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Beit Midrash
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The power of speech is stressed as early as the story of creation. "Hashem created man, dirt from the earth, and He blew into him the soul of life, and man became a nefesh chaya (lit., a living spirit)." Unkelus (who provides a quite literal translation, with cases of anthropomorphisms being common exceptions) translates the end of the pasuk as "spirit that speaks."
On one hand, oral communication is not unique to humans, as many species have the ability to make sounds with which they communicate. There are many different forms of communication among species throughout the world, on the ground, in the air, and even in the sea. We might note that whales can send and receive sounds over great distances. The matter is that speech is not just the ability to communicate within a social setting. Man is able to express himself in abstract matters and to connect to Hashem through Torah. At the time when prophecy was prevalent, speech had an additional function in connecting to Hashem, and even imagination was involved in accepting divine messages.
The higher and more developed a person’s abstract thinking is, the deeper he can go in his Torah study. This ability allows one the merit of being a partner in developing Torah through the generations, which even makes him a partner of sorts with Hashem, through the powerful medium of the Oral Torah. This finds expression, first through the spoken word and only later through the written word, as the Oral Law was allowed to be written only later in history and only reluctantly. Man’s involvement in this process makes him unique and the crown of creation. This requires him to guard the sanctity and purity of his thoughts and his speech, and the importance of this matter cannot be overstressed, for these are the utensils for his connection to Torah and the Divine Presence. (Protection of what one looks at is also a critical value.)
Since speech enables creativity, it is no surprise that oaths are an important subject that the Torah stresses, as we find in our parasha. The negative commandment against violating that which one accepted upon on himself by means of an oath is "lo yachel," perhaps best translated as do not de-sanctify. This same root is used to describe the harming of the relationship between early humanity and Hashem, which k’v’yachol chased away the Divine Presence (Bereishit 4:26). The midrash (Bereishit Rabba 23) sees the root as connected to rebelliousness, as it is used in the context of the pre-flood generation (Bereishit 6:1) and of Nimrod (ibid. 10:8).
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
