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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Vayera
The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Freicha daughter of Ester
This Midrash may, perhaps, be understood as follows. Avraham Avinu was commanded to leave his land, his birthplace and his father’s home. He was to go to Eretz Yisrael where the negative influence of chutz la’aretz would no longer exist, where his birthplace and his father’s home would no longer play a part in his life. He was commanded to run away from the negative, "lekh lekha me’artzekha" "go away from your land." His greater mission, however, was to do good, to advance forward towards nobler, positive goals. Hence, "lekh lekha el," "go to" is the greater command.
Many people heed the call of "lekh lekha" and exert great effort that involves considerable expense and personal sacrifice to make aliyah to Eretz Yisrael. They will certainly be rewarded profusely for this great mitzvah. One must realize, however, that aliyah does not end at Ben Gurion Airport; that is where it only begins. Aliyah to Eretz Yisrael is an ongoing "lekh lekha el" going up to higher and higher levels of Torah learning and mitzvah observance, holiness and spirituality, and higher and higher levels of character development. This "lekh lekha el" is not only for ourselves, but also to bring our children with us to reach even higher levels than we are capable of reaching. The pure and holy environment of Eretz Hakodesh and the enlightening atmosphere of Eretz Yisrael make this possible.
May those who have not yet been able to fulfill the call of the first "lekh lekha" merit to do so, and may those fortunate to have already made the first "lekh lekha" merit to continually fulfill the second "lekh lekha" in an unending quest for perfection in Eretz Yisrael.
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This is a weekly column contributed by Aloh Naaleh an organization devoted to motivating Jews to make Aliya.
Aloh Na'aleh
POB 4337, Jerusalem 91042
Tel: 972-2-566-1181 ext. 320 ~ Fax: 972-2-566-1186
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Rabbis in Midrash
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Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
Sukkot Bug-Free Sukkah: Essential Halachic and Practical Schach Guide
How to inspect, clean, and store bamboo mats and palm branches to protect your mitzvah and holiday meals.
