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Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Jewish Holidays
- Passover - Pesach
The famed Nazir of Yerushalayim, R. David Cohen, among the closest students of Rav Kook, once asked him: if both religious-Zionism and Chabad love & care about each and every Jew & their observance, and both take the ge'ula seriously as realistic and genuine, so what's the difference? Rav Kook answered: "We are out to build the nation" (Introduction to Orot HaKodesh, p. 21). We appreciate & support all streams of Judaism for their positive contributions, but today's current strengthening of Breslav chassidut sharpens this point even more, where the focus is upon MY individual connection with G-d (as opposed to Chabad, where it's EVERY individual's), while relatively ignoring the status of Jewish national spirituality, security & physical welfare.
This year's unique "Erev Pesach which falls on Shabbat" situation drives this point home (as does selling chametz, Shemitta observance, and many other issues), regarding questions like: what hotels will serve for the double-challah obligation at the 3 Shabbat meals? Without going into all of the details, even in the private home, there's no perfect solution (we don't want chametz Challa around the house especially while hosting our grand-children; matzah is prohibited; after the morning- chametz is prohibited; there's a difference of opinion between Ashkenazim and Sefaradim regarding egg matzah; frying/boiling and then drying matzah is technically infeasible for so many people when there is so much going on at home: finishing Pesach cleaning, preparing for Shabbat, and for the Seder)! How much more so multiply this complexity many times over in hotels. But have you thought of what the entire Israeli army should do, where it's not just individual affluent families who volunteer to enter this hotel predicament, but rather MANDATORY IDF service for all 18-21 year-olds on a national level?! Especially now during war, when there are more than 100,000 soldiers and thousands of army bases involved!
An individual family can be machmir (stringent) upon themselves to choose the best among problematic solutions, but hotels, and how much more so a national army, simply cannot. Anyone who cares about Am Yisrael realizes that we must "shift gears" regarding the "klali" halacha of a Jewish State, where it's not just a difficulty of quantity (both technically and costly), but in a DEMOCRATIC nation of over 7 million Jews, there are obviously going to be many various customs and levels of observance, where there's both a highest and lowest common denominator, and either way, many will feel slighted.
My Haredi relatives in Brooklyn don't even think about such questions, but anyone who cares about Am Yisrael definitely does! A Haredi living in Israel hopefully at least thinks about the question, but then probably sticks his head in the sand, for not wanting to get involved and possibly sacrificing a tiny part of his personal share in the "world-to-come", for the sake of the national Jewish need.
The issue comes to the fore now where Haredim know very well that their not serving in the IDF is forcing more and more girls into battle units, with all of the technical and modesty issues involved, for all other (including orthodox) Jews aside themselves. They are against drafting both Haredim and girls, and in the meantime haven't even taken the trouble to publicize which they prefer: saving their own boys' "spirituality" while sacrificing the religiousity of the army and the nation, or vice-versa. And what about compromising Jewish security, for the level of those combat units will be lowered to suit the girls' physical capabilities, or do they only consider their individual selves? I truly hope that war will not strike Haredi neighborhoods, but if so, they might begin to understand that Israel "is really" in danger.
The IDF has grappled with similar questions every Pesach like negating the holiday-joy of Sefaradic soldiers to effectively eat just potatoes (especially immediately before Pesach where matzah is prohibited) instead of their rich cuisine of satiating kityniyot including: corn, rice, peas, beans… What about R. Yisrael Salanter's saying, "my fellow Jew's (or in our case: Jews'!) physical needs are my spiritual needs"!
The IDF Rabbinate ruled that the army's order (based on the inability to kasher thousands of army bases on the last 4 days!) to not bring chametz into any army base already the week before Pesach, deems the custom of placing 10 morsels of bread for bedikat chametz impossible & illegal. This halachically non-essential custom would be seen by most Haredi Jews as an afront to their religious freedom, but what do they expect the IDF to do?!!
A childish response would be to say "it's their problem", but that's clearly not Judaism. In case you haven't noticed, the G-d Who runs history and brings our national redemption, has decided to force us to take our head out of the sand. Statistically, according to the #1 Jewish demographer Prof. Sergio Della-Pergola, by the end of the 21 st century, 20 million Jews (about 80% of world Jewry) will be living in Israel and (as life-expectancy advances), yes, many of you will still be around! Yes, our loving Father is good enough to redeem Israel and extend our life-expectancy, but keeping one's head in the sand for too long will begin to be dangerous! Especially as Haredim will begin to approach the 50% mark of the national 18 year-olds. The national orientation must eventually change (or more accurately, return to the original).
Such a "klali" altruistic national mindset will inevitably return all religious to the authentic Torah outlook & realization, that we are not individuals in a tiny shtetl, but once again, we are the authentic Am Yisrael with the Living Torah, who really care not just for ourselves, but about EACH OTHER'S religiosity AND security. With all true respect which we obviously have to always do double-Chalot, and customs regarding kitniyot on Pesach, every (even non-Zionist) rabbi will agree that the present Milchemet Mitzva (saving Israel, Rambam, hil. Milachim u'Milchamoteihem 5, 1 & 7, 4) which should be pre-occupying all of us, is an even greater mitzvah than all these aforementioned examples which are preoccupying us.
Rabbi Ari Shvat
Lectures at various yeshivot, michlalot and midrashot. Has published many books & Torani articles and is in charge of Rav Kook’s archives.
Additional Lessons Answering Accusations of Israeli-Occupation
& Why the Moral Mitzvot are Geared Only to Jews- Not Gentiles?
Ein Aya Practical Tricks How Not to Accept Gossip by Giving the Benefit of the Doubt
Ayn Aya, Shabbat v, 65
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.
