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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shmot
- Mishpatim
- Family and Society
- The Land of Israel
- Army and War
shows Judaism’s "sensitive side." 53 diverse
Mitzvot instruct us as to how we must be
responsive to the needs of the poor, the widow,
the orphan, the disenfranchised, the indentured
slave; even members of the animal kingdom.
But the Sedra’s closing section seems at first
reading to be something completely different. It
contains several mysterious episodes: First, G-d
says, "I am sending an Angel to protect you;
respect him, for My name is in him."
Then Moshe sends the youth of Israel to bring
offerings; the blood of their sacrifice is
sprinkled over the people as Moshe declares,
"With this blood, the covenant is now sealed between you & Hashem."
Finally, Moshe, Ahron & the elders see a vision
of G-d: "Under His feet was a sapphire brick,
whose essence was as pure & bright as Heaven." What does it all mean?
To me, the message is as clear as day; do you not
see it? Who are the Angels among us? Who are the
youth of Israel who protect us, who embody the
finest attributes of Hashem – Midot such as
courage & Mesirat Nefesh - whose blood is sprinkled on the nation at large?
These can be no other than the proud young men &
women who wear the uniform of the Israel Defense
Forces, who selflessly place their lives on the
line every day to defend Am Yisrael. G-d’s name
is in each of these children, & it is in their
merit, I am absolutely convinced, that we
continue to frustrate the evil designs of
millions of enemies who would destroy us. In
their z’chut the Yeshivot may flourish, the
tourists may visit, the land may bloom. These
angels in green, these green kids who traded
their school bags for M-16s, are a source of
great pride in Klal Yisrael and in this generation.
Chazal comment that the sparkling blue brick
under Hashem’s throne was there to remind Him of
the pain & suffering we endured in Egypt, when
the cruel Egyptians would place Jewish babies in
the wall when their parents’ quota of bricks was
not fulfilled. Each time G-d started to lose
patience with Bnei Yisrael, He would take out
that brick. Remembering our great self-sacrifice,
His attribute of Mercy would take hold & He would forgive us.
So the end of the Parsha, you see, isn’t really
so different in essence from the 53
Mitzvot enumerated earlier. It continues the
same theme: Be sensitive & appreciative of those
who serve us & risk their lives for us, such as
the heroic Chayalim in Gaza and throughout. They
and those like them are the Heavenly bricks from
which this great nation is built.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
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.
