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Beit Midrash
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The names of those first children indicate Leah’s inner trauma: "Reuven: my husband will see I gave him a son." Then "Shimon: Hashem has heard my cries." Then "Levi: my husband will accompany me." (If Leah is holding Reuven in one arm & Shimon in the other, then Yakov would have to help with the third child!).
The pasuk says, "aynay Leah rakot," Leah’s eyes were "weary;" by tradition, it was because she was continually crying at the prospect of having to marry Esav, since she was the older sister & Esav the older brother.
And yet, Leah – more than anyone else – is the "mother of Israel!" She has as many of the 12 Tribes (6) as all the other mothers combined! These sons include Yehuda & Levi, the political & spiritual leaders of Israel for all eternity, who will survive even when their other brothers vanish.
Leah will be buried in Ma’arat HaMachpela, rather than Rachel, & she is a prime paradigm of Mesirat Nefesh. So while Rachel "gives up" Yakov (albeit temporarily) when she gives Leah the secret password ("ha-chen"), Leah will show her love & devotion to her sister by praying that her last daughter be a girl (Dina), so that Rachel would not have less tribes than their handmaidens.
Leah, says the Gemara, is the first person to truly give thanks, when she names her 4th son Yehuda; "ha-pa’am odeh et Hashem." Knowing prophetically that there will be 12 sons among 4 wives, Leah understands that having 4 tribes means that she is getting more than her share. This is the essence of thanks – understanding that all we receive from Hashem is abundantly more than we actually deserve to have.
Tragically, Leah is the only one of the Avot or Imahot whose date of death is not marked, not even hinted at (like that of Rivka). But Leah, as we said, had "aynayim rakot." Read that not as soft, or weary or teary eyes, but as "long-seeing" eyes or vision ("arakot," rather than rakot). She could see into the future, she sensed, or knew, that she must bear the lion’s share of Am Yisrael, & overcome the despair & depression that resulted from the many tough challenges that she had to face in her difficult life.
Leah, the maligned, may be the greatest mother of all.
Rabbis in Midrash
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Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
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.
