Latest Essays

• Vows and Staffs

  Jul 10, 2026 Admin 0 Comments

  In Parashat Matot, the first sentence says: וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־רָאשֵׁ֣י הַמַּטּ֔וֹת לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּ֥ה הַשֵּׁם׃ - Moses spoke to the heads of the Israelite tribes, saying: This is what G-d has commanded. If anyone makes a vow to G-d or takes an oath imposing an obligation on themselves, they shall not break their pledge; they must carry out all that has crossed their lips."
  
  The word used was Roshe HaMatot - the heads of the Israelite tribes. Why was Nesyiim or some other word not used in this sentence?
  
  As always, everything that is about to follow is just my opinion. With that, Let's Go!!
  
  Because in Parashat Shelach, meraglim, the spies came back with a different opinion, 10 people vs 2. At that moment, Hashem as if said to Moshe, "You lost control over the people you manage - 10 out of 12", where 10 went against your instructions. Only 12 people in the hierarchy report to Moshe, and then it goes down the ladder; the other leaders deal with other managers, and the last in line deal with the bulk of people, as was suggested by Yitro and was implemented at that time in Parashat Yitro. Moshe Rabbenu lost control over 10 out of 12 that he personally managed day to day, and that looks bad on his personal achievement report. Besides killing the males of that generation, Hashem has removed him from his "managerial" position. 
  
  That's why in this passage, "Speak to the heads of the 'staffs', or roshe hamatot" was being used. Since the managers or the heads of the tribes are the problem. When the nation makes a promise and doesn't keep it, and the hamatot don't enforce it, the nation learns not to keep any other mitzvot. Since it mistreats its vows, and no rebuke comes from the matot - heads of the tribes. 
  
  Maybe that's why Moshe hit the stone 2 times with his staff - mateh, hinting to us that he didn't get the full support from the matot - the heads of the tribes, those 10 that supposedly had to be on the same page as him, had their own agenda, which made the events unfold as it did, and made it possible for the uprising of Korach later. And of course, let's not forget about Yitro, the father-in-law of Moshe Rabbenu, who had heard and came to visit Moshe in the desert to make sure that all these no-support issues unfolded the way they did.
  
  That's why the shepherd is a man with a staff. The top portion of the staff consists of the heads of tribes or the upper management, which is managed directly by the shepherd. The passed laws then go down the staff, to the rest of the management, and then to the nation. 
  
  That's why in Parashat Korach, Aharon HaCohen and the other 11 leaders placed their staffs overnight, and only Aharon's staff bloomed with almonds. Hashem displayed to everyone that Aharon HaCohen was the right person for the job - a mateh or a staff, who was truly dedicated and had an unbelievable connection with Hashem. The others failed because they were nowhere near Aharon HaCohen, in their dedication to Hashem and His cause. You can read about Aharon HaCohen's Golden Menorah - his test, his fall, and his repentance.
  
  It took Aharon HaCohen years of work to reach the levels he attained at the end of his life, which was later confirmed by King David. 
  
  The Golden Menorah, which he was lighting daily, was perfect. 
  
  That was his Teshuvah, or his way of repentance. The Nation of Israel, you don't have much time to keep postponing your repentance till tomorrow; some things must be done today, and this would be one of those items. Our somewhat out-of-shape and ugly menorahs must be fixed, and this is the time to do some housekeeping of our own. 
  
  The violation of both vows and oaths is considered a serious violation in Torah. While there are examples in the Torah of individuals making vows, by the rabbinic period, the practice was deeply frowned upon. The Talmud, Tractate Nedarim, states that the punishment for breaking a vow is severe. The Shulkhan Arukh explicitly warns people not to regularly make vows, and states that someone who does — even if they fulfill the vow — is called wicked and a sinner.  That's why there's a practice saying b'li neder ('without a vow') whenever someone promises to do something, to make explicit that they are not making a vow.
  
  In Parashat Yitro, at the time we received Torah, we made a vow: Naaseh Ve Nishmah - We shall Do, and We shall Listen. This is a Legal Vow and must be taken seriously. NO B'LI NEDER was EVER mentioned.
  
  So, My Friend, Naaseh Ve Nishmah - Are You Doing & Listening?
  
  Shmuel Katanov
  
  

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• Woe to Me

  Jun 8, 2026 Admin 0 Comments

  Let's look into this interesting story from the Talmud.
  
  In the Gemara, Masekhet Baba Batra 74a, we are told of the following story:
  
  אֲמַר לִי: תָּא אַחְוֵי לָךְ הַר סִינַי. אֲזַלִי, חֲזַאי דְּהָדְרָא לֵיהּ עַקְרַבָּא, וְקָיְימָא כִּי חֲמָרֵי חִווֹרָתִי. שָׁמַעְתִּי בַּת קוֹל שֶׁאוֹמֶרֶת: ״אוֹי לִי שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּעְתִּי; וְעַכְשָׁיו שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּעְתִּי – מִי מֵפֵר לִי?״ 
  "Rabba bar bar Ḥana continues his story. That Arab also said to me, "Come, I will show you Mount Sinai." I went and saw that scorpions were encircling it, standing as high as white donkeys. I heard a Divine Voice saying: "Woe to Me that I took an oath; and now that I took the oath, who will nullify it for Me?"
  
  כִּי אֲתַאי לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבָּנַן, אֲמַרוּ לִי: כָּל ״אַבָּא״ – חַמְרָא, כׇּל ״בַּר בַּר חָנָה״ – סִיכְסָא! הָיָה לְךָ לוֹמַר ״מוּפָר לָךְ״! וְהוּא סָבַר: דִּלְמָא שְׁבוּעֲתָא דְמַבּוּל הוּא. וְרַבָּנַן – אִם כֵּן, ״אוֹי לִי״ לָמָּה? 
  "When I came before the Sages, they said to me in rebuke: Every Abba is a donkey, and every bar bar Ḥana is not smart. You should have said: Your oath is nullified. The Gemara explains: And Rabba bar bar Ḥana did not nullify the oath because he reasoned: Perhaps G-d is referring to the oath that He will not flood the earth again. But the Sages would argue that if that were so, why say: Woe to Me? Rather, this must be referring to G-d's oath of exile upon the Jewish people."
  
  So, let's look at the above passages together and try to make sense out of them.
  
  Because one can't just proclaim that the above oath is no longer valid and hope it goes away, we need a legal basis to annul it. So, let's see..
  
  Hashem says in Noach 9:9-11: "I now establish My covenant with you and your offspring to come, and with every living thing that is with you — birds, cattle, and every wild beast as well—all that have come out of the ark, every living thing on earth.  I will maintain My covenant with you: never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the Earth." 
  
  From the above, it is understood that He won't flood the earth again, and it is assumed that the whole earth. But yet, He allows Himself to bring flood waters locally in different parts of the world as He sees fit.
  
  In Torah learning, we have a concept called Kal Va Chomer, a classic form of logical reasoning that means "light and heavy" or "all the more so". For example, if a specific law or premise applies in a minor or less significant situation, it logically follows that it applies with even greater force to a major or more severe situation. Or if A is undeniably true, then B — which is even more extreme or obvious — must be true as well.
  
  So I believe I can apply a Kal VaChomer, or the rule of all the more so in this case. Because the Creator of the World never defined the word Earth, this gives Him the flexibility of interpretation, or the ability to bring flood waters anywhere in the World. 
  
  So, with that, I would like to apply the rule of Kal VaChomer and say: since Hashem, You still flood the earth locally, since You didn't define what You meant by 'Earth'. I declare - now You are free of your oath, since Rabba Bar Bar Chanah should have released You of Your oath when he heard it, all the more so since I have heard of it now, and You didn't specify who can annul the oath for You, I am releasing You of it, and You are free to bring the full-fledged redemption.
  
  When G-d said, "Woe to Me", I believe this is what went through His mind: since Rabba Bar Bar Chanah was an Amorah, Hashem has seen Tannayim and how they messed things up with Acher, Bar Kamtzah, which eventually led to the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash. Now He sees that Amorah didn't release Him from His oath, which means that Hashem has to wait even longer for someone else to come and release Him from it.
  
  As an author of this essay or as a Mekhaber, I Hereby Declare: Lord of the Universe, Your Oath is Nullified!! 
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• An Alien Fire

  May 23, 2026 Admin 0 Comments

  Let's look into one incident where I believe much was hidden or was not revealed. So, with your permission, let's begin.
  
  In Parashat Shemini 10:1-3, it says: "Now Aaron's sons Nadav and Avihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered before G-d alien fire—which had not been instructed upon them.  
  And fire came forth from G-d and consumed them; thus they died by G-d’s will.  
  Then Moses said to Aaron, 'This is what G-d meant by saying: Through those near to Me I show Myself holy,
  And gain glory before all the people.' And Aaron was silent."
  
  So, let's try to work with these passages, since I believe a lot is happening here that isn't being told. 
  
  First, let's establish some concept to go forward with. There's an accepted tradition that Moshe Rabbenu is the reincarnation of Hevel, as the Zohar says. But I also believe that Aharon HaCohen is a reincarnation of Kayin. I have seen it mentioned in the books; it could be the Zohar or some other holy book. But please allow me to back it up with more proof.
  
  In Parashat Shemot 3:1-5, when Moshe was standing by the burning bush, we are told that Hashem was trying to send Moshe to Egypt to take the Nation out of Egypt. But Moshe was hesitant since his brother had been their leader for years. Moshe was afraid that Aharon wouldn't like this idea and wouldn't be willing to share his post with him. Says Hashem to Moshe, in Shemot 4:14, "And also, behold, he comes forth to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart." And so it was. 
  
  Since the exact opposite happened in the incident of Kayin and Hevel. Kayin brought the sacrifice, but when Hevel brought his, Hashem accepted Hevel's, which made Kayin pretty upset, Bereshit 4:5, "but paid no heed to Cain and his offering. Cain was much distressed, and his face fell." 
  
  Another proof of reincarnation is that Kayin was the first to bring the sacrifice, and thus he returns as Aharon HaCohen to continue his work. And this, I believe, establishes Aharon HaCohen as Kayin's reincarnation.
  
  Everyone says that Kayin has killed Hevel because Hashem has favored Hevel's korban, but for this essay, I would like to bring another reason for the first murder committed.
  
  The bringing of the sacrifice was just something that tipped the scales. 
  
  Bereshit 4:8, "...when they were in the field, Kayin set upon his brother Hevel and killed him."  
  
  The Book of Zohar, Parashat Bereshit, tells us about the environment into which the boys were born. Kayin was born with a sister whom he has married, and Hevel was born with twin sisters whom he has married.
  
  Kayin became a farmer, and Hevel became a shepherd. The brothers have divided the Earth and its abundance 50/50; each gets half of the Earth, real estate, and what lies deep beneath. If you think about it, this is Huge!..and way more than you will ever use or need. But not for Kayin. Kayin wanted it all for himself - Hevel's twin wives, his livestock, and the rest of his goods. 
  
  And thus the first murder was committed.
  
  Continues the Book of Zohar: the wives of Hevel were scared and began praying to Hashem to save them from Kayin, who was coming for them. Hashem made them grow wings, and they flew to Hashem and lived under the G-d's Throne - Kiseh HaKavod. They demanded justice to avenge the blood of their husband. And this is something Hashem has promised them.
  
  Honestly, all these years I've been wondering what happened to the two souls of Hevel's wives, and I believe I've found them. 
  
  In Parashat Shemini 10:1-3, "Aharon's sons Nadav and Avihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered before G-d an alien fire, which had not been instructed upon them."
  
  An alien fire, plenty is written on this topic, but I believe Nadav and Avihu were the reincarnations of the wives of Hevel, and those two souls have brought the bodies, or the two boys, into the Holy of Holies for an execution. 
  
  Their offering is called an alien fire, I believe G-d means an alien fire or the sexual desire that was burning in Kayin's heart every time he saw Hevel's wives. And that desire was directed towards the forbidden, the wives that did not belong to him. Nadav and Avihu, driven by the souls of the Hevel's wives that were in them, brought in that fire and reminded Hashem of the alien desire that Kayin had centuries ago, and thus the two ladies have demanded justice. 
  
  And so it was.
  
  The fire came out from the Holy of Holies, went into the nostrils of Nadav and Avihu, united with the souls of the wives of Hevel, and left the bodies unscathed, thus killing them both on the spot. 
  
  "Then Moses said to Aaron, 'This is what G-d meant by saying: Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, And gain glory before all the people.' And Aaron was silent."
  
  - "Through those near to Me I show Myself holy" - the two souls that have been close to Hashem, under His Throne, all those centuries, that have demanded revenge, have been waiting to see it happen, and finally saw it delivered.
  
  - "And gain glory before all the people." - Since we learned this understanding now in the 21st century, Hashem is being glorified, as a Trustworthy Deliverer.
  
  - "And Aaron was silent." - At the time of the murder, Hevel was silent, because he was dead, and both of the ladies had lost their husband. Now Kayin, aka Aharon HaCohen, was silent, since both of his sons were no longer with him.
  
  And just like Kayin killed Hevel and made those two ladies as widows, now they have come - those widows as Nadav and Avihu, and made Kayin also known as Aharon HaCohen, to lose two of his sons, while causing him the same pain as he had caused them centuries earlier.
  
  But why on such a glorious day of the Inauguration of Mishkan, Hashem kills the two sons of Aharon HaCohen? Because when Kayin and Hevel brought their sacrifices, on that day Kayin killed Hevel. Now, centuries later, Hashem makes the nation bring their sacrifices, and on that day, He evens out the score. 
  
  And this is called Divine Justice - where G-d delivers it coldly and precisely. 
  
  Part 2:
  
  Since we have established above that Aharon HaCohen is a reincarnation of Kayin, I would like to ask a question. 
  
  - Why, when we bring a sacrifice, are some parts of it given to a Cohen?
  - Why, when we bring the bikkurim or the first-fruits and other types of offerings, does the Cohen receive a share of them as well?
  - Why does Cohen rely on the nation to support him in his daily needs?
  
  I believe the answer may be that the brothers have divided the Earth and its abundance 50/50; each gets half of the Earth, real estate, what roams it, and lies deep beneath. If you think about it, this is more than you will ever use or need. But not for Kayin. Kayin wanted it all for himself - Hevel's livestock, and much more - both of the portions, together with the ladies.
  
  In Parashat Vayishlach 32:17, Yaakov sends gifts to Esav, and he sends them flock after flock: "And Yaakov gave each individual flock into the hands of his servants. And he said to his servants, 'Pass before me. And place a distance between the flock.'" Yaakov Avinu did this in order to satiate the eyes of Esav, and thus find favor in his eyes.
  
  And the same goes with Kayin, since he had it all, but wasn't satisfied with it, Hashem has made his "descendants" - Aharon HaCohen and his descendants, be dependent on communal contributions - portions from sacrifices, thus slowly, each and every time, through measured holy portions, to atone for the sin of Kayin, and teach Cohanim to be happy with their lot.
  
  Shmuel Katanov
  
  

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• The Sprinkled Blood

  Apr 13, 2026 Admin 0 Comments

  In Vayikra 1:5, we are told of a very interesting scenario: 
  
  "The bull shall be slaughtered before G-d; and Aaron’s sons, the priests, shall offer the blood, dashing the blood against all sides of the altar that is at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting."
  
  The Torah specifies that "they shall sprinkle the blood on the altar on all sides". The blood is taken in the vessel and dashed against the two diagonal corners of the altar: the northeast corner and the southwest corner. It took great expertise to dash the blood properly so that when sprinkled on these two corners, the blood would reach all four walls of the altar. (Me'am Loez, Vayikra 1:5)
  
  Why do this in such a way? How do we understand this?
  
  As always, what is about to follow is only my opinion. With that, let's go!!
  
  I believe each of these corners represents one of Yaakov Avinu's four wives. The two main sides from which the sprinkling is made are Leah and Rachel. The remaining two are Bilhah and Zilpah. The landing on all four corners means Hashem is making all four ladies liable for the fact that the person bringing the korban, from which the blood is taken, is a descendant of one of their sons. And the way the ladies raised their children - the twelve boys - now requires a korban, and now, years later, their descendants keep on making sins, due to the brothers' mothers bad parenting practices; bad internal home politics; competition between the wives, and hatred of the children towards Yosef, which eventually got him sold to a different country, away from the family. Sons of Leah's dislike and disrespect toward the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, and all these bad traits were passed down to their descendants to this day. 
  
  And there was that man, bringing a sacrifice, and Cohen is sprinkling the blood, as if putting a blame on the wives of Yaakov Avinu, thus inspiring them to join together in his prayer. 
  
  When the ashes of the red heifer are sprinkled, they atone for Chavah Imenu and purify the person. But the wives of Yaakov Avinu have it much tougher. 
  
  In everyday life, we encounter all sorts of people. Some good, some not at all, but all are products of their mothers' parenting, who have instilled those traits in them.
  
  So...welcome to the show!! 
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• The Small Alef

  Mar 22, 2026 Admin 0 Comments

  In Parashat Vayikra 1:1 says: " וַיִּקְרָ֖א אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֵלָ֔יו מֵאֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד לֵאמֹֽר׃ - G-d called to Moshe and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying" The word I want to discuss today is the word Vayikra - And He called, which for some odd reason has a small Alef at the end of the word. Why is there a small letter Alef? Why isn't it the same size as other letters? 
  
  Please allow me to state my opinion of why what is about to follow may be the reason why the small Alef is present in this word. So with your permission, let's begin.
  
  I believe the reason the small Alef is written is that Moshe Rabbenu learned and mimicked it from the moon. 
  
  Please allow me to explain.
  
  In Masechet Chullin 60b:2-4 says: "Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi raises a contradiction between two verses. It is written: "And G-d made the two great lights" (Genesis 1:16), and it is also written in the same verse: "The greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night," indicating that only one was great. Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi explains that "When G-d first created the sun and the moon, they were equally bright. Then, the moon said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, is it possible for two kings to serve with one crown? One of us must be subservient to the other. G-d therefore said to her, to the moon: If so, go and diminish yourself."
  
  And based on this story, Moshe Rabbenu felt he needed to write the Alef in a smaller size, not the same size as the other letters. 
  
  And this is where the mistake was made, I believe.
  
  If you have read the following essay, The "Well-Meaning" Inlaws, you will see how Yitro, the father-in-law of Moshe Rabbenu, just by being at the party, has caused Moshe to suddenly act weird - Moshe started serving people at the party, walked around with a tray, and started giving out food to the people. This behavior, as I have explained in that essay, was due to his past and unresolved trauma that he went through while he lived in the house of Yitro. 
  
  To undo the damage, Hashem has worked on Moshe day and night. 
  
  Moshe Rabbenu was the key figure to bring the 10 plagues upon Egypt. He was the one who parted the sea and led the nation through it. He was the one to close the waters on the pursuing Egyptians, thus solidifying Hashem's greatness and might and himself as a holy extension of G-d Almighty. Through him, Hashem has given Torah, and later the teachings, thus establishing him as the only true source of authentic Torah. 
  
  Suddenly, Moshe Rabbenu is carrying a tray.
  
  Did Hashem give up on him after that? No, not at all. 
  
  Later in Parashat Ki Tisa 34:29-30 says: "וַיְהִ֗י בְּרֶ֤דֶת מֹשֶׁה֙ מֵהַ֣ר סִינַ֔י וּשְׁנֵ֨י לֻחֹ֤ת הָֽעֵדֻת֙ בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּרִדְתּ֖וֹ מִן־הָהָ֑ר וּמֹשֶׁ֣ה לֹֽא־יָדַ֗ע כִּ֥י קָרַ֛ן ע֥וֹר פָּנָ֖יו בְּדַבְּר֥וֹ אִתּֽוֹ׃ - So Moshe came down from Mount Sinai. And as Moshe came down from the mountain bearing the two tablets of the Pact, Moshe was not aware that the skin of his face was radiant, since he had spoken with G-d.
  
  וַיַּ֨רְא אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְכׇל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֔ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה קָרַ֖ן ע֣וֹר פָּנָ֑יו וַיִּֽירְא֖וּ מִגֶּ֥שֶׁת אֵלָֽיו׃  - Aaron and all the Israelites saw that the skin of Moshe' face was radiant; and they stayed away from coming near him."
  
  So, there was Moshe Rabbenu with the skin of his face radiant, since he spoke with G-d. And this was another attempt by Hashem to elevate Moshe Rabbenu above the people, thereby solidifying his position as the chosen leader of the nation of Israel by G-d Himself.
  
  The mistake of Moshe Rabbenu, in my opinion, was that he felt that since his face was already radiant, and now Hashem comes to him and calls him by his name. He felt that it was too much honor for one person, so he tried to shrink himself, like the moon. It's just that the moon was forced to shrink; he chose to do so out of humility. So, in the Torah, he writes the word Vayikra - And He called, with a small Alef.
  
  But later, this single act worked against him, enabling Korach and others like him to challenge Moshe's authority.
  
  Come to think of it, just as Moshe Rabbenu, the son of David, will go through plenty of his own hurdles in his life. But who will raise the son of David to undo the damage that was done to him? Will it be the rabbis of his generation or Hashem himself? Or will he also be carrying trays?
  
  נִבְזֶה֙ וַחֲדַ֣ל אִישִׁ֔ים אִ֥ישׁ מַכְאֹב֖וֹת וִיד֣וּעַ חֹ֑לִי וּכְמַסְתֵּ֤ר פָּנִים֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ נִבְזֶ֖ה וְלֹ֥א חֲשַׁבְנֻֽהוּ - "he is despised, shunned by men, a man of suffering, familiar with illness, as one who hid his face from us, he was despised, we held him of no account" (Isaiah 53:3)
  
  אָכֵ֤ן חֳלָיֵ֙נוּ֙ ה֣וּא נָשָׂ֔א וּמַכְאֹבֵ֖ינוּ סְבָלָ֑ם וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ חֲשַׁבְנֻ֔הוּ נָג֛וּעַ מֻכֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים וּמְעֻנֶּֽה - "Yet it was our sickness that he was bearing, our suffering that he endured. We accounted him plagued, smitten, and afflicted by G-d" (Isaiah 53:4)
  
  וְהוּא֙ מְחֹלָ֣ל מִפְּשָׁעֵ֔נוּ מְדֻכָּ֖א מֵעֲוֺנֹתֵ֑ינוּ מוּסַ֤ר שְׁלוֹמֵ֙נוּ֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבַחֲבֻרָת֖וֹ נִרְפָּא־לָֽנוּ - "But he was wounded because of our sins, crushed because of our iniquities. He bore the chastisement that made us whole, and by his bruises, we were healed" (Isaiah 53:5)
  
  נִגַּ֨שׂ וְה֣וּא נַעֲנֶה֮ וְלֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּיו֒ כַּשֶּׂה֙ לַטֶּ֣בַח יוּבָ֔ל וּכְרָחֵ֕ל לִפְנֵ֥י גֹזְזֶ֖יהָ נֶאֱלָ֑מָה וְלֹ֥א יִפְתַּ֖ח פִּֽיו - "He was oppressed, yet he did not open his mouth to answer back, like sheep being led to slaughter, like a ewe dumb before those who shear her, he did not open his mouth" (Isaiah 53:7)
  
  The son of David won't be just a teacher; he will be a scholar and a king, thus preventing the likes of Korach from even attempting to challenge his authority.
  
  רַבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה כְּשֵׁם שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי יַעֲקֹב בְּכוֹר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ד כב) בְּנִי בְכֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּךְ אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה לְמֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ בְּכוֹר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים פט כח)  אַף־אָ֭נִי בְּכ֣וֹר אֶתְּנֵ֑הוּ עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן לְמַלְכֵי־אָֽרֶץ - Rabbi Natan said, "The Holy One Blessed Is He said to Moshe, 'Just as I made Yaakov a firstborn, so too I will make King Mashiach a firstborn', as it is written, "I too will make him a firstborn, supreme over all the kings of the earth" (Psalms 89:28)(Midrash Rabbah)
  
  חֹפֵ֤ף עָלָיו֙ כׇּל־הַיּ֔וֹם וּבֵ֥ין כְּתֵפָ֖יו שָׁכֵֽן - "The Holy One Blessed Is He hovers over him all day and resides between his shoulders" (Devarim 33:12)
  
  תוֹרָ֖ה יְבַקְשׁ֣וּ מִפִּ֑יהוּ כִּ֛י מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהֹֽוָה־צְבָא֖וֹת הֽוּא - "seek Torah from his mouth! because he is the Messenger/Angel of The LORD of HOSTS!" (Malachi 2:7)
  
  עִמּֽוֹ־אָנֹכִ֥י בְצָרָ֑ה - "I am with him in his distress" (Psalms 91:15)
  
  מַגְדִּל֮ יְשׁוּע֢וֹת מַ֫לְכּ֥וֹ וְעֹ֤שֶׂה חֶ֨סֶד לִמְשִׁיח֗וֹ לְדָוִ֥ד וּלְזַרְע֗וֹ עַד־עוֹלָֽם - "He will increase salvations to the king Mashiach, He will act kindly to his anointed one, To King David and his descendants forever" (Psalms 18:51)
  
  אִם־יִתְמַהְמָהּ֙ חַכֵּה־ל֔וֹ כִּי־בֹ֥א יָבֹ֖א - "If Mashiach delays, wait for him, for he will surely come!" (Habakkuk 2:3)
  
  Tick Tock, Tick Tock... 
  
  The clock is still ticking, but he is the one we are seeking and waiting for...
  
  ר' יהושע בן לוי אשכח לאליהו אמר ליה ומאי סימניה - Rabbi Yehoshua the son of Levi encountered Eliyahu the Prophet and asked him, how do we know who is the Mashiach?
  
  יתיב ביני עניי סובלי חלאים - Eliyahu the Prophet answered him "The Mashiach sits among the poor and suffers from afflictions" (Sanhedrin 98a)
  
  וְאֶל־זֶ֣ה אַבִּ֔יט אֶל־עָנִי֙ וּנְכֵה־ר֔וּחַ וְחָרֵ֖ד עַל־דְּבָרִֽי - "at this one do I gaze, at the poor and humble one, the repentant, who trembles upon My words" (not to forget them) (Isaiah 66:2)
  
  וּבָ֤א לְצִיּוֹן֙ גּוֹאֵ֔ל - "and a redeemer shall come to Zion!" (Isaiah 59:20)
  
  Shmuel Katanov aka Acher
  
  

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