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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bereshit
- Vayishlach
he is scared! His brother, from whom he wrested
the B’chora 3 decades ago, is on his way to meet
him. Will Esav take out his wrath on Yakov &
family after swearing back then he would kill
Yakov, only waiting for father Yitzchak to die?
Now, that moment of truth is fast approaching.
But fast-forward for a moment to the end of the
story: Despite all the hype & hysteria, what
looked like it would be a Battle Royale, a fight
to the finish, turns out to be – a dud! No
fisticuffs, only handshakes; no curses, only kisses. What happened?!
We’ll come back to that. But first, let’s take a
look at the fight that does actually occur: the
wrestling match with an unnamed angel. That
encounter is strange indeed. It begins with the
Torah contradicting itself: "And Yakov was left
alone, and he got ‘down & dusty (Va’yay’avek)’
with a man." Huh? If he was all alone, then who
was the man he was grappling with?
It seems clear that Yakov was wrestling – with
himself. He is trying to come to grips with his
essential being. Who, or what is he? Is he an
"ish tam," a wholesome, simply decent person? Is
he – as he once identified himself - an "ish
chalak," a "straight-shooter" with no strings
attached? (Chalak is a term in kashrut that means
"smooth," i.e. there are no adhesions attached to
the lung). Or is he rather a "smooth operator"
who resorts to less than honest, "extra-legal" devices to get what he wants?
This is what plagues Yakov & keeps him up at
night. All his life, he is confronted with
situations that test his moral character.
Sometimes he is the actor – as when he disguises
himself to get the birthright, or uses genetic
know-how to multiply his sheep & get rich.
Sometimes others connected to him act, as his
wives do to fool him at the Chupa, & his sons do
when they use a subterfuge to obliterate Shechem, the kidnapper-rapist.
Yakov must be "shalem" with himself if he will
ever find Shalom. He is given a vote of
confidence when the angel grants him the name
"Yisrael," which contains the word
"Yashar-honest" within it. But he’ll always also
carry the name "Yakov – heel" & have to adhere to
a code of behavior that he knows is just & justified.
This, I suggest, is the same battle that we, the
children of Israel, face today. Most of the world
tries their utmost to condemn us as always the
guilty party, even when we are brutally attacked
by animalistic enemies. We are automatically at
fault, despite whatever clear evidence the Biased
Broadcasting Company is presented with. We have
to fight twice as hard to prove our case in a
topsy-turvy world where good is bad, & black is white.
We take actions no other army ever did; we help
babies while under fire in militarized
"hospitals" & we adhere to civilized rules when
the other side will not. We do this to prove to
ourselves, more than the world, that we are the
forces of truth & justice; they are the evil
party. And when we are sure of ourselves, please G-d, we’ll win the day.
And so Esav backed down, Yakov’s fear vanished &
the battle didn’t happen. The lesson: If we are
One with ourselves, we’ve already Won.
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.