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Beit Midrash
- Family and Society
- The Jewish Household
- Marriage and Relationships
The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Revital Bat Lea
Answer: This is indeed an important question for one who is on the road to marriage. People often date because of social pressure, parents, etc., yet they do not really desire to marry. In such circumstances there is very little prospect of making a successful match.
Getting to the point, the need to marry and establish a family stems first and foremost from the Torah commandment to "be fruitful and multiply," and from the words of the prophets, "He created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited" (Isaiah 45: 18; and see Yevamot 62).
Yet, a Torah commandment alone does not satisfy the soul. Therefore we must offer our own explanation, based upon personal viewpoint, in order to understand and arrive at a inner acceptance of the divine command. This we learn from daily experience.
And what do we learn? We learn that "it is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18) This too is a verse from the Torah, yet it is very close to reality. There are two levels of understanding in this matter. The first, basic level is that a person who lives alone suffers greatly because man is by nature a social creature. When a person enters his home and nobody comes happily to greet him, he feels somewhat superfluous in the world.
Yet this matter can be understood on a deeper and more profound level. It is possible to interpret this verse as coming to teach us that every person possesses some inner good which he must bring to realization. Alone, a person is unable to reveal the good which is concealed within him. This is what is meant by the words "It is not 'good' that man be alone," and this is the opinion of those sages who say (Yevamot 62), "A man who has no wife lacks joy, blessing, goodness," i.e., he is unable to bring this 'good,' this goodness to realization. Only through interaction with a woman does man reach his full potential.
One more general note: The unit which makes up the Jewish people is the home, the family. An individual cannot become partner in bearing the burdens of the the Jewish people. We desire to act together with the entire nation, and to do this we must find a partner with whom we can create the block which will become part of our national building, to realize communal ideals and to bear the burdens of the Jewish people.
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
