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Beit Midrash
- Family and Society
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- Army and War
Those who don't understand how the entire country is united together in our war against Hamas, is really missing out on a unique experience of Achdut! When Edan Amedi, the super-popular singer and international TV star of "Fauda", first delivered pep-talks in uniform at the beginning of the war from the front, and afterwards was seriously wounded (BH he's better!), I said to my wife, "אשרינו מה טוב חלקנו", how fortunate we are to live in a country with more Jewish and less western self-centered values.
As most countries prepare for the upcoming Summer Olympics, it's worth remembering that 6 of the 13 Israeli medals have been in judo, almost all of them connected with Oren Smadja, the national coach of that field. I can't imagine in western countries having such a VIP, not using his "pull" to get his son out of a dangerous combat unit, if not totally out of the military. Today Smadja will don a kipa, and say kaddish for his son, in the presence of many national super-stars, because that's what is preoccupying Israel at this time. Priorities.
Our very name "Yisrael" is because "we have wrestled (sarita) with angels and man and have succeeded" (Breishit 32, 29). Rav Kook praised the sports that the youth of Israel do (Orot HaTchiya, 34), not so much to win gold in the Olympics, but because in Galut, we forgot that "just as we have holy souls, we also have holy bodies" (ibid, 33)! Just as in Tanachic times (Orot haMilchama, 2), we once again need to develop our muscles to be "healthy souls in healthy bodies" (Orot HaTeshuva 5, 1), showing the unity/monotheism of creation/Creator, but even more so, to enable fulfilling the ideal of altruism, imitating the Creator (who didn’t need to make this world for Himself, Tanchuma Kedoshim, 8), in "freeing the Jews from bondage", even at the ultimate altruistic sacrifice.
Just as it's the religious-Zionists who lead the charge in Gaza, it's also no surprise that we have by far the highest rate in the world of life-giving (!) altruistic kidney donors to strangers, overcoming instinctive & animalistic self-centeredness to be that much more Godly and altruistic. Ashreichem "Yisrael"!
In having to comfort so many students who lost their husbands and sons over the past 8 months, not even once did I hear even one word of remorse or regret for having made aliya or educating our youth to be altruistic for the sake of Am Yisrael. To the contrary, I hear words of idealism, encouragement and love of children and nation, clarifying where this unbelievable youth grew up. Yes, war is painful, but I truly feel sorry for the Haredim as well as my friends who didn't make aliya, and are missing out on being "Yisrael" in this most serious of our eternal wrestling matches with our enemies, missing out on this beautiful period of solidarity and idealism, of really being Jewish.
Rabbi Ari Shvat
Lectures at various yeshivot, michlalot and midrashot. Has published many books & Torani articles and is in charge of Rav Kook’s archives.
Additional Lessons Answering Accusations of Israeli-Occupation
& Why the Moral Mitzvot are Geared Only to Jews- Not Gentiles?
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Moreshet Shaul Hashem Is your Shadow – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 420 – an address from 1941
P'ninat Mishpat A Non-Contractor in Changing Times – part I
(based on ruling 85128 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Moreshet Shaul Our King on Rosh Hashana, Our Father on Yom Kippur.
Based on Aroch Siach, p. 221 (Rav Shaul Yisraeli)
P'ninat Mishpat A Non-Contractor in Changing Times – part II
(based on ruling 85128 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Moreshet Shaul Hashem Is your Shadow – part II
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 420 – an address from 1941
Parashat Hashavua Happiness for the Right Reasons
[With painful longing, we share these divrei Torah from our co-Rosh Kollel for close to 40 years, Harav Moshe Ehrenreich zt”l.]
Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
