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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Igrot Hare’aya
Body : I am writing to you with tears and the blood of my heart. This is one of several times that I have received from you letters full of painful matters. However, I judge you in a meritorious way, as I am assuming that [concern for] the Torah makes you upset. On the other hand, it is possible for a Torah scholar, especially one who lives in Eretz Yisrael, to choose a more pleasant and proper writing style.
Believe me that I never thought of being one who fights with others, Heaven forbid, and it is always my way to go against my opinion because of the opinions of my friends. If I would have had an inkling that the matter of the sesame oil [for Pesach use] would be the basis for grudges and quarreling, I would not have gotten involved in it at all, even though my opinion is that the leniency is simple. However, since I and our rabbinical court (of Yafo) already issued the ruling, how can I turn myself into one who changes his mind, when in truth I have not changed my mind at all? I do not have time now to answer you on all of your specific halachic claims, and truthfully all of the points are superfluous on this simple matter. Even if I would have, Heaven forbid, made a mistake on the matter of a doubt regarding the minhag [of kitniyot], it would have been proper to be tolerant of me and to gloss over the matter with love. This is especially so since my rabbinical approbation was only for Yafo and the moshavot, and if people elsewhere use it, it is not my responsibility to protest the matter.
Regarding [selling fields to non-Jews before] Shemitta, I was not, after all, the first one who ruled leniently, and the path was already paved by the brilliant rabbis, Rav Yitzchak Elchanan of Kovna and the Sephardi rabbi, Rav Yaakov Shaul Elyashar. My father-in-law, "the Aderet," agreed to it for the previous Shemitta year. Notably, if not for the rabbinical permission, people would have worked the land in violation of Halacha, and the matter would have caused major breaches in other matters of Judaism. This is because one who acts on his own to violate the Torah will sink into all sorts of bad things, Heaven forbid. In contrast, if they act based on a lenient ruling, even if it is a tenuous one, it does not cause breaches. I followed that which I believed in, and I think that it is proper for you and every Torah scholar to judge me meritoriously.
Regarding the milk, I did what I could. I called the owners of the milk and threatened them, and they agreed in writing and with a solemn obligation that they would be present when the milking took place. What else could I have done? Hashem knows that I desire to fix whatever I can in halachic matters, it is just that I do not have the power to do it. Also regarding ketubot, it is difficult for me to reverse old matters, which have already been entrenched in many holy cities. Still, I raise the matter at every opportunity that it is better to write ketubot by hand than to rely on printed ketubot, and whoever listens, listens.
Igrot Hare’aya (200)
Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
197 - Excerpts of Letter on Shemitta – #289 – part II
198 - Deflecting Criticism – #291
199 - Ties to Religiously Controversial Events/Organizations 1. #293
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Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
P'ninat Mishpat Profits from Formerly Joint Swimming Pool – part
(based on ruling 81110 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Igrot Hare’aya Connecting Disciplines in Torah Study
Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook 103 – part III
Igrot Hare’aya Raffle of Property in Eretz Yisrael for Tzedaka
Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook: – #220
P'ninat Mishpat Payments after a Gradual End of Employment
(Based on ruling 82024 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts
Igrot Hare’aya Adding Elements to Strengthen the Heter Mechira – #313
Date and Place: 21 Sivan 5670 (1910), Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya Public Letter on Observance of Shemitta – #287 – part II
Date and Place: 4 Nisan 5670 (1910), Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya Involving Baron Rothschild in Religious Efforts – #278
Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook Date and Place: 14 Adar 5670 (1910), Yafo
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
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.
