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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
- Masei
Our second Sedra of Matot maps the route of Am Yisrael from Egypt to the threshold of Israel. There are 42 encampments along the way; in many shuls these stops are chanted by the Torah reader in a special tune. Yet I would guess that most people listening tend to just gloss over the names of these different stops, for what possible relevance can they possibly have to us today? Do they mean anything beyond a list of long-lost locations?
I suggest that, like every other word in the Torah, they have cosmic, eternal significance. Note that the g’matriya of 42 is "bam," as in "v’dibarta bam" – you shall speak of them. I believe Hashem is hinting to us how important it is to take the time to review the stops each of us have made in our own personal life journey & to consider what we’ve learned on that journey, how we’ve changed, & if we grew closer to G-d as we made our way from place to place.
Some of these junctures were happy moments in our life: Mitka connects to "matok," sweet; Har Shafar is a mountain of improvement. Some places represent fear or anxiety; Charada is trepidation; Ovot is downright ghostly.
But let us focus for just a moment on the quote I began with. Mara, I suggest, can refer to those bitter times when we felt frustrated, when life seemed hopeless and devoid of any real joy. Maybe it was due to the loss of a loved one, perhaps it was our confronting own failings that sent us into despair & took away our zest for life. "How could we possibly go on to the next stop?" we asked ourselves.
The answer lies just down the road. For there we found 12 springs of water. These to me represent the 12 Tribes, our fellow Jews. When we start to lose hope & become lonely, we need to connect with our community, our neighbors & our friends, for there is strength in numbers. We can’t always do it on our own; but as part of an extended family we will find the strength to go on.
And if that is not enough, there are 70 palm trees waiting just ahead. These are the 70 z’kenim, the elders, the sages, the teachers, the rabbis, those special people who have acquired extraordinary wisdom along their own journey. They can inspire & educate us, they can help us navigate the path we’re on, so that we arrive safely at the destinations of Kedusha, Emuna and the Promised Land.
Corona may unfortunately be limiting our travels these days, but a trip down memory lane may just turn out to be the best vacation that we’ve ever had.
Rabbis in Midrash
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 3
The second speaker invited to convince the Khazar King is the Christian, who presents their beliefs. Even before the questions of the King, "between the lines", the author R. Yehuda HaLevi already begins disproving them.
Ein Aya "Intimacy: Love, Life & Giving or Egocentric Taking & Expiration"
Today, many confuse between intimacy in marriage, based on love, giving and life which are diametrically opposed to empty "sex", pornography and prostitution which destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. The practical importance of clarifying this topic in today's western society is obvious, especially for young adults.