"Of All God's Miracles Large & Small..."

Both Nature & Super-Natural Are Necessary

The world runs both on the natural development of the individual, mankind and events, but also there are occasional significant turning points. Rav Kook analyzes the interplay of regular life with these "game-changers", and why both are necessary.

Motivating to Kiruv - Influencing Others is Essential for Me!

Eyn Aya shabbat 3, 3

Thank God, the concept of "Kiruv", bringing others close to Torah is clearly on the agenda & being discussed more and more, whether in the context of NCSY, Lubavitch, Bnei Akiva etc. Rav Kook shows here how to motivate people of this essential idea.

Responsibility for Teshuva Within Our Family: "Does Father Know Best?"

Ein Aya Shabbat 2, 292

Teshuva is usually seen from my personal point of view, but Rav Kook deals with the very common problem of taking responsibility to rebuke our children and even our wives/husbands, to purify the spiritual atmosphere of our homes. This issue is seldom dealt with, and the class deals with many practical suggestions and solutions how to politely rebuke without having it be counterproductive.

Proper Yir'at Hashem in the Modern World

How to Understand Murdering Amalek & Other Mitzvot which Seem "Immoral"?

Every moral & thinking Jew has asked questions about certain mitzvot which don't seem to "jive" with the morality of God & the Torah itself! Rav Kook, as usual, bravely deals with these issues, & explains that "eternity" means that the Torah also had to be relevant to the primitive world in which it was given 3,300 yrs. ago. He differentiates between some actions, like slavery & bigamy, that had to be "allowed" temporarily in the ancient reality, but were never obligated. Nevertheless, 2 obligations (!) which seem "immoral" are regarding Amalek (killing & remembering-Zachor), & conquering the Land of Israel. But upon a closer look, they aren't immoral at all! When we lack prophets & Sanhedrin, the God Who runs History solves many problems!

Mitzvot Which Seem “Outdated” in General or Unfair to Women

All religious (or potentially religious) Jews have difficulty with mitzvot which seem to be outdated. How can a thinking Jew understand & identify with a Torah which allows slavery, bigamy or taking enemy women during war? This class also deals with many questions raised by women or feminists regarding the role of women in Judaism, laws of Aguna, divorce, the brachot of "Shelo Asani Isha" or "SheAsani KiRtzono", etc. Rav Kook, one of the most innovative & brave Gedolei HaDor, writes a lot on this issue of "updating", explaining & identifying with the Torah in a totally Orthodox way (on which no one can disagree), to bring the Torah closer to all. [It is the 1st part of the class on "Mitzvot Which Seem Immoral", also highly recommended!].

Don't Just Be Religious- Be Godly!

Over the last century, mankind is less religious. Rav Kook suggests it's time to raise Torah to a higher level, that of "Being Godly". Ironically, both the rational Rambam & the Kabbalists summarize the goal of Judaism as Imitateo Dei, to copy God. The real "me" isn't my body but my Godly soul. When He finished creating the world, he told us to have children= to also create worlds. Similarly, when we observe Shabbat, it's not just because God said so, but bc He rests on Shabbat & our spark of God should naturally do the same! The Torah is not just commands, but God's ideals & advice how we can emulate His altruism. This eye-opening direction has proven very appealing today for those looking for something "higher" than ceremonious "religion".

Sickness as a "Wake-Up Call"

Ein Aya Shabbat 2, 242

As a continuation of the class on "The Different Levels On Which G-d Runs the World", this class is on the different levels of sickness, whether ours or those around us. Just as fast-days are a self-induced weakness, which brings us to analyze our lives, priorities & actions, when God sends a sickness, it's not necessarily a punishment but rather a "wake-up call" to induce soul-searching. Life is comprised of such small incidents, some pleasant & others not, some direct & others less so, to keep us awake that we shouldn't live like robots, but rather utilize our Godly free-will to its utmost extent, keeping our lives meaningful & idealistic. Accordingly, even the "bad" messages are seen by Rav Kook as: The process of gradual good.

Rav Kook on: "It's Best to be Normal People"

Ein Aya, Shabbat 2, 239

We find various rabbis in rabbinic literature who built their spirituality through fasting and depriving themselves of physical pleasure. Rav Kook explains that this is like "shock treatment" or bitter medicine, which healthy people don't need. In Torat Eretz Yisrael, the Living Torah most applicable to the modern world, the approach of unity is to reveal the harmony between the physical and spiritual worlds. In Israel, where even the physical is spiritual and the atmosphere is Jewish, it's much more conducive to living a life of modern orthodoxy without the dangers of losing our proportions, priorities or getting influenced by western society. Accordingly Rav Kook explains the machloket between Rava & Abaye in Masechet Shabbat.

Sin is Divisive Chaos While Tshuva is a Life of Uniting Harmony

Rav Kook sees that the nature of Tshuva is among the most basic of ideas to understand life & the world. The sinner lives a life of self-centeredness, who inevitably will have difficulty finding love & lasting relationships, seeing the world as chaotic & pessimistic. Children eventually mature, learning to share & give. Kabbala refers to the pessimists who see our 3 dimensional world as Alma D'Piruda, "World of Division", rather than the believer in Unity & God, Who created a world of harmony. The Torah teaches how to find harmony in a complex world. One can see the violence in the animal world as chaotic, but if one steps back & views the entire picture he sees a harmonic orderly food-chain. All creation follows God's program, & man would be wise to choose so, as well, and "Join the Unity".

Why Ba'alei T'shuva Davka Shouldn't Become Anti-Zionists!

Rav Kook's Letter on Teshuva to Rav Charlap

There's a common scenario, where someone becomes a Ba'al Teshuva, strengthening himself religiously, & indirectly, davka becomes less Zionist! Rav Kook ironically deals with this issue way before it was common, as part of his overall & innovative understanding of Teshuva, in this classic letter to his student, R. Charlap. Explaining that the concept of Evolution is the basis of Creation, & that constant improvement is the most natural process for the individual & mankind. This central drive is what's behind most of Torah, life and goals. Zionism is the easiest way to see God today, thru how He runs processes of advancement in history, fulfills prophecies, returns Altruism and Nationalism to their proper place, reviving the "Or LaGoyim" etc.

So What’s the Goal of Life?!!

We all know that if you don't have a goal, you can't score! We all have many goals, but is there one which encompasses and is the common denominator of them all? Such a definition will prevent us from feeling torn between the many goals and roles we have. One theory is that the goal of life is pleasure, which is the common denominator of all people. On the other hand, all those people also have an ideal for which they are willing to forego all of their pleasure, inferring that ideals supersede pleasure! The class suggests that these 2 theories are 1 and the same, for we all want pleasure, but ideals are not 3rd class (short-term) pleasure, nor 2nd class (long-term) pleasure, but rather 1st class, eternal pleasure.

Rav Kook's Orot HaT'shuva- In a Nutshell! Tshuva Can Be Happy- Not Depressing!

Innovatively but based upon the sources, Rav Kook entirely changes our view of T'shuva. The period of Elul until Yom Kippur is unfortunately, seen by most as depressing. Although we know T'shuva is important, we don't enjoy it & don't like changing. The mistake stems from the mistranslation: "Repentence" from "sin". Accordingly, Tshuva has terrible "PR", where the religious see it as something for the non-religious, and the non-religious say it's for the religious! Rav Kook says that the world is based on constant "Evolution" and improvement. Sports records are constantly improving, & toothpaste is always "new & improved!" Mankind and man improve thru "Trial & Error", & the most natural thing in the world is to follow the tide & improve!

Lack of Knowledge Often Facilitates the Goal

Ein Aya Shabat Chapter B Paragraph 53 (p2)

Although we strive for wisdom, much of the knowledge hidden from man enables us to focus on the goals rather than the means.

Aveirah Lishma- The Concept of Sinning as Sometimes Helpful

Ein Aya Shabat Chapter B Paragraph 51 (p2)

This dangerous concept must be understood in the context of the individual's role in the larger picture.

Life is Valuable- Even of the Unconscious

Ein Aya Shabat Chapter B Paragraph 36 (p2)

The fact that life supercedes mitzvot helps us analyze priorities and what life, faith and mitzvot are really about.

The Advantages of Obligations and Volunteerism

Ein Aya Shabat Chapter B Paragraph 27 (p2)

The delicate details of the many social and economic mitzvot simultaneously include obligations and educating to volunteerism.

Every Generation Understands and Benefits Differently from Each Mitzva

Ein Aya Shabat Chapter B Paragraph 26 (p2)

Learning a mitzva leads to identification and motivation, but realize it's just partial.

The Importance of the Meaning, but Also Details, of Mitzvot

Ein Aya Shabat Chapter B Paragraph 22

"Uniting the Whole"- the Meaning of Brachot on Mitzvot

"Stick to Your Specialty"- Poets as Analysts

Ein Aya Shabat Chapter B Paragraph 21

One should differentiate between the expertise of specialists, and fields where they express undeserved respect.