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Yaakov Ben Behora
The wording of the verse regarding which R' Michel related his parable carries a certain contrast: on the one hand, "Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord" is a description of movement, ascension, and advancement; on the other hand, "who shall stand in His holy place" relates to standing, stability and being static. This being the case, what is the necessary trait for a person to climb to the top of the hill - dynamics and movement or stability and standing? The parable comes to address this point.
Our parable describes a man traveling to the top of a hill. In order to make it to the top of the hill one must maintain constant movement - going from a low place to a high place calls for motion. At the same time, it is not easy to keep up a state of constant motion. The horses sometimes become tired, and it becomes necessary to rest. The parable describes that which in Chassidic literature was referred to as "advance and stand."
Chassidish Stories (17)
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed
9 - Playing Hide-and-seek with God
10 - “Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord?”
11 - Pure and Simple Intentions
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It is the horses that need to rest. The horses are the dynamic foundation of the wagon, and are the ones responsible for the wagon's ascension, but it is precisely because of this that they must rest from time to time.
Ostensibly, everything is just fine, but here is where the danger lies. Rest, standing in one place, is liable to cause a person to lose all of his ground and progress. When a person does not do a thing, when a person allows himself to rest, he fails to advance, and then the danger of regression is great indeed. One must put a stone under the wheel of the carriage.
The stone wedged under the wheel of the wagon symbolizes the spiritual stability of man. A person must employ his stability when he is at rest in order to keep himself from regressing to the place from which he began his journey. Despite the fact that a person is liable to lose the dynamics of advancement, he must resist giving in to despair or losing self-confidence. He must employ the building blocks of his own personality in order to strengthen his standing as far as the advances which he has thus far achieved are concerned, even if his overall advance has been temporarily broken due to the spiritual need for rest.
Let us return for a moment to R' Michel's parable. From where does the wagon driver take the stones which he places under the wheels of the wagon? They are taken from the road itself. For the horses galloping up the hill, these stones represent a potential stumbling block. However, for one who is in need of stability, in order that wagon not slip back down the hill, they are helpful.
Two faculties, then, are at work in a person's character: on the one hand, there is a forward-pushing, dynamic ingredient; on the other, a fixed and constant ingredient. One must know when to use each of these faculties. When charging forward, a person must employ the dynamic ingredient. At such a time, one must push aside the forces telling him to stand still. Such forces are liable to become tumbling blocks in the path to advancement. However, the moment that one feels the need to rest and gather energy, one must make use of the character's stable elements in order to provide it with stability in the face of the regression which has a tendency to take its toll when one must stop.
One whose character feeds entirely off of the dynamic element will find himself in constant movement, up and down, up and down, over and over again. While it is true that he is in constant movement, he does not advance. On the other hand, one whose character feeds entirely off of the stable element will find himself forever stuck in one place. While such a person does not fall backward, he also does not advance. Therefore, two tendencies must be drawn upon in the course of our sacred service: "Who shall ascend," and "who shall stand" - "advance and stand."
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
