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Beit Midrash
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- Simchat Torah and Shmini Atzeret
"This may be compared to a mortal king who said to his servants, ‘Prepare for me a great banquet’; but on the last day he said to his beloved friend, ‘Prepare for me a simple meal that I may derive benefit from you.’
The Midrash also explains:
‘This may be compared to the case of a king who made a banquet for seven days and invited all the people in the province during the seven days of the feast. When the seven days of the feast were over he said to his friend: ‘We have already done our duty to all the people of the province, let us now rejoice together, you and I, with whatever you can find – a pound of meat, fish, or vegetables.’ In a similar manner the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: ‘On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly; let’s rejoice together with whatever you can find; with one bullock, one ram’(Bamidbar Rabbah 21:24).
Likewise, in the Zohar, it is also written that this day, Shemini Atzeret, is a day for the King himself – his day of joy together with Israel.
"This is analogous to a king who invited guests. The household people entertained them. At the end, the king said to his household, ‘Until now, I and you all entertained the guests. You offered sacrifices for the other nations every day, that is, the seventy bullocks. From now on, for one day, let me and you rejoice. This is the meaning of the verse ‘On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly’; "you" means offering sacrifices for yourselves" (Zohar 3, Emor 104:2).
Revivim (56)
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed
49 - Together in the Sukkah
50 - The Meaning of Shmini Atzeret
51 - The Death of the Righteous
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This is the special and unique meaning of Shemini Atzeret, which contains no distinctive mitzvoth, other than the mitzvah of rejoicing in God, His Torah, and His salvation.
Taken from Rabbi Eliezer Melamed’s book, "Peninei Halkha: Sukkot" and translated from Hebrew. All of Rabbi Melamed’s books can be found at: http://yhb.org.il/
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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.
