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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Ein Ayah
Ein Ayah: The benefit of historical accounts in Chazal, especially those that depict the life of a great person, needs to always fit with the divine intention regarding the depicted event. Therefore, the words chosen must create a picture that will provide generations of readers of the stories the same impression that the event had on those who saw the events.
"The crown of the wise is their wealth" (Mishlei 14:24). R. Elazar ben Azarya’s wealth increased the honor of Torah, which had a positive impact for the benefit of the nation as a whole. Therefore, any numbers used in a story that involves him have to preserve the impression left by the account and its intended lesson even after many generations have passed.
One can make the way of expressing numbers correspond to elements of life in the following way. There are four levels of success in accumulating resources in a person’s life: lacking, sufficiency, comfortableness, and riches that are sufficient to impact others around him. The digits of numbers can correspond to these levels. The singles’ digit represents lacking. The tens’ represents sufficiency. The hundreds’ correspond to comfortableness, and the thousands’ to riches that extend to others.
It is the fourth digit, of thousands, that is related to the concept of spreading out to the four directions, which is the full implication of extension. It also takes into account the three sections of a linear distance, the beginning, the middle, and the end. When one needs to represent a strong measure of large quantity, which is what riches are about, this situation is well captured by the number 12,000 [ed. note – perhaps the intention is that in addition to having thousands, it also has a 0,1, and 2.]
We must realize that R. Elazar ben Azarya’s riches were all connected to sanctity. The fact that he saw the fruit of his financial efforts on a regular basis helped raise the mantle of the Torah of truth. This caused the very status of being rich to be sanctified for the service of Hashem. This concept is related to that of ma’aser beheima (the tithe of the animals born during the year, which were brought to Yerushalayim to have part offered on the altar and part eaten there in sanctity). In ma’aser beheima, the owner of the animals acts like a kohen [in that he eats from the meat of the korban, and it is unlike tithes on produce, which primarily go to kohanim and levi’im]. The logic is that in terms of livestock, there is not such a need to have a separate group within the nation that needs to insure the spirituality. The separate group of kohanim is crucial for the one who works the land.
Thus, mentioning how many animals R. Elazar ben Azarya had on an ongoing yearly basis, representing his consistent riches, should be expressed for generations in a manner from which all can be impressed. The story should not be told in a way that minimizes this fact unless there is a special lesson to be learned from the depiction of R. Elazar ben Azarya as having only one cow.
Various Rabbis
Various Rabbis including those of of Yeshivat Bet El, such as Rabbi Chaim Katz, Rabbi Binyamin Bamberger and Rabbi Yitzchak Greenblat and others.
Moreshet Shaul Moreshet Shaul: A Crown and its Scepter – part II
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 294-5
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.
