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In fact, so inscrutable is this Mitzva that even Melech Shlomo, King Solomon, considered to be the wisest of all people, could not fathom it. And so he laments, in Kohelet 7:23: "I tried with all my wisdom to understand it, but yet it is still distant from me." And yet, we are told that Hashem did reveal the deeper meaning of the Para Aduma to one person: Moshe! Why is it that HE understood what Shlomo could not?
I suggest that while Shlomo is the paradigm of Knowledge; Moshe is the paragon of Faith. And Faith is what takes over when Knowledge reaches a dead end.
If we think for a moment about those Mitzvot which truly define a Jew, more often than not they are Chukim. Wearing a Talit, Tefilin or a Kipa, for example, make up our "uniform." And yet, just why we do so is not all that easy to understand. Kashrut, as well, has a major impact on the life of an observant Jew, & yet we really don’t have a clue as to why certain foods are permissible while others are not, or why we cannot mix milk & meat together.
Perhaps the message here is that not everything is within the scope of our understanding. As brilliant as we think we are, able to answer any question on any subject at any time (with the help of Google and/or our wives!), there are certain mysteries which we will probably never solve: Why do the righteous suffer? What effect do our prayers really have? What, exactly, awaits us when we leave this world? These are just some of the unknowns that Man has struggled to answer throughout time, with little or no success.
But not having all the answers does not mean that life is pointless, meaningless, or direction-less. It just means that certain areas are within G-d’s realm, & we can’t get there via our knowledge. But we can reach that place through Faith. Faith is the single, solitary vehicle that bridges the worlds, allowing us to connect to the eternal & function in a universe often too complex for our brains to compute.
Sometimes, when knowledge eludes us, we would be wise to just accept things at Faith-value.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
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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.
