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Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Jewish Holidays
- Sukkot
The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Hana Bat Haim
"And you shall observe the Festival of Sukkot for seven days...and you shall rejoice in your Festival...indeed, you shall be nothing but joyful (Deuteronomy 16:13-15)."
What is simcha? Is it merely the emotion of happiness and joy?
A reading of Sefer Devarim would have us believe that it is far more. The Torah instructs us that there are two requisite conditions for ultimate simcha.
The first is sham or shammah - there.
In every instance (except in the one time that it that has nothing to do with the holidays) the term simcha is either preceeded or followed by a form of the word Sham.
Furthermore the term sham is defined either as "before the Lord your God" or as the "place that there the Lord shall choose to rest His Name." Clearly all these references point to Jerusalem.
The second indispensable condition is the inclusion of "you, your son and daughter, your servant and maid-servant, the Levite and the convert, the orphan and the widow... (ibid) ".
Thus the Torah teaches that true simcha can only be achieved in Jerusalem and even there only when you are surrounded by your brethren from all walks of life, from the lofty Levite the bearer of Jewish tradition to the simple handmaid and lonely orphan.
Given these parameters, I would suggest that the Biblical Vesamachta goes far beyond simple joy. Rather it is the excitement and the emotional high that comes with the sudden understanding of what it means to be a Jew. It is the reaching of new heights of self-value with the realization of being part of this glorious nation. It is the burst of fresh commitment to the service of the Almighty, the God of Israel.
The significance of Vesamachta is as cogent today as it was then. One has only to witness the results of a program such as Birthright to realize the powerful force that Jerusalem and the people of Israel exert on young people who have had little contact with Judaism.
Parents in the Diaspora who wish to inculcate strong emotions of Jewish self-worth in their children would be wise to shower them with this kind of simcha.
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This is a weekly column contributed by Aloh Naaleh an organization devoted to motivating Jews to make Aliya.
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
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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.
