|
INR Announcements
Radio News Highlights
Audio: Terror on Rosh Chodesh Kislev: Time of Atonement, Hidden Light 1
12/3/2008 11:57:00 AM
and 
.Yitzchak Reuven shares pet peeve: good and learned people who do not appreciate the Midrashic teachings of our sages: "Why they're just fantastical stories that contain no literal truth!" Literal truth - no! But what about timeless, eternal truths! The horrifying events that took place in Mumbai this past week can be best examined and understood by being viewed through the piercing, no holds barred light of midrash, as it exposes and reveals the hidden truths that lurk in the words of the very Torah portions we are reading, Toldot and Vayeitzei.
Yaakov and Esav, two brothers, and the one, like Cain, seeks to murder the other. Yaakov, the man of spiritual endeavor, a pursuer of truth, is still be hunted by his brother Esau, the hunter, the devourer of flesh, the murderer of innocents. Esau who despises his birthright, selling it for the "red stuff" which he pours down his open gullet, Esau, who respects his father like no other, (and what of his mother?), yet, as Midrash reveals, presents his uncle Yishmael with a plan for a double murder: "You kill your brother Yitzchak and I'll take care of my brother Yaakov!" No doubt had Yishmael not hesitated, Esau's next move would have been to cry to G-d for mercy upon his poor orphaned self!
This week Esau struck again, killing 200, among them the sons and daughters of Yaakov. And once again, as he did when Yitzchak gave the blessing to Yaakov, he cried out that life is not fair, and why does no one love him.
Esau's indignant descendants killed the righteous, it is true, but Yaakov is known as the man of truth, and the truth cannot be killed.
Rabbi Chaim Richman is the international director of the Temple Institute in Jerusalem which is dedicated to rebuilding the Holy Temple (Beit HaMikdash). He is a member of the current effort to revive the Sanhedrin and the author of ten books including Mystery of the Red Heifer and A House of Prayer for All Nations. Yitzchak Reuven works at the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. He previously worked building Biblical harps and other musical instruments for use in the Holy Temple. He and Rabbi Chaim Richman have been friends since their Israeli army days. They host the Temple Talk podcast dealing with issues of the Temple Mount and the weekly Torah parsha every Tuesday from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Israel time (1pm U.S. EST) on Israel National Radio.
