YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Jewish Laws and Thoughts
- Jewish Thought
- Foundations of Faith
The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
simha bat hana
We find, then, that seasonal rainfall and other such laws of nature which appear to function without any relation to the behavior of man, do not apply to the people of Israel. Rather, regarding Israel, goodness is bestowed upon them when they walk in the path of God. All of this was the case when Israel resided in its land, until they were exiled as a result of their iniquities.
In other words, Israel enjoys a kind of closeness to God already in this world. God watches over them and reveals Himself to them and draws them near to Him. He revealed Himself to them through taking them out of Egypt with miracles and wonders and with an outstretched arm. He parted the sea before them and closed it upon the Egyptians. He sustained the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years and gave them the Torah and the Tablets of the Covenant. He sent them Moses His prophet upon whom Divinity rested. This was evident by the fact that Moses' face shone brightly and he radiated so much light that nobody could gaze upon him.
Foundations of Faith (51)
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
24 - 24. The Significance of the World to Come
25 - 25. The World to Come – Further Clarification
26 - 26. This World and the World to Come
Load More
When a person lives according to the Torah and its commandments, his life takes on a Divine dimension - "You who attach yourselves to God your Lord are all living today." Here, in this world, you attach yourselves to God – all of you attach yourselves, today and everyday.
In this respect, Judaism is different than other religions which preach closeness to God and reward after death while possessing no proof in this world of such a reward and no Divine revelation. Israel, however, is close to God in this world and the light of the Divine Presence shines upon them and permeates them. They exist on a lofty level, and it is only natural that this trait should continue after death. When one departs from life in this world, life continues in the World to Come.
In the days when the Divine presence dwelled in Israel's midst and God revealed Himself in an unmistakable manner, there was never any question as to whether or not one should worship God, what sort of reward was in store for those who did, or what would happen after death. The reason for worshiping God was clear to all: in order to cling to Him. The act of clinging to God's greatness was itself a pleasure. The question of what happens after life never arose when life itself was so exalted. It was obvious to all that an ascending continuum existed between this world and the World to Come. Only with the spiritual decline that took place over the course of time did there arise a need to address the question of Israel's portion World to Come. "All of Israel has a place in the World to Come" (Pirkei Avot).
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
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.
