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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Igrot Hare’aya
Body : Beloved, respected brothers! I feel an obligation to express something to you about the way the obligations of Shemitta should be handled this year, which by tradition is the Shemitta year.
There is no need to make pronouncements about what you already know – due to the difficult situation, for quite some time, rabbinic leaders who are beloved by the nation and love it with their whole soul, worked hard and agreed to push themselves into a very small space (i.e., a difficult leniency) based on the correct approach to Torah that gives [great weight] to the need to protect the dear Yishuv. This is the way Israel approaches rendering rulings in the case of hugely important need, in this case giving rise to the customary system that uproots the laws by means of the sale of the land. True, many and great rabbis, some of the greatest Torah scholars, who also excel at holy fear of Hashem and are well respected, criticized those who gave this lenient ruling. However, just like those who rule strictly, those who rule leniently do so with a pure heart with intention to act for the "sake of Heaven," for the benefit of the nation and the Land. They act with authority, and it is appropriate for them to act according to the holy path they believe in.
Those great rabbis who took the yoke of this ruling on their shoulders drew the line in a manner that we should distance ourselves as well as we can from violations of Torah-level law. In other words, the leniency is arranged to apply only to those actions for which there are strong grounds to believe that their obligation is of a Rabbinic level; only in such matters, difficult situations warrant us to uproot the laws based on the system of selling the fields.
If we embrace this approach of the righteous, as the great majority of people in the Yishuv have done, then we will maintain the mitzva in the form that it existed [based only] on Torah law, and our offspring will not forget the existence of the mitzva. According to the degree the Yishuv in the Holy Land will expand, the situation can increasingly improve in regard to the sanctity of Shemitta as well, for the benefit of our nation and holy land, as well as the comfort of the spirit and [national] pride, until we reach the point when a new light, of redemption, will spread over Zion.
Igrot Hare’aya (200)
Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
187 - Alternatives to Gymnasium and Grafted Etrogim – #286
188 - A Public Letter on Observance of Shemitta – #287 – part I
189 - Public Letter on Observance of Shemitta – #287 – part II
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Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
Igrot Hare’aya Trying to Arrange Purchase of Land in Eretz Yisrael
#222 Date and Place: 2 Elul 5669 (1909), Rechovot
P'ninat Mishpat A Commercial Rental for a Closed Business – part II
based on ruling 80047 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
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Multiple Agreements and Parties – part IV
based on final ruling of 80082 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
Igrot Hare’aya Refuting Criticism by the Ridbaz – #311 – part II
Date and Place: 19 Sivan 5670 (1910), Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya Ties to Religiously Controversial Events/Organizations 1. #293
Date and Place: Iyar 5670 (1910), Yafo
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
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.
