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Beit Midrash
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All of this being said, Goldstone’s admission of error has a certain air of nobility to it. Shimon Peres has never admitted that Oslo was an error. Tzipi Livni or Ehud Olmert has never admitted that their support of the destruction of Gush Katif was badly mistaken. Ehud Barak has never revisited his shameful abandonment of Lebanon which has led to wars and the rise of Hezbollah. In our country all of our leaders, religious, governmental, social, societal and educational are never wrong. There is no personal accountability for errors in judgment and policy. It is only the criminal behavior of our leadership that eventually brings them down but even then there is scant evidence of admission of guilt or of apology to the long suffering public. They are all innocent even when found to be guilty. The necessity for admitting guilt and identifying one’s sins of commission and omission is a central tenet of Judaism. The Torah teaches us that no one individual, great as that person may be, is truly infallible. Jewish tradition teaches us that the main difference between Saul and David lay in Saul’s inability to admit his error in the war against Amalek while David publicly admitted his errors and sins. Judaism recognizes that people in leadership roles make mistakes. Such is our human condition. But it always demands accountability and remorse from those leaders for those errors. Therefore in effect it is this second statement of Richard Goldstone, his admission of error, which should serve as a reprimand to our society and its leaders.
King Solomon in Proverbs states that "one who admits [errors] and forsakes repeating them will be mercifully pardoned." Without personal admission of error there can be no pardon or forgiveness. The High Priest of Israel had to confess his own personal shortcomings on Yom Kippur before he could beseech Heaven for forgiveness on behalf of all of Israel. One sees throughout rabbinic literature the willingness of great men to admit that they overlooked something or that they erred in their judgment or logic in a previous decision. We see numerous instances in rabbinic responsa where a later response to an issue admits that the original response was wrong and should no longer be followed. Every author will tell you that if it were not for the insistence of the editor of his or her work no precious original word of that work would have been changed or corrected. It is difficult to erase or delete. It is even more difficult to admit to one’s self, let alone publicly, that one has made an error. Judge Goldstone has perhaps redeemed his name from eternal infamy in Jewish history by this statement retracting his earlier judgment regarding Israeli actions against Hamas in Gaza. It is not my task to decide what type of action he should take to try and undo the effects of his original report. But I feel he is to be complimented for issuing this new statement on the matter and owning up to the error that originally was his. Would that there would be more that would emulate him in this regard.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
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.
