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Beit Midrash
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- Igrot Hare’aya
Recipient: Rav Chaim Berlin, the great giant, the glory of Israel, its crown and pride among Israel and humanity. [Rav Chaim Berlin was the oldest son of the Netziv, the rosh yeshiva of the Volozhin Yeshiva, and rebbe of Rav Kook. At the time, Rav Berlin was Chief Rabbi of Moscow.]
Greeting: The dear greetings of your exalted greatness, my master shlita, appeared yesterday. My eyes saw and rejoiced, for the righteousness of the exalted master shlita aroused him to strengthen the hands of those who work in the field of sanctity with words of grace and honor. May our praise be upon you. The strength of the lion among the group should be great.
Igrot Hare’aya (200)
Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
3 - Departure of an Uncle to Eretz Yisrael
4 - A Smaller Shas
5 - Advice from an Older Brother
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There is another new idea, which with Hashem’s help we are not far from carrying out. I want to present it to you to know what your exalted opinion is on the matter. I recently had the idea to make a proposal to the leaders of the generation to embark on a lasting project which could be of great value for the study of the holy Torah. I refer to publishing an edition of the Talmud Bavli in a small format [i.e., without the standard commentaries], along the lines of the small Tanach that was published in Berlin and Leipzig, not with big letters like the recently published Mishnayot. That way the whole Shas will comprise a small volume, I believe not more than three times that of the Tanach.
This will bring great benefit in creating people with broad knowledge of the Talmud in our nation. The scarcity of volumes of the Talmud was already raised several generations ago by those like the Maharal of Prague. The main reason for the shortage is the big format. While I could go on at length, this is not necessary before someone as great as you.
If we print some 10,000 copies, we could sell each Shas for 1 silver ruble and still make a nice profit, even though that is not our interest. In any case, any profits would go toward a special fund that would slightly help to raise the standing of the Torah, with Hashem’s help.
The one thing we would need is to print on the bottom a short commentary based on the most critical excerpts of Rashi, which is what is needed for those who are just reviewing what they have already learned to remind them of matters. I am attaching a sample page.
This would be too much work for one person, but I would call for a meeting of the generation’s leaders, and everyone would commit to doing one massechet or more. The matter should not be derailed, so we can finish quickly. Since I am young, I would just follow along the giants of the generation, and my illustrious father-in-law, the Chief Rabbi of Ponovitch, would orchestrate the holy work. Hopefully, we will quickly have a volume for those who have learned from the large Shas editions and will review with this one. I would greatly appreciate if you could take part in one or both of the projects, as we need a commentary using footnotes like the Zera Yisrael edition of Mishnayot.
Since such a printing will cost 7-8,000 rubles, which I cannot raise, I will need to enlist helpers for this project. If 20-30 friends can all lend some money, we can have the matter done promptly. There is no chance of loss according to my understanding of the field, and one of the great leaders will be in charge of receiving donations and passing them on to the publisher.
I would appreciate your lofty response on all of these matters.
Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
P'ninat Mishpat Limits of Interest Rate for Loan with Heter Iska – part II
based on ruling 80033 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
P'ninat Mishpat A Commercial Rental for a Closed Business – part II
based on ruling 80047 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
Igrot Hare’aya Raffle of Property in Eretz Yisrael for Tzedaka
Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook: – #220
Igrot Hare’aya Refuting Criticism by the Ridbaz – #311 – part III
Date and Place: 19 Sivan 5670 (1910), Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya Concern for Communal Kashrut Standards – #288, 290
Date and Place: 4 Nisan 5670 (1910), Yafo
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
