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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Ein Ayah
[Eating] spleen is good for the teeth and bad for the intestines. What is the solution for it? Chew it and then spit it out. Leeks are hard on the teeth and good for the intestines. What is the solution for it? Cook it well and then swallow it.
Ein Ayah: Besides the practical advice in these statements, there is a philosophical idea that is hinted at. Whenever there is something which we can enjoy, we should look both at its benefits and its drawbacks and plan how to gain from the former without being harmed by the latter. This is true not only of foods but of desirable elements in the world in general.
There are matters that make things more pleasant and glorious in the external realm but may sometimes cause internal deterioration. It is a mistake, then, for one to think that he may pursue the external gains without considering the potential damage. He will regret later that he received just "a flower that wilted" so quickly while he lost critical vigor in the eternal world.
For someone to refuse and even despise the external benefit is also not a proper thing because everything that Hashem made in this world is for His honor, and everything that can broaden one’s life and make it more splendid contains the completeness that is appropriate according to its value. Thus, it is proper to make use of the external matters, but in a wise way that will avoid the damage while obtaining the benefit.
Chazal taught us an example of the concept regarding benefits and dangers in the physical realm [spleen and leeks], warning us not to take the good in a manner that will bring either internal or even external harm. Indeed, if one only ponders abstract wisdom in the realm of understanding Hashem, even though it will cause his spirit to grow, if he goes too far and leaves behind his normal life, it can have a negative impact on his human spirit.
When Man Should and Should Not Intervene With Nature
(condensed from Ein Ayah, Berachot 6:67)
Gemara:
All green vegetables take away one’s good complexion. Everything that is not fully grown makes one small.
Ein Ayah: It is proper to love nature as is, for it is the work of Hashem, and to not always occupy himself with artificial things. While this is true regarding both one’s physical and spiritual lifestyles, one should be aware of the following two things.
One is that if there is something natural that was made in order to join together with something man-made, then one should not suffice with its natural completion. Since man’s intellect is also a part in the natural world, the object’s "point of completion" is actually when man is finished with it. Thus, a raw vegetable may very well not be complete until man completes it through cooking, which is also a natural action.
Another observation is that there are things that do not need human intervention, and there is a need for them to reach their completion. If man takes such an object when it is still small and not ready, it will never reach its completion.
In general, we can say that man sometimes has desires that seem natural, but the problem is that he is not ready to wait until they are at their correct stage, when they will give the full benefit. Taking them before the time will just leave man himself small and incomplete.
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.
