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The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Hana Bat Haim
The Rabbi answered, "To whom do you attribute the wisdom evidenced by an ant? Who is responsible for the ant's intricacy?"
"Nature," responded the king.
"And what is nature?" inquired the Rabbi, "Does it create? Does it possess wisdom? Where does nature come from? Who is it that creates all of the wonderful elements of nature which are so full of wisdom? You must admit that it is the Almighty Who created the magnificent world of nature, so full of Divine wisdom."
Foundations of Faith (51)
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
17 - 15. Perceiving God
18 - 16. God's Hand in Nature
19 - 17. According to Divine Guidance
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At the outset, God created the world in such a way that it operate according to a fixed order, fixed laws which we refer to as the "laws of nature." However, the wisdom evidenced by these laws' complex interaction must be attributed to the all-wise Creator alone. The wisdom that is revealed through the many wonders of nature is God's.
The sages illustrate this idea in a most wonderful anecdote:
A certain matron asked Rabbi Yose bar Chalafta, "In how many days did God create the world."
"Six," her replied. "As it is written, 'For in six days did God do this.'"
"And what has He been doing since then?" she queried the rabbi.
"He has been arranging matches," Rabbi Yose rejoined.
To this the matron responded, "Even I can do that! I have scores of slaves and maidservants and I can arrange matches between them in no time."
The matron took a thousand of her male servants and a thousand of her maidservants and she lined them up. Then she began to announce, "So-and-so shall wed so-and-so...and so-and-so shall wed so-and-so..." In this manner she succeeded in arranging a thousand marriages in one night. On the following morning, the servants came to her, some with a black eyes, others with fractured skulls, still others with broken legs. Male servants were shouting, "I don't want her!" and maidservants were shouting, "I don't want him!" The matron sent for Rabbi Yose. She told him, "I now can testify that your God is the true God, and His Torah is true, for everything that you said to me was sound."
We find, then, that God created the world in six days, and since then He has been "arranging" his creation, interweaving and correlating between the array of forces at work in the world. He is like an artist who utilizes various paints to create his work of art. Clearly, one cannot attribute the profound idea and the beauty of the painting to the paints themselves! Insofar as these matters are concerned, credit must be given to the painter. Likewise, the abundant wisdom and many wonders of creation are not to be attributed to nature's ingredients; they must be attributed to the Almighty Himself Who oversees and arranges them.
Having clarified the nature of God's relation to His creation, we can begin to understand how the actions of man, when carried out according to Divine guidance, can themselves take on a Divine character.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.
