Most Popular Essays Essays

• The Shattered Dreams

  May 31, 2021 Admin 0 Comments

  As you know in the Parashat Shelach, the nation asks Moshe Rabbeinu to send out the spies, to spy out the land, even though Hashem has told them to just go into the land. Moshe is not too excited about this idea, so he asks Hashem, and Hashem tells him to send them for himself -  Shelach Lecha Anashim in Parashat Shelach 13:2. We all know the end of this episode of the history - the meraglim come back with a bad report, and due to the sin of slandering the land, all the males ages 20 and up of that generation, were buried in the desert, and were not able to enter the Promised Land. 
  
  It seems harsh that due to some biased calculations of the few, so many people are punished. Here they are standing just a few days away from Eretz Yisrael, and about to enter the land. Suddenly people come, and ask Moshe Rabbeinu to send out the spies. This is something Moshe Rabbeinu doesn't want to do, since Hashem already told him to go into the land, since it is yours and Hashem is with the nation. But the few turn everything around, and put Moshe into a difficult position where he is forced to ask Hashem for permission to send people as spies, where he is risking a chance that something might go wrong. And something does go wrong - the meraglim come back with a bad report, slander the land and Hashem tells everyone to turn around and go back into the desert...
  
  Have you ever thought for a second how Moshe Rabbeinu felt?! When Moshe Rabbeinu watched those people slandering the land, and Yehoshua and Kalev defending it, Moshe Rabbeinu knew it was trouble, not only for those that slandered but for the whole nation as a whole. 
  
  The years of the work that he has put in, were crumbling right in front of his eyes. His dream to go into Eretz Yisrael, and to serve Hashem in the Holy Land was being taken away from him - right there in the broad daylight.
  
  Have you ever had that feeling? You worked on something for years and suddenly it is being taken away from you by some evildoers and by circumstances where you have no control over.
  
  Not a good feeling. 
  
  But, let's look into it from a different angle. 
  
  There's a mitzvah which is hard to understand and makes one wonder why Hashem has given it to us, but maybe in the light of the above explanation it will start making more sense.
  
  There are many explanations to the mitzvah of Shiluach haKen, but I would like to take Zohar's explanation and expand on that. The Zohar says that this mitzvah is meant to awaken and intensify Hashem’s mercy on His creations. The pain which the mother bird suffers when she is sent away and forced to abandon her young "awakens the forces of mercy in the world" and releases an outpouring of mercy from the Heavens above which alleviates all kinds of human suffering. 
  
  With your permission I would like to add to the above. 
  
  Not to go into the details of the mitzvah but to touch a bit upon it in general, if you ever performed that mitzvah - that feeling you left with after completing it, is not enjoyable. Besides the fact that you have made the mitzvah, you are left with an egg, and left the bird feeling bad - very bad. You have taken her egg or a chick and created that void in the heart of the bird - you have broken her hopes of building a family, and ruined her plans for a "bright birdie future".
  
  And here Hashem comes and gives us this, as a mitzvah.
  
  Moshe Rabbeinu worked hard in his 80s dealing with the nation, which was not easy to deal with. A stubborn nation with lots of demands and quarrels. On top of it, the leaders that worked under him ideally had to be on the same page with him, but for some reason had their own agenda which he never agreed on or was aware of. All this brought to one result - that generation never made it to Eretz Yisrael, Moshes' goal crumbled, and he had to witness the passing of all the males ages 20 and up. 
  
  The meraglim didn't just destroy the dream of that generation, they also destroyed the dream of Moshe Rabbeinu, they brought suffering to our nation till today, and they have totally changed the plans for the nation, and everything unfolded not as Hashem has envisioned.
  
  So, Torah tells us to go ahead and do the mitzvah, and to go through that uncomfortable feeling and to let it sink in - feel that bitterness of the committed act.
  
  When we send away the mother bird and take her egg - it may seem, like the meraglim behaved back in the day towards the nation, when they went to Eretz Yisrael, and brought back the bad report that caused a lot of people to suffer - and here we are, taking away the eggs from the shooed away mother bird thus causing her pain and suffering.
  
  As for the mother bird - whatever she is going through, it is like the feeling of what Moshe Rabbeinu and millions of other people not privy to the scheme of the meraglim felt - betrayal of the assigned mission, and shattering of the dream of entering the Eretz Yisrael. 
  
  And as we stand there with an egg in our hands, we need to understand one thing - whatever we do or say in our life, may be breaking the Divine law and order and hurting a lot of people around us - whether intentionally or unintentionally just by giving in to our biased desires and calculations as was with the case of the meraglim.
  
  Armed with the above understanding, it should bring us to pray to Hashem and to ask for forgiveness for the sin of the Meraglim, and for that whole generation. This would be the perfect time to ask for forgiveness for our own miscalculations, where we thought and said not in the best of intentions.  And this would be the best time to ask for forgiveness for our nation as a whole, and to ask for the full redemption and reunification with that passed on generation, so we can meet with Moshe Rabbeinu and other members of our nation of the past who were not able to enter the Land, due to the bad schemes of others.
  
  By fulfilling this mitzvah, one is rewarded with marriage, children, and a new home. But most importantly we are taking responsibility for the wrong committed in the past by others, by actively fixing the sin of the past which brings Hashem's mercy onto this world, that stops human suffering and brings the redemption closer.
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• The Life on Autopilot

  Jan 23, 2019 Admin 0 Comments

  As you already know, Moshe Rabbeinu grew up in the palace of Pharaoh and one day he has decided to go out and see the world outside of the palace. As he was taking a tour around the city, he saw all the hardships and bitterness his people had to go through in their everyday life. Suddenly he came across this scene - he saw how an Egyptian guard was beating a Jewish slave.
  
  In Shemot 2:12 says:
  וַיִּ֤פֶן כֹּה֙ וָכֹ֔ה וַיַּ֖רְא כִּ֣י אֵ֣ין אִ֑ישׁ וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־הַמִּצְרִ֔י וַֽיִּטְמְנֵ֖הוּ בַּחֽוֹל׃
  “He turned this way and that, and seeing no one about, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.”
  
  Rabbeinu Bahya said:
  וירא כי אין איש אין איש עתיד לעמוד ממנו שיתגייר - And he saw that no one, (there are were people standing around since pharaoh found out about this incident), no one was a man enough to stand up to him - to the Egyptian guard. All were afraid and no one stepped forward to defend the slave.
  
  So Moshe Rabbeinu struck the Egyptian guard, killed him and buried him in the sand.
  
  In the Masechet Gittin 56A there’s a story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, where the host of the party was arguing with one of the people that was invited to the party erroneously, and which happened to be his enemy - bar Kamtza. As they were arguing back and forth, no one from the rabbis present at the party said anything in his defense. When he was thrown out from the party, bar Kamtza decided to revenge all those people involved in his humiliation and the outcome was that we have lost millions of lives and the Temple was destroyed.
  
  In another scenario: when Moshe Rabbeinu came late for few hours from the Mount Sinai where he received the Torah, the people came over to Chur the son of Miriam and demanded from him to build them an idol - he flatly refused for which he was killed said Rashi on Shemot 32:5:3. After killing Chur they have approached Aaron haCohen. He saw how they have dealt with Chur and agreed to build them an idol, but he was stretching the time and slowing the process in hopes that Moshe Rabbeinu will come down and this plan will be foiled. But against all of his efforts and with the help of the Egyptian sorcerers working behind his back, the Golden Calf has emerged from the fire and people have worshipped the idol as it says in Shemot 32:4. When Moshe Rabbeinu came down with the commandments, he saw similar scenario, few thousand or so people are dancing around the golden calf and the rest of the three million people along with Aharon haCohen are standing around and watching.
  
  After this incident, Aaron haCohen becomes a Rodef Shalom - the Pursuer of Peace. Aaron haCohen understood one simple truth – we should not live on autopilot. He started strengthening the unity between friends and families, thus creating peace, unity, and harmony in the society.
  
  But what is living on autopilot? When we live on autopilot – we make mistakes in ideology, principles, and convictions. We ignore quarrels in the society, accept and spread slander, and play along in other people's arguments.
  
  Evil thrives when no one goes against it when no one challenges it and it sweeps more people into it while doing lots of damage.
  
  As German theologian Martin Niemöller said in his poem in 1933:
  
  "First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
  Because I was not a socialist.
  
  Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
  Because I was not a trade unionist.
  
  Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
  Because I was not a Jew.
  
  Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
  
  And as Albert Einstein said: “This world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”
  
  The more we ignore things that are happening with others, standing by idly while letting things to be done and words to be said, the more it goes out of control and at the end, we too become liable in the eyes of G-d. Look around in your community, your family and the places where you have influence. Is it lacking peace? Is there are harmony or there are strife and slander?
  
  Moshe Rabbeinu had to get involved when Egyptian guard was beating a Jewish slave to death and he did. The rabbis that were present at the party, had to get involved in the story of Kamtza and Bar-Kamzta without concerning themselves of the consequences they might have had. And in the building of the golden calf, the three million people and Aaron haCohen had to stand their ground and go against the people that were bowing down to the idol no matter the outcome that was there for them.
  
  The more we keep quiet, thinking that it is none of our business and while pretending we do not notice anything – we give evil time to carry out their evil plans, because that's when they start to count on us that we will defend them, justify their actions before others and not expose their plans – and for this we carry the burden of the guilt and will be responsible before G-d, as our ancestors.
  
  So, what should one do? Should he get involved in a machloket/dispute? Definitely YES! but not to make more trouble or take sides, but to make sure the dispute is ended and peace is restored.
  
  That's why in Pirkey Avot 1:12 it says: "Hillel used to say: Be of the disciples of Aaron haCohen, loving peace and pursuing peace..."
  
  When Aharon haCohen died, on his funeral there are were a lot of children from all those families that were about to fall apart, that he was able to save. Thousands of children were named in his name as a token of appreciation from their parents. Aharon haCohen has dedicated his life to peace, he was pursuing it, he has busied himself with it all the hours of his day – giving it the importance and letting us know of the huge responsibility that was placed on our shoulders.
  
  With his efforts and results, Aharon haCohen has proven that each one of us can and should be a peacemaker in his own society.
  
  Shmuel Katanov
  
  

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• Why Did Moshe Rabbenu Hit The Rock?

  Jul 16, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  In Parashat Chukat 20:6-13, Hashem tells Moshe to take a staff and talk the rock, but Moshe hits it. Plenty of water came out, people drank, and the animals drank. But what is this miraculous stone?
  
  In Masechet Chagigah 12A:7, it talks about the Tohu va Vohu, and Vohu are the damp stones from which water emerges. Hashem wanted to introduce the nation to Vohu Stones - the damp stones, a lifesaver in Israel or any dry climate that depends on rain. These stones could help greatly with agriculture since the nation is about to enter Eretz Yisrael. With the knowledge of the type of stone with that capability, the nation can irrigate the land anywhere in Israel’s dry climate, which means good crops and prosperity. 
  
  So, the water came out. As is, it's a great miracle, but why were both of the brothers punished? 
  
  Every time Moshe had a question, he was always consulting with Hashem, but this time, the people were pressuring him to bring the water, and for a second, Moshe, if I may say - lost his cool or got angry - instead, he should of stick to his rule of asking Hashem as he always did in the past. So, in a way, Moshe made the same mistake as Aharon and hurried with his decision - hitting the stone instead of asking Hashem. Moshe said from which we should bring and took credit for both. Aharon was there, and since this scenario was familiar to him, and he did not stop his brother, both got punished pretty much for the identical sin.
  
  Hashem wanted him to talk to the rock, and people would have learned a lesson - look, even the rock listens to Moshe, who tells over the word of G-d, so we, the people, should do the same.
  
  But there may be even a deeper explanation.

  Since the times of Avraham Avinu and earlier, rock has been used for idols. Hashem wanted Moshe to teach them a different way of using rock in service of the Divine. But it didn’t happen. Since then, the nations of the world have used it for idols. There are humongous statues of different deities and other symbols and buildings built across the globe dedicated to anyone but G-d Almighty. Moshe had an opportunity to fix it then but missed it. That’s why the sin is so great. It lasts thousands of years and is practiced by billions across the globe till today, and its impact is simply huge. That’s why Hashem punished them both and forbade them from entering the Eretz Yisrael. That would also be why Hashem didn’t want Moshe to build the Bet Hamikdash since he didn’t elevate the use of the stone properly. Thus, he lost the opportunity to build the Bet Hamikdash, which is made out of stone.

  The above is to familiarize us with the story. But once again, let's go even deeper.
  
  In Parashat Balak, when Bilaam is invited to "bless the Nation", in his first blessing he said: מִ֤י מָנָה֙ עֲפַ֣ר יַעֲקֹ֔ב וּמִסְפָּ֖ר אֶת־רֹ֣בַע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל תָּמֹ֤ת נַפְשִׁי֙ מ֣וֹת יְשָׁרִ֔ים וּתְהִ֥י אַחֲרִיתִ֖י כָּמֹֽהוּ׃ - Who can count the dust of Jacob, Number the dust-cloud of Israel? May I die the death of the upright, May my fate be like his! -- I would like to stop on the word Kamohu - Like his or can be read Like him. Bilaam is talking about the upright of the generation, but for a second, let's look at what other explanations may be.
  
  Kamohu - like him, we are not exactly sure who he means, and to zero in on the specific personality, we need to go to Parashat Shoftim 18:15,  נָבִ֨יא מִקִּרְבְּךָ֤ מֵאַחֶ֙יךָ֙ כָּמֹ֔נִי יָקִ֥ים לְךָ֖ הי אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ אֵלָ֖יו תִּשְׁמָעֽוּן׃ - From among your own people, your G-d will raise up for you a prophet like myself; that is whom you shall listen. Here it says Kamoni - like me, so we know it is Moshe he is referring to. And later Hashem confirms in 18:17: נָבִ֨יא אָקִ֥ים לָהֶ֛ם מִקֶּ֥רֶב אֲחֵיהֶ֖ם כָּמ֑וֹךָ וְנָתַתִּ֤י דְבָרַי֙ בְּפִ֔יו וְדִבֶּ֣ר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲצַוֶּֽנּוּ׃ - I will raise up for them from among their own people a prophet like yourself, in whose mouth I will put My words and who will speak to them all that I command; Kamocha - like you. 
  
  So Bilaam means Moshe, and he wants his fate to be like his. But Moshe means a prophet to be appointed at the end of days, a Mashiach himself, and he wants him to be like Moshe Rabbenu. Hashem confirms his request and says that He will do so. We need to find out why Moshe is making such a request. Why is Moshe asking that Mashiach should be like Moshe Rabbenu?
  
  Bilaam and Balak came to the desert for one reason only. Balak, the king of Moab, wanted to "bless" the Jewish nation, and Bilaam was invited to carry out the order so that when their armies met in battle or even without it, the Jewish nation would be defeated. This all sounds good, but when they came to the desert to carry out the plan, Bilaam understood this was impossible. 
  
  Ever since Moshe separated himself from his wife Tziporah, starting with Parashat Yitro and in Vaetchanan, Moshe grew in Torah knowledge and got closer to Hashem. When Balak and Bilaam came to the desert, Bilaam saw a giant – and said, “Even I cannot go against a person like him!” Moshe Rabbenu was preparing to meet his challenger - Bilaam HaRasha, and not only him. 
  
  In the Midrash, we are told of a story. One day, Hashem showed Adam HaRishon a prophetic vision of all the personalities that would come from him from the beginning of time until the end of days. Adam watches it all, and then he sees a small child who lives for a few minutes and dies after a short while. Adam asks Hashem why he died. Hashem tells him that this is how his fate or his mazal is, so Adam gives him 70 years of his life, and this child is David HaMelech, who lives a full life of 70 years because Adam has given him a chance to live. 
  
  It is a nice story—but for the kids. Let me ask you a question: Do you think something is not said in this story? Why does Adam suddenly feel so philanthropic and gives away years from his own life to this infant? Many children pass away around the world; why did Adam give to this little kid named David instead of any of them?
  
  With your permission, I would like to fill in the blanks of what may be the reason.
  
  Adam HaRishon watches all the events and personalities and gets nervous towards the end of the days - Ketz HaYamim. Why? Because of the following story. When his oldest son Kayin killed Hevel, Adam decided not to have any more children, so for 130 years, he was sitting inside a river and not coming close - not being together with his wife Chava. But Adam was a young male, and while in the river, unintentionally - he wasted his seed. Since Adam was created by Hashem and was a holy being, his seed gave rise to demonic beings that roamed the earth (Zohar, Parashat Bereshit), and within 130 years, he had created plenty of those creatures.
  
  As he watched this "movie", he was horrified to see how those beings had attacked people and nations throughout history, causing all sorts of problems and events to occur. But then he noticed one man that went against them - the son of David.  As he traced his lineage, he came to a child named David, who died a few minutes after birth, which meant there would be no Son of David and no one to fight those battles in the future. Realizing his mistake - of creating and unleashing these beings into this world, and driven by the desire of teshuvah - fixing his sin, Adam HaRishon has given 70 years of his life to David so he can father Shlomo so the lineage could continue and the Messiah should be born into this world, to fix the mistake of Adam HaRishon - to battle the wars of G-d, Milchamot Hashem.
  
  Hashem wanted to make Yehoshua bin Nun a Mashiach - Mashiach ben Yosef, since he was from Efrayim, the son of Yosef HaTzaddik, and then Yehoshua would have prepared the environment for the arrival of Ben David. But Moshe felt, and he foresaw, since he was a prophet, that it was too early, and the kings who would come later wouldn't be able to do what Moshe did and wouldn't follow the ways of their forefathers. With the capabilities of the Vohu stone - the damp stone, access to drinking water and abundance of it for irrigation, and power and prosperity that comes with it, will be misused throughout the ages, and instead of the good - all would turn out for the worst.
  
  When Miriam was alive, and they had water, Moshe lived separately in the tent - back then, he wore many hats. During the day, he was a leader and a teacher of the nation, but at night, he was their spiritual protector. When Bilaam came and tried to curse the nation, Moshe Rabbenu had already built an invisible wall of protection around the camp. His learning, his prayers, and his being there amongst the nation were enough to ensure no Bilaam's or anyone's curses could penetrate the camp's spiritual defense line.
  
  Moshe was concerned for the nation; too much was at stake. Besides fighting wars on the battlefield, many wars needed to be fought in the spiritual realm. People like Bilaam and Balak are always watching and trying to do evil to the nation by manipulating the unleashed ancient demons or trying to hurt the nation any way they see fit. Moshe felt that Yehoshua and the people that would come after him would not be able to fight them off till the Son of David arrived. Until the year 6,000 mark, or even earlier, it is a long time to expose the nation to situations where others may attempt to take over the land because of its abundance. Hashem has assured him that this task would be taken on by the biggest hidden and known tzaddikim in every generation. Each generation has its giants that are there quietly protecting us, and we may know them or find out about them after a tragedy hits us, and then we realize that it is because that protector is no longer around, so this is when the next generation of tzadikim step in quietly and take their place instead.
  
  So there was Moshe, not talking to the rock but hitting it, not once but twice—fully believing in his choice, making the ruling—psak for the nation, deciding as a leader, and postponing the revelation of the knowledge of the stone.
  
  וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הי אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֒ יַ֚עַן לֹא־הֶאֱמַנְתֶּ֣ם בִּ֔י לְהַ֨קְדִּישֵׁ֔נִי לְעֵינֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לָכֵ֗ן לֹ֤א תָבִ֙יאוּ֙ אֶת־הַקָּהָ֣ל הַזֶּ֔ה אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי לָהֶֽם׃ - But Hashem said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me enough to affirm My sanctity in the sight of the Israelite people, therefore you shall not lead this congregation into the land that I have given them."
  
  Even though Moshe chose not to follow Hashem's plan, Hashem kept His word by being with the Nation and never abandoning it, even for a second. Yehoshua bin Nun led the nation across the Jordan River, battled and defeated 31 kings, and conquered the Eretz Yisrael, thus becoming one of the greatest generals and prophets in our history. Hashem has also sprinkled, in every generation until our times the hidden and known Tzadikkim, who are giants and always there for us, battling in the spiritual realm in and out of the spotlight. 

  
  This would also explain why in Parashat Matot-Masei, Moshe allowed 2.5 tribes to stay outside of Israel since redemption is not happening soon. And why, in Parashat Vaetchanan, Hashem told him not to pray anymore since Moshe made the choice, and now he has to live with it.
  
  And why do we need that Vohu - the damp stone?
  
  Since it was never revealed to us, the Land of Israel never experienced true prosperity and always depended on rain. Dependence on rain means weak prosperity, a weak economy, and a weak army, which would explain the destruction that has been happening for thousands of years. 
  
  Today, Israel has advanced irrigation technology, and as a result, the deserts have been transformed into lush gardens. Israel has a robust economy and a strong army. But with the coming of Mashiach, Hashem will reveal this Vohu - damp stone to us, and with Kibbutz Galuyot – an ingathering of the exiles, the prosperity will grow exponentially across the board, as it says so in the Book of Prophet Yeshayahu.
  
  But until then, there are wars around the globe, pandemics, mournings, unrest, vacations, elections, parties, fun, and lots of noise going on in every corner of the world. But stop all of that noise for a second and listen. Do you hear the knock on the door? Who is it you may ask? It is the Son of David. Can someone answer the door?
  
  
  P.S.: Below is my opinion, something I've been analyzing and thinking about a lot lately. 
  
  So, what are the Milchamot Hashem - The Wars of G-d?
  
  Here are some of the points I believe many may have missed:
  
  - On October 7, 2023, Israel was forced to enter into a war. Since then, they have expanded their war efforts and fought on seven fronts. The amazing success they have had in going against different groups has been attributed to the learning and davening of the nation. As a nation, we have been learning and davening for centuries, but this type of success we never had.
  
  - Outside of Israel, Chutz La'aretz, the antisemitism is up, but if you look at how it was years ago vs now, the life situation is not bad at all. 
  
  - For the past two years, the Sefirat HaOmer and the Three Weeks of the season of Tisha B'Av, have had almost no fatal accidents. It almost feels like the month of Av has become just another month.
  
  - During the year, life is smooth for many. There are struggles, but they are tolerable.
  
  I could probably go on, but I believe that Milchamot Hashem have started and have been going on for a while, and the Son of David is at it alone and may be struggling. That's why Adam HaRishon gave David HaMelech 70 years of his life so that he could father Shlomo, ensuring the lineage would continue for the Mashiach to come to this world and fulfill his role. 
  
  So there you have it..!!
  

  This may be a successful attempt, or perhaps not, as I have tried to explain some things as I see them. However, as I always say, it’s just my two cents on the issue. 
  
  - Shmuel Katanov

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• Let us make man in our image

  Oct 23, 2022 Admin 0 Comments

  And G-d said, Let us make man in our image... - וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֛ם בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ - Bereshit 1:26
  
  There are many explanations for this verse, such as who did G-d speak with, and who did He consult with? The Sages say that G-d has consulted with the angels, before creating a man... But maybe, it can also have a different meaning.
  
  Perhaps, it was not the angels that Hashem consulted with, but He consulted with the souls of the future rabbis and teachers of the Torah. Like for example:  Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, David, Shlomo, Rambam, Rashi, the sages of the Talmud, Mishna, and the rabbis of every generation until our times.
  
  Why? Because these are the people that dedicate their lives to learn Torah, and as they do this, something happens to them. They become holy and their Tzelem Elokim or Divine Image is revealed to the world.
  
  So, Hashem was speaking to these great souls, or shall we say - instructing them: Let us make man in OUR IMAGE. What does it mean - in Our Image or Divine Image - it is a study of how to emulate Hashem - to be holy as Him, to do as Him, to live life according to His Torah, and His laws.
  
  Since Hashem is Holy, and the above souls already have the Divine Image which is revealed later because of their learning, and self-work to emulate Hashem - their congregants, and their followers that come to shuls, and places of study all across the globe, haven't yet acquired their Divine Image. So, this will be the job of the rabbis and the teachers of the Torah in every generation - to teach, to guide, and to help individuals to reveal their Divine Image while leaving their own Torah knowledge in the pages of the Talmud, in their students, and in their books.
  
  Shmuel Katanov
  
  

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• Почему Вс-вышний выбрал Моше Рабейну а не Кораха?

  Dec 26, 2019 Admin 0 Comments

  Слышал однажды от одного человека который сказал: что Вс-вышний поступил с Корахом очень сурово, ведь он всего лишь хотел хорошего для народа, и тоже хотел места под солнцем - ...может быть. Но нам надо понять что двигало Корахом, какие у него были амбиции и идеалы, поняв это мы можем трезво и осознанно посмотреть на ситуацию ещё раз. 
  
  Не секрет что Корах хотел позицию Моше Рабейну и всё остальное что он говорил и делал было просто пыль в глаза. Как говорится - он говорил и делал до тех пор пока не вмешался Вс-вышний. Но почему Вс-вышний выбрал именно Моше а не Кораха, ведь у Кораха были тоже благие намерения и он тоже хотел делать добро народу. Давайте копнём поглубже чтоб по настоящему понять в чём дело.
  
  В чём заключалась ошибка Кораха? Что такое лидер? Почему Моше Рабейну был выбран лидером самим Вс-вышним чтоб вывести народ из Египта? И почему в конце Моше Рабейну всё же умирает в пустыне и не попадает в Израиль? Это очень серьёзные вопросы, и пока мы не разберём что такого увидел в Моше Вс-вышний, мы не сможем понять - почему Вс-вышний выбрал именно Моше а не Кораха для этой миссии?
  
  В Главе Хукат, Г-сподь говорит Моше Рабейну чтоб он взял посох и пошёл поговорил с камнем и чтобы камень дал воду для народа. Сразу возникает вопрос, если он всего лишь должен поговорить с камнем, зачем нужно взять с собой посох. Но это ещё не всё. Когда Моше Рабейну поговорил с камнем, как вы уже знаете - камень воды не дал, и тогда люди из толпы начали шушукаться что Моше Рабейну не говорит со Вс-вышним, и может быть сам всё это и выдумывает. И тогда дав волю своим чувствам Моше Рабейну бьёт камень посохом два раза и сказано: и хлынула вода из камня рекой и попил народ, Бамидбар 20:11. Вроде чудо, вода из камня но не тут то было, приходит Вс-вышний и говорит что Моше и Аарон потеряли возможность попасть в Израиль и останутся лежать здесь в пустыне. Такого поворота событий никто не ожидал.
  
  Позже Тора рассказывает нам об инциденте который произошёл между Моше и Корахом. Корах хотел стать лидером народа и не хотел просто идти следом за Моше Рабейну. Но как всегда это бывает не все кто хотят стать лидером или уже за рулём, по настоящему понимают насколько ответственна и серьёзна их работа и как велик с них спрос - вот так не понимая и не осознавая всего этого Корах рвался заменить Моше Рабейну.
  
  Чтоб ответить на выше поставленные вопросы, нам надо понять каких принципов Моше и Корах придерживались. Ведь прежде чем мы готовы отдать за кого-то голос, мы должны знать как этот кандидат намеревается править.
  
  Мудрецы говорят что в Торе, да и в жизни существуют две структуры правления, заметьте я не говорю о строе государства, например как коммунистический строй. 
  
  Одна из структур - эта структура Пирамиды. Как выглядит пирамида? Это огромное каменное сооружение которое широко внизу, и сужаясь многоступенчато идёт далеко вверх, заканчиваясь одним кирпичиком наверху. Корах думал что как лидер, он будет сидеть там на вышке, а под ним будет его семья, ниже рангом его близкое окружение, а потом дальше и дальше люди выполняющие разные функции в обществе, и там где-то далеко внизу остальная часть народа, про которых он вряд ли будет знать. Наверняка вы знаете все те страны где практикуется пирамидная структура правления - где хорошо живётся президенту и его узкому кругу, а там внизу где-то далеко страдает народ, чьи страдания и проблемы в верхах не известны. Также вы слышали про все финансовые пирамиды - как много делают денег люди в верхах но все те кто присоединяются к ней позже теряют свои сбережения и в конце концов все пирамиды рушатся, потому что эта система правления не работает. Поднимая людей на восстание, изменяя правду и придумывая байки, Корах и все ему подобные показывают что им безразличны судьбы тех людей которые пошли за ними. Что и случилось, Корах и все те люди которые присоединились к нему с семьями провалились под землю в ад.
  
  Но есть другая структура. Став лидером, Моше Рабейну показал что править народом не совсем уж лёгкое и простое дело. Придя в Египет он прошёл много трудностей с фараоном, уже в пустыне когда народ сделал золотого тельца, Моше Рабейну упрашивал Вс-вышнего чтоб Он простил им этот грех, когда народ роптал про неудобства в пустыне, Моше Рабейну опять ходатайствовал за народ, он слышал от них много недовольства, но не смотря на всё это - он всегда был готов  пожертвовать собой ради народа. И всё потому что Моше Рабейну придерживался иной идеи правления народом - структурой Меноры.
  
  Как выглядит Менора? Во первых, она сделана из одного, цельного куска золота - чтоб показать что народ Израиля является одним целым. Во вторых, она стоит на одной ноге и от неё отходит шесть ветвей, три вправо и три влево и одна в центре. Центром Меноры являлся сам Моше Рабейну, а ветви Меноры - это раскрытые руки лидера отведённые в стороны - это и является всё общество Израиля, все колена и каждый человек в отдельности. Моше Рабейну нёс весь народ на своих плечах - все ссоры и житейские проблемы народа были на нём и были его проблемой - все сорок лет пока он не передал правление.
  
  И что же думал Моше Рабейну стоя у камня с посохом в руках, тот самый посох который Вс-вышний ему сказал чтоб он захватил с собой? 
  
  Он смотрел на этих людей которых он вёл много лет по пустыне, и вот что он понял. То поколение которое получило наказание быть погребёнными в пустыне после случая с разведчиками, уже давно было не с ним, и все люди которые его окружали были детьми тех людей. И Моше Рабейну впервые почувствовал себя чужим среди своего народа, потому что всех тех кого он вывел давно уже лежат в земле, в пустыне. 
  
  И вот он стоит у камня, и все эти мысли пробегают у него в голове. Зная и понимая ход его мыслей, Вс-вышний говорит ему возьми посох и поговори с камнем. Народ для Моше Рабейну был всё - несмотря на все проблемы которые они ему причинили за все эти годы, Моше Рабейну бьёт камень, этим давая знать всем тем кто остался в пустыне, что он не уходит от них а как истинный лидер, остаётся вместе с ними за пределами Израиля. Мидраш говорит, что когда придёт Мошиях, Моше Рабейну сделает то что он уже начал - приведёт народ пустыни и всех тех кто лежит вне Израиля в Землю Обетованную.

  Идти вперёд через трудности несмотря ни на что, жертвовать всем даже жизнью ради народа - это и отличало Моше Рабейну от Кораха.

  А вот нам стоит над чем задуматься - какая у Нас структура правления - в семье, в общине и в нашем обществе?
  
  Шмуэль Катанов
  
  
  

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