Belief in God

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  1. The Biblical Roots of Midrashic 'Stories'

    Rabbi Moshe Shulman

    תאריך פרסום: תשע"ג | |

    We take a methodological look at “Midrashic stories” and how our Sages used these stories, often borrowed or reframed from completely different parts of Tanach, to interpret and highlight Biblical events of parallel or contrasting nature.

  2. Nothing Happens By Chance

    Haftarot: Behukotai

    Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

    The haftara of Behukotai reinforces the need to trust in God despite the troubles experienced by the nation, in two ways: 1. The trust in providence as opposed to chance and human causality; and 2. The importance of trust in God in times of crisis. These two messages make this prophecy an appropriate choice for the parasha of rebuke.

  3. Mizmor 146

    "Haleluya!" - Duplicity and Simplicity

    Rabbi Avi Baumol

    Mizmor 146 – the first of the Halleluya series – calls out to praise God. A precondition for praise is belief. It disregards the haughty leaders who do not acknowledge God and calls out to non-believers to believe in God who cares for the weak.

  4. Mizmorim 146-150

    "Haleluya!" - An analysis of the Last Five Mizmorim

    Rabbi Avi Baumol

    An overview of the Halleluya Mizmorim: Mizmor 146 is an individual praise of God; Mizmor 147 is a public praise touching on God’s great deeds and attention to lowly beings; Mizmor 148 presents a contrasted symmetry between the praise of God of the celestial and earthly beings; Mizmor 149 describes the rejoicing of the devout at the destruction of evil; Mizmor 150 peaks with meta-universal praise of God.

  5. Who is Targeted by the Theological Display of the Plagues in Egypt?

    Dr. Brachi Elitzur

    Moshe must lead the nation in a process of building faith in God, and the means that was chosen in order to fulfill this theological mission is Pharaoh. Pharaoh's starting point, his stubbornness, and his refusal to view the wonders that are occurring before his very eyes as proof of the existence of a God who rules over creation, are what make him a perfect model for the building of the nation's faith, layer by layer. Pharaoh's gradual acknowledgment of God leads to a parallel process of the building of faith amongst his spectators - Am Yisrael.

  6. Parshat Va'era

    Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

    According to the popular Midrash, Bnei Yisrael had fallen to the 49th level of "tumah" (spiritual impurity) in Egypt. However, there appears to be no foundation for this criticism in either Parshat Shmot or Va'eyra. What is the basis for this harsh condemnation? By exploring the verses serving as the biblical source for this Midrashic censure, we can enhance our understanding of several difficult psukim in Parshat Va'eyra, and also arrive at a better perception of the nature of Moshe Rabeinu's "shlichut" (mission) to take Bnei Yisrael out of Egypt.

  7. Devarim 10: What Does God Want from Us?

    Rabbi Dr. Yoel Bin Nun

  8. A Message from Rekhav's Commandments: What can Israel Learn?

    Rabbi David Sabato

  9. Parshat Vaetchanan - Shema Yisrael

    Rabbi Alex Israel | 35 minutes

    Parashat Vaethanan is filled with well-known passages, including the Ten Commandments and the Shema. Reciting the Shema is seen as fulfilling the mitzvah of accepting the Yoke of Heaven. This shiur is devoted to developing a deeper appreciation of the first verse of Shema. Though only six words, it is a difficult text. We raise questions and examine the readings of various classical commentators, exploring historical, theological and philosophical readings which enrich our experience of this famous and meaningful declaration.

  10. Adon Olam: The Burning Palace has an Owner

    Rabbi David Silverberg

  11. Why Avraham's Belief is Called "Tzedaka"

    Rabbi David Silverberg

  12. Sara's Laughter

    Rabbi Amnon Bazak

  13. The Torah of Man

    Rabbi Dr. Yoel Bin Nun

    Sefer Devarim describes a shift in Bnei Yisrael’s view of leadership, going from a nation that is dependent on miracles and tests, to one that is constant and stable. The beginning of Parshat Devarim represents this transition to a new situation: obeying God involves observing the covenant, the covenant of Torah from Sinai, which is the fixed and eternal mode of God’s leadership of the nation.

  14. Beshalach: What Does It Mean to Have Faith?

    Rabbi David Fohrman |

    After crossing the Sea of Reeds, the nation of Israel sings a song of thanksgiving - but curiously, Miriam then leads the women of the nation in a second song. Why? In this video, Rabbi Fohrman explores a famous midrash about the birth of Moses and explains what it means to truly have faith.

     

     
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  15. …And when you look up to the sky

    Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky

  16. Yosef and the Sar Hamashkim: The Limits of Human Involvement in the Redemptive Process

    Rabbi Yair Kahn | 58 minutes

    Rashi comments that Yosef had to remain in prison for an additional two years, because he requested that the Sar Hamashkim plea to Pharaoh on his behalf, instead of relying on Hashem. Was Yosef really out of line? Does perfect faith demand that Man be inactive on the practical level? Does proactive human action indicate a lack of faith? We will study the Yosef story and explore these fundamental questions, which lie at the very core of Religious Zionist philosophy.

  17. Because you are with me

    Daniel Scherevsky