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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Bereshit
This concept began at the dawn of time. While Hashem is a great & giving G-d, who created the world & everything in it for our benefit, it did not come condition-free. There was a qualifier attached: Man was placed in the Garden of Eden - & by extension, in the world at large - "L’Avda U’l’Shamra – To Serve & to Protect." (Note: this phrase is written on the side of every Chicago police car!).
The quid-pro-quo for receiving this wonderful treasure we call Earth is two-fold: We must serve Hashem & follow in His ways; and we must not only work the land (another interpretation of "L’Avda"), but also safeguard & protect it, as well as all those around us, from any harm.
Piety, devotion to G-d, communal responsibility, hard work & ecological awareness are the main mandates to Man which all wrapped up in this succinct, two-line command.
The tragic downfall of history’s "First Family," dramatically described in this week’s opening Sedra, stem from a failure to heed G-d’s warning. Adam & Chava do not follow Hashem’s instructions as to what may or may not be eaten; Kayin & Hevel argue over the land, & the end result is that Paradise Granted turns into Paradise Lost.
Where did it start to all break down?
In castigating Adam, G-d says (3:17): "Because you listened to the voice of your wife….." Presumably, this seemingly chauvinistic comment means that Adam’s sin was that he listened to Chava when she offered him the Etz Ha’Da’at, & did not object to her advances.
But hang on a second: Where do we see anywhere in the text that Chava spoke to Adam? Look for it; it’s simply not there!
Thomas Furst offers a brilliant idea: Where DO we see Chava speaking? It is when she converses with the snake, who convinces her that it’s absolutely OK to transgress G-d’s command. Says Hashem to Adam: "You listened to that conversation, you heard what Chava said, & yet you did nothing! You did not come to her rescue; you did not protect her from the snake’s evil counsel! For that, you must pay a heavy price."
The lesson should be clear to us: Be a good spouse, a good Jew, a good neighbor, citizen & person; and always protect all those around you from harm. That is the ticket back into Gan Eden.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.