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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 Shalom Arush
1 - Emuna From the Cradle
2 - 45. The “Hassid” (Saintly Person)
3 - 47. The “Hassid” - The Ideal Jew
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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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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.
