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This plague was the only one that was not reserved exclusively for the Egyptians. Rashi remarks that there were wayward Jews, who did not want to leave Egypt. They died during the darkness, so the Egyptians wouldn’t see their demise and say, "The Jews are affected no less than we are!"
But hang on a second; we know that even in the desert there were wicked Jews (informants, idolaters, etc.) among the populace. So why did THEY survive the darkness, and only those Jews who refused to leave Egypt perished?
The Lubavitcher Rebbe offers a fascinating insight based on Yom Kippur. That day is so powerful, he says, that it atones for any sin a person may have committed, with ONE exception: the transgression of Yom Kippur itself! If one willingly eats or works on Yom Kippur, he nullifies the day’s saving power and will be held fully accountable for the sin.
Similarly, the courageous decision to leave Egypt was sufficient to atone for whatever sins a person had done and to merit their being saved. But - if someone declared that he did not wish to follow Hashem’s directive to exit that debased land, then he forfeited the merit to be redeemed and died in Egypt during the darkness.
This past week, our Central Bureau of Statistics announced that Israel’s population increased by almost 2% in the last year, and now stands at more than 8 million citizens (of which more than 75% are Jewish). 163,000 babies were born, and we are on course to reach 11.5 million people in just two decades. Already the largest Jewish community in the world, our increasing fertility rate – soon to exceed 3.0 – guarantees that we will IY"H grow exponentially.
Just by living in Israel – Chazal tell us repeatedly – we increase our wisdom and spirituality. Here, we walk down streets like Har Sinai and Nerot Shabbat; the Jewish festivals are our national holidays; it’s hard to find a supermarket that isn’t kosher! Yes, we surely have our challenges, but the twin societal cancers that have ravaged Diaspora Jewry – assimilating into the Gentile world and marrying out of the
faith – are virtually non-existent here. As the Gemara succinctly says, "The Land of Israel itself atones for us."
Darkness, the Gerer Rebbe once said, is not only a physical phenomenon. Even the "brightest" people may walk in darkness, if they stubbornly refuse to see the light.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Rabbis in Midrash
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P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Re'e NEVER EXTREME EXCEPT ISRAEL
Parshat Re'eh
Judaism is against extremism, so how can we understand the seemingly extreme statements found in our sages in favor of living in the Land of Israel and against living in Chutz laAretz? The article deals with the seeming contradiction between the strength of Free-Will and the strength of being influenced by our surroundings.
Ekev DANCE FOR ISRAEL- FOR YOUR BENEFIT
Parshat Eikev
Description: The 7 Haftarot we read after Tisha B'Av ("Shiva D'Nichemta") surely get us excited that they're coming TRUE, and awaken us to yearn, dance & join the return to Zion! The short article also deals with the problems and solutions facing the American Jewish community as discussed at a recent panel, as well as the question why Jews come from America to Israel to help when we face problems, but Israelis don't come to aid Jews in America when they face anti-Semitism.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
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.
