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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- D'varim
- Ekev
This is Moshe’s challenge as he addresses the nation; the entire last book of the Torah comprises his farewell speech. He must choose his words carefully & emphasize the truly important points & principles that the nation can take with them as they march into the future.
I’m intrigued by one particular comment Moshe makes: "He afflicted you, & He made you hungry, & He fed you the Mahn that neither you nor your forefathers knew."
Why, how did Hashem "afflict" us? G-d is a giving, loving G-d; why would he possibly want to afflict us? Indeed, this same section is filled with all the wonderful things G-d did for us in the desert, & ends by promising us a beautiful, verdant Land that will satisfy our every need. So what was this affliction, & what is its connection to the Mahn & to Israel?
I suggest that the Mahn is perfectly emblematic both of Israel & the Jewish condition.
Among the many (or is it Mahn-y?!) miracles contained within the Mahn, its most famous feature was that it could taste like (almost) any food one could imagine! Yet at the same time, the Mahn had a catch: it only lasted for a day (except for Shabbat) & then it rotted & melted away. Thus, one held in his hands something truly unique & precious, but at the same time fragile & fleeting.
This combination was what was so "afflicting." To have something so amazing, yet know it would soon disappear, must have been terribly frustrating. But, of course, this was all by design; there was a powerful method to Hashem’s "mahn-ness." He wants us to acknowledge all the manifold gifts He gives us, & human nature dictates that we don’t know what we have until we lose it. And so, ironically, it was only by watching the Mahn vanish before our very eyes that we came to fully appreciate its value.
And so it is with Israel. Whether we are talking about the first 2 Batei Mikdash, or the fantastic country we live in today, we are always in danger of taking it for granted. It is more miraculous than Mahn, & yet we often lose sight of the blessing that greets us the moment we open our eyes each morning. And that is precisely why our very existence here is so fragile, our future so worrisome, our security so tenuous. It is all meant to conquer our complacency, to amplify our appreciation, & to insure our eternal gratitude to, and dependence upon the Almighty.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
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.
