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Beit Midrash
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- Igrot Hare’aya
Body : After all I have written, I am hereby repeating, a second and a third time, that my entire desire and goal is only to cause people to look favorably on those Jews [who are being lenient]. This is especially true regarding the holy nation who are living in the courtyards of Hashem, on the holy mountain, which His right hand has acquired, that no one should cast aspersions on them, with the claim that they are overall evil and sinners.
On the other hand, I do not intend, Heaven forbid, to weaken the resolve of those who are upholding this great, holy mitzva (Shemitta), which after all the leniencies and creative ideas to justify them, has imbued in the mitzva the great light of liberation, salvation, and redemption for Hashem’s nation. My eyes always look forward to the joy and salvation Hashem will bring, when he founds the Jewish community of the Holy Land on a stable and strong basis and sends blessing and a flow of goodness. In this way, it will be possible to keep Shemitta properly with love without destroying or severely harming the community, but rather with blessing and quiet serenity.
I believe and hope that just as we view favorably [those who are being lenient] on earth, so too will the angels who serve as "defense attorneys," who explain the good elements of a person’s actions, show how the Heavenly court should view them favorably. It is a great obligation of the Torah scholars and the righteous people of the generation to pray on behalf of the holy offspring who are compelled to follow this leniency, so that no damage or disease afflict them. This is in line with the prayer (Berachot 29a), "Whenever there is a difficult episode, may their needs be before you." It is especially appropriate [to pray for them] considering that they are doing a practice based on a rabbinical ruling, and there is no phenomenon of separating oneself [from the community of observant Jews] to sin. Even if, Heaven forbid, our ruling is incorrect, "Hashem is great, and He will not be disgusted" (ibid. 8a).
I have relied on divine mercy that the more work is done to justify the actions of the lenient, along the lines of the Torah, (and we attach the prayers of the multitude on behalf of Hashem’s flock, which has returned to the fields where it grazed), so too the blessing will increase. This will turn the affliction to indulgence (a play on words in Hebrew), and the iniquity to great abundance of good (also a play on words) on Hashem’s nation and estate. This is because one cannot even estimate the great power of the righteous and the Torah scholars when they come to find virtue for Israel. About them, the pasuk says, "You did decree with your speech, and it will be established, and on your paths there will be an aura of light" (Iyov 22:28).
Igrot Hare’aya (200)
Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
215 - Refuting Criticism by the Ridbaz – #311 – part III
216 - Refuting Criticism by the Ridbaz – #311 – part IV
217 - Adding Elements to Strengthen the Heter Mechira – #313
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Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
Igrot Hare’aya Semi-solicited Advice to Calm Down Petach Tikva
#227 Date and Place: 8 Tishrei 5669, Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya Trying to Arrange Purchase of Land in Eretz Yisrael – part II
#229 Date and Place: 13 Tishrei 5670 (1909), Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya Connecting Disciplines in Torah Study
Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook #103 – part II
Igrot Hare’aya Public Letter on Observance of Shemitta – #287 – part II
Date and Place: 4 Nisan 5670 (1910), Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya Refuting Criticism by the Ridbaz – #311 – part I
Date and Place: 19 Sivan 5670 (1910), Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya What Requires Protest? – #279
Igrot Hare’aya – Letters of Rav Kook Date and Place: 15 Adar I 5670 (1910), Yafo
Igrot Hare’aya Shemitta Work at Israel National Fund Land – #
Date and Place: 3 Sivan 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.
