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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
- Beha'alotcha
interpretation: "As a hammer striking an anvil
emits 70 sparks," says the Midrash, "so can one
find 70 different meanings to every sentence,
every word, even every letter within the Torah."
I get this; the untold number of different
commentaries on the Torah dissect every part of
every pasuk so as to mine golden messages &
hidden secrets. But in our Sedra, there is a
unique phenomenon that is puzzling in the
extreme: 2 p’sukim (10:35-36), containing the
words that we say when the Torah is taken out of
the Aron & when it’s put back (Vay’hi binsoa &
Uv’nucha Yomar) are surrounded by upside-down,
floating nuns. Huh? What is this all about?
Rashi suggests that this small section doesn’t
really belong here, but it serves to "break up"
the long list of complaints (the lack of water;
the shortage of meat; the taste of the Mahn, etc)
that appear in this sedra. The Rav posits that
the Torah could actually have ended here, & the
nation enter Israel immediately, if not for our
descent into bickering & belly-aching. And so
this section marks the break between what could have been, & what is.
But why davka these 2 p’sukim? And what’s with
the "flying nuns" (who remembers that show?!)? I
see in this bizarre item a striking connection to our present situation.
We were sailing along majestically in Israel; we
had everything: a marvelous, beautiful country
with a strong economy; a mighty army, kosher
hotels from coast to coast & expanding relations
with once-hostile neighbors. And then, on Oct. 7,
it all literally blew up in our faces. The twin
nuns of nifla’ot (wonders) & nisim (miracles)
suddenly turned upside down, as our world went
topsy-turvy. The cry to Hashem in this first
pasuk, "Hashem, scatter your enemies, make those
who hate You run away" became frighteningly, desperately real.
The intra-Jewish fighting, the caustic rhetoric
of opposing sides sweeping the country prior to
October 7 resulted in a tragic tear of our
national fabric, inviting the enemy to take
advantage of our weakness, to sweep in across our borders & brutally attack us.
And now we must regroup, we must repair the rift
that got us here, knowing that only when we are
united, on the same page, can we hope to prevail
upon Hashem to sustain the fragile existence we enjoy in this great land.
"Nun" equals 50 in Gematriya, so "nun-nun" is
"50-50." Our survival hinges on our ongoing
partnership with G-d; it is a "50-50 proposition"
wherein we work together to repair the nuns & so
effect the nisim & niflaot that power our
presence. If we do that, then surely we will
fulfill the second pasuk & Hashem will "rest
tranquilly among the myriads of Israel."
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 3
The second speaker invited to convince the Khazar King is the Christian, who presents their beliefs. Even before the questions of the King, "between the lines", the author R. Yehuda HaLevi already begins disproving them.
Ein Aya "Intimacy: Love, Life & Giving or Egocentric Taking & Expiration"
Today, many confuse between intimacy in marriage, based on love, giving and life which are diametrically opposed to empty "sex", pornography and prostitution which destroyed the Beit HaMikdash. The practical importance of clarifying this topic in today's western society is obvious, especially for young adults.