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"Bear with me until I have explained to you the greatness of this nation. I have proof enough of their greatness in that God chose them from among the other nations to become His people. God rested his Divinity upon them. All of them heard God's words. This Divinity derived from Adam who was unconditionally flawless. God created Adam as an adult in his physical and emotional prime. Adam's soul and intellect were likewise at the maximum human potential. Moreover, Adam achieved the level above intellect, called the 'Divine force' - the capacity of prophetic revelation.
Adam had many children, but only one son - Abel - inherited his father's superior stature. Cain killed Abel because he was jealous of his superiority. God then replaced Abel with Seth, who also resembled his father. Seth, then, was the elite son; he was the peak of mankind, the 'heart of the fruit,' and all others were like the peel.
Foundations of Faith (51)
Rabbi Shalom Arush
1 - Emuna From the Cradle
2 - 45. The “Hassid” (Saintly Person)
3 - 47. The “Hassid” - The Ideal Jew
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Abraham's elite descendant was Isaac. Abraham distanced his other progeny from the Chosen Land so that it would be reserved exclusively for Isaac. Isaac's elite descendant was Jacob. Jacob's brother Esau was rejected from the land, for Jacob had gained exclusive rights to it. The land, because of its unique status, deserved to be given to a person who possessed a similar unique status. Until the time of Jacob, Divinity was the exclusive possession of a select individual in each generation. However, all of Jacob's children were his elite descendants, all being worthy of Divinity. Thus began a new era, wherein Divinity rested upon all of the descendants of Jacob for all generations.
We have surveyed the evolution of the Divine heritage from Adam until the Children of Israel. And despite the fact that the Children of Israel were sometimes iniquitous, they continued to possess the Divine ingredient. Sometimes this element is difficult to discern, but it is always there; it may seem to disappear in one generation, but it reappears in the next. Israel's elite status does not originate with their having chosen God. Rather, it is the result of God's having chosen them and His drawing them close to Him. As a result of His choosing them, they chose him, and because this process begins with God, it is absolute and unchangeable.
Having discussed Israel's special status, we are better equipped to understand the significance of the events in their history. God willing, we will do this in the next lesson.
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A Postscript: In the above article, some of what appears to be the dialog of Rabbi Judah Halevi's The Kuzari has in fact been added by Rabbi Melamed for purposes of clarity and explication.
Much of the translation of the Kuzari in the above article is taken from N. Daniel Korobkin's translation of The Kuzari (Jason Aaronson Inc.).
Rabbis in Midrash
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D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
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.
