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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Va'era
G-d tells Moshe that He appeared to the Avot with the name Shaddai, rather than Hashem. And then, in the space of just 8 p’sukim, He refers to himself as Hashem four times:
- "I am Hashem"
- "Tell Bnei Yisrael that I am Hashem"
- "You should know that I am Hashem" and
- "I gave you Israel as a morasha; I am Hashem."
Wow, talk about overkill! Someone is really trying to tell us something – but what exactly is it?
The name Shaddai, says Midrash Raba, derives from di-enough. G-d oversaw the creation of the world and said, "Enough!" Let the seas stop covering the entire world and reveal the land; let the sun shine for just so long and no more, let vegetation grow but not overwhelm the earth.
He also said "Di-Enough" to the Avot and Imahot:
Avraham and Sara have waited a century for a child; Enough! Let Yitzchak be born!
Yitzchak has endured so much enmity between his sons Yakov and Esav; Enough! Let them reconcile (which they do, before Yitzchak dies).
Yakov has seen so much turmoil in his life; Enough! Let him enjoy some peace, which he does when reunited with Yosef and surrounded by all his family for the last 17 years in Egypt.
Yet at the same time that all these blessings are being given out, there is also a "flip-side" to Shaddai. Hashem says to the Avot, on a cosmic, collective level, "Yes, I promised each of you, in our first encounters, that I would give you Israel as a homeland. But I’ve done enough for the time being; I am not yet prepared to totally fulfill that great promise."
The fulfillment will have to wait for Moshe. Only then will Bnei Yisrael leave Egypt, establish themselves as a nation, receive the Torah, and enter the Land of Israel. That, says G-d, is what My name ‘Hashem’ means: He who keeps His promise, He who does not hold back and say ‘Enough’ when it comes to completing the destiny of Am Yisrael.
"Go, Moshe, and tell the people that, at long last, Hashem - and not Shaddai – is taking you home!"
Our generation has been given the cataclysmic z’chut to see Hashem in all His glory: The renaissance of Torah learning, the establishment of the State of Israel, the ingathering of the exiles, the reclamation of the soil, the stunning successes of our holy IDF soldiers in 7 wars.
Is it not time for every Jew to say, "Enough! I, too, must be a part of this dramatic, Divine miracle!"
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
Jewish Laws and Thoughts Shul “etiquette:” can we honor Hashem while respecting our fellow congregants?
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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.