Parashat HashavuaSeries'LibraryPiskei Din (Hebrew)Test YourselfB’chukotai promises prosperity for the Jewish People if we follow Hashem's commandments. But if we fail to live up to the responsibility of being the Chosen People, then chilling punishments result. These punishments, whose purpose is to bring the Jewish People to repent, are in 7 stages, they represent 7 steps leading to denial of Hashem: Failure to study Torah; failure to keep Mitzvot; hatred of those who do keep Mitzvot; hatred of the Rabbis; preventing others from keeping Mitzvot; denial of the Mitzvot's authenticity; denial of G-d. We conclude Sefer Vayikra with "Chazak, Chazak, V'Nitchazek!"
The class deals with the most common examples of mistakes or sins which we almost all do, some of which haven't changed, but we also point out those where historically there has been an interesting improvement over time.
Sometimes We Have No One to Blame But Ourselves & Our Imagination!
Rav Kook explains how fear and one's imagination often cause more damage than the problem itself. In fact, most of our problems we cause to ourselves, and if we made decisions based upon Godly logic and ideals, it would not only grant us a feeling of security, but in fact we would save ourselves from most problems, and surely the inflated or exaggerated ones.