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Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Purim & The Month of Adar
- The Month of Adar
In the Book of Creation (Sefer Yetzira, Chapter Five and see Ramak) there is a list of psychological dimensions, each is attached to a different month. Every month is characterized by a different dimension on which to focus our work in a particular aspect of our personality. The aspect mentioned in relation to the month of Adar is laughter.
What is laughter? In the tractate Avodah Zarah (3, b) we learn "Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Rav: The day has twelve hours. In the first three - God sits and studies Torah; the second - He sits and judges the whole world; In the third group of three hours – He sits and feeds the entire world, from the horns of an Oryx to nits; In the fourth - He sits and plays with the whale as is said (Ps. 104, 26) "The whale you created to play with".
This passage shows that God revealed the gradual unfolding of reality as divided into four stages. The first stage is the initial contact between G-d and the creation in which the reality is the Torah, the order of the world. In the second stage, the relationship with God is revealed by the law, the ability to lead actual life directed by the Torah. In the third stage the Divine leadership is expressed by caring for the material needs of all creatures. In the fourth part, the last three hours, the peak of the relationship and connection between the Divine plan and the world is revealed. A connection called "Livyatan" (whale). The Maharal (Chidushey Agadot) explains that the whale's name is from the root of "livui" (escort), reflecting a matter of escort or connection. The peak in a relationship is laughter. When a person feels full identification with a particular content, laughter appears (laughter in the sense of happiness and not of hedonism). This is the reason that laughter is the broadest common denominator for all humanity. There is no faster way to connect with people other than through laughter. Laughter is related the most to the natural feelings and desires of a person. Laughter is an expression of full compatibility between the desires, of connection between people.
The Book of Creation also states that Adar's special letter is "Kuf" - ק. Tractate Bava Batra (58, a) teaches that the "a person to the Divine Presence is like a monkey ("Kof") to a person". We can look at a monkey as a negative element, but we can also see a positive element. The lower element of a monkey is external behavior, of "mimicking like a monkey", such as the Hebrew expression "Maase Kof B'alma" (mere act of a monkey) (Rosh, Gittin, b) that describes something empty and trivial. However, there is also a elevated mimicry in which we try to imitate G-d. "As He is compassionate, you also should be so" (Pesikta Zotrta, Re'eh). This call for "monkeyness" is our desire to become like the Creator, to reach a state of connection, a complete comparison of our will with the will of God. This is the month of Adar.
The month of Adar is the month of a great, great effort to compare our will with the will of God. "They received the Torah again in the days of Ahasuerus". At Mount Sinai Am Yisrael were forced to receive the Torah, but in the month of Adar they accepted it in their own will. Therefore, in Adar laughter can appear. The month of Adar has a glittering of the World to Come. "Then our mouth will be filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing". A glittering from that era when we will laugh the same laugh of absolute identity with the words of G-d.
"They will laugh at a life full of intense and ongoing pleasure, an immense flood from G-d's light, and will savor from His goodness. The laughter that G-d laughs with the righteous in the World to Come. The laughter that G-d’s hand will lead, the laughter resulting from the Divine Pleasure being open and exposed.This is very glorious". (Ein Aya, there)
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
