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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Ki Tisa
saga of the Golden Calf. How can we tie it all together?
Let’s look at the opening & closing of the Parsha. We begin with the census, conducted via the giving of the half-shekel. Over & over, the Torah says this act is a "kofer," referring to the money as "kesef ha-kippurim." The root of the word "kapara," I suggest, means "covering," as in Kaporet, the cover of the Aron Kodesh. This cover protected the Aseret Ha-Dibrot inside the Ark, Judaism’s most precious object. The clear implication is that by giving Tzedaka, particularly for the good of the Tzibur (the half-shekel was used for the Mishkan’s upkeep), we "cover" ourselves with merit & so are shielded from harm.
The other items mentioned in the Sedra also serve as a kapara, a protection for us: Observing Shabbat & Chag; bringing offerings, dedicating our children to the service of Hashem (represented here by the Pidyon Ha-Ben) & prayers
of supplication (i.e. the 13 Midot which Hashem teaches Moshe) all make up the spiritual "flak-jacket" we wear to get us through precarious daily life.
But when we remove that protective vest – if we discard our faith & turn away from Hashem, chas v’shalom – then we enter a mine-field that can prove dangerous, even fatal to our well-being. And that is exactly what happened in the tragic incident of the Egel Ha-Zahav.
When Moshe descends from Mt. Sinai, the pasuk records his reaction: "Moshe saw the nation, & it was paru’ah!" The word "paru’ah" means "uncovered, exposed." The sin of the nation was revealed in living (or dying!) color; they
had shed their protective wear by turning to a false god.
Fast-forward to the very end of the Sedra. After receiving the 2nd set of the Luchot, Moshe comes before the people – wearing a mask! Now, this is definitely NOT in honor of Chag Purim! Chazal say that Moshe's radiant glow, resulting
from coming "into contact" with G-d, scared the people to the point where they could not face him. ANd so he donned a mask, or veil.
But I suggest that Moshe’s mask conveyed a very crucial lesson that Moshe needed to teach – frontally! – to each & every Jew: This world is a tough place in which to survive. Everywhere we turn there is danger: physical, financial,
spiritual. Without Hashem’s constant protection, we expose ourselves to constant, serious threat. But every time we "cover up" with Mitzvot, we safeguard ourselves from harm.
This - then, and now - is the secret to surviving in the "Naked City."
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
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.