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Beit Midrash
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Sixty years is one of the few dates mentioned in the Talmud as being significant in a person’s lifetime. The Talmud records for us that great rabbis made great celebrations and meals to commemorate their achieving sixty - to be freed from the threat of koret in this world. Statistics indicate that one who reaches sixty has a good chance of living a long life. Sixty is therefore seen as a watershed at least as far as human life is concerned. Perhaps we can see that this number of sixty as being a watershed time in the story of the return of Israel to its ancient homeland. Even though the threats to the existence of Israel are real, they are not really new ones. The players may have new names - Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran - but the threats and animosity are not new. Israel was threatened by nuclear elimination by the Soviet Union decades ago. Real wars have been fought against us. But the State of Israel has outlived the Soviet Union and Saadam Hussein, just to mention two of our great and aggressive foes. Ten years ago the intifadas were much more dangerous than what is happening today, painful and unforgivable as the attacks on Sderot and Ashkelon and the Western Negev are. Most of us in Israel live in personal security, certainly in comparison with many other countries in the world. The polls taken regularly here in Israel indicate that a very high percentage of those of us who live in Israel are very satisfied with our quality of life. People who at sixty are satisfied with their lives are truly fortunate. I think that this is true of our national entity, the State of Israel, as well.
There are many gains that we can count. High-tech, medicine, biotech, agriculture are enormous accomplishments. In the spiritual world, in spite of all of the struggles, divisions, controversies and setbacks suffered by the religious observant section of our population, there is a stronger Jewish people, religiously speaking, existing here today than there was sixty years ago. Torah study abounds in all corners and even in all groupings in Israel. From a sheer sense of numbers, the religious world has arisen from the ashes of the Holocaust that almost destroyed it. The Chasidic courts and the yeshivot have institutions, infrastructure, campuses and numbers that are greater than what they had in Eastern Europe in the 1930’s. There is much yet left to accomplish in all areas of Israeli and Jewish life. But we should ever be mindful of the words of our rabbis in Avot that "one is not obligated to complete all of the tasks that face one, but nor is he free to abstain from the work at the tasks that still face one." That rule is true for individual human beings. It is also true for nations and communities and certainly for the State of Israel as it marks its sixtieth year of existence. Many happy returns!
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
Shlach Lecha "Why So Many Don't Make Aliya?" - Parshat Shlach
This short article deals with the weird phenomena that every single time Am Yisrael is meant to enter the Land of Israel, throughout the Tanach, 2nd Temple and until today, they "chicken out" and look for excuses. What's the problem with this mitzvah that proves so challenging. The article, based on sources, suggests that the difficulties of Eretz Yisrael is precisely her secret and beauty!
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 4
The class deals with Islam and how the Muslim tries convincing the King of the Khazars, and why he was also rejected.
Beha'alotcha JEWISH STATE= GUIDE TO G-DLINESS & SELFLESSNESS
A Jewish State not only is a good idea, but educates us towards selflessness, altruism and G-dliness in our daily lives.
Ein Aya In Zion Even the Smoke of the Bark is Sweet
Just as Jewish nationalism is different from others, so too our capitol of Jerusalem is totally different than other national capitols. Rav Kook beautifully explains the passage in the Talmud that the trees of Yerushalayim were cinnamon trees.
