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a Tzadik, a truly righteous person; that is
Noach. But there is one other person who is known
as a Tzadik, though the text does not say so.
That, of course, is Yosef. But what constitutes being a Tzadik?
I suggest that there are 3 essential requirements
to reach this elevated & rare achievement, & Yosef had all three.
The first quality is abundant love of others.
While Yosef may seem to be arrogant & conceited,
in truth he wants desperately to "bond" with his
brothers. He says as much just before his
kidnapping, when he tells the angel Gavriel, "Et
achai anochi m’vakesh, I seek my brothers." He
then befriends the prisoners incarcerated with
him in Egypt, & he not only will forgive his
brothers, he supports them in literally royal fashion in Goshen.
The 2nd quality of a Tzadik: "M’sirat nefesh,
self-sacrifice." Yosef & all his descendants,
down to the future Moshiach ben Yosef, are
willing to give up their own needs & desires for
the greater good. Thus Yosef refuses Mrs.
Potifar’s advances, so as not to disappoint his
father, & Yosef is the first of the Shvatim to die.
Finally, there is humility. If you meet someone &
ask if he is a Tzadik, & he answers "yes," then
he probably isn’t one. Yosef ascribes all his
talent & ingenuity to Hashem. "Biladay," it is
not about me; only G-d has all the answers," he
tells Paro, even though this might have caused
Yosef to be sent back to prison.
All three attributes come together in Yosef, with
one more virtue: growth. For even those who see
the young Yosef in a negative way, claiming he’s
immature & self-serving, by the end of his life
all would agree that he has become a towering, imposing figure.
So my question is this: "Are there Tzadikim
today?" My answer: "Absolutely!" But sadly, we
generally only know the truth about them when
they are gone. And so, I want to share a truly
amazing, holy "last testament" by one of our holy
chayalim, Ben Zussman HY"D, who fell in battle
last week. Here is a paraphrased portion of Ben’s
letter to his family before he died:
"I write these words on my way to base. If you
are reading it, then something must have happened
to me. But I couldn’t be happier; I feel
completely fulfilled now. My dream was always to
fight for Israel; there can be no greater merit
than to defend this beautiful country & its people.
"I don’t permit you to be immersed in sadness. I
fulfilled my mission & now I am surely looking
down upon you from above with a huge smile,
sitting with my departed relatives. If you are
now sitting shiva, let it be with friends &
family, with food & drink & upbeat – ‘kef.’ Joke,
tell stories & meet my comrades."
"But one important point: If I will fall into
enemy hands, dead or alive, I insist: I do not
want any campaign held for my release or any
terrorists freed in exchange for me. If I must
die, I am proud that it was in the course of my
protecting others, and the State."
So, do Tzadikim, like Yosef HaTzadik, still exist
today? They sure do, & we are humbled to be in
their presence every single day.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
