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Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- The Three Weeks
- Mourning Over the Churban
The Romans were brutal, & cruel beyond description in their destruction of Yerushalayim, the Bet HaMikdash & the Jewish state. They murdered more than a million people & enslaved more than 100,000, bringing many of them to Rome to be tortured for public enjoyment. In fact, it is believed that the Coliseum in Rome – a standing monument to Man’s inhumanity to Man – was actually built with spoils taken from conquered Judea.
To emphasize their great victory over the Jews, a special coin was minted by Rome. On one side is the figure of Emperor Vespasian wearing a victory wreath; on the other side a Roman soldier stands over a Jewish woman who is sitting alone under a palm tree. The inscription reads: "Judea Capta" (Judea is a captive). And of all the many Roman victories throughout the world, only that over Israel is commemorated by a standing monument, the infamous Arch of Titus, Vespasian’s son who directed the carnage. The captive Jewish slaves were made to march through that arch in humiliation.
But flash forward 2000 years. The "glory that was Rome" is long gone. The State of Israel has been proclaimed, & on 5 Iyar, 1948, Rome’s chief rabbi leads his community through the Arch, proudly demonstrating that we are alive & prospering, while the Romans are a distant footnote of history. (I myself had the merit to lead several hundred Jews in the singing of Hatikva under that same Arch).
And in 1958, to commemorate her 10th birthday, the State of Israel prints a special gold (& silver) coin. The coin depicts a woman, "Judea", standing erect, next to a blossoming palm with a sheaf of corn (later strikings have a baby) in her arms. At her side, on the other side of the palm tree, a man holds a hoe, about to plant a new tree. The text says: "Israel Liberata" (Israel is now free!)
There is no doubt that we still suffer as a result of the downfall of the two great Jewish commonwealths. The Jewish People are still fragmented, with almost half our nation still dwelling in Exile – with many not even realizing they are in exile! The Bet HaMikdash has not been rebuilt - indeed, we have yet to openly reclaim sovereignty over Har HaBayit. And the sins which caused the destruction – violence, a diluted moral posture & intra-Jewish animosity – are still very much a lingering problem.
Yet, at the same time, even as we mourn & confess our many shortcomings, we must pour out our gratitude to Hashem; He has miraculously returned us to Israel & allowed us to rebuild a magnificent Yerushalayim and country. The best – we pray & have unshakeable faith – is yet to come.
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.
