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The Khazar king accepts this principle, for he arrived at such a conclusion himself. It was this very conviction which initiated his search for the true faith. He arrived at the conclusion that, on his own, man is incapable of discovering what God wants of him. The king reasoned that he must search out somebody to whom God had revealed Himself, somebody who knows God's desire. This is what brought him into contact with the Rabbi.
Still, a certain question continued to bother the king: why only Israel? Why should God not desire to rectify all of His creatures?
Foundations of Faith (51)
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
22 - 22. The Sin of the Golden Calf Reconsidered
23 - 23. Why Was Torah Given to Israel Alone?
24 - 24. The Significance of the World to Come
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"All aspired toward prophecy," continued the Rabbi, "and many actually achieved it. Even those who did not attain prophecy could still be at near-prophetic levels due to their desirable acts, their holiness and purity, and their attachment to other prophets.
"You should know that one who comes in contact with a prophet will experience a spiritual renewal when he hears the prophet's Divine words. It is then that the individual departs from the normal level of mankind due to the soul's aspiration toward these angelic levels and its attachment to humility and purity. Man on such a level attains a virtual World to Come, for the entire greatness of the the afterlife lies in the fact that the soul separates from its physical senses and enjoys an elevated Divine realm. The soul then benefits from seeing and hearing this realm's angelic light and Divine speech. This type of soul will be free from death once its physical vestiges have passed away. It will continue to be attached to its sublime source. When you find a set of teachings that contains wisdom and practices that bring the individual to such a lofty state (when these teachings are utilized in the designated place – i.e., the Land of Israel – and performed using the designated methods), then this set of teachings will undoubtedly also preserve the soul after the body has passed away."
In this, then, lies the preeminence of the Jewish people. They are God's own people, a prophetic people which has a portion in the World to Come.
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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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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.
