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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Parashat Hashavua
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
- Balak
According to the simple reading of the p’sukim, military leadership has deep spiritual roots. Avraham Avinu, the greatest leader of his generation, personally led 318 disciples, the Torah students of that time, into battle to rescue his nephew Lot from captive armies (Bereishit 14:14).
Even according to the midrash, cited by Rashi, that Avraham took "one person," this was Eliezer, who soaked in his master’s Torah and taught it to others. According to most opinions in the gemara (Nedarim 32a), including Rav, Shmuel, and R. Yochanan, Avraham’s decision to bring his students to battle was entirely positive. Even the one dissenting opinion (Rav Avahu) that criticizes Avraham for enlisting his students does not oppose Avraham’s own involvement in the war.
Rav Avahu’s opinion requires careful analysis. He states that Avraham was punished with his descendants’ enslavement in Egypt for 210 years because he employed angaria (forced labor) on talmidei chachamim. However, this criticism does not apply to the present-day situation, as Avraham’s battle was not an obligatory war. Talmudic use of angaria always refers to coercive hard labor. One such example is King Asa of the Kingdom of Yehuda, who was criticized (Sota 10a) for conscripting "all of Yehuda without exception" (Melachim I, 15:22). This refers to a civil war with Ba’asha, King of Yisrael. Asa went as far as to pay the king of Aram to attack fellow Jews in the Galilee. By conscripting Torah scholars for this unjust conflict, Asa falsely proclaimed it a milchemet mitzva (obligatory war). This cannot be compared to defending Jews under attack, where all agree that universal participation is required.
The two greatest Torah scholars, who were the first links in the transmission of the Torah from Sinai – Moshe and Yehoshua (Avot 1:1) – both engaged actively in milchemet mitzva. They thereby taught us how Torah leadership should respond to security threats. Yehoshua fought Amalek. As the midrash tells us, Moshe himself struck down the giant Og.
We will continue next week, but in the meantime, we point out that we cannot and should not force military service. This is not the way to unite our nation in this mitzva. Instead, we call upon the leadership of the Charedi community, our brothers and partners in many ways, to approach the IDF and Israeli government with the following declaration: "We want to be partners in the sacred mitzva of protecting our nation and state, as has occurred throughout Jewish history. We make this offer with the just demand that the spiritual needs of Charedi soldiers be fully ensured."
Such a declaration would increase kiddush Hashem, enhance respect for Torah, and bring the entire nation closer to our Father in Heaven.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
