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Beit Midrash
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both descend into slavery in Egypt, but then be gloriously redeemed from there as well (15:13-16).
Yet there is a later message from Hashem to Avram that is somewhat perplexing. "And G-d said: ‘I am el Shadai, walk before Me & be perfect (17:1). The "walk before Me" clause we understand: If Noach walked with G-d, then Avraham was to be more pro-active, a leader of humanity & not a follower. But what does it mean to "be perfect?"
Rashi comes along & offers a tantalizing Medrash: "Walk before Me with the Mitzva of Brit Mila," he says, "and by doing this you will be perfect." In other words, by removing a part of his body – something other cultures, like the Greeks, would clearly consider a defect, a handicap – Avraham & his offspring would actually be adding to their holiness & rising to a level of perfection.
The message being sent here is profound: We live in a world where the goal seems to be perpetually amassing more & more things. A company is judged each year by how much its profits have grown since last year; we know the famous saying, "Whoever dies with the most toys, wins."
But while it’s certainly true that we must continually grow in spirituality & increase our connection to Hashem, there are times, says the Torah, when less is more & losing is winning. And so we actually gain each time we give away some of our hard-earned money in Tzedaka; we advance in wisdom & in the eyes of others when we say less; we increase our credibility, & certainly our humility, when we confess that we simply don’t have all the answers; & we enhance our integrity when we defer & sometimes give in - even when we know we are right! - & let the other person win the argument.
I suggest this is why Hashem chose to employ one of his less-frequently used names, "El Shadai," when making this particular statement to Avram, as opposed to the more common name "YKVK," which He uses in all the other instances. By tradition, the name "El Shadai" means, "the G-d who said ‘Di – enough!" That is, when Hashem created the world, He knew when enough was enough, when to stop. He created the seas, but said to them, "Enough! Stop! Any more & you will overrun the land! And so it was with the forests & the vegetation & the animal kingdom; they could not grow ad infinitum, either. They, too, had to be "cut off" (pun intended), so that the world would be just perfect.
A beautiful message of Mila – particularly apropos now that we have begun reciting "Mashiv HaRuach u’Morid Hagashem – is that when we lower the physicality, the Gashmiut, our Ruach, our spiritual side, returns in greater intensity.
Peninei Halakha 5. Weddings and Engagements during the Omer Period
Chapter 3: Customs of Mourning during the Omer Period
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 3
The second speaker invited to convince the Khazar King is the Christian, who presents their beliefs. Even before the questions of the King, "between the lines", the author R. Yehuda HaLevi already begins disproving them.
Ein Aya "Intimacy: Love, Life & Giving or Egocentric Taking & Expiration"
Today, many confuse between intimacy in marriage, based on love, giving and life which are diametrically opposed to empty "sex", pornography and prostitution which destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. The practical importance of clarifying this topic in today's western society is obvious, especially for young adults.
