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Beit Midrash
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Students of Rashi posit that everything that happens is hinted somewhere in the Torah (see Avot 5:22). This is one example where the Torah, by leaving out a letter, hinted at a story that would occur several hundreds of years later.
Na’aman was a powerful and successful general of the nation of Aram. In one of his army’s conquests, he brought his wife a captured Jewish girl to serve as household help. Na’aman became afflicted with the horrible ailment of tzara’at, which Chazal consider tantamount to death, and all of his fame and fortune could not help him. He asked the Jewish girl if there was some sort of Jewish remedy for the situation, and she suggested that he to go ask the Jewish prophet, who was then Elisha. Elisha told him to wash himself in the Jordan River seven times, after which he would be cured. Na’aman, after his initial anger at what seemed to him to be a nonsensical idea, was indeed cured, causing him to accept Hashem as the true G-d.
Where did Elisha get his idea? While there is no problem in saying that Hashem told him directly to give this instruction, there actually is a hint in the Torah, which, Rashi’s students say, guided Elisha to the idea. They point out that Na’aman’s name begins and ends with a נ, as do three p’sukim in the Torah, including two where the נ is in its position only due to a grammatical exception. The first of these three speaks about tzara’at (Vayikra 13:9). The second is our pasuk, which ends with the word ירדן (Jordan River). The third is the pasuk that says that one is to listen to the prophet (Devarim 18:18). The hint Elisha found is that if a person with a נ at the beginning and end of his name comes to the prophet regarding tzara’at, the solution is the Jordan River.
Let us end off with a cautionary note. Although these types of hints are part of the wonderful mysteries of the Torah, it is unwise for non-prophets to try to guess the future based on them.
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.
