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Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Jewish Holidays
- Sefirat Haomer
discussion of the Moadim/Festivals, to the Omer &
its rituals. But what is quite strange is that
rather than discuss the Omer in the section
dealing with Pesach - where you’d think it would
naturally belong - the Torah starts a whole new
section, ("Speak to Bnei Yisrael," etc.) on the
subject of the Omer. Why the separate section?
Rav Soloveichik offers a fantastic insight.
Pesach is a time of unlimited joy & achievement.
Anything we truly desire to attain is attainable
on Pesach. The Exodus from Egypt & our liberation
from slavery, leading us to become the greatest
nation on Earth, are among the many miracles of
Nisan, & attest to the Nisim & Niflaot - the
wonders and miracles – that are possible this month.
But Sefira, counting, is by its very definition
imperfect & lacking. The fact that we are
building up towards some-thing indicates that we
have not yet attained it; we’re still missing
something, & apparently we have a long way to go until we achieve it.
Says the Rav: This is the paradox of Man. On the
one hand, Man is G-d’s greatest creation, king of
all other creatures, virtually limitless in his
ability to create new worlds. "What man can
perceive, man can achieve." Yet at the same time,
man must set certain limits for himself &
recognize his own mortality. He must never be
fully satisfied with where he is today, but
rather must seek to grow in holiness & G-dliness
& come closer to Hashem. Each day is an
achievement, a plateau - but tomorrow we must
scale even higher! And that is why the greatest
praise we can bestow upon a scholar is to call
him a Talmid Chacham, a student seeking even more wisdom.
Note that the word Omer is used not only in
connection to Sefira, but also in relation to the
Mahn that fell from Heaven. Mahn is a metaphor
for money (mahn-ee!). We can achieve amazing
things with wealth but it, too, has its limits.
So while working & earning are necessary, G-d
commands us to stop collecting it when Shabbat comes.
Perhaps now we have a deeper understanding of why
the Torah says that we begin counting the Omer
mi-macharat Ha-Shabbat, on the day following the
"Shabbat" (which Chazal interpret as referring to the 1st day of Passover).
Only when Shabbat was over, could the people
collect the Mahn; & only when the first Chag of
Pesach ends, did they bring the Omer. The lesson:
Yes, Man must strive for his daily bread, but he
must also know that it is spiritual richness - as
represented by Shabbat & Pesach - which is the
true pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Peninei Halakha 12. A Brief Summary of the Joyous Days within the Omer Period
Chapter 3: Customs of Mourning during the Omer Period
Peninei Halakha 9. Brit Mila, Hakhnasat Sefer Torah, and Bar Mitzva Celebrations
Chapter 3: Customs of Mourning during the Omer Period
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
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.
