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Beit Midrash
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But since when is it a problem to employ human means & enlist the help of others to achieve worthwhile goals? Does the Gemara not say, "no person can extricate himself from the pit?" So why was Yosef any different?
The answer is that Yosef indeed was different! All along the way, since the moment he was thrown in the pit by his brothers, Yosef had been the recipient of overwhelming Hashgacha P’ratit, close & careful protection by Hashem that saw him through numerous crises that would have felled any normal person. He survived the pit, the years in jail, the false accusations of Potiphar’s wife – only to rise to unparalleled heights. Yosef should have understood he was completely in Hashem’s care, & trusted that he would be safe – without resorting to assistance from mere mortals.
In my first rabbinic position in Ft. Worth, Texas, I met many fascinating individuals. One was an elderly, quiet man, who never seemed to show any anger or anxiety. He told me the following fascinating story:
"My family owned a respectable, productive ranch in west Texas," he said, "where we grew cotton & had a nice herd of steer. One day we were approached by a close neighbor, who had a much larger spread. He told us his family was small & so couldn’t handle so much land. ‘Would we be willing to trade our place for his?’ he asked.
"Daddy thought about it for a long while, & finally decided to make the trade. But while our old ranch continued to thrive, this new place was a disaster! No matter what we planted, nothing would grow. Some of us thought we had been fooled, & should sue, but Daddy said a deal was a deal & we had to have faith that G-d would make it all work out. We did our best, but soon we became poor."
"Daddy died & I became the head of the family. I did all I could to keep the ranch, since that’s what Daddy wanted. But it was hard going; we barely could scrape by. Then, 2 decades later, we finally discovered why nothing would grow. We were sitting on one of the largest oil deposits in all of Texas! Daddy was right after all; his faith did not fail."
We live in a litigious world, always looking to blame, to complain & to take action against anyone we think has harmed us. We don’t like being the "pawns" of society, but all the while, we lose sight of the invisible hand moving the chess pieces. That was the hard lesson Yosef had to learn; the reward for being loyal can be absolutely royal.
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.
