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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Vayikra
- Shmini
May Hashem bless you and safeguard you; May Hashem shine his countenance upon you and favor you; May Hashem turn His attention towards you and bestow upon you Peace.
Rashi and others remark that the first segment of the bracha contains two parts. First there is a blessing for wealth and sustenance, and then - connecting to the word "V'Yishm'recha" - there is an additional blessing that your wealth should be safeguarded and protected, for what good is wealth if it is taken away from you?
Yet there are other commentators who put a different spin on the word, "V'Yishm'recha." They translate, "and YOU should be protected (from your wealth)." In other words, while wealth is indeed a blessing that can be used to enhance your own life and accomplish great things for others as well, cash comes with a caveat. Wealth can be corruptive, it can make a person arrogant and pompous. Rather than bring us closer to Hashem - who controls the flow of Parnasa in this world - it can draw us away from G-d by making us think we are invulnerable and completely self-reliant.
Because no one in this world is a prophet - emphasis on NO One - nobody knows why this Corona virus has gripped the planet in its grasp. But certainly one result of the plague is to illustrate to us the boundaries of wealth. Money does not guarantee that we will not get sick. And even if we remain healthy, G-d willing, what exactly can we spend our money on?! We aren't travelling; we aren't going to fancy hotels or public entertainment. We're basically not even driving, so what difference does it make what kind of car we own? Both the newly-unemployed and the independently wealthy must contract their lives alike, and stay close to home - literally. Food, a roof over our heads, a computer and a telephone - these are the essentials shared by us all.
Maybe, just maybe, this crisis can give us a perspective on the limits of largesse and the greater value of things other than our bank accounts.
This coming week, we will commemorate - in our homes rather than in public - the terrible events of the Holocaust on Yom HaShoa. Once, when our family was in a bit of a financial crisis, my late, great cousin Ahron Schrift took me aside and spoke to me. Ahron had survived the war, and encountered terrible trials until he was finally liberated and came to Israel. "Shmuel," he said to me, "I learned very well back what wealth means. On the train to the camps, we had not had anything to drink for almost three days. I saw people take out diamonds they had hidden on themselves, and try to trade them for a bit of water, reaching out the window of the train to Poles who were walking along the tracks. Sometimes they got the water; other times the Poles took the diamonds and then spilled the water out on the ground."
As we said earlier, Ahron Kohen Gadol brought 3 offerings - the Chatat, the Olah and the Shlamim. I suggest that these korbanot three symbolize the cycle of our lives during any crisis. First, there is the Chatat, the sin-offering. It represents the sins we do, which are essentially the root cause of why suffering comes upon us, certainly as a nation. The Olah, the offering which is completely burnt, from which nothing at all remains, represents the loss we suffer as a result of our sins. But ultimately comes the Shlamim, the Peace-offering, when we come to terms and reconcile with Hashem. We make our peace with one another, the crisis passes and we are showered with Bracha from above.
At some point - G-d only knows when! - this epidemic will be over. Hopefully, we will not only emerge from it in good health, but we will also have gained a valuable lesson in what is really valuable - and what is not.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
Jewish Laws and Thoughts Shul “etiquette:” can we honor Hashem while respecting our fellow congregants?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
