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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Parashat Hashavua
David turned to Hashem when he saw an angel in a menacing position and said: "Behold, I have sinned and distorted, but these flock (the people), what have they done? Let Your Hand be against me and the house of my father" (Shmuel II, 24:17). The prophet Gad told David to build an altar at the place of Aravna’s silo (ibid. 18). David did this and brought several sacrifices on it, and then the plague that was felling people in Israel stopped (ibid. 25).
The story, as told in Divrei Hayamim (I, 21:26-22:1), adds some pertinent details. It says that at that time the Mishkan, which had been erected in the desert, was found in Givon, but that David was not able to seek out Hashem there because of the "sword of the angel." Hashem told him that the altar he had erected in Yerushalayim was actually the altar for Israel’s sacrifices.
Before coming to some conclusions, we will see some midrashim. The Midrash Shmuel (31) says that David was like a son who was being hit by his father and was not sure what the reason was for the punishment. At the end, Hashem informed David that people from the nation died in the plague because they were guilty of not asking for a Beit Mikdash.
The Sifrei (Eikev 51) says that David was criticized for having conquered Aram Tzova, which was out of the halachic borders of Israel, while he still left Yevusi areas around Yerushalayim in foreign hands.
We will put the issue of the Beit Hamikdash at the time of David in context as follows. Many in the nation were not enthusiastic about the prospect of building the Beit Hamikdash. They were troubled by the halacha that when there is a central place for service of Hashem, it becomes forbidden to offer sacrifices in local and private altars. Many were not willing to give up the closeness they felt due to the permissibility to bring sacrifices locally up to that point. Hashem determined that it was hypocritical for the people to be willing to go to great lengths to fight in order to expand the borders of the country and likewise to develop it from an economic perspective and not build the Beit Hamikdash. The people needed to be awoken to the positives of building a central place of service, and how this could be critical for the merit of the nation. Hashem demonstrated this with the building of the altar in Yerushalayim, which saved lives.
We will continue to pray that in our day we will merit to understand this idea and that we will see with our own eyes when Hashem returns His Presence to Zion.
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.
