Yeshiva
Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Ein Ayah
Ein Ayah: The Holiday of Sukkot, also referred to as the Holiday of Harvest, is the holiday that connects nature with the wondrous power that is beyond nature. This power emerged in the world when Bnei Yisrael appeared on the stage of human history.
The divine wisdom, which put light into the creation of the world for a lofty purpose, places light in all of existence. This wisdom is connected to the existence of a complete world, which is adorned and connected with set rules and stands above all of them. The path that Israel took, in progressing from their liberation from Egypt until entering the Land, was that which soldered together the wonderful parts of the existence of creation into a world that is set upon firm rules of nature.
We need to look well into the past, at the primordial world, when the "spirit of Hashem was hovering over the face of the water" (Bereishit 1:2) and all of the world was water within water. In doing so, we see that even at that early stage, Hashem’s "hand" already arranged matters with great wisdom so that creation would progress toward its highest purposes.
Harvest, which comes about through orderly work that fits into the rules of nature, is also connected in our national memory to the unique sukkot (booths or miraculous clouds) at the period of time that was so formative in the history of the world (the Exodus). These lit up the darkest parts of the universe with the light of the prophetic vision provided by the God of Truth, and connected that time to that of the beginning of creation [when all was water].
It is true that one cannot tell regular people what happened in creation. However, there can be a hint in the form of letters that refers to the foundation of the world when it started to be created. That is the reason that three words from the description of Sukkot hint at the holiday’s connection to the libation done [with the primordial matter – water].
Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
Igrot Hare’aya Trying to Arrange Purchase of Land in Eretz Yisrael
#222 Date and Place: 2 Elul 5669 (1909), Rechovot
Igrot Hare’aya Semi-solicited Advice to Calm Down Petach Tikva
#227 Date and Place: 8 Tishrei 5669, Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya Departure of an Uncle to Eretz Yisrael
Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook: Vol. I, #1 , p. 1-2 – part II
P'ninat Mishpat Limits of Interest Rate for Loan with Heter Iska – part I
based on ruling 80033 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
Rabbis in Midrash
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Various Events FOR WHOM NOT TO VOTE
Rav Zvi Yehuda Kook stressed that Israeli politics is G-dly, so I have no problem answering this common question on a Torani blog. Also, Free-Will is a G-d-given right and obligation, to "destine one's fate" (R. Soloveichik, Kol Dodi Dofek, 67), so I obviously don't tell others how to vote. But once not a few (especially young) have already asked, a couple of personal words from experience and thoughts from chazal & Rav Kook which may be of help to others, mainly for whom NOT to vote.
P'ninat Mishpat Fallout from Failure to Install Elevator – part II
based on ruling 85007 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
