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Beit Midrash
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The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Hana Bat Haim
Tosafot (ad loc.) cites the midrash that like a small child running away from school, "so [Bnei Yisrael] were running away from Mt. Sinai a path of three days, for they had learned there much Torah." The simple understanding is that they were afraid that if they remained longer they might receive even more commandments, and so they left hastily. There seems to be a hint of the haste in the phrase the midrash repeats twice, "a path of three days," that they actually traversed it in one day (see Rashi on chumash). But it is still difficult to understand the criticism for diligence to follow Hashem’s lead on a path pointing toward Eretz Yisrael.
Bnei Yisrael were correctly happy to move on their way toward the future challenges and opportunities ahead. However, they did not properly appreciate the importance of the spiritual provisions they were to bring from Mt. Sinai, or the difficulty of the road ahead. The midrash’s stressing of the fact that the path should have taken three days implies that the speed of the travel was part of the problem, in addition to the desire to leave. Bnei Yisrael did not appreciate that a path of three days should take three days. One cannot always arrive at the destination earlier than ordained.
Rashi (on the gemara, ibid.) says that the first puranut was, "the rabble in their midst had a desire, and Bnei Yisrael also wept again, saying, ‘who will feed us meat’" (Bamidbar 11:5). This is very difficult, as this event is found after the miton’nim, and the encapsulated p’sukim do not separate between them. We can explain as follows. Bnei Yisrael’s lack of readiness to leave Mt. Sinai in an orderly fashion lead to a lack of spiritual balance, which gave rise to the subsequent ascendance of the rabble to prominence. It is this root of the problem that the Torah identifies as the puranut.
There is a lesson in all of this for our lives. We often correctly identify a distant goal as a Divinely ordained challenge in our lives. But we do not always appreciate how the tools we received at Sinai are ones we need to gather up carefully and lovingly to accompany us on the path and make it a safe one. We are also not always patient enough to know that it takes a long time to cover a long distance, and we need to pace ourselves appropriately to arrive in peace.
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.