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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Miketz
Yosef begins his life in glorious fashion: The beloved son of Yakov the Patriarch, heir to the leadership of the family (as evidenced by his royal coat of many colors); blessed with charisma, good looks & physique. He has it all.
But soon it all goes south. Yosef enrages his brothers, is almost murdered by them & then sent into exile in morally-depraved Egypt. There, the road back will begin.
When we are babies, immature in the extreme, we think we are the center of the universe. All of our needs are attended to; our slightest cry is quickly answered; we are the King of the Crib! But, as we grow, we must learn that we are not the end all & be all; we are but a part of a much greater whole – an important part, yes, but not exclusive.
The key to our growth spurt is Humility; humility before Man & G-d. Yosef expresses this trait in just 1 word - "Bil'a'dye." When Paro remarks that Yosef is said to have interpretive powers, Yosef says: "Bil’a’dye – this is beyond me; only
Hashem has the power to probe the future." Paro is stunned & impressed by this confession. Others would surely have grabbed the credit for themselves; now Paro knows that Yosef is no threat to his throne. His humility, combined with his wisdom, is a rare & valuable commodity in totalitarian society. And so, he vaults to Viceroy.
Yosef will rise to leadership not from above, having being chosen by Yakov, but from below - way, way below. - the dungeons of Egypt. And that is what defines the great leaders of history: Men of the people, who struggle, who emerge from humble beginnings, as did Moshe & David, shepherds both of them, the lowliest of all professions, say Chazal.
Humility, I suggest, is also the centerpiece of Chanuka. The brave Maccabees are referred to in the Al HaNisim prayer as "Chalashim," weak, so as to temper their ego & remind them that their power emanates from G-d. And the holiday’s central icon, that lone, solitary cod of pure oil? It, too, oozes with humility. This little, unassuming cruse of oil, though tiny in volume, had the ability to fuel a marvelous miracle that would light up millions of homes for thousands of years. Amazing what just a little faith in a bottle can do, right?
So stay humble, little Israel; keep your ego in check. As long as you do, you will grow stronger & stronger & you will undoubtedly surpass all of your bigger & older "brothers."
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.