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Beit Midrash
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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.
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.
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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.
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.
