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Prayer over There
It was Shabbat afternoon. Eliyahu had just come home from synagogue with his family, and now he was standing, kiddush cup in hand, ready to recite the blessing. Suddenly, the peaceful scene was disturbed by the blaring of a siren. His children ran to the window.
"Daddy, it’s an ambulance!" Eliyahu’s son, Refael, called. "It’s pulling up right next to our house."
"Yeah, there are men coming out and going to our neighbor’s house!"
Eliyahu ran outside. There was his dear neighbor and friend, Yaakov, being carried out of the house on a stretcher. As the paramedics carefully brought Yaakov into the waiting ambulance, Yaakov’s wife apprised Eliyahu of the situation. Things were not looking good. Yaakov was in serious danger.
After the ambulance had pulled away, Eliyahu ran back inside his house. He told his family about Yaakov’s situation. Eliyahu told his children that they needed to pray to Hashem to ask Hashem make Yaakov feel better. He said a chapter of Tehillim together with them.
"Daddy, didn’t you say that, if a person is sick, it’s a good idea to ask a great rabbi for a blessing?" Eliyahu’s son, Uri asked. "Let’s do that now!"
"But now is Shabbat!" called out Refael. "You can’t call or email anyone now, to ask for a blessing."
"I have an idea!" exclaimed Eliyahu’s wife. "Let’s ask the DaCostas! We can go next door and ask them to send an email for us. It’s Shabbat here in the United States, but in Israel, Shabbat is already over. So we can send an email to a rabbi there!"
Yaakov ran over to his neighbor, Ray DaCosta. He explained the situation, and dictated the email address of a well-known rabbi in Israel. "Please pray for Yaakov the son of Chana, to have a complete recovery."
Did Eliyahu act correctly, in asking a non-Jew to send an email on Shabbat, in order to ask a rabbi to pray for Yaakov’s recovery?
Answer of Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik (Rabbi Chaim Brisker), zt"l:
Because there is a possibility that the blessing of the rabbi will save Yaakov’s life, Eliyahu’s actions fall under the category of safek pikuach nefesh (possibly saving a life), and he acted correctly. (from Nefesh Harav by Rabbi Hershel Shachter, page 167. Note: the question Rabbi Soloveitchik answered regarded the sending of a telegram on Shabbat.)
Answer of Rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg (Tzitz Eliezer), zt"l:
Eliyahu acted incorrectly. It is incorrect to violate Shabbat in order to secure the blessing of a rabbi, because it is not guaranteed that the prayer will yield positive results. The concept of safek pikuach nefesh is in regard to only natural measures taken to lead to a sick person’s recovery. There are two rationales for this ruling:
1) The Heshiv Moshe: Hashem knows a person’s thoughts, and is aware that, if it were not Shabbat, the person would write to a rabbi and request a blessing, and Hashem will save the person, even without the blessing.
2) Rabbi Shlomo Kluger (U’bacharta Bachayim): There is no need for this prayer, because Shabbat itself has the power to help, in place of the blessing of the rabbi.
In Summary: According to Rabbi Chaim Brisker, Eliyahu acted correctly, because his actions were an attempt to possibly save a life. According to the Tzitz Eliezer, Eliyahu’s actions were improper.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
