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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Miketz
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Hanukkah
- The Meaning of Hanukkah
In this week’s sedra of Miketz, Yosef rises to power, becoming, for all practical purposes, the primary mover and shaker in all of Egypt. This, of course, is an astounding transformation, for only yesterday the Hebrew slave-boy was languishing in the dungeon-pit, with no foreseeable hope in sight; and now, the entire nation bows to him and pays him homage.
What is so striking to me is that Yosef – by virtue of his outstanding virtue in not violating Potiphar’s wife – is the subject of slander and false accusations. He conducts himself in a noble and moral fashion, and yet his name is vilified. Despite all this, Yosef remains calm & maintains
his ethical stature, as well as his belief system. And he is ultimately vindicated, as Hashem takes up his cause.
Flash forward: We live in a world where Am Yisrael is constantly being condemned and falsely accused of all types of indignities. We are branded as criminals and terrorists by those who are the REAL terrorists, and the world – clueless in the extreme – often swallows these lies whole. In particular, the State of Israel is under constant attack, our enemies claiming we have no right to this land, no history in this land, no place here at all.
Enter Chanuka. This is the one ancient holiday of ours which confirms the truth of our historic link to the land: We lived here, we fought here, we prayed here. Here we built our Bet HaMikdash in our capital of Yerushalayim and reclaimed it from the Syrian-Greeks. Unlike the Palestinians – who never lived here as a nation, who fabricate a fairy-tale history and impose it upon an ignorant world - the Jewish People are authentic, indigenous, eternal. This is our land, now and forever.
Every single time a Jew – anywhere in the world – lights a Chanuka light, he or she is affirming the unbreakable connection between Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael. Each candle, each drop of oil, illuminates the rightness of our mission, and dispels the darkness cast by Islam on the truth. Each Chanukiya in every Jew's home is a personal Ner Tamid which testifies to our immortal existence here.
And this is indeed the connection to Yosef. Just as he was able to go on, despite all the lies said about him and all the suffering it brought him, so, too, will we not falter in strengthening our presence in Israel and our building of the State. And, like Yosef, we will ultimately be shown to be correct, and our holy cause will be confirmed.
Those little lights, and the Rock of Ages upon which they rest, will see us through all the way to Redemption.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
Jewish Laws and Thoughts Shul “etiquette:” can we honor Hashem while respecting our fellow congregants?
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
