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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Vayikra
- Bechukotai
This week's Torah portion of Bechukotai (Vayikra 26,3-27,34) – with which we conclude the Book of Vayikra – deals with one of the Thirteen Principles of Faith of the Nation of Israel, as enumerated by the Rambam in his commentary to the Mishna in Tractate Sanhedrin. The principle I am referring to is that G-d's supervision over the world includes reward and punishment for our actions. The Creator rewards our good deeds, and punishes those who disobey His word.
It was on this point that Moshe Rabbeinu forged a covenant between Hashem and our forefathers and representatives at Mt. Sinai. This is called the Sinai Covenant. Forty years later, on the eve of our entrance to the Land of Israel, Moshe again forged the same covenant with Israel.
The central point of the concept of "Covenant with G-d" is that every Jew must know that nothing that happens to him is happenstance; it must rather awaken him to take stock of his behavior. The Gemara in B'rachot (page 5a) teaches that if a person sees that he is undergoing unexplained suffering, he should review his deeds and try to understand where his behavior is errant. This will then arouse him to do teshuvah.
But if one has tribulations, yet still closes his eyes and does not do a self-reckoning, but continues to believe that everything going on around him is meaningless and mere coincidence – these thoughts themselves are sinful!
As the Torah states in our weekly portion: "If you are indifferent to Me and do not wish to obey Me… I too will be indifferent to you, and will increase the punishment…" (26,21-24). That is, if you think, Heaven forbid, that the punishment I am bringing upon you was not purposeful, I will punish you [even] for that thought as well, Heaven forbid.
We live in a period of incredibly critical events: On the one hand, our generation has merited, and is meriting, to return to our Land after so many centuries, while on the other hand, the threats to our country are growing even stronger. It is therefore our national and societal obligation, as a public that believes in Divine reward and punishment, to ask ourselves: "Why is this happening to us? Why have we not yet arrived at the promised salvation, in serenity and peace? There is no other country that finds itself in such an abnormal situation as ours!"
In my humble opinion, it all boils down to this: As long as our nation and government do not want to recognize the great value of Am Yisrael, and that our destiny and Divine mission is to bring faith in the Creator to the entire world, and to bring them the love of justice as well – our situation will continue to deteriorate, Heaven forbid.
We especially must internalize that there can be no separation between our Nation and our Land. Our entire Land belongs exclusively to the Nation of Israel; none of it must be given away. [Note: This was written not long after the unilateral withdrawal from Gush Katif, from which evolved the present war with Hamas.] The attempts to give parts of our Land to others are a continuation, no less, of the Sin of the Spies. It will be recalled that these spies were sent by Moshe Rabbeinu to evaluate how best to conquer the Land – and it was their sin in discouraging the nation regarding the Land that began the process of estrangement from Eretz Yisrael, leading to exile and destruction that has lasted until this very day.
The intensification of the hatred of the Gentile nations towards us is a result of our neglect of the Torah way of life. If we discount miracles and Divine supervision upon us, there is no way out of our present difficulties – other than to return to our eternal sources, not only in our individual lives, but also in turning Israel into a truly Jewish state, to the point that it will be clear to all that Israel is a state with the Torah values of the nation chosen by G-d to bring Him to the world.
With G-d's help, the day is not far off when Israel will do teshuvah, and we will all be connected to the G-d of Israel, His Nation, and His Land. May it be that we will all merit, very soon, to see the salvation of His nation and inheritance, with compassion and not in judgment!
Translated by Hillel Fendel.
Rabbis in Midrash
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.
