Parshat Korah and Democracy: Blurring Differences

by Rav Zalman Melamed, yeshiva.org.il

Rav Zalman Melamed discusses the revival of Korah's social ideology in the modern era, and its the rejection of the basic concept in Jewish society that different people have different functions and different ways of serving HaShem.

Parshat Korah: Preserving the Old, Inspiring the New

by Rabbi Yosef Carmel, yeshiva.org.il

GIF of Tevye saying "But it's a tradition"

As we prepare to read Parashat Korah, let us discuss groups that are often called the "elites." They direct a social-spiritual trend in which the individual has become the center, while the religious, ethnic or national group to which he belongs is shunted to the sidelines. With this approach, individual rights override one's obligations to the larger community, and the uniqueness of each individual is manifest mainly in terms of, "For me the world was created."

Given this trend, it is clear that the acceptance of authority, whether it be political or spiritual, is far from automatic.  This is actually what stands behind much of what comprises the news and public discourse that take up so much of our attention.

Is Our Generation's Level High or Low?

by Rav Moshe Kaplan, meirtv.com/en

Here's a hint: it's both! Check out Rav Kaplan's 6-minute class clip below to understand the paradox

Parshat Korah: Equality, not uniformity

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

"Our equality does not result from being created identical but rather from the fact that we each have equally crucial functions and important roles to play as part of the greater Hebrew mission."

Parshat Shlah Lekha: Rectifying the Sin of the Spies

by Baruch Gordon

Baruch Gordon takes a look at the Vilna Gaon's application of the Sin of the Spies to our generation (yes, ours not his). Though many great Torah leaders remain trapped in the Sin of the Spies today, we also now have the opportunity to participate in rectifying this Sin and bring about Redemption.

Q&A: Is there proof of HaShem without any emuna [faith]?

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Q: I learned that our world is entirely the work of the Creator, and that it is impossible to believe that even one little part of it was formed by chance – but this is all based on emuna* [faith]. My question is, can a person come to understand that G-d exists without even a drop of emuna?

Natan Alterman

Parshat Shlah Lekha: The Gedolim Who Believed...And Didn't Believe

by Rav Yehuda HaKohen, visionmag.org

Avraham Avinu's Gravesite in Hevron

As the Hebrew nation mobilized to liberate the Land of Israel from Canaanite rule, Moshe dispatched a team of twelve tribal chiefs – each the spiritual leader of his tribe – to spy out the country in preparation for the assault.

Ten of those spies returned with a misleading report meant to demoralize the nation and prevent the conquest from taking place. The other two, Yehoshua and Kalev, courageously challenged the ten in a noble attempt to save Israel from sin. The masses, however, followed the majority opinion and, in doing so, brought about a national catastrophe.

Is T'shuva Required for Redemption to Occur?

by Rav Moshe Kaplan, meirtv.com/en

Will Redemption occur because the Jewish People will have done t'shuva? Or will it occur regardless, "for the Sake of His Name"?

Don't forget to subscribe to our weekly Beyond The 4 Amot email newsletter for more Torat Eretz Yisrael content!

Parshat Be-Ha'alotkha: The hidden basis for Yom Ha-Atzma'ut

Baruch Gordon takes a look at the Ibn Ezra's commentary on two words in this week's parsha. The result? Yom Ha-Atzma'ut is a Torah-dictated hag, of course!

Subscribe here for regular doses of Torat Eretz Yisrael! This 5 min video is a feature in Beyond The 4 Amot's weekly parsha e-newsletter.

Parshat Be-Ha'alotkha: Not Tests - Challenges!

Unity, Tests, and Prayers
by Rav Zalman Melamed, yeshiva.org.il

I. The United Menorah
Construction of the Menorah (candelabrum) in the Tabernacle was a very difficult task, according to the Medrash (Bamidbar Rabba 15,4). The Medrash derives from the words and letters of the verses in the Book of Sh'mot that building the Menorah was so hard that Hashem told Moshe to simply throw the gold into the fire and it would emerge as a Menorah, in precisely the form that Hashem wanted.

What exactly was so hard about forming the Menorah? Certainly this was not simply a technical difficulty for Moshe; our Sages were clearly referring to something more profound.

Why do we expect miraculous redemption?

by Rav Moshe Kaplan, originally published on Machon Meir's website

What historical processes led us to believe Mashiach will (and should) come without any effort on our part? Prior to this development, how did the Jewish People understand their roles in bringing about the era of Mashiah? How should we understand our role today in bringing it about?

Q&A: Emuna versus bitahon

Q. What is the difference between emuna in HaShem and bitahon in HaShem?

Parshat Naso: Should Torah Determine IDF Draft Age?

By Baruch Gordon

Baruch Gordon takes a look at what Parshat Nasso has to say about the army draft age for men and considers the effects of applying the same line of thinking to the IDF today.

Redemption by Miracle Or Through Nature? Part 2

By Rav Moshe Kaplan, originally published on Machon Meir's website

Rav Kaplan discusses the difference between the possibility of a miraculous redemption, whereby HaShem interferes with the regular laws of nature and redeems the Jewish People without human effort, and the possibility of redemption that is natural and slow, through humanity's blood, sweat, and tears.

What are the practical differences? Which version is likely to happen (or already happening)? And which is the ideal and considered a higher level of redemption? Watch the video clip below to find out.

Shavuot and the Land of Israel: The "Omer"

Why is it so important to count the Omer? What implications does counting the Omer have with regards to the desecration of Shabbat? And what does any of that have to do with the holiness of the Land of Israel and Am Yisrael's national role on the world stage?