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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
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- Ekev
This is Moshe’s challenge as he addresses the nation; the entire last book of the Torah comprises his "farewell" speech. He must choose
his words carefully, and emphasize the truly important points and principles that the nation can take with them as they march into the future.
I am intrigued by one particular comment that Moshe makes:
"He afflicted you, and He made you hungry, and He fed you the Mahn that neither you nor your forefathers knew…"
For what purpose did Hashem "afflict" us? G-d, we know, is a giving, loving and merciful G-d! Why would he possibly want to afflict us? Indeed, the section in which this sentence appears is filled with all the wonderful things which Hashem did for us in the desert; and it ends by promising us a beautiful, verdant Land that will satisfy our every need. So why the affliction, and what is its connection to the Mahn and to Israel?
I suggest that the Mahn is perfectly emblematic of both Israel and the Jewish condition.
Among the many (or is it Mahn-y?!) miracles contained within the Mahn, its most famous feature was that it could taste like (almost) any
food one could imagine! Yet at the same time, the Mahn had a frustrating, annoying quality: It only lasted a day - except for Shabbat - and then it rotted and melted away. Thus, one held in his hands something that was truly unique and precious, but at the same time fragile and fleeting.
This combination was what was so "afflicting." To at once have something so amazing, yet to know that it would soon disappear, must have been terribly frustrating. But of course, this was all by design; there was a powerful method to Hashem’s "mahn-ness." You see, He wants us to acknowledge all the manifold gifts that He gives us, and human nature dictates that we "we don’t know what we have until we
lose it." And so, ironically, it was only by watching the Mahn vanish before our very eyes that we came to fully appreciate its value.
And so it is with Israel. Whether we are talking about the first 2 Batei Mikdash, or the fantastic country we live in today, we are always in danger of taking it for granted. It is more miraculous than Mahn, and yet we often lose sight of the blessing that greets us the moment we open our eyes each morning. And that is precisely why our existence is so fragile, our future so worrisome, our security so tenuous. It is all meant to conquer complacency, to amplify our appreciation, and insure our eternal gratitude to, and dependence upon the Almighty.
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
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.
