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The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Asher Ben Haim
As anyone who has studied the laws of theft knows, all agree that one is required to do the natural thing, to return or pay for the object he stole (see Bava Kamma 66a). This is, of course, the case even if he does not swear falsely in this regard. When he does swear about it, other requirements and stringencies enter the picture. However, we can suggest that the Torah placed discussion of the return of the object in the context of the korbanot for the following reason.
First, we should mention the concept of gezel hager, one who steals from someone who has no relatives to inherit his property, and swears falsely about it. If the owner dies, the Torah requires the thief to "pay back" a kohen in lieu of the deceased in order to complete his atonement. Only when addressing the monetary affront can he take care of the matter of the false oath.
Someone might be tempted to mistakenly view the affront of stealing as one in the realm of a mitzva between man and his fellow man, with little "religious" repercussions. The mistake is two-fold. Firstly, Hashem is the one who commanded to treat our fellow man fairly. Secondly, when one begins to act immorally, it is not usually possible to limit it to a certain area alone. One who steals may need to lie. One who lies may need to invoke Hashem’s Name and swear that he neither stole nor lied. Perhaps most significantly, one who lowers his moral standards compromises his inner integrity, an area some refer to as a mitzva between man and himself. Once this has been compromised, it is almost inevitable that the sins in the realm of between man and his Maker will follow.
In the field of health, it has become popular to treat a person holistically. The Torah is teaching us that this approach should be applied to the health of the soul, as well.
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D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
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.
