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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.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 3
The second speaker invited to convince the Khazar King is the Christian, who presents their beliefs. Even before the questions of the King, "between the lines", the author R. Yehuda HaLevi already begins disproving them.
Ein Aya "Intimacy: Love, Life & Giving or Egocentric Taking & Expiration"
Today, many confuse between intimacy in marriage, based on love, giving and life which are diametrically opposed to empty "sex", pornography and prostitution which destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. The practical importance of clarifying this topic in today's western society is obvious, especially for young adults.