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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
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Para Aduma! The ritual of the Red Heifer is so
mystifying that even the wise King Solomon was
stumped. Particularly puzzling is the fact that
the Kohen who administers this elaborate rite -
which helps to make others Tahor, spiritually
pure – will himself become tamei, spiritually
impure, at least until evening. Why is this?
Far be it from me to try to understand what
Shlomo haMelech could not. But – one lesson
clearly emerges from this Mitzva: If you want to
purify someone else, you had better be prepared
to endure some "tuma" yourself.
Wow, what a message for our times!
How often do we encounter so-called "righteous"
people who refuse to "dirty their hands" by
associating with those whom they deem less
learned, less observant, less pure than they are?
Barricaded either socially or spiritually, they
shield themselves from the masses, fearing that
they will be "contaminated" by others if they get
too close. Alas, they just don't get it.
I suggest that the Red Cow's enigma helps to
explain the strange behavior exhibited in the
last two Sedrot. In Shlach, the Meraglim - Spies
reject Hashem's promise & spurn Eretz Yisrael.
How could such noble people, who had seen
G-d in all His glory, do this? I suggest it is
because these people had lived a 100% pristine
spiritual existence: they were fed Manna from
heaven; protected by Divine clouds; taught by
Moshe himself, treated to a daily dose of
miracles. And now, they should get their hands
filthy by engaging in politics, commerce,
military service & the everyday trappings of national life? No way!
Korach, for his part, suffered from the very same
type of paranoia. He could not bear to think of
himself as anything but the leader. "After all,"
he proudly boasts, "look at the high-class stock
I come from! I am royalty! Should I be treated
like some common commoner?! The cheek of it all!" Oy, what a tzadik!
To be a Jewish leader & purify the nation, one
has to be prepared to go, literally, into the
trenches with "amcha," as Avraham, Moshe & Rabbi
Akiva did, & as Moshiach will do. The tragic
approach of so many "so-called "leaders" in high
places who look down (both literally &
figuratively) upon others & say, "Come up here,
to me!" will never succeed. They need to climb
down from their ivory towers & pull the people up to them.
Yes, it does indeed takes guts to get down &
dirty, but then, Geula-Redemption is not for COW-ards.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
