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Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Hanukkah
- Hanukkah In Our Time
The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Hana Bat Haim
The Greek adversary was set on eradicating the faith of the Jewish people. The Hellenist juggernaut strove to expung our Divine heritage. Greek pressure grew until it was unbearable. The majority of Jews were unable to withstand it. Resistance was slowly warn down. Many became tired of the prolonged struggle on behalf of the religion of Israel. They could not bear being repudiated by the nations because of their unique faith. The people could not withstand the isolation, animosity, and bloodshed which resulted from their refusing to be like other nations. They said, "Must we forever face the sword? No more war! No more bloodshed! Enough separatism! Let us be like the rest of the nations! Let us stop being different and despised!" They reasoned that the sanctity of life should take priority over ancient beliefs and customs.
Poets sprung up who preached peace and brotherly love. Thinkers and ideologists arose who set about uprooting whatever set us apart and made us distinct from the Gentiles. They disparaged the Sabbath and Jewish circumcision, and they began to devote themselves to Greek gods and Greek culture. They waged war on any matter that even resembled Judaism.
Part of the nation had for some time felt closer to the the Gentiles than to their Jewish kinsmen who continued to cling to the Torah and its precepts. They forged a common language with the non-Jews, and came to despise their fanatical brethren who were destroying all hope of peace and appeasement and any chance of a creating a "new Middle East."
There were those who warned against assimilation, but their cries fell upon deaf ears. In addition to being a minority, they were plagued by inner quarrels. Every religious circle rejected the others. The nation was split and splintered. The Greeks took advantage of the situation and pressed us to abandon our faith.
This was the situation until a single brave elder arose, filled with the spirit of faith and self-sacrifice. He raised the banner of the faith of Israel and cried, "Whoever is for God, join me!" He united the nation's divided spiritual forces and awakened the inner spark which, though it existed all along, had been long covered over.
A feeling of spiritual rejuvenation and purpose gripped the people. The nation rose up, liberated its land, and restored sovereignty in Israel - a sovereignty that was to endure for the next two hundred years. The Jewish people purified the Holy Temple, regained their spiritual health, and returned to the service of God and the fulfillment of His precepts. A single great individual armed with an unbending faith was able, with God's help, to achieve all this.
This, then is the lesson to be learned from Chanukah: a sudden spiritual revolution is entirely possible, and it can even be sparked by a single individual.
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.
