YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
- Naso
We start with Sotah. A man suspects his wife of infidelity, & so she may be placed "on trial" before the Kohen. But the wife isn't the only one held up for scrutiny. Her husband is also viewed with disdain by Chazal. Says Rashi: "This section follows that of the gifts given by the people to the Kohen." Why? This man was arrogant and withheld his gift; now he is forced to face the Kohen & thus have to reveal his embarrassing family situation.
It comes down to Control. This husband did not want to cede control of any of his assets to the Kohen ("Why should I give up what is mine?" he thought); & he also wanted to control his wife. Now, his life is out of control & he must submit to the will of others & their judgment.
The Nazir also has control problems. He fears that he cannot control his actions & will be tempted to sin. So he makes a vow to retreat from life, to limit his interaction with others - at parties, even at funerals - & become a kind of "Jewish monk." So Rambam says he must atone for his abstinence & learn to master his temptations, so that he can both avoid sin and still interact with society.
Birkat Kohanim: Why is it davka the Kohen who delivers this blessing? If it comes from Hashem, then let G-d bestow it upon us Himself! And why must the Kohen cover himself with a Talit & hide his face? This, too, is all about Control: Yes, Man does indeed have the power to evoke bracha, to bring Divine favor upon the world. But lest one forget that the blessing emanates from G-d & the Kohen believe that he is the source, that he controls the flow, he goes "undercover" & turns "invisible," sublimating his role in deference to the power of Hashem.
Which brings us to Shavuot: A symbiotic relationship exists between Torah & Am Yisrael: The Torah can only find expression, or "live," through the Jewish People, & we cannot live - spiritually or physically - without Torah. We need & depend upon each other (thus "Yisrael" is an acronym for "Yesh shishim ribo otiyot l'Torah" - there are 600,000 letters in the Torah, one for each person).
In a sense, the Torah "controls" us, guiding our every act. Yet at the same time, it is we who control it, for without our partnership, it is merely a lifeless piece of parchment. When each of us does our share, we bring happiness, harmony, & blessing to our lives. Chag Sameach!
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
