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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- D'varim
- Nitzavim
What are the secret things, & what things are revealed? And what exactly is "this Mitzva" that the pasuk refers to? It’s all so mysterious, so puzzling…..or is it?
Once there was a boy who sat under a beautiful oak tree in his backyard, swinging upon a wooden swing. He had a dream. In his dream he saw a magnificent palace with tall stone walls around it. The walls had 7 gates, & next to
one of the gates was a statue of a lion. On the side of the lion, beneath the ground, was buried a huge treasure. The boy woke up, but each day the dream came back to him.
And so the boy finally decided that he must have this treasure. He packed his belongings & journeyed to that far-off land. He found the palace & approached it, circling the wall until he came to the Lion Gate. He took out a small shovel & was about to start digging when a burly guard approached him. "No one digs here!" said the guard, "this is the king’s property & no one else’s!"
"But there is a treasure here, I dreamt of it & I must find it!" said the boy. The guard laughed. "Silly boy, there is no treasure here! But it’s a funny thing that you say. Because for the last many nights, I myself have dreamt that there is a great treasure located far from here, hidden under a swing that is held by the branches of a large oak tree!" The boy returned to his home &, sure enough, the treasure was right where the guard had dreamed it was.
The treasure, THE unique Mitzva of which the Torah speaks, is none other than Teshuva, the G-d – given ability to "re-boot," to go back, to take back the mistakes we’ve made & return our neshamot to a more pristine condition. Could there be a more precious gift than this, the opportunity to start over & get it right? It’s something we can do right now, today, in our own home, in our own room - & it can - & will - change our lives for the better.
When Dorothy despairs of ever being able to go home, Glinda the Good Witch of the North points to Dorothy's ruby slippers & says, "You had the power all along, my dear!" And so do we. We have the power anytime we choose to
come home, to return. Not to Kansas, but to Torah, to Israel, to Hashem. We just have to tap our heels & our feet will take us there!
Shana Tova – G’mar K’tiva V’Chatima Tova!
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
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.
