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Beit Midrash
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- Igrot Hare’aya
Recipient: This is a public letter to the residents and farmers of the agricultural settlements of Eretz Yisrael.
Body: [After presenting the halachic rationale behind the sale, now Rav Kook deals with the practicalities of carrying through the sale and the situation after the sale.]
Igrot Hare’aya (200)
Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
143 - Preparation for Shemitta
144 - Preparation for Shemitta
145 - Responding to Inquiries About Organizational Affairs
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However, in regard to privately owned lands, or fields [with involvement of the community and/or Baron Rothschild] in which individuals also have various rights, we need those individuals or their authorized representatives to sell their parts of the land to the non-Jew or authorize others to so on their behalf. Since such a sale is intricate in its use of halachic principles and details, not everyone can be trusted to do so properly. Therefore, we agreed that all the members of the agricultural settlements in the Holy Land should authorize in writing the members of our beit din to sell all of their fields and trees in the best manner we arrive at. As their agents, we will sell all of the properties in the halachically best manner for selling land in Eretz Yisrael to a non-Jew to remove the stumbling block of the violations of the laws of Shemitta. This is in line with the possibilities that exist within the Torah, which make sense to improve the situation.
Therefore, we are herein sending the authorization contract. We request of you to sign it and request of each moshava’s council to confirm, attest to the signatures of all, signing and stamping that all of their communities’ relevant members or their legal representatives have signed. In that way, we can certify and carry out the valid sale in the best way, removing all stumbling blocks and violations regarding working the land and using the produce, according to the approach that we must use in our times during the upcoming Shemitta year.
Realize that one can rely on the leniency based on sale of the land, which is being done on an ad hoc basis because of the tremendous need, only to keep the moshavot going. It allows the necessary agricultural work and selling the produce as done in normal years. However, regarding things that are not required for survival, e.g., planting gardens for beauty and planting things of little importance, which are not significant for the moshavot’s viability, one should not rely on the leniency, Heaven forbid, as it was given only concerning great need. We should make a remembrance of the Shemitta year to refrain from as much work as we can without eliminating our livelihoods, and certainly from luxuries.
Regarding specifics, there are four categories of strictly forbidden work based on Torah-level law – sowing, harvesting, pruning, and picking fruit. Even after the sale, only non-Jewish workers should do these. Regarding plowing, one always needs to ask a rabbi whether a Jew can do it; it depends on the level of need. If you will have any detailed questions about the halachot of how to act during Shemitta, please let us know, and we will provide, G-d willing, a serious answer, according to our understanding of Torah law.
Any well-off person whose spirit inspires him to fulfill the mitzva of Shemitta without uprooting any laws can present us with any question, which we will try to answer in detail as needed, according to the style and language he needs. I recommend that even such people sign an authorization of sale, for a few reasons.
Rav Kook ends the letter with beautiful wishes for Jewish flourishing in the Land and the fulfillment of all the mitzvot that are connected to the land.
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Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
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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.
