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The Rabbi responded, "I see that I must reiterate that central principle which we have discussed a number of times already, namely, that God must be worshiped according to His own laws, according to the commandments which He himself has given us, and not according to human sentiment or imagination.
The Divine Torah does not exhort man to worship God through self-mortification. The Torah commands us to worship God with all of our spiritual and physical faculties and not to give preference to one faculty over another. leaning too far to one side comes at the expense of the other. If one concedes too much to physical appetite, one will neglect the mental faculties, and vice versa. Exaggerated stringency weakens the desire to bestow goodness upon others, while exaggerated kindness comes at the expense of sometimes-necessary sternness.
Foundations of Faith (51)
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
34 - 34. The Jewish People's Extensive Suffering
35 - 36. Well-balanced Character Traits
36 - 35. The Commandments Depend on Good Character Traits
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In sum, the Rabbi says to the Khazar king, "There are three pillars of divine service according to our Torah: fear, love, and joy. The Jew must draw near to God through these three faculties. Fear in appropriate matters and joy in appropriate matters. Our submission on fast days does not bring us any closer to God than our joy on Sabbaths and holidays - if that joy is guided by proper reflection and intention.
Joy in the fulfillment of a commandment, together with love for the God who commands it and recognition of the good which God bestows upon us by commanding us - this is as if one has been called to enter the house of God and eat at the Almighty's own table. This, after all, is the idea that underlies the holidays and their attendant Pilgrimages to the Holy Temple. The Sabbath too is a day of joy, a sacred day, a day on which the sanctity comes into our house. We merit, as it were, hosting God himself in our own home. The joy in these days, the joy of the Sabbath and the Festivals, is a wonderful act of Divine worship."
The Rabbi continues, "If, because of the Joy of fulfilling a commandment, a person becomes enthusiastic and rejoices and exalts to the point where he dances and sings, this is divine worship which causes him to cling to God. The Torah does not leave it up to man to decide regarding the correct proportions between fear and joy. Rather, the Torah prescribes special times, Sabbaths and holidays, Sabbatical years and Jubilee years, and all of these are days of remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt and remembrance of the creation of the universe. Keeping and honoring the Sabbath, then, is tantamount to thanking the Almighty. God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. This being the case, observing the Sabbath brings man closer to the Almighty than numerous prayers, or acts self-denial and mortification.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
