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Beit Midrash
- Sections
- Chemdat Yamim
- Ein Ayah
Ein Ayah: The high light that Shabbat gives off is the recognition of the divine that precedes the Creation, touches upon the Possessor of heaven and earth, and renews the world and all that is in it. Life that follows this great recognition goes well beyond a life of recognition of how the world runs in the present. In fact, the world as it exists in the present is elevated according to the degree to which it draws inspiration from the renewal, which is the foundation of the sanctity of Shabbat.
After Shabbat was given, before the rest of the Torah in Mara, and life was lived with a recognition of the Creator, Bnei Yisrael saw the world as appearing totally anew and were prepared to come to Sinai to accept the Torah. All of the many branches of the laws of Shabbat are independent mimickings and internal penetrations into the revelation of sanctity of the upper truth that completes the recognition of Hashem and the way the world relates to the divine light. The part of the spiritual experience of Shabbat that needed to precede the Torah is the basic recognition of Hashem in that light.
In contrast, the matter of techumin is not to deepen the light of Shabbat on man any more than was already achieved by means of the rest of the laws of Shabbat. Rather the function of techumin is to bolster the proper position of man and of the nation [during Shabbat]. The recognition of a person’s remaining in his place, in his encampment, because the holy day is upon him, firms up the insignia of being rooted in the depth of life that emanates from the foundation of the recognition of the heritage of Shabbat.
One can then contemplate. On the one hand, the entire Torah is designed to provide a basis for this lofty status, as Israel’s special sanctity comes from the idea of "to know that I am Hashem Who makes you holy" (Shemot 31:13). Therefore, there is no need for the laws of techumin to precede the giving of the Torah. It is enough that the light of Shabbat in general, with its great details that deepen its presence in a person’s life, existed before the giving of the Torah. That is because the extending of the details of Shabbat connects Shabbat to the entirety of the laws of the Torah, to which Shabbat corresponds.
The other opinion posits that bolstering life according to the light of Shabbat was not intended as an independent matter but is a basic condition of the deep sanctity of recognizing the loftiness of Hashem as the One who renews all of the existence of the world. The same Master of the World who existed before the world was created is the same One who grants the Shabbat observer a life that is based upon the foundation of the sanctity of Shabbat. The remembrance of Shabbat, which is spread over the entire week, is a condition to realizing the immense sanctity of Hashem. Therefore, according to the second approach, the entire experience of Shabbat, including how it impacts a person’s standing, as finds expression through techumin, also should precede the Torah.
Various Rabbis
Various Rabbis including those of of Yeshivat Bet El, such as Rabbi Chaim Katz, Rabbi Binyamin Bamberger and Rabbi Yitzchak Greenblat and others.
Moreshet Shaul Moreshet Shaul: A Crown and its Scepter – part II
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 294-5
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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P'ninat Mishpat A Non-Contractor in Changing Times – part II
(based on ruling 85128 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Moreshet Shaul Hashem Is your Shadow – part II
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 420 – an address from 1941
Parashat Hashavua Happiness for the Right Reasons
[With painful longing, we share these divrei Torah from our co-Rosh Kollel for close to 40 years, Harav Moshe Ehrenreich zt”l.]
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.
