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Beit Midrash
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- The Education of Children and Students
But the teacher-student relationship is reciprocal. Maimonides teaches us that in Judaism the teacher-student relationship is really a parent-child relationship. A teacher must not only respect one’s students but must love them. Depending on circumstances this love sometimes can be tough love and sometimes cuddly fuzzy warmth. But the student has to somehow be aware that the teacher loves him or her. In an atmosphere of love much can be accomplished, even under less than ideal physical conditions. I am perplexed why the correct demand of the teachers for smaller number of students in a given class was not buttressed by the opinion of the Talmud in Baba Batra that class size should be restricted to twenty-five for one teacher. But I should not have been surprised by this for the Israeli secular school system has slowly been divested of any Jewish values and tradition over the decades. Excelling in mathematics and science may not be for everyone but being loved and guided correctly in traditional Jewish life values is for everyone. Teaching our children that the Bible is somehow a collection of currently irrelevant myths, that the long experience of millennia of Jewish life in the Exile was essentially worthless and that the Jewish mission of being a light unto the nations is restricted to high-tech development and research is a certain recipe for poor educational results and for an eventual dysfunctional society.
The teachers are entitled to a decent living salary and to proper physical working conditions. But again Judaism places a high value on personal dedication and preparation in teaching. Education is the ‘labor of Heaven." The Talmud tells us that there is no comparison between reviewing a lesson one hundred and one times than reviewing it only one hundred times. It is always the "extra" that counts most in knowledge, teaching and education generally. The great decisors of halacha have always justified the right of teachers to strike for improvement in educational and financial circumstances. This is especially true in our society where the schools themselves do not control the purse strings and an all powerful central government decides on these issues. But ultimately the responsibility of all concerned is to the proper education of the children. The bitter residue of the current dispute will not be easily dissipated even when all of the issues have been settled and decided upon. Again, the rabbis of the Talmud stated that "who is the wise person - one who sees in advance the consequences of one’s actions and behavior." A little application of Talmudic wisdom and traditional Jewish educational values will go a long way to help raise our educational system to desired and excellent levels.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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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.
