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Beit Midrash
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Avraham and Sarah are forced to leave their comfortable surroundings and wander into the Land of Israel. The Land of Israel is then occupied by hostile Canaanite tribes, pagan and guilty of wanton evil behavior. The city of Sodom with its accepted banal and evil way of life is a major influence in the land. It is an inhospitable environment in which to somehow project ideas of monotheism, compassion, goodness and care for other human beings. There are major wars that involve nine kings and engulf the entire region in armed conflict for twenty-six long years. (Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel vs. the Arabs?) The economies of the region collapse due to a great drought and famine that visits the area. Avraham feels betrayed when his own flesh and blood, his nephew Lot, deserts him and instead moves to Sodom and adopts its sinful ways. Unable as yet to produce their own offspring Avraham and Sarah bring a stranger, Hagar, and eventually her son Yishmael into their home. Beset by troubles and destructive events in the outside world and in their own home environment, one would have expected Avraham to hand the baton back to God, so to speak, and retire from the fray. Controlled by events over which they seem powerless to oppose, Avraham and Sarah never waver from their mission and their purpose in life. And eventually, against all odds, they succeed and triumph. Their message is heard and accepted and becomes the dominant theme for all civilization’s progress through the generations of time.
The rabbis of the Midrash stressed that the story of our fathers and mothers remains the guiding advice for all later times as well. In our current times of angst and overwhelming problems the spirit of Avraham and Sarah and their courage and determination are to be emulated and encouraged. In reality we have no other choices. Our task is to build our families and homes. We have to create an atmosphere where the physical and monetary are not the primary goals of our existence. In biblical times, such as those that we are currently living through, biblical behavior is certainly in order. A certain sense of idealism, sacrifice, national unity, abandonment of all of the false gods and ideologies that have so corrupted us over the past two centuries, and a rebirth of faith and tenacity in our God, our people and our state is necessary. The Torah is not meant as a history book. It is the book of humankind that points the way towards the values and behavior patterns that alone guarantee our success and survival as a special people and nation. We should therefore pay especially close attention to the Torah readings of the next few weeks. These readings do not tell us only what was. They describe for us what currently is and how to deal with our present situation. By so doing we will reinforce the self-confidence that we so sorely need in order to reach our ultimate goals of peace, goodness and personal and national security.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
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.
