YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- D'varim
- Nitzavim
- Sections
- Chemdat Yamim
- Parashat Hashavua
Included in the blessings the Torah foresees for a ba’al teshuva is: "Hashem will give you abundance in all of your hands’ work, in the produce of your stomach ... your animals and ... your land..." (Devarim 30:9). The Meshech Chochma noted that almost identical wording is used in the last parasha (ibid. 28:11) regarding one who deserves blessing, with the exception of "all of your hands’ work." Why should that phrase appear in one context and not the other?
The Meshech Chochma refers us to the famous disagreement between R. Shimon Bar Yochai and R. Yishmael. The latter says that when one is blessed, he will have a lot of produce to harvest ... and will harvest it. R. Shimon says that this is not the beracha of a real tzaddik, who should be dedicating his life to Torah rather than working the field. Rather, for the real tzaddik, others who are less devoted will do the work while he learns.
The Meshech Chochma says that the previous parasha’s pasuk refers to the blessing of a R. Shimon type of tzaddik. "All of your hands’ work" is omitted because his hands do not work. Our parasha refers to a R. Yishmael style tzaddik, who does work with his own hands. Why should there be a difference? He explains that since our parasha is talking about one who had sinned and needed repentance, it would be a mistake for him to take R. Shimon’s extreme spirituality approach, as the mishna (Avot 2:2) says that physical labor is important to make sins be forgotten. Only one who had always been righteous and may have no sins that need forgetting, can dedicate himself exclusively to Torah.
The problem with this fascinating suggestion is that one would expect specifically the ba’al teshuva to adopt the approach of extreme spirituality. After all, the Rambam (Intro. to Avot, ch. 4) says that although one should seek the golden mean, when he has strayed to the extreme in one area, it may pay to right himself by taking the opposite extreme until reaching equilibrium. Why then should the one who needed repentance, and thus lacked spirituality, not follow, at least for a significant amount of time, a course of extreme spirituality?
The answer is that the sinner may not have lacked spirituality but the healthy approach to life’s challenges. His remedy is to meticulously follow the Torah’s guidelines for man, including a balance between Torah study and a normal life of labor. The normal path (including much more Torah than most are used to) gives the best prospects for concretizing the spiritual growth and maintaining a healthy balance to keep him away from sin.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
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.
