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Beit Midrash
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- Igrot Hare’aya
Recipient : Rav Pinchas Hakohen Lintop, the rabbi of a Chassidic community in Lithuania. He had learned Kabbala with Rav Kook when Rav Kook was in Boisk. The two were very deep and like-minded thinkers. We have previously seen a letter between them (#184), written a year earlier.
Body : I received your dear letters with great love. Indeed much time has passed over me, during which the agitating hand of practical burden has banished me from our "Garden of Eden," from the orchard of thought and lively spiritual feeling, from the lofty light that shines on all who seek Hashem in a serious manner. Against my will, all of my speech and occupation has had to be on classical halachic matters and practical arrangements. It reached the point that I was unable to approach the root of my soul and deal with a quiet spirit with those living matters that are beloved to me, i.e., love of the lofty Hashem, which are the things we must deal with in our correspondence. That is why my response to you was delayed.
I saw in your letter to our joint friend, Mr. A.Z. Rabinowitz, that you had a thought that some sort of philosophical differences between us caused our reliable love for each other to wane, Heaven forbid. [When I saw this,] I said to myself that this is not the time to remain silent. Heaven forbid that I should leave my respected, close friend, about whom I am always interested, with such depressing thoughts on his mind. How many people are there with developed hearts, who can converse about the great matters (i.e., deep, kabbalistic ideas) with which we have dealt together from the time we got to know each other?! Although I am still incapable of going down into the deepest depths and up to the highest peaks on the paths we have traversed together on a regular basis, due to my myriad practical distractions, I will not delay anymore. We will see what my mind will raise and my pen will record during the short time I am able to divorce myself from the practical environment that surrounds me. This letter will end up being more of a reminder of our love and friendship than a philosophical study, although the latter is always the life of our spirit, to the extent that Hashem shares His secrets with those who fear Him.
Believe me, my beloved, concerning what you have hinted at in the last few letters, that something separates between us in the fundamentals of thought, I have not succeeded in understanding exactly what those points might be. I always see some distinctions between us regarding "the branches" (as opposed to the root), i.e., in the way we present things. However, since we have been exchanging letters, and since we spoke together about the thoughts of our spirits, I have been unable to find a basis for any fundamental point that separates us.
Igrot Hare’aya (200)
Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
162 - Maintaining a Friendship of the Spirit – #266 – part I
163 - Maintaining a Friendship of the Spirit – #266 – part II
164 - Maintaining a Friendship of the Spirit – #266 – part III
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Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
P'ninat Mishpat A Commercial Rental for a Closed Business – part II
based on ruling 80047 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
Igrot Hare’aya Trying to Arrange Purchase of Land in Eretz Yisrael
#222 Date and Place: 2 Elul 5669 (1909), Rechovot
P'ninat Mishpat Limits of Interest Rate for Loan with Heter Iska – part II
based on ruling 80033 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
P'ninat Mishpat Who Breached the Contract? – part IV
Based on ruling 81087 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
Igrot Hare’aya Excitement over a Friend’s New Newspaper – #319
Date and Place: 4 Menachem Av 5670 (1910), Rechovot
Igrot Hare’aya Excerpts of Letter on Shemitta – #289 – part I
Date and Place: 6 Nisan 5670 (1910), Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya Refuting Criticism by the Ridbaz – #311 – part III
Date and Place: 19 Sivan 5670 (1910), Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya Maintaining a Friendship of the Spirit – #266 – part III
Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook; Date and Place: 11 Shevat 5670, Yafo
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
