YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Jewish Holidays
- Lag Ba'omer
The Talmud offers us the insight that even among the great disciples of Rabi Akiva there was a lack of mutual respect one for the other. All of us are loath to grant another’s opinion and viewpoint legitimacy and consideration. We feel somehow threatened ad demeaned by opinions and people who somehow do not conform to our deeply held standards of behavior and opinion. This gives rise to eventual tragedy in Jewish life as the Talmud points our regarding Rabi Akiva’s disciples. Just as this is true regarding internal Jewish life as exemplified by the story of the disciples of Rabi Akiva so too is it applicable to the relationship of the general world towards Judaism and Jews currently and throughout the ages. The world begrudges granting a modicum of respect to those who are perceived as being the most nonconformist of all faiths and peoples. Eventually this lack of respect cumulatively builds to the concerted attempt to deal with these people in a violent fashion. We state in the Pesach Hagadah that this remains an ongoing situation in Jewish relations with the rest of the world. In every generation there exist those that wish to eliminate us completely and yet somehow with God’s help we survive, bloodied but unbowed. A people that lives under the constant and omnipresent threat of annihilation will therefore mark on its calendar as a special day a day when Jews stopped dying. It is not much of a stretch from not giving basic respect to others to finally demonizing them and wishing to destroy them root and branch. Just as the fires of Lag B’Omer consume the wood gathered for the bonfire, so too does the lack of basic human respect one for the other consume the lives of many innocent people.
Lag B’Omer therefore comes to redirect our moral and social compass to allow us to respect those that are different than we are. We certainly need no agree with those who we believe to have wrong ideas, ideals and policies. We also are certainly not bidden to be the "turn the other cheek" people. But unnecessary divisiveness and mean disrespect for others, an inability to honor those that somehow differ with us, is a sure fire recipe for future disaster and tragedy. I feel that this is the basic underlying message of Lag B’Omer, that in commemorating the day when Jews stopped dying almost nineteen centuries ago, we are to internalize the message of where not giving honor one to another can lead. The commemoration of Lag B’Omer this year as in many years in the past as well is clouded by threats and dangers directed against us. But we believe that there will again be a day when Jews will stop dying and that day will be hastened by a better social comity of mutual respect given by one Jew to another.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
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.
