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In this crazy-busy world of ours – forget about so-called "time-saving" devices, we’re busier now than our previous generations ever were! – we struggle to find a "space" (sorry for using that over-used buzz-word!) to just be calm & peaceful. A place to let our minds roam free as we pause & think - just plain think - about the magnificent, multi-dimensional world around us; our place in it, & G-d.
I once asked Rav Shlomo Carlebach – a man who was perpetually on the move & surrounded by fans & friends - where he goes if he wants "private time." Where is his "escape room" where he can be alone with his thoughts? He pondered that for a moment & then said, "My one & only refuge from this all-too invasive & intrusive world is when I am wrapped up completely in my talit!"
The talit is one of 4 Mitzvot that can completely surround us from all sides so that, in a sense, we are "swallowed up" by a Mitzva. There is the Mikva, of course, & then there is the Sukka, which also totally envelops us, & is the closest thing we Jews of today can experience akin to the Ananei Kavod, the Clouds of Glory, the impenetrable, Heavenly wall that kept Bnei Yisrael safe in the desert.
In my Sukka, I am the Prince of my Castle (Hashem, of course, remains the King!). Cozy (I prefer that to "small") & constructed by our own hands (every Jew wants to be a kablan!), we can sit in the great outdoors, under the stars, & contemplate nature, escaping, as it were, the rush-rush of "normal" everyday existence. The decibel level has dropped, the spiritual level has risen, & somehow – despite its temporary structure - I feel safe there. I feel that Hashem is squeezed right in here with me.
Of course, there is yet one more Mitzva in which we can be completely immersed, & that, of course, is Eretz Yisrael. The moment we fulfill this glorious, foundational commandment & come to Israel, its Kedusha encircles us as if G-d is whispering, "You are home; you are safe in your Sukkat Shalom!"
Ironically, the Sukka was once upon a time a symbol of our national homelessness, as we moved through the desert from place to place on our epic journey to the Holy Land. We quickly assembled & then disassembled our makeshift quarters, & headed to the next stop on the map, wandering, & wondering when that long voyage would come to an end. And historically, that voyage would continue for a long, long time thru the Diaspora.
But now we are home, finally & forever. Wrapped in my talit, sitting in my Sukka in the re-Jew-venated State of Israel, I can close my eyes as the Mitzvot wash over me as I rhetorically ask, "Does it get any better than this?!"
Rabbis in Midrash
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 3
The second speaker invited to convince the Khazar King is the Christian, who presents their beliefs. Even before the questions of the King, "between the lines", the author R. Yehuda HaLevi already begins disproving them.
Ein Aya "Intimacy: Love, Life & Giving or Egocentric Taking & Expiration"
Today, many confuse between intimacy in marriage, based on love, giving and life which are diametrically opposed to empty "sex", pornography and prostitution which destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. The practical importance of clarifying this topic in today's western society is obvious, especially for young adults.