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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Parashat Hashavua
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- D'varim
- Ha'azinu
Chazal call Rosh Hashana the "Day of Judgment," as we say in our prayers, "Today He will place in judgment all of the creations of the worlds." Nevertheless, it is a happy, optimistic day, especially because of our strong belief in the covenant between Hashem and the Jewish People. During the millennia in exile as a persecuted, vulnerable minority, Am Yisrael did not lose hope and re-coronated the Creator and King of the World year after year.
On the tenth day of Hashem sitting on His throne of judgment, on a day of fasting and separation from worldly matters, Am Yisrael commemorates the day on which Hashem said "I forgave." Five days later, we hold four species and leave the protection of a permanent house to live in a sukka. On the eighth day, we proclaim that Hashem causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall. Sukkot is strongly connected to agricultural life, as the Torah calls it "The festival of the harvest" (Shemot 34:22).
Let us explore an additional look at the holidays. On Rosh Hashana we confirm the Kingdom of the Creator of existence from nothing; this ‘coronation’ expresses strong optimism. Since Hashem created the world ex nihilo, He is the "Place of the World," and the world does not contain Him. Hashem is external to the world, although it exists only through Him. Therefore, the rules of nature, including that only the strong survive, do not hold sway on "His flock, who coronate Him." The eternal nation’s survival is ensured, even if it is the symbol of weakness among nations, especially during the long exile, in which it lost any semblance of nationhood. By rejoicing on Rosh Hashana while in exile, the nation demonstrated that spirit is more important than material.
On Yom Kippur, we go further – we posit that the material world is the fake world, as the real world is the spiritual one. We manage fine without eating and physical pleasures. The decisions made based on this belief last until the next Yom Kippur. The next step, Sukkot, is to show that security is not dependent on a sturdy structure. The condition is that our four species must be held together, including the arava, which is brought to the Mikdash on the seventh day, and proclaims the significance of arvut – standing up for each other.
Finally, we are ready for mashiv haruach (which in Hebrew means not only wind, but also spirit). Spirituality, the valuing of charity and justice, are what give our nation its might, not its material acquisitions. This provides a partial look at a full Jewish life.
In our still relatively new State of Israel in Eretz Yisrael, even the mundane becomes sacred. It is not enough for the individual to embrace spirituality. Rather, the nation must, while involved in agriculture and production, also be concerned about the weak in society. The court system must protect all, and everyone must look out for the needs of the other. In short, along with mashiv haruach, we have morid hageshem (geshem meaning not only rain but also the material world) – spirituality turns the material world into a tool to implement Hashem’s value system.
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
