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Beit Midrash
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In our generation, Pesach is the first among a chain of commemorations during the spring season in which we celebrate national events. At the center, of course, are those that are from the Torah – Pesach and Shavuot. But there are also a wide variety of special days that run the gamut of Jewish experience, from the Mimuna, celebrating aliya and unity, to Yom Hashoah, commemorating the horrible Sho’ah, and connecting it to the foundation of the State of Israel. We have Yom Hazikaron, recognizing the sacrifices of the many who gave their lives making the State possible and helping to keep it going safely. Yom Ha’atzmaut, of course, declares the liberation of the nation from a political and spiritual perspective. Lag Ba’omer reminds us that the dream of reestablishing independence, with the efforts of Bar Kochva and his soldiers, prominently including students of Rabbi Akiva, was not an empty dream. (The great kabbalists, who are students of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, preserved secrets about the future liberation.) Yom Yerushlayim, celebrating the liberation of Jerusalem, our nation’s eternal capital, from a national and spiritual basis, is finally followed by Shavuot, the holiday of the giving of the Torah, as the seven weeks of the sefira conclude.
Some in the nation commemorate these days only from a national perspective; others commemorate only some of these days and only from a religious perspective. There are those of us who try to connect the two important focuses. In the next few weeks, we will try to clarify an episode in Sefer Shmuel that is closely related to these matters.
In the last perek of Shmuel, we read about the terrible plague that ravaged Israel after David carried out a national census in an improper way. The plague ended when David erected an altar in the silo of Aravna the Yevusi, which turned into the site of the Beit Hamikdash on Har Habayit (Shmuel II, 24:1-16; ibid. 17-25). These events teach us two things:
1. Har Habayit is the "place that Hashem chose" for the Beit Hamikdash (see Divrei Hayamim I, 22:1).
2. There are hints in this perek that this place was also the place of akeidat Yitzchak (Divrei Hayamim II, 3:1 says explicitly that Arvana’s silo was on Mt. Moriah).
Many great people have tried to figure out how David came to the mistake about the census, ostensibly ignoring the p’sukim in the beginning of Parashat Ki Tisa. The question is also asked why David’s sin could cause 70,000 people to be killed. It is also not obvious why the altar was able to end the plague. These will be among the topics discussed in the coming weeks. May we see Jerusalem in its full glory, rebuilt as the full spiritual and national center of Israel and as the capital of world peace.
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.
