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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Mishpatim
comment on the Vav – a word which means "hook" - & tell us that just as the 10 Commandments in the previous Sedra of Yitro come from Hashem, so do the 53 ordinances in this Sedra also emanate from the Almighty (as do all Mitzvot) & that is also why the Bet HaMikdash & the Sanhedrin had to be located right next to one another.
The point of this, of course, is that we should not err by thinking that the "big" commandments – e.g. Do not murder, Shabbat, idolatry, etc. – are what G-d really cares about, & the other, seemingly "minor" Mitzvot are of much lesser importance. The fact is, they ALL have a Divine origin & power of their own, & it is not up to the individual to pick & choose what he deems to be of value.
Do you remember the T-shirts mothers used to wear that proclaimed: Because I said so! In other words, "Don’t always press me for an explanation & a reason; just accept that I am the mother, you are the child, & what I say, goes!"
And so the Mitzvot. That is why the first of the 10 Commandments is not really a commandment at all. It just announces, "I am Hashem!
Everything I say from here on out, in this Sedra & following, is what I expect you to do - because I said so!"
When human beings decide it is up to them to choose which Mitzvot are relevant, it not only undermines the authority of G-d, it is a very dangerous business. Because, ultimately, the Torah’s laws are for our own good, & abridging or abandoning any of them will invariably diminish our well-being, or actually hurt us.
While working at the university newspaper back in my college days, I was asked to interview Mose Durst, who was speaking on campus on behalf of Sun Myung Moon & his Unification Church, trying to recruit more "Moonies" to the fold. He was born a Jew, & he told me he got involved in the church when he was invited to dinner & Moon himself "wined & dined him" to the cause.
"That would never have happened to me," I told him.
"How can you be so sure?" he asked me.
"Because I keep kosher! So I never would have accepted the invitation in the first place, & that would be that."
So the next time you start to waver in the face of this or that Halacha, just repeat to yourself, "Because I said so!"
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
