Female LessonParashat HashavuaSeries'LibraryPiskei Din (Hebrew)Test YourselfWhile the burial place of Moshe is unknown, presumably to prevent it from becoming a shrine & Moshe worshipped, our Sedra clearly tells us where Ahron Kohen Gadol is buried. After the incident at Meriva & the striking of the rock, Moshe, Ahron & Ahron’s son Elazar ascend Mt. Hor, on the edge of Edom. Moshe takes off Ahron’s special clothes & gives them to Elazar. Ahron lays down, closes his eyes & dies (this called n’shikat ha-mavet, a peaceful "kiss" of death; Moshe will request this type of death later). Some suggest Ahron’s real sin, preventing him, too, from entering Eretz Yisrael, was his participation in the making of the Egel HaZahav. Ahron is buried at the summit of the mount, identified as near Petra in Jordan & known in Arabic as Jabal Harun, the Mt. of Ahron. In parshat Ekev, Ahron’s burial place is called Mosera, identified as el-Tayibeh, also near Petra. A mosque was built at the site in the 14th century, & Islam considers it a holy place & bans Jewish prayer there.
DO WE DESERVE REDEMPTION? “Blood, Covenant, and Return”- Parshat VaEra
Are we today so much greater than say the Rambam's generation? Why is G-d returning us to Israel & doing so many salvations and victories over Hamas, Hizballah, Syria and Iran in recent years, even if we haven't done Teshuva & seemingly don't deserve it?
The class deals with how to cleave and strengthen the G-dly trait of "Truth", the need to pray for Teshuva, the importance of returning that which was wrongly taken before saying Viduy, and other aspects of Teshuva.
Rav Kook explains why that which is learned on Shabbat is considered so much greater than that studied during the week, and why creativity is that much greater on Shabbat, for better or for worse!
The class deals with not "resting on one's laurels", and that not a few people who lived their entire lives idealistically, "lost it" upon getting older. Similarly the importance of not focusing on luxuries but on the necessities of life.
Seemingly 'Strange' Rabbinical Decrees- Not What You Thought!
Rav Kook suggests a very innovative and important "eye-opening" way to understand some of the rabbinical decrees which are particularly difficult to understand!