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Beit Midrash
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Yannai, the great 6th century Poet of the Land of Israel versifies this passage as follows: " You are the righteous One which makes righteous. In order to make righteous the righteous nation, you havetaught them to slaughter in righteousness (sedheq) an animal which you permitted for righteous(sedheq) offerings."
Yannai’s rendition is better understood on the backdrop of Rabbinic Traditions that were current in the Land of Israel in his days. Once such tradition which appears to be his source is preserved in Wayikra Rabbah:"The Children of Israel brought sacrifices violating the prohibition of bamoth and [as a result] retribution would come upon them. The Holy One Blessed He said: At all times you shall [only] bring sacrifices before Me in the Tent of Meeting. This way they shall be saved. (Wayikra Rabba 22:8)."
Once the Mishkan was erected, sacrificing on bamoth became prohibited (Zevahim 14:4), but the Jewish People continued and brought punishment upon themselves. God restricts the Jewish People from even slaughtering the sacrificial meat outside of the Tent of Meeting. He makes it less opportune for the Jewish People to stray to illegitimate sacrifice and thereby hopes to eradicate this practice from their midst.
The Rabbinic Tradition and Yannai’s apparent reworking of it differ in a number of nuances. For the Sages in this Tradition, God is the stereotypical maternal figure. He is concerned with the physical well-being of the Jewish People. The reason that God wants to eliminate sacrificing on bamoth is ultimately to put an end to the suffering of the Jewish People.
For Yannai, God is the paternal figure. He is consumed with the moral welfare and collective image of the Jewish People. God’s ultimate concern is to put an end to the sinning of the Jewish People, to cleanse them of the blotch that sin leaves behind and to make them righteous. This is evidenced by Yannai’s multiplied usage of "righteousness" and furthermore by his reinterpretation of the Scripture’s "command" as "taught" stressing the aspect of guidance.
God is not only judge, but as much our caretaker!
How deep are God’s interests in the welfare of His people?
The Talmud of the Land of Israel teaches us that God made certain that cases of irreconcilable differences between the House of Hillel and Shammai did not occur (Kiddushin 1:1 4a). This ensured a peaceful co-existence between the two houses and allowed them to marry into each other’s families.Here God appears to go as far as actually orchestrating history to ensure a peaceful existence for His people.
The well-being of the Jewish People, physical or moral is a deeply personal matter to God who is immersed in the affairs of His people and will go to any lengths to save them from self-affliction and self-destruction. God may be our Judge, but He is even more so our guide and caretaker!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
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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.
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.
Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
