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In any event, I certainly feel it is safe to say that for most of Israel and its citizens, the year of Corona has passed. It can very well be that all of us will have to take a booster vaccination in a few months, and that other precautions will remain in place, but generally speaking, the mood of the country and its population is that Corona is behind us. We can now try and get back to what we once thought was normalcy and usual life. However, we are all aware that the year of Corona has left indelible scars on the population of our country, and that these scars are deep and strong, even though they may not all be visible now. People are creatures of habit, and my habits adopted over the past year will not easily be disposed of, ignored, or forgotten.
There undoubtedly will be a great psychological fallout caused by the isolation, trepidation, and anxiety that the Corona epidemic brought upon us. This psychological residue and baggage will reverberate through our society for years to come. In fact, we are all holding our breath to see what the effect of a year without personal schooling will be on our children of school age. Adults will have to learn better social graces, such as they may be in this country, all over again. The question as to whether businesses should operate physical offices or continue to function only on Zoom or the Internet, has yet to be resolved. And how these questions will be resolved will undoubtedly have a great effect on our society, and on the economy of the country as well.
Speaking of the economy, how will the government attempt to repay its treasury for all the billions of shekels that were printed and distributed during the Corona pandemic? Apparently, sooner or later, someone will have to foot the bill, and there is no doubt that the someone will be the Israeli public through increased taxes and larger fees for services that once were taken for granted as being free. There is no doubt that inflation is already here and will grow. The only question is how great the rate of inflation will be, and whether it will be manageable. In any event, our ship of state is in for a passage through some very dangerous and troubled economic waters.
Overall, I think that most of us can look back with thankfulness and gratitude at having been able to survive a exceedingly difficult Corona year. Tragically, there were many deaths due to the epidemic. Human beings are not easily replaceable, and a certain cloud of sadness still hovers over our society for those who were lost during the Corona pandemic. For the first part of the year, it was the oldest in the community that suffered most and had the highest rate of mortality. However, even more tragically, if one can make any judgment regarding such a matter, the latter part of the year saw large numbers of younger people affected in the second wave of the virus, and even though the pure numbers were not as high, the psychological effects of realizing that even the young are not immune from the virus was, in many cases, disconcerting.
It is interesting that many people simply do not want to return to what was the pre-Corona years. There are people who treasure their own private outside synagogue services, with all the convenience of not having to go to the synagogue to fulfill one's prayer duties. I also notice that people are not as free as they once were in spending money, going places, or engaging in social gatherings. All of this may yet change as time goes on, as the epidemic hopefully fades away from our consciousness, but its effects are still with us. Nevertheless, we must be grateful for what is today, and for having, somehow, in the main, weathered the storm.
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
