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Simha bat Hana
The Sages liken the Holy Temple to the heart: just as the heart is the center of all of the bodily organs whereto the soul is attached, the center of life from which all of the life-forces flow to the rest of the body, so the Holy Temple is the spiritual heart of the entire nation. The national body of the Jewish people cannot live without this heart. The people cannot exist without a central place towards which all turn, around which all unite and which serves to bond all of existence.
Divine worship is not the obligation of individual persons. The truest form of worship is communal. Most of the Torah's commandments are directed at the consummation of the nation: being in the Land of Israel with the Holy Temple. Just as the head and heart serve as a "sanctuaries" for man's spiritual faculties - wisdom and will, the inner life forces – so the Holy Temple is a sanctuary for the nation's spiritual faculties, the place where the national spirit receives expression, the place where the Divine Presence reveals itself, as according to the verse, "They shall make a sanctuary for Me and I will dwell amongst them."
Foundations of Faith (51)
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
30 - 30. The Preeminence of the Holy Land (Continued)
31 - 31. Regarding the Holy Temple in Jerusalem
32 - 32. Israel's Plight in the Exile
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This being the case, without the Hoy Temple we are today like a body without a mind and heart. Even worse, for if the entire nation was in the Land of Israel with no Temple we might compare our plight to that of a body without a heart, but when the Jewish people are dispersed amongst the nations and most have not made their home in Israel, even the body is lacking.
This is how Ezekiel saw the Jewish people in his vision – dry scattered bones. These bones, however, possess an inkling of life. These bones are capable of uniting into a full body and returning to life. In the meantime, however, they are scattered bones. Ezekiel's vision was at the outset of the exile. As the generations passed, though, the situation worsened. The bones disintegrated.
This is how the Vilna Gaon described the plight of the Jewish people in exile: "From the moment that the Holy Temple was destroyed, our spirit departed, our crowning glory. We were left with nothing but ourselves, a body with no spirit. Being among the nations is like being in a grave...we have not the ability to save ourselves. Idolaters consume our flesh. All the same, large study halls continued to exist and function until the flesh rotted and the bones were again and again scattered. All the same, some bones manages to subsist – Torah scholars. Finally, even they rotted away and nothing was left but our own decayed remains...and we now hope for the Resurrection."
We cannot help but note the fact that today, thank God, the bones are beginning to gather together, but we still lack the essence, the mind and the heart, Divine life – the Holy Temple.
P'ninat Mishpat Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
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Shoftim TESHUVA IN COURT OF LAW?
Parshat Shoftim-Chodesh Elul
Why does parshat Shoftim always come out during Elul? This innovative and central explanation is an eye-opener regarding many aspects of Judaism.
The Month of Elul TESHUVA IS THE ANSWER
The month of Elul serves as a vital time for self-reflection and personal accountability to prepare for true repentance.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
P'ninat Mishpat Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Chemdat Yamim The Goal of an Agricultural Yeshiva – part II
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the cornerstone laying for the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh – 1938)
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the cornerstone laying for the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh – 1938)
Re'e NEVER EXTREME EXCEPT ISRAEL
Parshat Re'eh
Judaism is against extremism, so how can we understand the seemingly extreme statements found in our sages in favor of living in the Land of Israel and against living in Chutz laAretz? The article deals with the seeming contradiction between the strength of Free-Will and the strength of being influenced by our surroundings.
Ekev DANCE FOR ISRAEL- FOR YOUR BENEFIT
Parshat Eikev
Description: The 7 Haftarot we read after Tisha B'Av ("Shiva D'Nichemta") surely get us excited that they're coming TRUE, and awaken us to yearn, dance & join the return to Zion! The short article also deals with the problems and solutions facing the American Jewish community as discussed at a recent panel, as well as the question why Jews come from America to Israel to help when we face problems, but Israelis don't come to aid Jews in America when they face anti-Semitism.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
