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Beit Midrash
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More on this later, but let us jump in the Sedra to another equally perplexing incident:
The nation becomes restless, dejected, short-tempered. They rebuke Moshe, bemoaning their fate: "Why did you bring us up from Egypt, to die in this wilderness? There is no food, no water; our souls are parched from this ruinous food (the Mahn, which dissolved after a day, and so is called 'Lechem Ha'k'lokayl,' the bread which spoils quickly)."
G-d then sends "fiery serpents" which bite the people. And so they apologize to Moshe, and beg that he prays for them and that the snakes be removed. Moshe does indeed pray, and Hashem instructs him to fashion a fiery serpent made of copper and place it on a pole. "Anyone who is bitten should star at the serpent, and live!" says Hashem.
What a wild story! So many questions: Why were the people davka attacked by snakes? Why/how did the copper snake protect them? Isn't the snake a very negative image; why should a flag be made of it?! Why didn't Hashem just remove the serpents, rather than let them continue to bite, and then provide an antidote? And certainly the play-on-words of the snake-on-the-pole's name, Nachash N'choset, must have some deeper significance!
Let's try to make some sense of this eerie episode. The snake is the lowest of all creatures - figuratively and literally. It crawls on the ground, like one who is pathetic and lowly. The snake in our story represents the low self-esteem of the people, an understandable leftover from their years as slaves and the lowest man on life's Totem pole. When you have low self-esteem, the negative things in your life are exaggerated, and even the positive things in your life are downplayed ("how can something good be happening to a low-life like me?!"). You worship a Golden Calf because you think you need a middle-man, a conduit to connect to Hashem, rather than you yourself. You argue against going into Israel, because you don't think you're capable of winning the battle. And you even reject the Mahn, because you doubt if you're worthy of such a miraculous gift.
What is the cure? It is to raise your vision, to walk with head held high, to inject a healthy dose of self-respect into yourself and appreciate that you are G-d's greatest creation. ""Bish'vili nivra ha-olam, for me the world was created!" you proclaim, as you turn your glance Heavenward. You don't destroy the snake, for that just masks the problem and delays the cure. Instead you raise it up and force people to look at it, to face their fears and self-doubt and to conquer them - like injecting the flu virus itself into your body to cure the flu!
This is the deeper meaning of "Nachash N'choshet." The disease contains the cure within itself. And this is also a key to the riddle of the Red Cow. The cow represents that first great national sin, the Egel HaZahav. So what do we do? We take that cow and convert it into the cure; instead of worshipping it, we kill it and transform it into something holy and therapeutic.
A Jew cannot remain depressed. Not when we have such a glorious history, not when we have Hashem. And so, if you ever feel down, just seek out G-d and things will always be looking up!
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.
