YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- D'varim
- Ki Tetze
The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Yaakov Ben Behora
The message of this week’s Torah portion is different. The opening verse, "When you go forth to war against your enemies," teaches that war is an integral part of our Divine national mission. Seven out of the 613 mitzvot of the Torah deal with war. God Himself is called "The Master of War."
Ramban explains that the commandment to wage war, milchemet mitzvah, is part of the mitzvah of dwelling in the Land of Israel and keeping it under Jewish sovereignty. Establishing national Jewish life in Eretz Yisrael is the way that we perform this mitzvah, to be actively pursued by the Jewish People at all times. We do this with the Israel Defense Forces and with the aliyah of every Jew to the Land of Israel. Not only with tanks and airplanes, but with every new Jewish house, stroller and washing machine.
The Torah’s commandments dealing with war teach us that even when enemy nations dispute our right to the Land, we must call up our inner fortitude and courage, and summon our readiness to sacrifice for the sake of our Land, our nation, and our God. We must take active steps to enter the Land of Israel, dwell in it, and establish God’s Kingdom on earth, even at the price of personal hardship and war. The precept of defending the Jewish nation in the Land of Israel and developing Jewish settlement in all of its borders is the Divine command which beckons to all of world Jewry today, just as it did in the time of Joshua. As the Haftora says, "And your seed shall possess nations, and make desolate cities to be inhabited. Don’t be afraid."
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Rabbis in Midrash
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Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
Sukkot Bug-Free Sukkah: Essential Halachic and Practical Schach Guide
How to inspect, clean, and store bamboo mats and palm branches to protect your mitzvah and holiday meals.
