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Beit Midrash
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How do we know that the metargem (he who translates the Torah reading into Aramaic, according to the old practice) should not raise his voice above that of the koreh (he who reads)? It is as it says: "Moshe would speak, and Hashem would answer him with a voice," i.e., according to Moshe’s voice (Shemot 19:19) ... If the metargem cannot raise his voice, the koreh should lower his while reading.
Ein Ayah: The end of the gemara indicates that the koreh and metargem should speak at the same volume. However, the greater emphasis is on the rule that the metargem should not be louder than the koreh. What is the significance behind this balance?
The Torah’s impacts upon Israel in two ways. One is through the Torah’s special quality and sanctity, whose light raises the soul until the person is closer to Hashem’s sanctity and light. This occurs even if one does not understand and is just exposed to the Torah. The second benefit from Torah comes from knowing its content, which teaches the community and the individual the straight path to take in life. This leads one to a good life and the world to come. The koreh and metargem correspond to these two elements. The koreh invokes the sanctity of the Torah on those who listen even without understanding. The translation get across the information the Torah has to relay.
If one shifts the weight to either element, it affects the balance between the elements and can cause pitfalls; true success comes when they are balanced equally. If one stresses Torah knowledge, he will be like those who study Torah without first making a beracha, a phenomenon that was responsible for "the Land being lost" (Nedarim 81a). In this way, he somewhat equates the Torah with other forms of wisdom, which can extinguish the special light of Torah and blind people’s eyes from seeing the aura of its sanctity. On the other hand, if one focuses too much on the Torah’s innate sanctity, he weakens his resolve to serve Hashem with great understanding and depth, both in the Torah’s halachic and philosophical elements. This is damaging not only because one lacks the knowledge, but because the impact of the Torah’s sanctity correlates to the effort put in to knowing the Torah.
The metargem, who represents Torah knowledge, must not be louder than the koreh because this might give the impression that knowledge is foremost, as it is in other realms of human knowledge. On the other hand the koreh should not be louder and thereby indicate that the emotional side of appreciating the Torah should come at the expense of expertise in its study.
There is a further, surprising insight, which the gemara hints at when it says that if the metargem cannot read with a robust voice, the koreh should lower his voice. At times, there is a difficult religious atmosphere in which people have trouble realizing the Torah’s sanctity because they are distant from true knowledge of Hashem. Then, we are instructed to forgo the ideal of stressing the spiritual element of the Torah. Rather one must then employ the rabbinic dictates of "if only they left me but kept My Torah," "a person should always learn [even] for not the right reason, as from learning for not the right reason one will come to learn for the right reason," and "the light that is in it will return him to the right path" (Yerushalmi, Chagiga 1:7). Eventually he will see the Torah’s sanctity. In the meantime, the approach toward teaching the group is to lower the religious demands before coming to the Torah so that people will get at least a basic knowledge of the Torah’s content and know what to do.
The idea of sanctity and knowledge going hand in hand emanates from Sinai, where, the gemara says, Hashem’s voice (the sanctity) and Moshe’s voice (the information) were as one. The more effort one puts into the knowledge the more he will feel the sanctity. This is a message to be learned by all generations.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
