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Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- The High Holidays
- S'lichot
Translated by Hillel Fendel
Question: Shalom. I am not religious. How can I ask forgiveness of rabbis to whom I related in a derogatory manner? I insulted and maligned them… and some of them are no longer living. Thank you. Sincerely, David
Answer: Shalom to you too. It is very moving to read such a letter in which you so sincerely express a desire to rectify what you did in the past. This is a very important step, and a great merit to make such a decision. I bless you that you will have the strength to continue and complete the rectification of the bad things you did. Making fun, ridicule and scorn are very bad things – for even if they do not hurt the subject of the derision (for instance, if he does not know of them), they actually hurt the speaker! This is because speaking in this way brings him down to a bad place, one of negativity, bad thoughts, small-mindedness, and bad desires. To rise above this is a large merit, and by doing so, you have taken an important step.
As is known, a very significant stage in the process of teshuva (return, repentance) is to ask forgiveness of the person whom we have hurt. At the same time, we must take upon ourselves not to repeat the bad thing in question. Without these two steps, we truly cannot attain our goal of rectifying the past, because the roots of the bad deed remain with us. It is very important that we learn how to change these aspects of our internal world, so that it is truly led by happiness and goodness, and to stay away from the negative places of anger, criticism, arrogance, and looking down upon others.
If you wish, I would be happy to discuss these issues in more detail with you – and if you have already merited to undergo this process, I would be happy to hear about the steps you merited to take.
Regarding the asking of forgiveness, certainly one who hurt someone must apologize and ask to be forgiven. If the person who was spoken about does not know that he was spoken about, there is no need to tell him; rather, the "penitent" should say in general, "In the past I was once angry at you, and I said some things that I now regret. I would like to ask forgiveness for what I said in my anger." There is no need to go into details, for that would serve no purpose.
If the person who was harmed is deceased, one should bring a minyan [ten men] to the gravesite and there ask forgiveness. It is important to do this, and not find excuses not to. I believe that when you do this process, you will feel a wonderful sense of cleanliness and purification from what happened in the past. Until this cleansing, not-good things take up negative space inside us and weigh down on us, and when we cleanse ourselves of them, a beautiful feeling of renewal comes over us.
I wish you great success!
Question: Shalom. I am not religious. How can I ask forgiveness of rabbis to whom I related in a derogatory manner? I insulted and maligned them… and some of them are no longer living. Thank you. Sincerely, David
Answer: Shalom to you too. It is very moving to read such a letter in which you so sincerely express a desire to rectify what you did in the past. This is a very important step, and a great merit to make such a decision. I bless you that you will have the strength to continue and complete the rectification of the bad things you did. Making fun, ridicule and scorn are very bad things – for even if they do not hurt the subject of the derision (for instance, if he does not know of them), they actually hurt the speaker! This is because speaking in this way brings him down to a bad place, one of negativity, bad thoughts, small-mindedness, and bad desires. To rise above this is a large merit, and by doing so, you have taken an important step.
As is known, a very significant stage in the process of teshuva (return, repentance) is to ask forgiveness of the person whom we have hurt. At the same time, we must take upon ourselves not to repeat the bad thing in question. Without these two steps, we truly cannot attain our goal of rectifying the past, because the roots of the bad deed remain with us. It is very important that we learn how to change these aspects of our internal world, so that it is truly led by happiness and goodness, and to stay away from the negative places of anger, criticism, arrogance, and looking down upon others.
If you wish, I would be happy to discuss these issues in more detail with you – and if you have already merited to undergo this process, I would be happy to hear about the steps you merited to take.
Regarding the asking of forgiveness, certainly one who hurt someone must apologize and ask to be forgiven. If the person who was spoken about does not know that he was spoken about, there is no need to tell him; rather, the "penitent" should say in general, "In the past I was once angry at you, and I said some things that I now regret. I would like to ask forgiveness for what I said in my anger." There is no need to go into details, for that would serve no purpose.
If the person who was harmed is deceased, one should bring a minyan [ten men] to the gravesite and there ask forgiveness. It is important to do this, and not find excuses not to. I believe that when you do this process, you will feel a wonderful sense of cleanliness and purification from what happened in the past. Until this cleansing, not-good things take up negative space inside us and weigh down on us, and when we cleanse ourselves of them, a beautiful feeling of renewal comes over us.
I wish you great success!
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.
