YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Jewish Laws and Thoughts
- Jewish Thought
- Foundations of Faith
The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Yaakov Ben Behora
The Rabbi does a wonderful job of outlining such a personality before the Khazar king. The Hassid, he explains, is a man of faith, actual living faith. Not mere intellectual, theoretical faith, but concrete living faith. Wherever he looks, he sees God. He sees the wonderful workings of nature, and they are full of God's wisdom.
He looks at himself, his own body, at the wonderful workings of the human body, the nervous system, the blood, digestion, muscles. Many books have been written about the human body, its complex and fantastic resources. It is God who has created man with such wisdom. The Hassid looks at himself and is awed by God's wisdom. He says, "from my flesh I can see God" (Job 19:26).
Foundations of Faith (51)
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
46 - 47. The “Hassid” - The Ideal Jew
47 - 48. More about the Ideal Jew
48 - 49. True Faith Brings Trust in God
Load More
In the time of the ancients, the practice was that before entering the bathroom one would say, "Be honored, my revered ones." That is, they would say to the accompanying angels, "Excuse me please. Wait here outside while I relieve myself, be honored and wait here for me to return." Something of this practice still exists today in the custom to sing "Shalom Aleikhem Malakhei HaSharet" ('Peace upon you, O ministering angels") on Sabbath evening upon returning home from the Synagogue. We do this because two ministering angels accompany the Jew home from the Synagogue on Sabbath evening.
These customs - "Be honored, my revered ones" and "Shalom Aleikhem" - evidence the fact that Israel is accompanied by angels, "for His angels has He instructed concerning you, to protect you on your every path." Incidentally, the question arises as to why the practice to say "Be honored, my revered ones" was discontinued while the "Shalom Aleikhem" custom continued. If it is no longer proper to say "Be honored, my revered ones" because we are not important enough to be accompanied by angels (as the commentators explain), why do we continue to sing "Shalom Aleikhem"?
Rabbi A.Y. HaCohen Kook explains that the custom to say "Be honored, my revered ones" was due to the fact that at that time Jews would wear tefillin (prayer phylacteries), and by virtue of the tefillin, the angles would provide accompaniment. Today, however, Jews only wear tefillin during morning prayers, and therefore angles do not accompany us and there is no need to say "Be honored, my revered ones." The Sabbath, however, is itself a kind of sign, a reminder, like tefillin, and therefore, by merit of the Sabbath, angels even today accompany the Jew home from the Synagogue, and we sing "Shalom Aleikhem."
Getting back to the matter of the Hassid. Such a person leads a life of attachment to God, he places tefillin on his head and arm in relation to his brain and heart, and they serve as a sign, recalling God's unity and the Exodus from Egypt. He wears tzitzi'ot (tassels) which serve to remind him of all the Divine commandments, and to warn him and not to stray after his heart, as it is written, "that you seek not after your heart and your eyes, which incline you to go astray" (Numbers 15:39), and he serves God joyfully all the days of his life.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
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.
