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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- D'varim
- Va'etchanan
Moshe, understandably, is upset, disappointed, distraught. He so much wanted to enter Israel, along with the nation. That would be the crowning achievement of his career. It would be the opportunity to fulfill Mitzvot that cannot be kept outside of Israel. It would be the answer to his many prayers and pleas to Hashem. But it was not to be; a new generation coming into a new land would have a new leader.
But what is so hard to comprehend is why Moshe blames the people for this! After all, Moshe is (ostensibly) being punished for striking the rock at Mei M'riva, rather than speaking to it; wasn't that his offense, and not the nation's? True, the people did anger Moshe with all their many complaints, but it seems that Hashem criticizes Moshe, not Bnei Yisrael, for what happens there. So why shift the blame to the people? It seems so out of character for the man who spent his life nurturing and defending us!
Some want to suggest that Moshe is saying, "Had you, the nation, not supported the negative report of the Spies, then we would have immediately entered Israel, rather than be punished with 40 years of wandering. Then the incident of the rock never would have even occurred, and all of us - you and me - would have straightaway come into the land!
But I want to suggest something else, something that is more in keeping with the kind of leader Moshe was.
I believe Moshe is saying to the people, "My fate is inextricably interwoven with your fate. I may be the leader, but I am just one of you - we are one nation. If you can't go into Israel, then neither can I. We rise - and we fall - as one." This, consistently, is the Moshe who earlier described Israel as, "Ha-am asher anochi b'kirbo - the nation of which I am but one." (Bamidbar 11:21).
Moshe is not just being humble; he is teaching us that the nation comes first, and that the leader's greatness is a direct product of the nation's greatness. If we are at a high level, we will surely produce leaders who are themselves superior. But if we are not up to the task, we will be governed by those who reflect our own shortcomings, and we will pay the price for it..
Winston Churchill was one of the greatest statesmen of the 20th century. On many occasions, he remarked how he drew his strength and stamina from the courage and conduct of the British people, who heroically withstood "the Blitz" and the Battle of Britain, when England's citizenry was mercilessly bombed night and day by the Nazis. They held fast, they would not kneel to tyranny, and this inspired Churchill also to never give in.
Moshe is leaving us with a crucial message for the rest of history: When leaders fail, it is because we have failed. And when leaders persevere and succeed, it is directly due to our own success as a nation. We are the mirror that reflects our destiny.
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.