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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
- Matot
This maxim is directly illustrated in our parsha of Matot. In the war against Midian, 1000 soldiers are selected from each tribe to fight in the war. And later, Moshe stridently warns the Shvatim of Reuven & Gad – who desire to live in Trans-Jordan - that they must first fight alongside their brothers west of the Jordan, in conquering Eretz Yisrael, before they will be permitted to live on the east side. The message is clear: We are One People, & we stand & fight together for everything in which we believe.
Having just returned from a visit abroad, I was reviewing some of the local news I missed while away. And I came across a story in last week’s paper about a group of American rabbis, led by the Satmar community, that raised several million dollars – including $2 million in one day in Toronto! - in support of Jewish education for the children of French olim who recently came to Israel.
Sounds like a beautiful act, a lovely example of supporting our Jewish brethren, right? But not so fast.
The fund-raising was accompanied by a dastardly slur on the State of Israel. "We want to be sure these children are not led astray by the Jewish Agency," said the Satmar spokesman, "that their spiritual needs are provided for & they are not cast adrift by the Israeli Sochnut into ‘secular Israeli culture’ & told that just living in Israel is good enough."
Needless to say, representatives of the Jewish Agency condemned the ugly remarks, pointing out – quite correctly – that no French Jews are directed away from the type of school they desire &, quite to the contrary, the French are proudly pursuing their religious lifestyles here
-even starting new shuls catering to the French & opening kosher restaurants – in whatever places they settle, Ra’anana included (indeed, 3 new kosher restaurants have opened here in the last few months alone by French proprietors, one of whom just made Aliya and moved his establishment from Paris to Ra'anana!).
I feel sorry for all those good souls who were duped into giving money to these sowers of slander & divisiveness, who - despite their claim to be rabbis - don’t know another basic Halachic maxim: Ayn Mitzva ba liyday aveira - You cannot perform a Mitzva while at the same time committing a sin. Slurring Israel - which spends billions absorbing immigrants from all over the world - is one of the greatest of all sins, & negates whatever good intent they may have had.
Meanwhile, while they go back to Brooklyn & the Exile, the French olim, Baruch Hashem, are breathing Hashem’s pure air here in the Holy Land.
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 3
The second speaker invited to convince the Khazar King is the Christian, who presents their beliefs. Even before the questions of the King, "between the lines", the author R. Yehuda HaLevi already begins disproving them.
Ein Aya "Intimacy: Love, Life & Giving or Egocentric Taking & Expiration"
Today, many confuse between intimacy in marriage, based on love, giving and life which are diametrically opposed to empty "sex", pornography and prostitution which destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. The practical importance of clarifying this topic in today's western society is obvious, especially for young adults.