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Beit Midrash
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The attribute of kingdom is the last among seven important characteristics in Jewish thought. There is a kabbalistic idea that a king having nothing of his own. Therefore, we can conclude that the basic quality of a king is to be humble. Humility can come on different planes. We will present one example where this finds expression.
Yehuda received kingdom for the tribe that came from him because he approached the then disguised Yosef and agreed to give up everything on behalf of the important value of unity between the brothers. In an effort to receive atonement for the sale of Yosef as a slave, he was ready to volunteer to serve as a slave for the viceroy of Egypt in order to free his younger brother Binyamin from that fate and enable him to return to his father. Yehuda was willing to give up even his ability to rule over himself and control his life in order to create a life of morality, bereft of selfishness or elitism. He was willing to become a nothing.
As we have seen in previous installments, Kalev asked for the land around Chevron, which Moshe had promised him. He also hinted at his expectation of leadership and even referred, in talking to Yehoshua, to what Moshe had said "about me and about you," putting himself before Yehoshua. However, even as great a man as Kalev, who relied on Hashem without fear from the challenges of conquering the Land, including the giants, needed a basic building block of the level of leadership he sought – humility.
This is in contrast to the person from the Tribe of Yehuda who ended up receiving the kingdom, David. David said: "I am a worm and not a man, a disgrace of a person and despised by the nation" (Tehillim 22:7). The gemara (Chulin 89a) praises Bnei Yisrael as possessing the attribute of minimizing their self-value even when Hashem bestows greatness upon them, and they give the above pasuk as evidence of that trait.
The kingdom of mankind is liable to weaken regard for divine dominion, and monarchal humility minimizes this danger. For this reason, Yishai describes David, whom he had not presented to Shmuel, as "the small one was left" (Shmuel I 16:11), even though David was not the youngest of Yishai’s sons. Rather he was the one who treated himself as the least significant. It is therefore not surprising that we never find David putting his personal interest before that of the nation.
Two mashiachs will liberate Israel on the "appointed day" – Mashiach the Son of Yosef and Mashiach the Son of David. These are representatives of what the prophet Yechezkel calls the "tree of Yosef" and the "tree of Yehuda."
When we need to choose a leader, we must look for a person who is capable and has proven that he acts in the way that is needed. This is a primary requirement. Among those who meet that requirement, it is necessary to choose the "small one," who minimizes his own persona and certainly does not try to lower his competitors’ stature. A proper leader values the needs of the nation over his own!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
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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.
