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Beit Midrash
- Sections
- Chemdat Yamim
- Ein Ayah
Ein Ayah: Seth came to repair the world in place of Hevel, who was killed by Kayin. Therefore, the foundation of the world, which came from the offspring of Adam, came about in a way that the original foundation was destroyed and was embellished by the birth of a new offspring who would rebuild it. This is along the lines of the manner in which gehinom destroys and causes the cessation of souls in their original form. This power of destruction causes former forms to be changed, until a "new face" is created. This is what happened when Hevel died and a new form developed with Seth. The Torah testifies about him, in the words of Chava: "For Hashem has placed for me a new seed in place of Hevel, whom Kayin killed" (Bereishit 4:25). This approach of fixing after destruction is the desire of gehinom, and that is the character of its hunger [to consume all], to the point that it says, "Master of the Universe, feed me from the seed of Seth."
Hashem’s answer about the demand that all of the sons of Seth should go to gehinom is that there is an alternative – send them to the garden of myrtles. This serves to do the necessary fixing in the souls of Israel, because the fundamental root of their holy form remains intact. They do not require to be "scrubbed" in a destructive manner through the fire of gehinom. It is true that there are times when they have weakness in their spiritual power, which is a sort of spiritual fainting due to the pressure of the connection between the material world and the pure spirit. However, the remedy is just to add a good, delicate fragrance. This returns the strength that is hidden in their midst with its pure character.
Thus, the Garden of Eden itself in its spiritual form, which provides a "pleasant fragrance," which the soul enjoys, is itself the means by which the person’s shortcomings are made up for. That is why Hashem says to the officer of gehinom that he will take them to the garden of myrtle, instead of gehinom. The improvements made due to the fragrance will precede the time at which they will come before the light of the Divine Presence, which is the main goal of eternal life. The latter is, so to speak, the feast in which the souls "eat the fruit" of the Garden of Eden. It is the level of smelling that prepares the souls for the higher level, along the lines of "They will go from strength to strength" (Tehillim 84:8) and from rectification to rectification. All of this will be without needing to be purified by the destructive power of the fire of gehinom. But the alternative of doing it all in the Garden of Eden is what Hashem chose for Israel.
Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
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
P'ninat Mishpat Payments after a Gradual End of Employment
(Based on ruling 82024 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
P'ninat Mishpat Repercussions of a Sale that Turned Out Not Happening – part III
(based on ruling 83045 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Igrot Hare’aya Connecting Disciplines in Torah Study
Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook #103 – part II
Ein Ayah Energy at the Intersection between the Holy and the Mundane
Ein Aya Shabbat Chapter B Paragraph 278
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
Sukkot Bug-Free Sukkah: Essential Halachic and Practical Schach Guide
How to inspect, clean, and store bamboo mats and palm branches to protect your mitzvah and holiday meals.
