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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Parashat Hashavua
The Torah relates the great public mourning that accompanied the death of Moshe’s brother and partner, Aharon (Bamidbar 20: 28-29). However, we need Chazal’s insight to appreciate the extent of the upheaval his death caused. From the proximity of the relevant p’sukim, they deduce that with Aharon’s death, the special divine clouds disappeared, which, in turn, invited the Canaanites of Arad to attack (Ta’anit 9a).
The Yerushalmi (Yoma 1, 1) goes a step further. When tracing the order of Bnei Yisrael’s travels in the desert, we see that after Aharon’s death, they turn up in places they had previously been mentioned to have gone through several encampments before (see Devarim 10:6-7). This is coupled with a look at the families that are mentioned and are missing respectively from different genealogies of the time. Chazal concluded that in the panic after Aharon’s death, a significant portion of Bnei Yisrael reversed their steps with the intention of returning to Egypt and were pursued by people from the tribe of Levi. They met in civil battle in Moseira, and whole families from each side were decimated.
What lesson can we learn from this little-known crisis in Bnei Yisrael? One lesson for all generations is to not use one’s lack of satisfaction with the quality or accomplishments of the generation’s leader as an excuse for the nation’s behavior. Don’t think that if we only had a leader like Moshe, Aharon, and Shmuel that we would all fall into line. They too had to fight opposition and lack of stability, whose source was from within the nation. Such leaders were not handed things on a silver platter but had to prove their qualities in the face of adversity. They had to withstand a fragmented society that included people on a variety of levels of belief. The need to choose well, within the realm of free will, is always present.
The second lesson is to the leaders, who might be tempted to blame their troubles on the people and lose sight of their own failures. Leadership is a heavy yoke, which always raises challenges. Only someone who is willing to give of himself selflessly, stressing the people’s needs and ignoring his own, can join the likes of the great historical leaders about whom we have learned. May we merit such leaders soon.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
Rabbis in Midrash
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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.
