YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
- Korach
of Milk & Honey, & did not bring us into a land of Milk & Honey?!
If a prize was given out for Chutzpa, we Jews
would certainly, hands-down win it every single
year. How could Korach’s rebels dare to insinuate
that Egypt was a virtual paradise, where
nourishment flowed like milk and day-to-day life
was sweet as honey?! Did Am Yisrael not suffer
dreadful losses during the more than a century of
slavery? Did we not endure horrible degradation -
our rabbis say that as many as 80% of the nation
did not make it out alive from Mitzrayim!
There are several ways of looking at Korach’s
hysterical hyperbole. We know there is indeed a
tendency of people to look back upon their past
with romantic nostalgia, imagining that life was
so much better "then" & "back there" – even when
they know that it’s really not true. Consider the
people who reminisce about life back in shtet'l
Europe, waxing poetically about its warmth & its
wondrous Yiddishkeit. But, as my Bubbie z"l (who
hailed from Zamosc, Poland) used to say, "these
are ‘Bubbie-Mayses!’" Most Jews were, at best,
wary of their non-Jewish neighbors, & their life
was a day-to-day struggle simply to survive. And,
in the end, that story almost always had an unhappy ending.
Or this may have been Korach’s attempt at
fomenting mass hysteria by creating a false
narrative, despite the people’s recent exit from
Egypt. Hard to believe the nation would swallow
it? Just look at what’s happening all over the
world, as seemingly intelligent, decent people
fall for the pernicious lies spread about us,
denying our moral excellence while creating
fanciful fiction about the "good people of Gaza."
But here’s another idea: Korach, let us remember,
was among the richest people ever to have lived
(the Midrash says Korach had free access to
Paro’s treasury). Perhaps, for him, Egypt was a
honey-pot, so he likely did miss the standard of
living he had enjoyed (in addition to being a
member of Shevet Levi, which was not enslaved).
But that prevented him from relating to those who
suffered in bondage & were grossly mistreated; so
it’s fitting that he should precipitously fall
(pun intended) from power & end up with nothing at all.
It’s not easy to identify with the plight of
others; we strive to live within comfortable
physical & mental surroundings. But now, as our
soldiers & hostages battle to stay alive, it
would be a fitting exercise to "stand in their
shoes" for a bit. To experience complete
darkness, as if in a tunnel; to postpone or limit
luxurious vacations; to imagine - as we sit in
our homes periodically with the A/C off - what it
must be like for those who wear layers & layers
of heavy clothes in stifling heat. Connecting to
others’ reality can bind us to them and fill us
with hakarat ha-tov - appreciation for their sacrifice on our behalf.
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.