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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Vayikra
- Shmini
- Family and Society
- The Jewish Household
- Kashrut
This week's parasha expounds at great length upon the creatures which we are and are not permitted to eat. Were it not for the concluding verses of the parasha, one might have thought that the essence of kashrut is focused entirely upon food.
"For I am the Lord, your God - you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy; and you shall not contaminate yourselves through any teeming thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the Lord who brings you up from the land of Egypt to be a God unto you" (Vayikra 11: 44-45).
And, again, in parashat Kedoshim:
"Do not follow the traditions of the nation that I expel before you, for they did all of these and I was disgusted with them. So I said to you: You shall inherit their land... a land flowing with milk and honey... You shall distinguish between the clean animal and the unclean...; and you shall not render your souls abominable... You shall be holy for Me, for I the Lord am holy; and I have separated you from the peoples to be Mine" (Vayikra 20: 23 -26).
In essence, observing kashrut has little to do with food, and everything to do with separating the Jewish people from the nations and enabling us to develop into a "kingdom of priests, and a holy nation." Thus, we see that kashrut observance is yet another mitzva that can only be fully observed in the Land of Israel.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
