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But there are lessons of history that the world never seems to learn. All of the empires that persecuted the Jewish people from Pharaoh’s Egypt to Gorbachev’s Soviet Union did not stand the test of eternal time while the Jewish people persevered and remained vital and disproportionately influential in the advance of civilization. Like many shortcuts that appear so enticing and successful at the onset, the shortcut regarding the persecution of Jews in the long run is a boomerang. Unfortunately the Jews always pay a large price at the onset of the story. And it seems that we are going to be liable again in our current situation. The hypocritical world will undoubtedly demand the punishment of Israel for its self defense war. The "humanitarians" will cry their crocodile tears over the destruction in Gaza. But very few will be honest to admit what the true cause of that destruction was and who is the guilty party in this struggle. But there will also undoubtedly come a day when the shortcut will turn back on itself and lead to nowhere. All of history teaches us that that is inevitable. But until that happens we will have to be strong and proud. The Talmud also taught us that the Jewish people are the strongest of all nations, a hard boiled egg that can stand the heat. We will have ample opportunity to prove that in the near future. The pride and strength exhibited by the Israeli army and the home front over the past month will certainly stand us in good stead over this critical near term of time and events.
We certainly wish to be better liked by the non-Jewish world. The problem is that all of our efforts to achieve this have never been truly successful. Assimilation, keeping a low profile, even being critical of the Jewish people and the Jewish state has not proven successful over the long run of history. Only after the Holocaust did there arise a certain change of attitude towards Jews, born mainly out of terrible guilt rather than sympathy or understanding. As the Holocaust fades from memory, our enemies have turned the Holocaust against us, either by denying its existence or by accusing us of perpetrating another so called holocaust. Thus Israel is portrayed with swastikas and our soldiers are called Nazis. This accomplishes two goals - it relieves the world of its guilt over the true Holocaust and it justifies the otherwise spurious and irrational hatred of Jews and Israel. The terrible coincidence of so many Jewish swindlers and criminals being exposed in our recent time only serves to complicate the issue and make our task of defending ourselves morally and diplomatically more difficult. Nevertheless we should not be overly despondent over the situation. We should be steadfast in what Lincoln once again said to do "the right as God gives us to see that right." We have no choice and we intend to survive and triumph. This has always been the Jewish response to the malicious and dangerous shortcut that the world regularly takes.
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.
