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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Vayikra
- Bechukotai
"If you will walk in My ways (follow My decrees) & observe My Mitzvot, and if you will perform them, then I will……"
When people think of our Sedra of B’Chukotai, they automatically think of the Tochacha, the punishments, rebukes or "curses" that come about when we stray from living a life in accordance with Hashem’s directives. And certainly the 28 p’sukim that comprise the Tochacha are the highlight – or "low-light" - of the Parsha, & we should take their ominous warnings to heart.
But we must also be careful not to neglect or gloss over the first part of the Sedra, the opening 11 verses that catalogue the blessings, the gifts that Hashem showers upon s
(literally!) when we stay faithful to Him & to the Torah. Just note how grateful we should be for all the Brachot that we have merited to enjoy in our own day:
"I will send you rain:" This winter in Israel we enjoyed rain in abundance, the most in more than a decade! The rivers & waterfalls were flowing, the Kinneret rose significantly as we ended 5 ears of drought conditions.
"The land will give its produce; the field its fruit. You will eat your bread, & you will be satiated." The bounty of Israel is amazing! Every type of fruit or vegetable is available in ample supply; no one goes hungry here. Just take a day to stroll through Tel Aviv’s Shuk Ha-Carmel or Yerushalayim’s Machane Yehuda & see the array of products there, a largesse unparalleled in our history.
"You will pursue your enemies; a hundred of you will vanquish ten thousand of them." Out-numbered though we may be, our valiant IDF armed forces continue to protect us from danger, deflecting the hostile forces on our borders on a daily basis & keeping us safe from harm.
"I will make you fruitful, & you will multiply." Israel is B"H growing! We have the highest fertility rate in the OECD, by far, & the highest number of multiple births per capita of any country; 185,000 babies were born in the last year! We are fast approaching having the majority of Jews in the world living here (if we haven’t already surpassed it!).
We bow in humble thankfulness for all these wondrous blessings we enjoy. But we are not done yet; there is another, vital promise which has yet to be fully realized: "And I will provide peace in the land…I will banish the wild beasts & no sword (violence) will pass through your land." We await the great day when the beasts of terror that periodically plague us will be completely eradicated, & full, lasting peace will reign over our nation & the world.
This blessing will come when there will be a "mirror-image" of the relationship between G-d & the Jewish People: If you (Am Yisrael) will walk in my statutes……I (Hashem) will walk among you. So, people, let’s get busy & walk the walk, not just talk the talk.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
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.
