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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Igrot Hare’aya
Recipient: R. Nachum Kahana Shapira and R. Shlomo Rabb, young rabbanim or yeshiva students in Jerusalem.
Igrot Hare’aya (200)
Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
65 - The Relationship between Good and Bad Traits
66 - Study of Spirituality
67 - Study of Spirituality
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Body: You have asked me to "satiate" you, through letters, on matters that occupy the loftiest ideals in the world about knowledge of Hashem and the depths of the spiritual matters of the Torah. This realm has been abandoned terribly in a manner that upsets everyone who loves Hashem and His nation. We know that this abandonment is the source of our lowly standing and that when we return to it, Hashem will show us the light of His salvation, which will glow over Zion.
A young man like me would love to fulfill the desires of such pure spirits as yours. My dear brothers, you know that if I had the strength, I would not stop for a moment to call out in a booming voice to all the true servants of Hashem, especially the Torah scholars of Eretz Yisrael, to hurry with great strength to rectify the horrible crookedness and to return to the neglected part of the Torah, which is the source of our life. This spiritual study will be that which will give vitality to the tree of life, which is the broadest involvement in Torah and service of Hashem. The reason we are now so lowly and that the exile has lasted so long is that we have made the Torah "dry."
However, I will never agree that I am the one who, with words alone, can awaken the sleeping and beleaguered hearts and spirits. What can an idea or ideas that are publicized once or twice be able to do if those who hear them return afterwards to their normal state of darkness? Therefore, what I write and try to inspire people to do is to rise up and take action to help our individual souls in a way that the national soul will be influenced. Namely, by making set allotments of time to study the special books, written by classical and more recent giants of ethics and fear of Hashem, both those that are based on "open" texts and those that are in the realm of the hidden world of Kabala. After learning book after book, one must strive to reach the heights of analysis and careful reading of the texts. One should not view the fear of Hashem in the accepted way, for this is just a shadow of a shadow of true fear of Hashem, which is acquired when one learns on a regular and organized basis without taking a break for even a day.
So, no, by means of writing letters, I have nothing to add (apparently the addressees asked Rav Kook to inspire them to spiritual growth with letters). However, if dear Torah scholars (like you) will listen to my advice, they will be able to open the door of those who are dependent on hope, to return to the spiritual fortress. In that way, they can increase the honor of Heaven and the power of love of Hashem by means of the light of the wisdom of true spirituality. Then, there will be a flow of life-giving light and power along with pure humility that elevates all the strength man can obtain. Torah will then become more uplifting in all of its realms of study, with honor, wealth, and wisdom emanating from the divine wellspring. This will bring grandeur to the beautiful Land and glory to the true Torah and Hashem’s Name will be sanctified from the Land throughout the world, when the faces of all of the Land’s Torah scholars will shine.
This can happen only based on the conduit of the study of "internal Torah" on a regular basis, which is nourished by the glow of the honor of such Torah.
Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
Igrot Hare’aya Connecting Disciplines in Torah Study
Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook #103 – part II
P'ninat Mishpat Limits of Interest Rate for Loan with Heter Iska – part I
based on ruling 80033 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
P'ninat Mishpat Limits of Interest Rate for Loan with Heter Iska – part II
based on ruling 80033 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
P'ninat Mishpat A Commercial Rental for a Closed Business – part II
based on ruling 80047 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
Igrot Hare’aya Possibilities of Creating Religious Moshavot – #284 – part I
Date and Place: 1 Adar II, 5670 (1910), Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya Refuting Criticism by the Ridbaz – #311 – part IV
Date and Place: 19 Sivan 5670 (1910), Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya The Need for a Broader Education – #274
Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook Date and Place: 8 Adar I 5670, Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya Maintaining a Friendship of the Spirit – #266 – part I
Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook: Date and Place: 11 Shevat 5670, Yafo
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
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.
