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The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Hana Bat Haim
Just as it is not permissible to offer up upon the earthly altar any but the cleanest flour, sifted through thirteen sieves (Menachot 76b), and therefore entirely free of any impurity, so is it impossible to offer up upon the Heavenly altar any but the choicest of actions, entirely free of imperfections, so that they will be accepted as representing perfect, choice, Divine service.
This is what King David said, "Your word is very pure and Your servant loves it" (Psalms 119:114). The fact of the matter is that true Divine service must be far purer than gold and silver, as David says about the Torah, "The words of God are pure words, silver purified in a crucible upon the earth, refined seven times" (ibid. 12:7). The words of the Torah are purified and refined, and so should be Divine service, pure and refined of any ulterior motive.
Pathways in Personality Development (52)
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
29 - 29. Abstinence Leads to Purity
30 - 30. Proper Intention When Serving God
31 - 31. The Service of the Pious
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Our sages said, "Do things for the sake of their Creator and speak about them for their own sake," for when a person performs the commandments for the sake of Heaven and learns Torah for its own sake he ascends to the level of the Torah and is strengthened through it. He nullifies himself before the Torah and becomes filled with all of its virtues. This idea is expressed by the sages of the Mishnah: "Whoever learns Torah for its own sake merits many thing" (Avot).
How can a person even imagine studying God's Torah for ulterior motives, to use the Torah for some base personal goal, for personal gain, honor, etc? It is obvious that in order to purify the heart completely considerable spiritual refinement must be achieved. This comes through profound contemplation of the gravity of serving God. Before performing any commandment or studying Torah one must stop and consider what it is he is about to do and before Whom he is doing it.
One must also be aware of the negative effects and baseness of external distractions and alien thoughts. One must realize the degree to which selfish intentions devalue a persons actions and study. The deeper and more thorough this awareness, the more it allows a person to serve God in purity and with all of one's heart.
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Some of the material in the above article was taken from or based upon "The Path of the Just" (Feldheim), a translation of Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzatto's "Mesillat Yesharim."
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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.
