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Beit Midrash
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Asher Shmuel ben Rivka
He heard, for example, about what happened to R' Zaira when he traveled to Israel. Because R' Zaira so desired to reside in the land he eagerly jumped into the river that led into Israel and began to cross by foot despite the danger involved. When ridiculed by a gentile, he responded, "If the likes of Moses and Aaron did not merit to dwell there, who is to say that I shall merit? Who is to say that I will merit entering the land of Israel? Therefore I cannot afford to put it off for even a few moments, for perhaps some sort of obstruction will arise inhibiting me from entering."
When the Khazar king heard all of these things, he said to the Rabbi, "This being the case, you are violating a Torah commandment by not immigrating to Israel, by not making the Land of Israel your place of living and dying. In your prayers you say, 'Have mercy on Zion, for it is our life's home,' and you believe that the Divine Presence will return to Israel, yet still you do not immigrate. Even if its only quality was that the Divine Presence previously dwelled there for about nine hundred years in the era of the First and Second Temples, this would be enough for a person to long to make his home in Israel.
Foundations of Faith (51)
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
28 - 28. Expression of the Land's Preeminence
29 - 29. “You have shamed me, King of Khazar”
30 - 30. The Preeminence of the Holy Land (Continued)
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"This so, why do you and the entire people of Israel not make your way to the land of Israel this very day? Is it not hypocritical to pray, kneel, and bow down in the direction of Israel yet not immigrate?" This is what the King of the Khazar's asked the Rabbi.
The Rabbi responded, saying, "You are indeed correct. You have shamed me, King of Khazar. What can I say? It is this very sin that prevented us from achieving that which God promised us in the Second Temple, as it says, 'Rejoice and be happy daughter of Zion, for I am coming and will dwell in your midst, says God' (Zechariah 2:14). This means that the Divinity was prepared to settle in the Second Temple as it had previously in the First Temple, provided that the Jewish people would all agree to return to Israel eagerly. Instead, only some returned, while the majority – including important leaders – remained in Babylon. They preferred subservience in the Diaspora, so that they would not have to part from their homes and affairs.
Owing to this, the goals which God had set for the Second Temple were not fulfilled in their entirety. The Divine promises were fulfilled only on a small scale, commensurate to the meager awakening. If we had been ready to draw near to the God of our forefathers wholeheartedly, surely God would have been willing to save us as he saved our forefathers in Egypt. And so, our recitations of such prayers as, 'Bow down to the Mount of His holiness,' 'Bow down to His footstool,' 'Blessed are you Who returns His Divine Presence to Zion,' and the likes, are merely like the warble of the parrot and other birds who imitate human voices with no true intention.
"You are correct Khazar king, Israel's persistent presence in the exile is but a weakness, a shortcoming, a disgrace that must be put to an end."
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.
