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Beit Midrash
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So hear this story:
An elderly Jewish lady living in a nursing home passed away. Her children, who always visited her and took care of her, were notified. They
immediately phoned the burial society and arranged for a proper burial. The woman was buried in the presence of her beloved family; Kaddish was recited and Shiva began.
On the 5th day of the shiva, the phone rang and the daughter answered. On the other end of the phone was......her mother, whom she had just buried! The daughter, in shock, immediately fainted. The phone rang again; it was her mother complaining that no one had come to see her that entire week. The family rushed to the nursing home to see their "dead" mother alive and well! It turned out there was a mix-up at the nursing home; it was her roommate that had passed away, not their mother. The home had mixed up the names and phoned the wrong family, and so the wrong person was buried! Imagine how terrible everyone felt about such a mistake.
But now, the nursing home had the grim job of informing the children of the OTHER lady that their mother had died 5 days ago and was already buried. They called, the son answered, and as soon as they broke the sad news to him that his mother had died, the son interrupted, "Just have her cremated; we’re not interested in anything else." The nursing home explained that it was too late; she’d already had a proper Jewish burial! When the son heard this, he was awestruck, and related the following story:
"We long debated with our mother about what to do about her burial when she died. She is observant, and wanted a proper Jewish burial. But we told her that we plan to cremate her, as we don’t believe in an afterlife. Besides, cremation is much cheaper and definitely more ecologically correct. Our mother’s response to us was: ‘I will pray to G-d that I receive a Jewish burial.’ Every day, our mother prayed. We told her it was a waste of time, that when she was gone, WE would be in charge of things, and do what we thought was right, but she kept right on praying anyway. And now, amazingly, it seems that her prayer was answered!"
Prayer has an awesome power. So great, so powerful that Hashem knew that if Moshe prayed just one more time – Tefila #516 - even He, the Almighty, the Shomaya Tefila, would simply have to give in! So He asked Moshe to stop right there. The lesson for all of us: never give up, never stop praying. The answer to our prayer may be just around the bend; the next bend of the knee may finally do the trick!
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.
