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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
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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
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 3
The second speaker invited to convince the Khazar King is the Christian, who presents their beliefs. Even before the questions of the King, "between the lines", the author R. Yehuda HaLevi already begins disproving them.
Ein Aya "Intimacy: Love, Life & Giving or Egocentric Taking & Expiration"
Today, many confuse between intimacy in marriage, based on love, giving and life which are diametrically opposed to empty "sex", pornography and prostitution which destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. The practical importance of clarifying this topic in today's western society is obvious, especially for young adults.