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The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
R. Meir b"r Yechezkel Shraga Brachfeld
This rational approach of recognizing the Creator through his creation is the one followed by Rabbi Bachya ibn Paquda in his classic work, "Duties of the Heart." He asks, "Is it possible that ink spill out onto a piece of paper and coincidentally form letters, words, sentences, and an entire composition? Is such a thing conceivable? No. If we find a piece of paper on which contains a composition, we are certain that somebody wrote it. Similarly, when we see a table, it is not reasonable to assume that a few boards coincidentally fell onto one another, stuck together, and formed a table. When one sees a table, it is clear and undeniable that somebody made it. Furthermore, according to the quality of the table, one is able to determine the proficiency of the carpenter.
If, then, simple works like these cannot be said to have coincidentally created themselves, how much more inconceivable is it to imagine the entire world, with all of its intricate design, coincidentally creating itself. Rather, the world itself serves as evidence of a Creator: "The heavens declare the glory God, the skies proclaim His handiwork" (Psalms 19:2). The skies, by their mere existence, evidence their Creator. And because our universe is the most incredible of all creations, we may conclude that its architect is also the wisest of all Creators.
Foundations of Faith (51)
Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed
1 - 1. Belief in God: From Design
2 - 2. Belief in God: Eyewitness Account
3 - 3. Good Intentions, Good Deeds
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The Sages teach that God created our present world with one letter of the alphabet - the Hebrew letter "Heh;" the World to Come, with the letter "Yod." The intention of this metaphor is to teach us with what extreme ease God created our world. With the smallest amount effort one could imagine. The letter "Heh" is the easiest of all letters to pronounce; it is, in fact, practically silent. This great and wondrous creation which we are so impressed by, from the point of view of God and in light of His infinite ability, amounts to very little. If a person bases his faith in God on the evidence of the creation alone, his faith in God remains quite limited. Though one stands in awe of God's extraordinary creation and looks upon the heavens, as if in keeping with the verse: "Lift up your eyes to the stars, and see, Who has created these?" (Isaiah 40, 26), still, this ephemeral world of ours is nothing when viewed in light of the true ability of God.
It is not enough, then, to be satisfied with recognizing the Creator through His creation. Faith must be founded upon something even loftier that this. This, then, will serve as the focus of our next discussion.
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.
