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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.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
