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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Lech Lecha
The midrash (Tanchuma, Lech Lecha 3) teaches that this lack of certainty indeed increased the difficulty of the test to which Avraham was put. Because Hashem did not tell Avraham where the place was, it was a test within a test. The midrash says that despite not knowing where he was to go, Avraham packed up his possessions, took his wife, and started traveling. However, it still does not say how Avraham found out where to go.
The Midrash Hagadol suggests that the word for "I will show you" can be read in a way that hints at the land in which Hashem’s "eyes" are found (see Devarim 11:12), upon which Avraham responded that he was ready to go to where Hashem wanted him to. This explains why it was Eretz Yisrael, but once again not how Avraham found it.
The Ramban (who, like Avraham, moved to Eretz Yisrael) explains that Avraham wandered from nation to nation until he came to the Land of Cana’an, where Hashem told him that this is the place He was giving to his descendants. That is what Avraham meant by "when Hashem made me wander from my father’s house" (Bereishit 20:13). So, according to the Ramban, Avraham was not told anything until he finally got there. This is also the approach of Rabbeinu Meyuchas (an early Rishon commentary).
The author of the Tur found a numerical hint, as he often does. "Ar’eka" (I will show you) has the same numerical value (222) as "ba’ananim" (in the clouds). This hints that the clouds went in front of Avraham and guided him as to where to go. Along these lines, we can find a hint at this phenomenon being a regular sign. The language that begins our parasha is basically repeated when Avraham takes to the road to go to the Land of Moriah to offer his son Yitzchak to Hashem (Bereishit 22:2). Here too, while Hashem told Avraham to go the region of Moriah, he did not know to which mountain. Chazal tell us that Avraham saw from a distance a special cloud upon the mountain, which showed that that was the one (Bereishit Rabba 56:1). So it was the same system of identification by clouds used coming to the Land and finding the sacred mountain many years later within it. There was also a special cloud over the tent of Sarah, there was one accompanying Bnei Yisrael in the desert, one that covered the Mishkan, and one that covered the Beit Hamikdash hundreds of years later at the time of Shlomo. When we sit each year in the sukka, we also commemorate the clouds of our illustrious past.
We pray that we will in the near future also see the special cloud on the top of the mountain and in fact over all of Eretz Yisrael, the Land upon which Hashem sets His eyes all year.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
