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Tuesday 9 Cheshvan 5787

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 Beit Midrash

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  • Torah Portion and Tanach
  • D'varim
  • Shoftim
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Shoftim always falls during Elul, and the question is why? Elul is the month of mercy and teshuva, when the King is most approachable, "leaving the castle to go out to the field". Nevertheless, this sharply CONTRASTS the Human Court and Jewish State which is meant to do justice. Only Hashem can see into our hearts (Shmuel I 16, 7), but if every criminal could tell the Beit Din, "I sincerely regret, please forgive & don't punish me", we wouldn't be able to run a country. Rav Kook, the game-changing rabbi who was the first to see the rejuvenation of the original and authentic Torah in religious- Zionism (whose Yahrtzeit falls tomorrow on 3 Elul), stresses that Judaism reveals G-dliness everywhere, not just in the life of the individual, but even in the many spheres of the nation, which are an essential part of the original and renewed Jewish State (Orot HaKodesh 2, p. 488). Rav David Cohen, the famed Nazir zt"l, once asked his close rebbe, Rav Kook, if there is so much overlap between CHABAD thought (Rav Kook's mother family was Lubavitch) and his own teaching (of religious Zionism), so what's is the difference? His teacher answered decisively, "One must differentiate between thoughts between an individual and G-d, as opposed to between Klal Yisrael and Hashem. We're out to build a NATION" (Kol Tzofai'ch, p. 127). Judaism isn't just for individuals, but "We are preoccupied with the salvation/renewal of Knesset Yisrael" (intr. to Orot HaKodesh, p. 21). G-d runs Am Yisrael and history, but He gave us free-will and the Torah guidelines, not just to run our own lives, but to establish the most just and righteous human nation (""אשר יצוה את בניו ואת ביתו אחריו ושמרו דרך ה' לעשות צדקה ומשפט" ,Breishit 18, 19, see Orot, p. 104), "A Light for the nations" (Yeshaya 49, 6), national & universal, not just individuals. The Gazan tunnels and mass murder and kidnappings showed that abandoning Gaza was a tragic mistake and that Jewish settlements are very important not just for the mitzvah but for national security, but Yishuv Eretz Yisrael & punishing terror can't be done by vigilantes, and must be done by the Jewish State, Knesset Yisrael, otherwise it will lead to anarchy and won't be that State of exemplary Light. As Israel approaches elections, it's important to remember Rav Kook's teacher, the Netziv (HaAmek Davar, Dvarim 17, 14-16), who wrote that if people prefer that the Jewish State should be democratic and without a king, then in these generations that is what's necessary and best (for it's even pikuch nefesh to have a form of government that the people don't want). Democracy means that each side must accept the democratic outcome. It also means that each of the 3 houses of rule (executive, judicial and legislative) must each respect and work with the others RESPECTIVELY. Demonstrations and protests are also an important part of democracy, but the framework of checks and balances must be maintained. How to define the balance? Elections, but the Supreme Court must also respect the outcome. No one person is ever perfect, but Am Yisrael, as a whole is! (Orot, p. 146). It's worth noting that the justice must be found in every tribe, "שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים, תִּתֶּן-לְךָ בְּכָל-שְׁעָרֶיךָ, אשר ה' אלקיך נותן לך לִשְׁבָטֶיךָ – (Dvarim 16, 18) Every tribe represents a different ideology (Orot HaKodesh 4, p. 508) and might have a little different shade of justice, but G-d's objective and eternal justice obligates and unites us all (the 70 Jews who went down to found Israel in Egypt, and the 70 nations of the world). In addition, we say 3 times a day, ""לברך את עמך ישראל בכל עת ובכל שעה בשלומיך, that Hashem should "bless Your Nation of Israel in all times with Your Shalom". This means even during election time, when parties are busy "putting down" each other, and weakening our Achdut, we are reminded that we're all out for that one goal, to build the ideal Jewish State, which inevitably is going to balance the various legitimate ideologies, and fix the Sinat Chinam which destroyed our 2nd Commonwealth. Similarly, our parsha teaches that the Sanhedrin must be in Yerushalayim (17, 10), the national capitol. The meaning is obvious: that all of the various ideologies, the religious, judicial and national capitols, the right, left and religious, must cooperate together, which is the goal of Am Yisrael, "ממלכת כהנים וגוי קדוש"" (Shmot 19, 6), for "we're out to build a(n ideal) nation". With this Tzedek, we will in fact inherit and run the Land of Israel, "צדק צדק תרדוף למען תחיה וירשת את הארץ", 16, 20). Shabbat Shalom & Chodesh Tov, Rav Ari Shvat (Chwat)
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Rabbi Ari Shvat

Lectures at various yeshivot, michlalot and midrashot. Has published many books & Torani articles and is in charge of Rav Kook’s archives.
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