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Beit Midrash
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Words have a power all their own; in fact, words create reality! So the Torah says: "All that comes out of our mouth, we shall do." And so when we make a promise, we are bound to keep it. That is why the Hebrew word for "word" is "mila" – which connects to brit mila. We "write a covenant" each time we utter a pledge or a promise.
Words can be wonderfully constructive: we can use them to pray, to study, to bless or to complement others, to spread wisdom by teaching that which we have learned. But words can also be destructive, such as when we disparage or slander others, when we curse, or when we let our anger get the best of us & say something harsh.
In our Sedra, Moshe loses his temper when he learns that the army officers leading the war against Midian spared the Midianite women, who had seduced the Jewish men. As a result of this outburst of anger, Moshe momentarily forgot the specifics of the laws of kashering (the captured vessels of the Midianites) & so Elazar HaKohen had to teach these laws to the nation. Says Rashi: "Anger will always lead to mistakes."
I would argue that righteous indignation is a positive side of anger; we should get riled up when we see injustice or inequality, & do something about it. But most anger is unhealthy & unproductive, & can only injure us. I want to suggest that abiding anger comes from 3 primary places:
First, it stems from an inflated ego. When we think that everything is coming to us, we tend to get mad when things don’t go our way. A modest person is much more inclined to "go with the flow" than a conceited individual.
Anger also connects to jealousy. When we see someone accomplishing something that we feel we could be doing, we get frustrated, & this leads to anger. When we sense that we’ve not lived up to our own potential, we tend to lash out, as a way of deflecting our disappointment with ourselves, & this is expressed in angry words or actions.
Finally, anger indicates a basic lack of faith. Once we do our best, then we have to trust that whatever happens to us is from Hashem, & for the best. We all have had things happen to us that seemed bad, yet turned out well.
So lower your pride, lift your faith, & let your anger go!
Texts of Jewish Thought Why are Tanach Heroes Also Physically Strong and Military Heroes?
Rav Kook, Orot Hamilchama - Part II
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 5- "Proofs of G-d"
This may be the most important class of the entire book, where we finally get to the Jewish proof of the existence of G-d and truth of the Torah. We should follow His own direction where He tells us how to get to Him: through the Nation of Israel: Jewish history, Jewish prophets (and today, prophecies fulfilled), and national reward & punishment towards Am Yisrael.
Ein Aya One Humanity, One Creator, One Jerusalem
Rav Kook innovatively and beautifully explains this aggadeta where our sages say that after Jerusalem was destroyed her cinnamon fragrance is only found locked in a particular kingdom's treasury.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 3
The second speaker invited to convince the Khazar King is the Christian, who presents their beliefs. Even before the questions of the King, "between the lines", the author R. Yehuda HaLevi already begins disproving them.
Ein Aya "Intimacy: Love, Life & Giving or Egocentric Taking & Expiration"
Today, many confuse between intimacy in marriage, based on love, giving and life which are diametrically opposed to empty "sex", pornography and prostitution which destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. The practical importance of clarifying this topic in today's western society is obvious, especially for young adults.