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Beit Midrash
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Yet there are numerous other subjects which Moshe Rabbeinu raises in the sedra. One of them is the Mahn, the Heaven-sent food which sustained us throughout our 40-year desert experience. Moshe says it was given to us "to test us." Yet if the Mahn fell every morning - with little or no effort from us - what was the test? And how is the Mahn related to Eretz Yisrael?
The test of the Mahn lay in the fact that no matter how much of it we collected, it lasted for only one day (except for the double portion - the "Lechem Mishne" - of Shabbat). No one could hoard the Mahn or save it "for a rainy day." Why? Because Hashem wanted us to "work" for our subsistence - with Avoda Sheh'b'lev, the work of the heart. The fact that we did not know for sure where tomorrow's meal would come from - in the midst of a harsh wilderness where no other nourishment was available - prompted us to fervently pray to Hashem & be thankful when the next day's food fell from Heaven.
In this sense, Mahn is closely related to money (mahn-ee?!) which, if we have too much of it, too easily, can often lead us to believe more in ourselves than in G-d, & become less desperate & intense in our prayers to Him for parnasa.
And this, you see, is the connection to Eretz Yisrael as well. The parsha reminds us that Israel is not like Egypt, where the Nile overflows its banks & waters the land; where you look down & you see water. Israel depends upon the rain for our fertility; here, one must look up to the Heavens for our deliverance.
The message is clear: We have been given a marvelous Land, unequalled on Earth; a land where every element of topography & geography can be found: desert, ocean, river, mountain, tropical sun & snow-capped peaks. You can scuba dive in the morning in beautiful, sunny Eilat, & slide on the snow of the chilly Chermon in the afternoon!
But the performance of the land, and our ability to live here safely & successfully depends upon our behavior. If we do not take Israel for granted, if we act morally & justly, if we appreciate and acknowledge that this is truly "G-d's country" & daily cry out to Him for His divine protection & grace, if we are willing to sacrifice for the right to be here, then & only then will the rains come and we will merit eternal presence and protection in our land.
Our neighbors Egypt or Turkey may have natural sources of abundant water at hand. But not Israel - we have to cry us a river.
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
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.
