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Beit Midrash
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No doubt God judges the individual and weighs his or her merits against his or her demerits. However, God also judges the Jewish People as a national entity. In describing the attitude of the Jewish People on Rosh Hashanah, the Talmud of Eretz Yisrael states: "But Israel wear white, eat, drink, are merry and trim their beards because they know that God will do miracles for them." (Rosh Hashanah 1:3, 7b)
Here we discern quite clearly that God also judges the Jewish People as a whole and by their collective merits. Generally, He is keen on finding their merits and tends not only to forgive the Jewish People for their iniquity but also clears their slate to the point that He is ready to do miracles for them
The iniquitous minority shares the fate of the meritorious majority. But by the same token the meritorious minority also shares the fate of the iniquitous majority.
The Talmud of the Land of Israel examplifies this as well: Rabbi Ze’ira in the name of Rabbi Haninah said: What should the great people of the generation do? For the congregation (tsibbur) is judged by its majority for we find that all thirty years that the Jewish People were like excommunicated God did not speak to Moses as it says: "And it was when all the Men of Battle ceased to die from amidst the People" (Deut. 2:16). What does it say right after that? "And God spoke to me saying etc." (ibid 17). (Ta’anith 3:4)
God closed Himself to the Jewish People for thirty years and during that time He would not even speak to the righteous prophet Moses, the very same man who God would speak with face to face.
The significance and implications of these passages are far reaching. When misfortune falls upon a person it is not necessarily his or her fault, but the repercussions of God's decree upon the Jewish People. This may be even more so true (as we see on Rosh Hashanah) in the contrary situation.
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
