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Beit Midrash
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Somehow, Avraham suppresses his doubt along with all its moral dilemmas, & reacts to Hashem’s command with Emuna Sh'lema. The man who discovered G-d through deductive reasoning, logic & common sense must now put all those aside & activate his element of pure Faith.
But Avraham is not the only hero of this story. Yitzchak - no mere "lad" at age 37 - also submits to Hashem’s will. At one point he asks (sheepishly?), "where is the lamb for the offering?" but then he accepts Avraham’s assurance that "G-d will show us the lamb." Fittingly, this episode is called, "Akeidat YITZCHAK" (and not "Nisayon Avraham) in Yitzchak's name and honor.
Approaching Har HaMoriah, Avraham sees glowing clouds ringing the place of the Akeida, future home of the Bet HaMikdash & he asks Yitzchak, "Do you see the place?" Yitzchak says he does. Avraham then asks Yishmael & Eliezer, but they see nothing! So they stay behind with the donkey, as father & son go forward. The pasuk then dramatically declares: "The two of them walked together."
This Shabbat is our beloved Ari z"l’s Bar Mitzva parsha. I am thinking of all the parents who brought their children to Israel, to live in this "challenging" neighborhood, to fight like lions in our holy army against the enemies of Am Yisrael. These parents deserve enormous credit for answering the command of Hashem to come here with their families, despite all the risks that this entails.
But it is the children, the "Yitzchaks" of our people who risk their lives. They are the ones who face the knife as they selflessly defend us, who "tie" themselves down for several years while other kids their age around the world go on with simpler, safer lives. Somehow, like Yitzchak, they, too, see what the others do not see, they perceive the mountain of Hashem that must be climbed.
It is in their great z’chut that the foundation of the future – and the final Bet HaMikdash - is being built here & now. May we & they "walk together" as we proceed to Geula Shlema.
Rabbis in Midrash
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Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
Sukkot Bug-Free Sukkah: Essential Halachic and Practical Schach Guide
How to inspect, clean, and store bamboo mats and palm branches to protect your mitzvah and holiday meals.
