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This week, we look at the generation of Shlomo, the king from the Tribe of Yehuda/Leah, who was unwittingly paired with Yerovam ben Nevat from the Tribe of Ephrayim/Rachel, who eventually split the Kingdom of Israel. We see the great potential of the two working together from Chazal: "Hashem grabbed Yerovam by his garment, and said to him: ‘Stop [your rebellion], and I and you and the son of Yishai will stroll in the Garden of Eden" (Sanhedrin 102a). The stroll implies that the final liberation would come, and things would return to the situation in the Garden of Eden before Adam’s sin. This is an unprecedented offer!
The Ohr Hachayim (Vayikra 26:3) says in the name of kabbalists that this stroll represents the highest level of spiritual pleasure. Yerovam’s garment is called a new cloak (Melachim I, 11:29), which the Rabbis consider an exceptional compliment: Yerovam was like a new cloak, as his Torah was without blemish like a new cloak, or that he initiated ideas that had never been heard.
Thus, one cannot minimize the benefit that could have come if Shlomo, the wisest man and the son of David, from the Tribe of Yehuda, had joined up with Yerovam, a prominent descendant of Ephrayim son of Yosef. What prevented this cooperation, and how did damage emerge?
Shlomo identified the potential of a young Yerovam, whom the navi calls a young brave soldier who was talented in work, and he appointed him to be in charge of all of the "work of the House of Yosef" (Melachim I, 11:26-28). Yerovam was apparently active in Shlomo’s massive construction projects. A problematic part of this work, third in importance, after the Beit Hamikdash and Shlomo’s own palace, was the extensive palace of the daughter of Paroh, in a section called the Milo (ibid. 9:16,24).
A pasuk implies that Yerovam was incensed by Paroh’s daughter’s palace, near the Beit Hamikdash. The cantillation of the description of Yerovam’s distancing himself from Shlomo interestingly makes a major break between "the king" and "Shlomo" right before mentioning the building of the Milo (ibid. 11:27). This hints that Shlomo’s mistake of giving undeserved importance to Paroh’s daughter was a major factor in weakening his position as sole king of Israel. So, while Yerovam sinned by rebelling against Shlomo, Shlomo was also wrong.
Chazal summed up their criticism of the failure to unite the nation under the joint leadership of the sons of Leah and of Rachel with the following statements in Shabbat (56b): "When Shlomo married Paroh’s daughter, Gavriel went down and drove a reed into the sea, which caused a landfill upon which the great city of Rome was built… On the day Yerovam brought two golden calves into Beit El and in Dan, a shack was built, and this is Italy that belongs to the Greeks."
Rome, the capital of Italy, destroyed the Second Temple, which could only be destroyed after the first one was destroyed. Thus, Shlomo’s marriage to the daughter of Paroh and Yerovam’s sins caused national rupture and disunity, which caused the destruction of both Temples.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
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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.
