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Beit Midrash
- Sections
- Chemdat Yamim
- Parashat Hashavua
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Purim & The Month of Adar
- The Essence of Purim
It is hard not to notice the similarities between our heroine, Esther, and our matriarch Sarah. These women, recognized by the Torah as exceptional beauties and by Chazal as prophetesses (Megilla 14a), were both taken against their will to the king’s palace, with the plan of their being the queens of non-Jewish world-power kings. Their husbands stood powerlessly by the side as Divine Providence called the shots.
But the similarities stop here. Sarah was miraculously saved from the dubious honor of being queen and the outright disgrace of being the wife of a non-Jewish man. Esther, on the other hand, merited no such miracle and perhaps even was the ‘victim of a miracle’ in that she was chosen as queen, certainly according to the opinion that she was not beautiful and considering her stubborn reluctance to so much as say where she came from. What went wrong?
The Alshich (Esther 2:7) is sensitive to this problem and discusses frankly whether we can believe that Esther was as righteous a woman as we would like to think. He concludes that Esther was indeed a pure tzadeket and enlists the midrash (Rabba 58:3) to demonstrate the positive element of the comparison to Sarah. Rabbi Akiva said that Esther was fit to rule over 127 nations because she came from Sarah who lived for 127 years. Indeed, it was the strength of character of the matriarch that gave Esther power.
The Alshich explains that Sarah’s and Esther’s experiences saved Bnei Yisrael. Sarah stood as the harbinger of the power of the Jewish woman to stay pure despite the pressures of a corrupt Egyptian society during the period of slavery (Shir Hashirim Rabba 4:11). Esther took part in saving Bnei Yisrael by staying with the not-so-righteous king, being at the right place at the right time, and acting in the right way to be the vehicle to save the nation, as Mordechai so poignantly urged her (Esther 4:14). However, it came at a price. Esther was stuck with Achashveirosh. Mordechai lost his wife and perhaps some of his religious luster (Megilla 16b). But saving Bnei Yisrael was well worth the price, and being immortalized in the book that bears her name and the holiday they established was part of their reward.
Every Jew has to be ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for his nation and for his religion. Some people in perilous situations were miraculously saved (Avraham, Daniel, and others). Many actually did pay with their lives. The fact that they were not fully saved does not mean that they were not righteous but that at their time and in their circumstances, the divine plan included some other road to eternal greatness.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
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.
