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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
- Shlach Lecha
In advance of sending out the M’raglim to scout
the Land of Israel in order to discern its
strengths & weaknesses, Moshe changes the name of
his faithful disciple from Hoshea to Yehoshua,
adding a Yud (that stands for G-d). His name now
reads "Yah-Hoshea," that can mean, "May Hashem
save you" (from the influence of the other spies).
But was Yehoshua’s name not changed much earlier,
when he began to apprentice to Moshe? And why did
Moshe reach out to Yehoshua & not to Calev? And
why does the phrase, "V'elah Ha-Shemot, & these
are the names (of the spies)" both precede and
follow the actual names? That last phrase is entirely unnecessary in the text!
Clearly, the Torah is telling us that names are
crucial; they are the key to understanding one’s
strength & personality. Indeed, the bestowing of
a particular name upon someone not only
memorializes someone from the past, but
also has the power to imbue him or her with
certain qualities that mystically will help & protect them in the future.
Calev, as the pasuk points out, descends from
Yehuda & inherits his persona. Yehuda is a lion,
unafraid to stand up & speak out when necessary,
just as Yehuda stood up to Yosef in Egypt & spoke
out in defense of Binyamin & just as Yehuda's
future descendant David stood up to & spoke out
against Galyat (Goliath). In fact, "Calev" can be
read as "Kelev," a dog, who is always ready to "bark" in defense of its master.
But Yehoshua is different; he descends from
Yosef. His family DNA is strong on holding back,
remaining stoically silent in the most difficult
of situations. So Rachel is silent when her
beloved Yakov marries her sister Leah; Yosef
holds back & waits patiently to reveal his
identity to his brothers in Egypt; Binyamin does
not tell his father that his brothers sold Yosef
into slavery, & Esther does not reveal, until the
last, critical moment that she is Jewish.
Moshe knows this, & he wants to be sure that
Yehoshua will not hold back in this situation,
that he will speak out forcefully against the
other spies & positively motivate the nation to
trust G-d. And so, to fortify & embolden him,
Moshe bestows upon him a name of strength that
incorporates Hashem as his faithful savior. It is
recorded here & now, when it most comes into play & is needed.
Alas, Yehoshua & Calev did not succeed in their
noble task. The Meraglim prevailed, sealing their
fate & that of their entire generation; the
nation would wait 40 years to enter Israel. But
now, we are here, & we must believe that we will
be victorious in the war we are currently waging,
& that we will stay in this land forever more. It
is incumbent upon us that, we, too, speak up and
speak out in defense of teh State of Israel and
the holiness of the Jewish People.
Moreshet Shaul Moreshet Shaul: Returning Torah to its Central Standing – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 312
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.