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Beit Midrash
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- Ein Ayah
Ein Ayah: There are two ever-opposing and competing powers – the power of limiting and that of exaggeration. Only when each has an impact is a good balance reached, which is built on the essence of the two coming together. We find this especially on the holy rest day of Shabbat, in which the spirit is expanded and is indulged.
It is women who are liable to lean too much in the direction of external adornment, which can cause many to sin and create havoc in families and nations. Girls have much more of an inclination toward adornment than men do. Just as the proper measure of adornment is precious and positive, so too its exaggeration is highly destructive to the spirit and the body. Regarding the holy day of Shabbat, the Rabbis were inspired to make limitations on adornments, albeit for ostensibly side issues. Specifically, as a result of showiness, one might remove jewelry and show such articles to others in the public domain, thereby desecrating Shabbat. Be it as it may, there is a restriction specifically on Shabbat, the holy day of indulging and rest, on the desire to show off in a manner that could strike roots that are too deep. Indeed, when fanciness is overdone, it can take the heart away from everything that is truthful and good, internal and eternal. Even when it starts out good and full of light, when it goes off course, it harms the center of life and sanctity in a terrible way. It can take that which is lofty and sacred and turn it into mundane, external, and petty.
The awakening of the heart of Jewish adornment is very pleasant when girls wear on their head a golden representation of Yerushalayim, the city of our internal strength. The legacy of good mothers represents that which is good in the nation, as "the Torah of your mother" refers to the Nation of Israel (Berachot 35b). The subjective understanding that creates a good feeling needs to be prepared by the sanctity of a mother, whose feelings come from the most basic feeling of her spirit, with the splendor which is unique to her. This is what Chazal meant when saying that Hashem braided Chava’s hair and presented her to Adam. It is at this point that the holy feeling of the nation as a whole has to find its place.
The best material for which to receive an attractive form is the fine feeling to host a divine soul, whose power comes from the highest intellect, which is connected to G-d’s Torah. This is best represented by a Jerusalem of gold ornament, which women who were very connected to their nation and Land wore. The center of their nation’s life was their adornment. However, this idea must not relate to a lowly physical object, without light, wisdom, or Torah-based internal grandeur. Rather it should be an outgrowth of the power of a pure feeling of connection to true knowledge of Hashem that is encapsulated in the Torah. When such a strong feeling toward the centrality of the nation comes from the right place, then it is a feeling of truth and justice that has eternal value.
The Jerusalem of gold we are speaking about was the type that Rabbi Akiva, the great "counter of the Torah’s letters," whose opinions are commonly assumed to be the correct ones, and whose soul departed when he completed Shema, made for his wife. This is a source from which national emotions are best. Even so, since these feelings are connected also to an external showiness, they need to be limited and kept in check. That is why, at least on Shabbat, one cannot wear such adornments, to show that physical adornments are not to threaten the prominence of the internal beauty of rest and sanctity of Shabbat.
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.
