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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
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- 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.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Rabbis in Midrash
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P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
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.
