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The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Asher Ben Haim
1. The Almighty exercises His Divine providence over all of creation. He did not simply create the the universe and then abandon it. Rather, He directs and oversees His handiwork.
2. The Almighty is all-powerful. He is the unrivaled Ruler of all, and there is absolutely nothing in existence which escapes his providence.
3. The Almighty gave the Torah to Israel. It is therefore not a human creation but a Divine one.
Three monumental events in history serve to reinforce the above-mentioned principles: the Exodus from Egypt, the Splitting of the Red Sea, and the Giving of the Torah.
Foundations of Faith (51)
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
14 - 20. God's Incorporeality
15 - 19. Divine Providence and Prophetic Revelation
16 - 14. Contradictions between Science and Torah
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The Exodus from Egypt. God freed us with miracles and wonders and with a great outstretched arm from a most terrible bondage. He released us from our complete subjugation to Pharaoh and the Egyptians. This event revealed God as Overseer of His creation. He saw the privation of our forefathers, heard their cries, and came to their rescue. The Torah relates that when Moses came to take His people out of Egypt, "the people believed" - i.e., their faith in God's all-encompassing providence was firmly established.
The Splitting of the Red Sea. This miracle was greater than any of the other miracles performed in Egypt. The sea opened up and the Children of Israel passed through on dry land. The waters became like "walls on each side of them." This transformation of water to dry land held still so long as the Israelites passed through the sea. The closing of the waters upon the pursuing Egyptian army was a miracle which clearly demonstrated God's omnipotence and His ability to change the laws of nature completely. At this point, the people’s faith in God was unquestionably established. It became clear that everything is subordinate to His rule, as the verse states: "And they believed in God, and in Moses His servant" (Exodus 14:31).
The Giving of the Torah. Via the Divine revelation at Sinai it became known that God reveals Himself to man through speech. The prophecy of Moses and prophecy in general were thus substantiated. It was firmly established that prophecy is not a dream, the workings of the imagination, or some other kind of powerful outpouring of human emotion. Prophecy is definitively unlike any other sense or cognition that man is familiar with. It is not some form of overpowering hallucination in which man imagines that he is hearing real voices or seeing actual sights. Prophecy is not some earth-shattering dream of which a person remains intensely aware when awakening. It is not a burning inner sense - it is something else completely. The difference between prophecy and imagination is even greater than that between the the heavens and the earth. Unfamiliar with prophecy, man tries to compare it to mental faculties he is familiar with, but this is a terrible mistake. Prophecy does not originate from man's inner faculties, but from the Almighty Himself. God causes man to prophesy. All human faculties are as nothing in light of the enormity of prophetic revelation. When an individual experiences prophecy he is instantly transformed into a different person. He is illuminated by the Divine light, the Divine light which penetrates his whole body and changes him into a different person. Only a individual who has personally experienced prophecy knows how to distinguish between prophetic inspiration and other human faculties such as imagination and dream.
Recognition of the fact that God causes man to prophesy, that He Himself gave the Torah to the Jewish people, was attained by the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai. At that time, the entire nation heard the word of God in the form of the Ten Commandments. The entire nation prophesied. At that time, faith in the fact that God speaks to man and has presented man with His Divine Word in the form of the Torah was established. It became clear that Moses was, and would forever be, the greatest of all prophets, and that he stood between God and the people when giving the Torah to Israel. It is hence written, "God said to Moses, 'I shall come to you in a thick cloud so that all the people will hear when I speak to you. They will then believe in you forever" (Exodus 19:9).
In sum, through the Exodus from Egypt, the Splitting of the Red Sea, and the Giving of the Torah, the three fundamental principles of the Jewish faith were established: (1) the Almighty exercises providence over creation, (2) He is the unrivaled Ruler over all, and (3) the Torah was Divinely given from God.
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The translation of Exodus 19:9 was taken from Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's The Living Torah (Moznayim)/
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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.