Female LessonParashat HashavuaSeries'LibraryPiskei Din (Hebrew)Test YourselfThere are 4 cardinal commandments in the Torah that require martyrdom, if necessary. Most people know the first 3: Idolatry, murder & certain sexual crimes. But the 4th, in our Sedra, is Chilul Hashem; we must not commit any act (in public) that brings desecration to G-d’s name. The Gemara says this sin may be as minor as a Talmid Chacham not paying his bills on time; or as major as allowing Jews to be killed by non-Jews with impunity. On the other hand, Kiddush Hashem is any act which brings glory to Hashem’s name & honors Him among the nations. Some events can generate both results: The Shoa, or our failure to wipe out terrorism, cause(d) massive Chilul Hashem, as the nations look upon us & our G-d as impotent, unable to stop our being murdered. This is a disgrace to Hashem. Yet at the same time, they create great Kiddush Hashem, as the Shoa victims courageously resisted, & never lost their faith, even as Jews today refuse to abandon Israel or Judaism due to terrorism.
DO WE DESERVE REDEMPTION? “Blood, Covenant, and Return”- Parshat VaEra
Are we today so much greater than say the Rambam's generation? Why is G-d returning us to Israel & doing so many salvations and victories over Hamas, Hizballah, Syria and Iran in recent years, even if we haven't done Teshuva & seemingly don't deserve it?
The class deals with how to cleave and strengthen the G-dly trait of "Truth", the need to pray for Teshuva, the importance of returning that which was wrongly taken before saying Viduy, and other aspects of Teshuva.
Rav Kook explains why that which is learned on Shabbat is considered so much greater than that studied during the week, and why creativity is that much greater on Shabbat, for better or for worse!
The class deals with not "resting on one's laurels", and that not a few people who lived their entire lives idealistically, "lost it" upon getting older. Similarly the importance of not focusing on luxuries but on the necessities of life.
Seemingly 'Strange' Rabbinical Decrees- Not What You Thought!
Rav Kook suggests a very innovative and important "eye-opening" way to understand some of the rabbinical decrees which are particularly difficult to understand!