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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Vayetze
Why do the angels first ascend, then descend? It should be the opposite: Angels come from Heaven; they should come down & THEN go up! Why does the Pasuk begin: "Vayifga Bamakom;" (and he encountered the place)? Vayifga" is an unusual, negative term (as in the word "nifga," wounded). And why does G-d identify Himself as "Elokei Avraham Avicha," the G-d of Avraham your father; wasn’t Yitzchak Yakov’s father, & not Avraham?!
To answer, let us try to understand what Yakov is feeling as he lies down to sleep in Luz. Dreams reflect what our soul is saying, the things that deeply concern us, & this why Yakov dreams this particular dream. Here he is, the man who just was blessed as the next leader of Am Yisrael, now fleeing his home, fleeing his homeland, leaving Eretz Yisrael! He is severely, spiritually wounded (nifga) by the fact that he is headed into Galut, an alien, unknown environment filled with shady, Lavan-type characters. He is overwhelmingly depressed.
But then Yakov sleeps & dreams. He sees a ladder "mutzav artza" - rooted in the land, Eretz Yisrael. He is reminded that his roots will always be in Israel. He sees the angels of Eretz Yisrael first, the primary, ascendant angels, to remind him that he must always aspire to return to Israel someday. But he also sees angels descending, angels of Chutz L’Aretz, reassuring him that he will never be abandoned by Hashem, no matter where he goes, so long as he remembers to someday return!
G-d blesses him as "the G-d of Avraham your father." Avraham, not Yitzchak, because Yitzchak never left Israel; Avraham, who did go into Galut, is his true role model. Avraham left, but he also returned. Hashem tells Yakov that he, too, will leave but come back ("I shall return you to this Land"). This is why Yakov’s final act is to make Yosef swear unconditionally that he will return him to Eretz Yisrael & not leave him behind in Egypt.
Yakov makes a solemn pledge to return to Israel & consecrates this holy spot. He renames the place, once called Luz, "Bet El," the House of G-d, affirming that while G-d is everywhere, His primary home is in Eretz Yisrael. As long as Yakov remembers his roots, remembers Israel, he will remain a faithful member of the House of G-d, & will never be a "Luz-er." And that’s no dream.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
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.
