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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Vayikra
- Kdoshim
There are no less than 51 Mitzvot in our Sedra of Kedoshim – the fifth largest number of commandments in any of the parshiyot of the Torah. All of them contribute, in one way or another, to Hashem’s ambitious challenge to the Jewish People: "Be holy, for I, Hashem your G-d, am holy."
But it’s not enough just to command someone to "be holy," because holiness is such a difficult term to define. Does it mean spiritually pure, or special, or designated for a unique mission? All of those fit, but G-d chose rather to instruct us as to the path to holiness, via His Mitzvot. And so we have laws that cover charity, honesty, proper ways to worship, moral treatment of others, ritual observances & sexual prohibitions, laws of kashrut, love of the Land of Israel & so much more.
But Rabbi Akiva looked at all these manifold Mitzvot, & synthesized them into one, over-arching principle: Love your fellow as yourself. But how do we accomplish that? Can we ever really love another person as much as we love ourself? In fact, Jewish law dictates that self-preservation is an essential, acceptable principle, so when we have the chance to save ourselves – even if that means another person may not survive – we have every right to do so. For example, if two people are in the desert and one has a canteen with just enough water to survive, Rabbi Akiva rules that he need not share it with the other person, because his own life takes precedence (Bava Metzia 62).
But I want to suggest that Hashem is sending us another message. First, He is telling us that loving oneself is not vain, it is an essential part of recognizing our worth & appreciating that we are G-d’s greatest creation. At the same time, we have to love others in the same way that we love ourselves. We know that we have flaws & faults, that we are not perfect, that we make mistakes & often go astray. And yet, we still love ourselves! We look in the mirror each morning & say, "Yes, even with my faults, I’m still a pretty good person! I’m still going to eat breakfast, go to work, enjoy myself!"
That is precisely the way we should react to others. Sure, they have their flaws, they are not perfect. But instead of denigrating & dismissing them, we should give them the same slack we give ourselves – every single day.
This is a tremendous challenge, because human nature prods us to be much more critical of others than we are of ourselves. The answer: Accept the next person as readily as we accept ourselves, in the hope that he or she will do the very same thing. And then we’ll all feel the love.
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?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
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.
