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Beit Midrash
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The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
R. Avraham Ben David
True, the Torah does teach that, "If you follow my laws and are careful in keeping my commandments... you will live securely in your land." And if, heaven forbid, "you don't listen to me and you don't fulfill all of these mitzvoth, despising my decrees and abhorring my laws to the point where you no longer keep my commandments and violate my covenant... I will make the Land so desolate that your enemies who settle it will be astonished, and you, I will cast out amongst the nations" (Leviticus 26). And again: "And if you are careful about keeping all of my decrees and all of my laws then the Land into which I am bringing you to settle will not vomit you out."(ibid. 20) From here it is clear that the primary objective must be the up-keeping of the Torah, and that if we keep the Torah we will merit, as a result, Eretz Yisrael; what's more, without Torah our struggle for Eretz Yisrael is of no value, for there is no Eretz Israel without Torah. Therefore, those who look to justify the concentration on Torah, and the lack of involvement in the struggle for the wholeness of the Land of Israel, bring these passages as support for their position.
All this I could understand were the settling of Israel itself not a Torah commandment but a mere privilege. Yet the settling of the Land of Israel, according to the Ramban (Nahmanides), is a positive commandment from the Torah and is binding for all generations including our own, and therefore relinquishing parts of Eretz Israel is a serious transgression. Well known are the words of Rabbi Menachem Zamba, who said at the "Grand Gathering" of "Agudat Yisrael," that just as the Jewish People have a Torah which is perfect, and if even one letter is missing then the entire Torah scroll is bereft of its holiness, so too we have a land concerning which it has been said that her holiness exists when all of the People of Israel are settled on her. Therefore, only those sorts of people who have the ruthless courage to tear pieces from our holy and perfect Torah, would dare to tear our land to pieces as well, while we, the guardians of the Torah, and fearful of the word of God, of both the written and oral traditions, cannot agree to concede even the smallest amount of our holy land.
So we see that the question of Eretz Yisrael is clearly Torah related, and that relinquishing parts of Eretz Yisrael is like relinquishing parts of the Torah. Therefore it's senseless to say that first we must strengthen Torah observance, even at the expense of Eretz Yisrael - for settling the Land itself is a mitzvah of the Torah. We must fight for the entirety of the Land and the entirety of Torah as one, for they are one and the same. The abandonment of the Land weakens Torah observance and the abandonment of Torah weakens our hold on the Land. Be strong and let us be strong concerning our people, our land and our Torah.
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.
