Great Hans Urs von Balthasar resource

I believe I have seen this page before, but it has definitely improved.

Lots of wonderful Hans Urs von Balthasar articles and resources.

http://hansursvonbalthasar.blogspot.com/

Rav Kook on universalism

Now one might receive the mistaken impression that the Torah endorses this attitude [that nations compete against one another] whereby we should assign a greater value to our own people’s good than to the welfare of others. After all, the Torah commands the Children of Israel to conquer the land from the indigenous nations. But this is clearly unacceptable! How could God, Whose mercy extends to all His creations, oppress His own handiwork?! How could the Most High command that we remove from our hearts the well being of the entire human race for our own selfish good?! Therefore, at the time the covenant was first established with our ancestor Abraham, a divine protest was lodged: The very thought of nationalism is despicable to God, for He equates all mankind. The goal is to seek the true success of all God’s creations. True justice means that one views with equal concern the advancement of the entire human race.

Where then does the the notion of the “Chosen People” enter? The Jews were elected to work at uplifting the entire human race; to bring humanity to the goal the Almighty expects of it. Israel were set aside as a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” A kingdom of priests ministers to the other nations in order to morally perfect them. So the separation from the nations is itself the greatest unification, in order to benefit the human race. However, if Israel will desert the good, which is the holy Torah, then its nationhood and its territorialism are an abomination before God. It is inconceivable that for the sake of a people’s natural self-love, other nations should be displaced. All are God’s handiwork. Israel must know that no permission was granted to displace a nation for the sake of national self-aggrandizement. There is one form of justice, whether it be on the individual or collective level.Therefore, several times over, the Torah links the giving of the land to the observance of Torah. Without the raison d’etre of Torah, the setting apart of one nation, would be considered an injustice.

(From the book 'In the Desert – A Vision') Parashat Vayishlah
www.orot.com/universalism.html

Rav Amital on the Fear of God

Rav Amital:

The basic level of the fear of God is a similar feeling. We nullify ourselves in the face of His great exaltedness as our Creator and as our Father, because of whose abundant love we are called His sons, and upon whose loving-kindness we rely in every step that we take. Thus, there arises within us a feeling of absolute commitment to God, to obey Him and accept His commands as self-evident, and to do whatever finds favor in His eyes.

Obviously, this feeling requires constant nurturing, and it is our obligation to take steps to intensify this feeling of commitment. It must be emphasized, however, that we are not dealing here merely with a decision to accept commitment, for our goal is that this sense of commitment be transformed into a natural feeling that is constantly with us, this being the fear of God. The more deeply we experience this feeling, the closer we will come to loving and fearing Him.

The Alter of Slobodka:

The Torah is not describing life that is restricted or petty, a life of crude and cheap desires that run about in man's heart and confine him in narrow and suffocating straits. A Torah life is illuminated by God's light; it opens up wide expanses before man, broadening his heart and soul. His eyes will see all the worlds, and his thoughts will encompass eternity. A life of Torah is so pure and pleasant that it does not contain even the slightest unpleasantness – spiritual or material.

From JEWISH VALUES IN A CHANGING WORLD
http://www.vbm-torah.org/values.html

By Harav Yehuda Amital

LECTURE #1b: The Fear of God in Our Time Part 2 of 2

The Vibrancy of the Conversation

I can't believe that it has been almost exactly ONE year since I have posted anything to this blog.

Over the last year my explorations have taken me deep into Lutheran theology and I have gotten a profound sense of the trust and faith that the Lutheran tradition has in God's "promise" of the forgiveness of sins and justification. It is that sense of trust and faith as well as the humorous and down-to-earth nature of the professors who I have loved to listen from Concordia Seminary on iTunes. Their overall sense of humor and joy is truly infectious.

I have also turned to the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and the Family in DC, which offers graduate classes that often refer to one of my true spiritual guides: Hans Urs von Balthasar. Sadly, the Institute does not provide any MP3s of their classes, so instead I have read a number of works from their professors. Most recently, I have been reading Being Holy in the World, a collection of essays on the work of David L Schindler. What I find inspiring is Schindler's commitment to the ontological reality of love and relation as exemplified by the triune relation of love between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and how they in fact affect all of reality: physical, mental and spiritual.

And then there is Torah! As I am sure I have commented many times within this blog, since I am not Jewish and certainly not Orthodox, I always wonder what brings me back to sites like:

• yutorah.org
• vbm-torah.org

The simple answer is the Vibrancy of the Conversation!

I am someone who loves study and loves God, and at times can get bored with one approach or one direction. The thousands and thousands of shiurim that are available on Gemara, Chumash, Jewish Thought, Halachah, etc. provide a partner to learn from and even argue with.

As the new school year begins at Yeshiva University, I look forward to engaging with many of the new shiurim and joining the conversation.