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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Ki Tisa
The chicken turned to the salmon and said, "Hey, why don’t we go in there and help these people out!"
The salmon vigorously shook his fins & said, "Nothing doing, chickadee! I’m not setting foot in that place - no how, no way!"
"Why not?" said the chicken. "We all have to do our part for the common good. Why won’t you help?!"
"Because from you," replied the salmon, "they want a contribution. From me, they want a commitment!"
Our Sedra begins with the counting of the people. This must have been a daunting task; Rashi says each person passed under the bar to be registered. Even Moshe Rabbeinu was fazed by the enormity of the task (as an extremely modest person, he also did not want to intrude on the privacy of each tent). And so, says the Midrash, Hashem assisted him in the counting: Moshe would stand outside and call out the name of the family, and a Bat Kol would call out from Heaven and reply with the number of souls for Moshe to record.
Which causes us to ask: Why didn’t Hashem just announce the whole total of the nation? Why did Moshe have to go around to the tents at all? The answer should be obvious: It’s never G-d's task alone. We all have our part to play. We cannot be lazy & leave it up to just Hashem; as his partners in the great adventure of life, we must be active contributors - in the economy, the army, the government, education - in every sphere of life. He’ll do his part, to be sure, but we have our own calling, as well.
In our Parsha, young Bezalel (a tender 13-year old!) is chosen as the Mishkan’s Chief Architect. Now, what is it that made Bezalel so special? Sure, he must have been skilled, and blessed with energy & creativity. But why specifically choose him, & not others?
The answer, I suggest, is hinted at in his introduction: He is called "Bezalel son of Uri, son of Chur." His assistant, Ohaliav, is only traced back one generation, to his father, while Bezalel is linked to his grandfather. According to the Midrash, Chur was killed al Kiddush Hashem when he tried to stop the people from building the Golden Calf. He defiantly stood up to them, but was murdered by the wild mob. It is this quality of m’sirat nefesh which Bezalel inherited from his grandfather & which set him apart, which passionately infused his art and made him a bit more qualified than others. Like his grandfather, Bezalel was prepared to give his all - down to his very soul – in order to employ his significant talents and play his rightful part in G-d's world.
He was prepared not just to make a contribution; he was ready to make a commitment. Are we?
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.
