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I’ll get back to this in a minute. But first, more questions!
Moshe’s final speech, particularly in the last few chapters, is really charif – biting & critical. So much talk about all the negative things that can & will happen to us if we stray from G-d. I ask you: Is this really how Moshe wants to be remembered? And more than that, should my prime motivation in acting G-dly be to avoid punishment? Just as I should not perform Mitzvot for their reward, so I should not refrain from violating them because of the punishments! So let’s try to sort this all out.
Essentially, there are no punishments – or rewards – in Judaism. There are rather consequences. That’s right; consequences that naturally flow from our actions. Each & every action. That is why even a righteous person will be negatively affected when he does a sin, for every sin must perforce bring results in its wake, as does every positive act.
It’s not a punishment, per se; it is what happens when we do what we do. Distance yourself from Hashem, & you remove yourself from His protective force-field, you fall into depression, you end up too "far away" to collect His brachot. But get closer to Him, join Him in His palace, & good things are right there for the taking.
That’s what Moshe is trying desperately to teach us, but not for the sake of being critical. He wants us to thrive & grow & be safe; he is warning us for our own good, because he loves us. He "sees" the truth, & so he tries to get us to see it, too.
Hashem wants the best for us, of course. So he gave us the Sukka, davka right after Yom Kippur. If our tefilot were lacking, if we are now in for tough consequences, then let the Sukka be a kind of "mini-Exile," a kapara & expiation for our sins. But if we deserve merit, then the Sukka is a living demonstration that we can & will survive even in cramped circumstances, even if G-d forbid we are forced out of our personal or collective homes.
Jewish history, with its shaky walls & protective cover above us is, after all, a Sukka!
Either way you cut it, there’s no reason to grouse when you leave your house; it’s great to get back to the shack.
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
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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.