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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
- Matot
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
- Masei
But wait: Didn’t we cover this subject last week, in parshat Pinchas? So why do it again? Not just that; this is actually the very last item in the entire sefer, a kind of signature on the whole book! What is so all-important about it?
I suggest to you that the heroism of the B’not Z’lafchad is a tikun, (correction), a cure & a Kappara (atonement) for all the manifold maladies of Sefer Bamidbar.
You see, the Torah really should have consisted of 3 books, not five. It should have ended after Vayikra; after we had left Egypt, received the Torah, built the Mishkan & appointed the Kohanim & the Sanhedrin. We should have marched straight to Israel, conquered it, & set up shop as a nation. But alas, it all broke down rather disastrously.
This breakdown is manifested in 3 ways: We rebelled against G-d, when we complained about all He was doing for us, grousing about the shortage of meat & water and even about the miraculous Mahn! We rebelled against Moshe, in the popular but ill-fated Korach-ian rebellion against Moshe’s leadership. And we rebelled against the Land of Israel itself, in the outrageous negative report of the m’raglim - spies, to which we tragically subscribed.
Comes the B’not Z’lafchad to correct, with their petition, all these flaws in our national character. Machla, Noa, Chagla, Tirza, & Milka complain that they, too, want a share in the Land. But this is the exact kind of complaint which Hashem loves, like the teacher who is thrilled when his student demands extra homework or begs to be allowed into the after-school math club. Their decidedly positive plea makes up for all the previous, negative ones.
The ladies show their loyalty to Moshe by bringing their petition straight to him, trusting fully in his wisdom & guidance. They specifically point out that their family had no part whatsoever in Korach’s mutiny. And of course, they show their great love for Eretz Yisrael, in their determination to receive an equal share of the Land.
This is why the story of B’not Z’lafchad is given such prominence & why it was chosen to end the Sefer. It rights all the wrongs & allows us to conclude Sefer Bamidbar on a very upbeat note. Note that the initials of these 5 women form the word "Minchatam," literally, "their offering." It is indeed a marvelous offering for the ages.
Repentance Why Ba'alei T'shuva Davka Shouldn't Become Anti-Zionists!
Rav Kook's Letter on Teshuva to Rav Charlap
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 3
The second speaker invited to convince the Khazar King is the Christian, who presents their beliefs. Even before the questions of the King, "between the lines", the author R. Yehuda HaLevi already begins disproving them.
Ein Aya "Intimacy: Love, Life & Giving or Egocentric Taking & Expiration"
Today, many confuse between intimacy in marriage, based on love, giving and life which are diametrically opposed to empty "sex", pornography and prostitution which destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. The practical importance of clarifying this topic in today's western society is obvious, especially for young adults.