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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Vayera
It is in this Parsha that Avraham really "feels his oats." In both the physical & spiritual realms, he makes his mark as the "Founding Father" of Am Yisrael. But strangely, there seems to be not one, but two Avrahams at work here.
Think about the following examples for a moment:
- The Parsha begins by Avraham showing great hospitality to three perfect strangers; he enthusiastically welcomes them to his tent & waits on them hand & foot (literally - he even washes their feet!), feeding them a sumptuous meal (tongue with mustard was the main course, according to some commentators!). Yet later on, Avraham gives in to Sara & he banishes his own son, Yishmael, & Hagar, from his tent.
- Avraham showed immense strength in last week’s Sedra, single-handedly defeating 4 kings & their armies; what a great warrior he must have been! Yet, in our Sedra, Avimelech of G’rar takes Sara hostage, & Avraham doesn’t lift a finger to save her! It is only Hashem’s intervention that saves Sara from being raped & ravaged.
- Avraham pleads forcefully on behalf of the evil city of S’dom in a vain attempt to alter G-d’s decree & save it from destruction. Yet when Hashem tells Avraham to bring his son Yitzchak as an offering, Avraham meekly submits, with nary a word of protest, even though he will now be guilty of committing the heinous sin of child sacrifice, a sin against which he determinedly fought.
What is going on here?
I suggest there are indeed "two" Avrahams; the Private & the Public. The private Avraham – even in situations where he feels he is being personally wronged – humbly submits to the will of Hashem, the advice of his wife, or the powers that be. But when Avraham represents the nation, when he believes some cosmic or communal sin affecting others is being committed, he rises up like a lion to defend the cause & to try to save the day. In those instances, he is acting as "Av Hamon Goyim" – the father of ALL peoples – as his name implies.
At Ari’s shloshim, his cousin Michael explained why Ari’s name, which means "lion," was so fitting for him. "A lion," he said, "is actually a very calm animal. He generally stays in a corner, content to ‘do his own thing’ & leave others alone. But the moment he senses that his family is in danger, he roars forward with a strength like no other.
That was exactly Ari: Quiet, shy, modest in his personal life, he did not project the image of a hero. But when the nation was under attack, he rose up to bravely to defend it with a mighty strength. He left a lasting legacy that his forebears would be proud of; he was, indeed, a worthy descendant of Avraham Avinu.
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.
Jewish Laws and Thoughts Shul “etiquette:” can we honor Hashem while respecting our fellow congregants?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
