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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Noach
Our fascinating Sedra includes the description of the rainbow. After the Flood, the Creator promised that in spite of how man might sin, He would never again make a flood that would destroy the world. He created the rainbow as a sign, a reminder of this covenant He made with the world.
"I have put my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Myself and the world. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will be seen in the clouds, and I will remember the covenant between Myself and yourselves and all living souls, and there will never again be a flood to destroy all life."
The rainbow - a phenomenon combining clouds and colors - is both a positive and negative sign all at once. On the one hand, it indicates that we as a People have sinned; indeed, in generations where there were particularly righteous individuals, like King Chizkiyahu, Rav Shimon bar Yochai and Rav Yehoshua ben Levi, no rainbow ever appeared! On the other hand, it indicates that G-d remembers His promise and is forgiving us. Because of this "mixed blessing," while we do look at the rainbow, we don't keep staring at it. We then say a bracha (combining two Talmudic opinions):
Blessed are You, G d, Ruler of the world, who remembers the covenant, who is faithful to His covenant, and who stands by His word.
There are countless messages to the rainbow: Its many colors may represent the spectrum of people and personalities, all of whom are necessary in G-d's world; it combines light (fire) and water, bringing opposites together; and it is like a bow, but pointing skyward, as if Hashem is saying, "I will absorb the arrow and you will be safe!"
Noting that the rainbow is only half a circle, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin comments: "The rainbow is a half-picture, lacking a second half to complete the circle of wholeness. God can pledge not to destroy humanity, but since God created humanity with freedom of choice, God cannot guarantee that humanity will not destroy itself. That is OUR challenge!"
The Corona crisis is the perfect opportunity to exercise our power of choice and "complete the circle" by following safe rules and protecting one another. What a great privilege we have to join forces with the Almighty and work together to color our world.
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.
