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Beit Midrash
- Jewish Laws and Thoughts
- Jewish Thought
- G-d's leadership in the world
A. The Prophet Yirmiyahu said: 'By the command of the Most High, neither good nor evil come' (Eichah 3,38). The Midrash explains that this means that ever since the day that G-d "set before you today life and good, etc." (Deut. 30,15), neither good nor evil comes from His command, but rather as a result of man's good or bad deeds.
G-d, for His part, would be happy to shower upon us only goodness. The problem is that we falter and commit sins, and this is what prevents us from receiving His infinite abundance. We take ourselves to places that G-d knows that if He were to give us goodness, it could harm and even destroy us. As such, it is we ourselves who cause suffering to come upon us.
We thank G-d for not despairing of us or giving up. He rather gives us chance after chance, keeping His eye on us even via the troubles we undergo. He measures out the exact amount of suffering that will cause us to return to ourselves and rise up, and thus be worthy of His salvation. What we are thanking G-d for is His constant supervision and providence.
Rabbi Yehoshua Weitzman
G-d's leadership in the world Doesn't G-d Also Cause the Harm in the First Place?
Translated and edited by Hillel Fendel
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
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.
