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Beit Midrash
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- Attitude Towards Jews Who Are Not Observant
Everyone, that is, except Menachem. Rabbi Shmuel just couldn’t understand it. Here was a man with health problems, who needed a mask more than anyone else in the room, and yet he just refused to wear one. Rabbi Shmuel’s pleading, cajoling, and even threatening had been met with shrugs on the part of Menachem. The greatest logic Menachem could offer to explain his behavior was "I don’t like masks."
It was a Tuesday morning when the call came from Menachem’s son. "Rabbi Shmuel, my father is in the hospital. It’s not looking good," the son sobbed into the phone. "He has complications from coronavirus. Please pray for him!"
Rabbi Shmuel hung up the phone, and shook his head sadly. Why, oh why hadn’t Menachem listened to him? He opened a Tehillim as he prepared to recite the holy words for the sake of Menachem’s recovery. A thought struck him. Was it proper to pray for someone who had, seemingly, brought illness upon himself?
Answer of Rabbi Yaakov Ariel, shlita:
Of course it is proper to pray for Menachem. We don’t take it upon ourselves to punish others for their mistakes.
There is an even more dramatic example of this concept. If a person drives a car in violation of Shabbat, and gets into an accident, we are obligated to violate Shabbat in order to save his life. (See responsa Ohala Shel Torah, section 2, Orach Chaim, siman 56)
(Also see Tomer Devora, which elaborates extensively on how G-d continues to sustain and rescue us even after we have erred, and how we are meant to emulate G-d, and help others, despite their mistakes.)
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
