to continue and build and achieve no matter what our enemies say and do. The verse "Plot your plots, they will be foiled; speak your words of promise but they will not be fulfilled; for the Lord is with us." Pesach reminds us of all this.
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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.
