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Beit Midrash
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Before the giving of the Torah, we were also told about the importance of being holy, as we were urged to become a "mamlechet kohanim v’goy kadosh (a kingdom of kohanim and a holy nation)" (Shemot 19:6). Is there a connection between the two exhortations to be kadosh?
Rashi explains that a kingdom of "kohanim" refers to officers, but he does not explain what a kadosh nation means. The Ramban says that the former refers to servants/helpers of Hashem, and a holy nation means to cling to Him, invoking our pasuk of kedoshim teh’yu as corroboration.
The Rambam’s son, R. Avraham, surprises with a different direction. He speaks of kedusha on an individual basis and on a collective basis. To understand this, let us take a look at the context (Shemot 19:1-10) of this idea that the whole nation is to be made up of kohanim and holy people. The Torah describes the preparations of Moshe and Bnei Yisrael for the great events at the foot of Mt. Sinai. The willingness of this group of people to accept the rigors of following the word of Hashem even before hearing all of the precepts in advance makes them a special nation, dear to Hashem. This is the collective holiness that R. Avraham spoke of.
Am Yisrael as a collective is holy. Certainly, when the people are united, this finds greatest expression, and we can apply "Your nation are all righteous" (Yeshayahu 60:21). In order for Am Yisrael to be considered a true collective, it needs to be free from the servitude of Egypt and possess its own Land. It requires independence, which is an intrinsic part of this ideal situation. An independent Jewish state is a holy thing that we must guard to the fullest extent and must be partners in its defense. This unified collective is called "K’nesset Yisrael."
Am Yisrael is Hashem’s "bride," and therefore it cannot be enslaved to or in the domain of anyone else. The midrash (Tanchuma, Kedoshim 2) captures this concept, comparing the situation to a king who married a woman and said, "Since you have become married to me, I am the king and you are the queen, and each of us is an honor to the other." This, explains the midrash, is the reason the root kadosh (meaning holy and meaning betrothed) is used in the people’s preparation for the acceptance of the Torah at Sinai (Shemot 19:10). As Hashem’s "wife," we became a mamlechet kohanim v’goy kadosh.
There is also an obligation of holiness in each and every individual. This encompasses the multitude of specific mitzvot of the Torah and all of the Ten Commandments. As we cherish our national independence and improvements in unity and connection to the collective, which makes us "all righteous," we will continue to strive to use pleasant ways to try to strengthen the individual holiness of as many as possible. This will bring on the next steps of our already begun national liberation.
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
Chukat "HOW ENTEBBE STOLE THE BICENTENNIAL
The Difference Between Historic & Eternal"
As we approach America's 250th birthday, it's worth remembering her 200th Bicentennial birthday, on Jul. 4th 1976, when Israel "stole the show" by shocking the world & miraculously saving 101 hostages in a foreign continent. As Pres. As Pres. Trump decides which countries get priority in his new Middle-East, it's worth reminding him of the difference between historic events and eternally historic ones. This obviously connects with this week's parsha, as well!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 6 - The Parable of the King of India
The advantages of testimony over circumstantial evidence or philosophical speculation.
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.
