YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- D'varim
- Re'e
The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Hana Bat Haim
Where is Har G’rizim? The accepted identification is a mountain that stands to the west of the city of Shechem. This mountain is home to the settlement, Har Beracha (whose name is no accident) and l’havdil, the Samaritan (Shomronim) center.
The Shomronim are the descendants of the Kuttim, whe were brought to Eretz Yisrael from Kutta, as part of an Assyrian policy of trans-migration, after the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel (10 tribes), 150 years before the first Beit Hamikdash was destroyed (Melachim II 17:24). The Shomronim originally converted to Judaism because of fear of lions that attacked them, but were eventually rejected by the Jewish people and deemed to be non-Jewish (see Chulin 6a; Even Ha’ezer 4).
Chazal also called them forgers, "for making changes in your Torah without gaining anything from it. You wrote ‘next to Elonei Moreh’ as Shechem, when it is known that it is Shechem, except that you do not derive from a g’zeira shava (derivations from the use of the same words in different places) (Yerushalmi, Sota 7:3). What forgery are Chazal referring to?
The answer is that there were apparently multiple forgeries. The first forgery was to change the place where the altar was supposed to be erected from Har Eival to Har G’rizim, where they claim to live. (We may note that there is no archeological evidence that such an altar existed on Har G’rizim some 3,500 years ago.) The second forgery was in our parasha. The Torah describes the blessings and curses taking place by Elonei Moreh, and the Shomronim changed it to Shechem. Our community of believers, while rejecting the Shomroni forgery, continued to accept their tradition that the ceremony took place around present day Shechem, which they claim to be in between Har G’rizim and Har Eival. This ignores the implication of the aforementioned Yerushalmi.
Dr. Zartal’s findings indicate clearly that while Har Eival is indeed the one we call by that name today, Har G’rizim is not Har Beracha, on the opposite side of Shechem from Har Eival, but is rather opposite a different side of Har Eival, the side that contains the remains of the ancient altar. Thus, the site of Har G’rizim (the real Har Beracha) is apparently really Har Kabir, the site of the yishuv, Elon Moreh.
Peninei Halakha 11. Shaving One’s Beard During the Three Weeks
Chapter 8: The Customs of the Three Weeks
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
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.
