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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- D'varim
- Ha'azinu
It is apparently not sufficient to merely do but one must also have the ability to listen and understand. The Mishna tells us that there is an echo of Sinai that may be heard every day of our lives. Many Jews do not hear that echo of holiness and purpose simply because they do not listen for it. The voice of Sinai, like the voice of Haazinu itself, is an inner voice that emanates from our souls and conscience. It instinctively tells us what is right and what is wrong, what we should do and what we should avoid doing.
But the inner voice, persistent as it may be, can easily be ignored and tuned out. If we are not willing to hear it out and truly listen to its message it eventually becomes fainter and fainter until even if we now wish to listen to it, its lack of strength prevents our hearing it. Therefore, at all costs in life, we have to concentrate on listening, on hearing the echo of Sinai within us and then acting accordingly to its bidding and advice.
Listening may often be difficult. We are innately averse to hearing criticism of ourselves and our behavior, especially if it is of the "constructive" sort. But being able to hear what others say about us, to listen carefully, even if one feels the words and accusations to be unjustified, is the mark of holiness and commitment to self-improvement.
Rabbi Yisrael Lipkin of Salant, the great founder of the mussar movement of nineteenth century Lithuania, once interpreted a verse in psalms thusly: The verse reads "that when people who seek to do me harm rise up against me, let my ears hear them." The plain and simple explanation is that when people can arise to harm me, let me have advance warning so that I can prevent their plans from actualizing.
But Rabbi Yisrael put a different twist on it. He said that when people who are my critics, who do not especially like me and vice versa, come to say things against me, give me the strength of character and fortitude to hear them out. Maybe there will be a point or two that is correct in their criticism and that therefore I can correct neglected faults and gain from the experience.
The key to self improvement is therefore clearly the ability to listen - to others and to our inner voice of Sinai as well. Moshe’s great words of the parsha to listen are spoken not only to the heavens but to us as well, in order to lift earthly beings towards a heavenly direction and way of life.
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.
