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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
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Jacob has a dream. His dream, his greatest desire, is to be a leader, to pave a new way. A way that is not level but on the rise. He dreams of a ladder placed on the ground and its top rung reaches the sky. That’s his dream – to be this ladder.
Sometime a person has dream, he starts dreaming about something, and then he gets into it until it suddenly feels realistic, and then suddenly, he wakes up! When Jacob woke up he said "I know God is here with me' (אכן יש אלוקים במקום הזה). When we say 'He is with me, it can mean that He is standing on the same ground but it could also refer to "He feels me and is spiritually with me".
There may be other people who went to sleep on that same piece of land, but did not have the dream, - this door that made them experience that God is there with them. And although they were standing on the same land, they still did not feel that God was there with them.
Each and every Jew must believe in himself. He must learn to appreciate his strengths by reminding himself that he carries, deep in his soul, the image of god that is his endless source of energy. And the more he focuses on it, the more he will discover how much power is hidden within him. And this is the principle that we learn from Jacob’s dream - We must set high goals and not stop dreaming. Only then will we discover the forces within us. Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
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.
