On The Wings Of Eagles...

Briefly, for a few fleeting moments, I was soaring over the hills of the Holy Land...

Early this morning, I had my inaugural chavrusa (lit. study partnership) session with my good friend Rabbi Ally Ehrman via telephone, creating an international bond of Torah. We began learning Rav A.Y. Kook's Ein AYaH, his commentary on the Ein Ya'akov (the foremost commentary on the Aggadah sections of the Talmud). Reb Ally has the wonderful z'chus (merit) of living in the Old City of Jerusalem, and hearing from him is like feeling the warm breeze as I walk to the Kotel through the ancient streets. I miss it so...

The infusion of the Holy Land into my daily routine as a result of our overseas connection, plus the content of what we were learning (the Ein AYaH is chock full of references to the inherent holiness of the Land of Israel, and words of great yearning to return to Zion) gave me such a boost...! It's really difficult to describe.

Rav Kook's words are infused with such poetic beauty, such meaning and open-heartedness, that I find it almost overwhelming to learn; it takes all my reserves to keep from breaking down. I've been struggling to learn the Orot HaTorah, but it's very difficult. Rav Moshe Weinberger's shiurim (lectures) on the Orot have been a real godsend.

Beautiful stuff. Very highly recommended.