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Beit Midrash
- Jewish Laws and Thoughts
- Prayer
- The Mitzva of Praying and its Value
The Talmud of Eretz Yisrael (Ta’anith 1:2 5b) tells us that the Rabbis’ search for candidates to pray for the Rains often came up not with Sages or men of great stature, but with simple people, peasants and even wanton wrong-doers.
The story is told of a man who entertained prostitutes while awaiting their clients. But when a needy woman came to him to sell herself to pay ransom for her husband, that same man simply gave her the money in order to prevent her from degrading herself.
Upon learning about this, the Rabbis declared that this man, irrespective of his profession was worthy to pray for Rain.
The Talmud of Eretz Yisrael teaches us that it is not entirely the quality of the person which moves God to respond to prayer, but the quality of the merit that the person earned! No Jew is too small, too simple or too obscure for God to overlook him.
So magnificent and powerful are the acts of an individual! Bringing down the rain benefits not just the individual who prayed for it, but the Jewish people in their entirety.
The fate of our people could very well hang on the acts of just a single individual! Not only may you have merit, hidden to you but revealed before God for your own prayers to be answered, but also to have your friends’, neighbors’ and even people’s needs addressed.
May the knowledge of the power of prayer fill our own prayers with zeal, fervor and lead us to benefit ourselves and the entire Jewish people!
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
