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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.
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)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
