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Le'a Bat Rachma
These days of conflict with our Arab enemies are like Days of Awe. Amidst the winds of war, and from out of their midst, many things are bound to change - both particulars and general matters. Great upheavals are taking place inside of the nation.
God has granted us the privilege in the course of the past year to take part in another great chapter in the ongoing odyssey of the return of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel. In light of the writings of the prophets of Israel the phenomenon of war after the ingathering of the exiles in and of itself comes as no surprise. Many chapters of the book of Psalms are interpreted as relating to the period prior to the advent of the Messiah, the period in which God will reveal Himself and perform justice between the Jews and the nations of the world. Our sages also write at length about the existence of Messianic "birth pangs" and wars.
This confrontation which God has brought upon us appears to be a difficult one indeed. Yet we are well aware that such crises are meant only to give expression to new, previously latent strengths in the nation - the sort of strengths that don’t find expression at all unless there are testing times. All agree that much has been accomplished in Israel’s first fifty years. But now we are being called upon to climb to a new level. We must breath new spirit into all of the existing national frameworks. And only if we possess great faith will our goal , our holy task, be achieved.
We are today in the midst of the seventh year - the "Shmittah" sabbatical year, concerning which the Torah states, "And the seventh year will be a sabbatical year for the land, a Sabbath for God." All who love and are dedicated heart and soul to the land of Israel, have been able during this past year to sense with even grater force the special nature of this year, the focus of which is - like the weekly Sabbath itself - one of coming close to the Creator.
We are in an hour of war. An hour in which the Almighty is very close to us. He resides within the very intimate midst of the Jewish encampment. Like when the Ark of the Covenant would go before the Jewish people in war, announcing the existence of the Divine Presence in Israel. Soldiers in action on the front line merit experiencing a special closeness to God and incredible Divine protection. "For God dwells in the midst of your camp in order to save you and to place your enemies before you, and your camp will be holy. Indeed, in those moments when God is close to us, we are called upon to be especially worthy, exceptional people, and to behave as if we are in God’s presence.
The main traits that are strengthened at a time of war are those of faith and trust. Faith means a willingness to follow God at any price. The one who stays at the front, refusing to retreat possesses superior faith, for he is willing to pay the necessary price. Trust in God is seen most clearly upon the face of one who possesses this trait and who knows with deep inner certainty that his destiny is not in the hands of others, but rests in the hands of the Almighty alone.
Those who reside in the Land of Israel, who find themselves on the front line of the battle, are all messengers of God, faithfully carrying out His desires. As a result, our faith grows daily. With every day that passes and finds us remaining at the front rather than retreating, we gain more and more faith.
At the same time, our quality of trust also grows and becomes more refined. The Sages, in the Talmudic tractate of Sotah, when describing the period prior to the advent of the coming of the Messiah, close with the declaration, "We have nobody to rely upon except for our Father in Heaven." This statement in no way implies a lack of choice. Rather, our Sages understood, via Divine inspiration, that in the final stages of redemption everything will be elevated to a level of unbending providence, and that under such circumstances the most reliable support to lean upon will be the Almighty himself - "Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob - whose hope is in the Lord his God" (Psalm 146:6, JPS Holy Scriptures)
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.
