YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Passover - Pesach
- Shabbat Hagadol
In the pagan world, there is nowhere to move, there is no process. Man is a prisoner in an eternal Sisyphean cycle without the possibility of breaking out, or in other words: slavery. Pagan man does not create units of time and is therefore controlled by the emptiness of time. He wears out, run by inertia and does not control his life. In Egypt, the main culture of the ancient world, there is nothing beyond slavery: "At the beginning, a slave could not escape Egypt since it was tightly closed" (Mekhilta Yitro). Not only Am Israel, the Egyptians 'masters' were in that state of slavery and closings for anything beyond mere sustainability. There is nothing beyond the random nature eroded in circles time.
All this is going to change at the Exodus from Egypt. Nissan is the month when in fact time was created in the world: "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you" (Exodus 12, b). At Nissan, the history begins. There is a beginning, renewal, and historical memory starts to accumulate. Time has two dimensions: fixed and mutable. To measure time, we need a starting point, a constant and stable base. Then, we need a movement which we can mark as changing and progress. Also in our personal feelings we sense it: if we have no movement or change, we feel that time is "not moving".
In the Jewish year there are indeed two such axis: Saturday – a fixed base, and Yom Tov - movement and changing. Our sages say that Saturday is "Fixed and existing" (Hulin 101, b). Saturday is the constant point in time, which exists since the six days of creation. The holidays on the other hand are dynamic and depend on "Israel who sanctify the time. " (Brahot 49, a).
Before we get to the first holiday of Am Yisrael, Passover, the holiday that begins history, we have Shabbat Hagadol. Shabbat Hagadol is when Israel bounded the Egyptian God, which is the Lamb - an animal that expresses the natural innocence, a flock of sheep which moves without purpose; sheep without a shepherd, and no sense of time. We bind the casual innocence and mark the starting point. History starts to move. A few days later, the second dimension appears: Passover will come and the nation whose job is to mark direction and movement in history will be born.
Where does time lead us? Where does history bring us to? History is not just a "list of crimes, obsessions and catastrophes of mankind", as A. Gibbon said. History is, in the words of Rabbi Kook, "historiya" – "Hester–Yah" (hidden G-d). History leads us in a certain direction, God is revealed in history. The greatness of the first Shabbat of the exodus continues throughout the Israeli history and leads to "the great and terrible day of the LORD". (Malachi 3, 23). The figure of Elijah, the man that time and death had not mastered on him, who stormed up to heaven. He announces us that great day, a day without time limits, "that is neither day nor night."
Rabbi Haggai Lundin
Articles about Hanukkah The Triumph of Israeli Renewal over Greek Stagnation
From "Megged Yerachim" published by "Beit Harav"
Family and Society There Will Not Be A Civil War!
(Told to the students of the Hesder Yeshiva in Holon)
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.
