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Beit Midrash
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The Torah study is dedicatedin honor of
Gila Bat Rachel
This is the second time we are taught this lesson. The first time was when the promise to bring the generation that had left Egypt into the Holy Land was defeated by the sin of the Spies. The attempts to force God’s hand met with utter defeat. Alas, there is nothing inevitable about a particular group of people’s possession of the land. No victories are a sure sign that the promise will be fulfilled through them. We must merit possession of the Land.
In extreme circumstances, God might grant us a place in the Land without merit, to save us and to succor us. But this is not the rule. The rule is that when we do not merit entry into the Land, we will be doomed to see it from afar, without being able to enter. We can desire the Land of Israel with great yearning, yet that does not constitute sufficient merit. No one wanted to enter the Land more than Moshe, yet sin kept him from his desire. To deserve the Land we must become a society of spiritual excellence in all spheres of life, a nation of decency, in government and personal relations. Obsessive concentration on "Eretz Israel" should yield to concentrating on creating a meritorious nation. "Because of our sins, we were exiled from our land."
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
Sukkot Bug-Free Sukkah: Essential Halachic and Practical Schach Guide
How to inspect, clean, and store bamboo mats and palm branches to protect your mitzvah and holiday meals.
