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Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Passover - Pesach
- Shabbat Hagadol
Really? Is that true? Does anyone believe that today, in the "modern" era of freedom & independence, we Jews could still be languishing as hapless, helpless slaves?
There are two responses to this question. The first is, "Who knows?!" Had Hashem & the Jewish People not pioneered this revolutionary, unparalleled act of breaking free from a despotic dictator, perhaps the long-standing system of slavery would have endured forever! But it was our dramatic breakthrough that sent a universal, timeless message that slavery is wrong, & must be fought. That is why the rallying cry of the black slaves in the South was: "When Israel was in Egypt’s land, Let My people go! Oppressed so hard they could not stand, Let My people go!" As in so many cases of social justice, we Jews have led the way. Indeed, the Lubavitcher Rebbe said that it was the struggle for Soviet Jews to achieve the freedom to emigrate that ultimately caused Communism to fall & tens of millions of people to be freed from oppression!
There is yet another slant on freedom. A person can be physically enslaved, yet he can still remain free. Though we were subject to Paro’s dictates, in our hearts we knew that we were destined for greater things, that we carried the legacy of the Avot & Imahot in us & would eventually pursue our rightful destiny & place in history. Chazal say Moshe understood this from the Burning Bush. From the outside, it looked just like any other bush, but internally it burned with fire, just as the Jews had a burning desire to be free to again worship Hashem.
When Natan Sharansky was in prison in Russia, he was visited by his brother, who was searched by the guards to be sure he was not carrying any "subversive" material. But at some point, the brother took off his shirt to reveal aT-shirt with the slogan, "Anatoly will be free!" The guards then evicted the brother, & told Natan that as punishment, he would now be denied family visits for a long time. Sharansky told the guards: "Rest assured that someday, I will be freed. But YOU - & all those who live under the Communist regime – will remain prisoners!"
This Shabbat is BIG because we Jews are always involved in BIG events & big causes that rattle the establishment & prod the world onwards towards a better way of life. And it begins by recognizing the bigness, the greatness, inside each & every one of us.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
Jewish Laws and Thoughts Shul “etiquette:” can we honor Hashem while respecting our fellow congregants?
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
Sukkot Bug-Free Sukkah: Essential Halachic and Practical Schach Guide
How to inspect, clean, and store bamboo mats and palm branches to protect your mitzvah and holiday meals.
