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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Parashat Hashavua
Therefore, at the second communication at the burning bush, Hashem equipped Moshe with tools, the staff and the miraculous signs, to convince Paroh and the nation. In the first stage, Bnei Yisrael believed based on the signs, which reached their height at the splitting of the sea. The great miracles lead to the revelation at Sinai, where they heard Hashem speak, after which time their belief was based on the dibbur (speech). If we look at the text of Shemot, we see that before Sinai the Torah introduces Hashem’s speeches with "vayomer" (roughly, He said) and afterward it is with "vayedaber " (roughly, He spoke).
Let us now approach the thesis from other sources. After the giving of the Torah, Moshe’s staff disappears from the text, except for an appearance in Bamidbar. We can learn something from R. Yehuda’s break-up of the plagues that afflicted Egypt into three groups, represented by acrostics (detzach, adash, b’achav). The staff is involved in all of the first group’s plagues and in two of the last group. In the middle group, whose middle plague is dever (pestilence- the same letters as the word for speaking), the staff does not appear. Instead, the root davar appears in different forms, four times. Once it refers to the pestilence itself. Once it is going on the fact that Bnei Yisrael were not affected by the plague. Another time it refers to the thing that Hashem did in the land. The root also comes up in the manner of speech to Paroh (compare to Shemot 7:26). When speech is used or felt, the staff is not necessary.
Let us pray that our nation will be strengthened in its belief and will return to the level of belief that existed at Sinai. About this event, the Torah says: "I will come to you in the midst of the cloud so that the nation will hear when I speak to you (Moshe) and in you too they will believe forever" (Shemot 19:9).
Rabbis in Midrash
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Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
Sukkot Bug-Free Sukkah: Essential Halachic and Practical Schach Guide
How to inspect, clean, and store bamboo mats and palm branches to protect your mitzvah and holiday meals.
