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Beit Midrash
- Jewish Laws and Thoughts
- Personality Development
- Pathways in Personality Development
Whoever has read the life story of the righteous Rabbi Aryeh Levin can certainly attest to the positive impact it made upon him and the many good thoughts it awakened in him. When a person reads about great Torah scholars, their diligence and devotion to the Torah, he himself becomes inspired to devote himself to the Torah. When a person reads about the sages' love for humankind, one becomes filled with such a love himself.
Therefore, parents who wish to instill in their children a love for the Torah, kindness, and good character traits, should give their children books on the lives of the sages of Israel. As a matter of fact, it certainly does not hurt for the parents themselves to read such books.
Pathways in Personality Development (52)
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
43 - 43. Cautiously Stringent
44 - 44. Tales of the Sages
45 - 45. Conceit and Divine Service
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Sometimes David pours out his soul before the Almighty while he is pained and beleaguered; he supplicates Him like a child turning to his father for help. At other times, in a state of joy, David sings and praises God for all His kindness. David accepts everything submissively, with humility, and one who reads David's hymns in the book of Psalms cannot help but marvel at his piety.
It goes without saying that a person is able to acquire piety through contemplating God's grandeur, majesty, and extreme benevolence, as well as His great love for the nation of Israel and the preeminence of the Torah and its commandments. The more a person ponders and probes all this, the more infused he becomes with a burning desire to cling to the Almighty.
Conversely, the concerns and worries of daily life impede such contemplation and make it difficult for a person to acquire piety. Therefore the sages teach, "The divine presence does not dwell where there is sadness . . . It dwells only where there is the joy of the commandments."
And the thing that can keep a person from worrying is trust in God - the faith that everything comes from God and that God gives each individual exactly what he needs to have. This does not mean that a person can sit around doing nothing and make no effort whatsoever to support himself. Though a person is obligated to earn a living, he must be aware that his success results from God's blessing, not from the degree of his efforts.
Therefore, a person should place his trust entirely in God, for He "cares for all, and His kindness extends to all of His handiwork" (Psalms 145:9). Everything He does is for the best, and when a person places his trust in God, all of his worries disappear. Then there is room in his heart for piety and pure service of God.
Rabbis in Midrash
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Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
Sukkot Bug-Free Sukkah: Essential Halachic and Practical Schach Guide
How to inspect, clean, and store bamboo mats and palm branches to protect your mitzvah and holiday meals.
