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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Lech Lecha
More than one commentator has pondered over why G-d chose to use the rather oblique phrase, "the Land that I will show you,"
rather than telling Avraham directly that He was commanding him to go to Israel. Some pundits chuckle that Hashem did not want to scare Avraham by telling him that he was headed to Israel, preferring that he first get there & only then find out that he had made Aliya!
But I have a very different take on it: I suggest that it was davka because Israel is such a rich, beautiful & inspiring place that G-d withheld the fact that this was his ultimate destination! For you see, had Avraham known that he was headed to the Holy Land – which, due to his prophetic vision, he knew would be the ideal place for Jews to live – he might have gone there for THAT reason, rather than out of sheer
obedience to the Divine command. And Heaven more greatly rewards those who act purely in consonance with G-d’s will, rather than those who act of their own volition.
This is why the dictate to depart Charan for Israel is considered the first of Avraham’s 10 Tests, even though he had other terrifying ordeals prior to Lech-Lecha. He had to live underground for 13 years to escape the wrath of King Nimrod, & he was later thrown into a fiery furnace,
both of which occurred because of his determination to educate the public about the uselessness & fallacy of idolatry.
But those first two trials were a result of Avraham’s own convictions, his own rational realization that this world is presided over by One, comprehensive power and not many individual forces. And while Avraham's beliefs & acts were noteworthy & true, they came via his own conclusions & lacked the "signature" of the Almighty. And so they did not "make the cut;" they did not qualify as part of the immortal Ten Tests.
As the Gemara states: "Greater is the one who is commanded & acts, rather than one who acts without being commanded." True faith is tested, & strengthened, when we react instantly & instinctively to Hashem’s voice.
On the day that we arrived in Israel, we received some very solid advice from friends who had themselves made Aliya some years before us. "Israel is the most marvelous place on Earth," they told us, "but it also has the severest challenges. At times you will love this place, at other times you may fear, or even resent it. But always remember: You are here because you are doing a Mitzva; that is the bottom line, and that is the lifeline to hold on to at all times."
Good friends, great advice.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
