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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Ein Ayah
Ein Ayah: Hashem’s opinion is, of course, inestimably higher than that of any human. Hashem determined that despite all the evil and lowliness that can come from concentration on mundane needs, when life, with its blemishes, proceeds according to the divine plan, light can come specifically through unsightly things. The light can expand to give meaning to such activities and provide light for righteous and straight-hearted people.
One should start with the highest level of sanctity applied to lowly elements of life to maintain them as is. Then, slowly and incrementally, one can purify matters until they eventually reach the goal that the Creator intended for them.
Hashem complained to Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Elazar, who had not yet reached the level at which they were able to connect themselves on their high level to the low level at which simple people interact. This caused them to want to destroy the lower level so that they could build a higher level on top of the ruins. In fact, they should have strove to improve the world slowly until people’s lives would be perfected and evil would turn into good.
Therefore, they were told to return to the cave to go up to yet a higher level, so that they would have such wisdom and sanctity that they would be able to actually go down to the level of people leading a normal life and fix them the way Hashem wanted. This is in line with thep’sukim: "The world is built on kindness" (Tehillim 89:3) and "The world was not created to be void" (Yeshaya 45:18).
After twelve months, they felt that they had to reach the level of closeness to Hashem’s wisdom at which they would be able to find interest in improving life as simple people experience it despite their own lofty level. This is, after all, how Hashem wants the world to be – repaired according to His attributes.
In order for Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Elazar to succeed in this task, they needed to change things in the very essence of their spirit. They had to take this outlook of raising life as is to a higher level without eradicating the present situation with some swift revolution, which requires the destruction of the world as we know it. Therefore, they were given the amount of time that it takes to fix the souls that have serious blemishes (in Gehinom) and to turn them into a new essence for the good.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
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.
