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• Why Did Moshe Rabbeinu 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 as well. 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 that has that capability, the nation can irrigate the land anywhere in Israel’s dry climate, which means good crops and prosperity. 
  
  So, water came out, as is, it's a great miracle, but why both of the brothers were 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 did always in the past. So, in a way, Moshe made the same mistake as Aharon and hurried with his decision, by hitting instead of asking Hashem. Moshe said from which should we 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. The nations of the world since then 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 he missed this opportunity. That’s why the sin is so great which lasts thousands of years and is practiced by billions across the globe till today, and the impact of it is simply Huge. That’s why Hashem punished them both and forbade them to enter the Eretz Yisrael. That would be also 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 of building the Bet Hamikdash that is made out of the stone.

  The above is just to get us familiar with the story. But once again, let's go even more 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 explanation may be.
  
  Kamohu - like him, we not exactly sure who he means, 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 heed. 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, that 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 Rabbeinu, Hashem confirms his request and says that He will do so. We need to find out why Moshe is making such a request. Why Moshe is asking that Mashiach should be like Moshe Rabbeinu?
  
  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 when their armies meet in the battle or even without it - the Jewish nation should lose. This all sounds good, but when they came to the desert to carry out the plan, Bilaam understood that this was an impossible task. Thus the word Kamohu - like him means, Bilaam saw a giant – and said - even I cannot go against a person like him!!
  
  Ever since Moshe separated himself from his wife Tziporah, starting from Parashat Yitro and in Vaetchanan, Moshe was growing in Torah knowledge, and getting closer to Hashem, but as he was doing all this, he also was getting ready 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 in a prophetic vision of all the personalities that came from him, from the beginning of time till 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 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 told in this story? Why suddenly does Adam feel so philanthropic, and gives away years from his own life to this infant? Many kids pass away around the world, how come Adam didn't give to any of them, but gave to this little kid named David? 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 healthy male, and while in the river, not on purpose - he wasted seed. Since he was created by Hashem, and was a holy being, his seed turned into demonic beings, that went roaming the earth (Zohar, Parashat Bereshit), and in 130 years he created plenty of those creatures.
  
  As he was watching this "movie", he was horrified to see how those beings attacked the 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, and he was successful in this battle.  As he traced his lineage, he came to this kid - David who died a few minutes after being born, which means there will 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 that would come later wouldn't be able to do what Moshe did and would not 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, 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 Rabbeinu had built already an invisible wall of protection around the camp. His learning, his prayers, and simply his being there amongst the nation were enough to make sure 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, plenty of 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 other 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, and till year 6,000 mark or even earlier is a long time to expose the nation to those types of situations, where others will be trying 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, and not once but twice - fully believing in his choice, and making the ruling - psak for the nation, and 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 go with the plan of Hashem, Hashem kept His word by being with the Nation, and never abandoning it even for a second. Yehoshua bin Nun took the nation across the Jordan River, battled and won 31 kings, and conquered the Eretz Yisrael, thus becoming one of the greatest generals and prophets in our history. Hashem also has sprinkled in every generation till 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 any time 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 is always dependent 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 in Israel they have the technology for irrigation, and because of this the deserts have been turned into gardens, and Israel has a strong economy, and a strong army. But with the coming of Mashiach, Hashem will reveal to us this stone, and with Kibbutz Galuyot – an ingathering of the exiles, the prosperity will grow exponentially across the board, as it says 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?
  
  - Shmuel Katanov

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• The Sound Of The Clock

  Jun 26, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  Have you ever tried to hear the sound of a clock?
  
  In Parashat Terumah 25:31-40, "Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu to build a Menorah from a pure gold, hammered out shall the Menorah be made" The Hallacha says that if parts of it were made separately and then attached later on to make it look as one piece, this would make the Menorah not kosher and not fit for the service. Midrash Tanchuma tells us even more interesting details, Moshe could not visualize how the Menorah should look, so Hashem showed a Menorah of fire. Even then he could not understand how to make it, so Hashem told him to throw the ingot, a huge solid chunk of gold into the fire, and voila! A completed golden Menorah emerged from the fire, as explained by Rashi. 
  
  So, why does the Menorah need to be made from one solid piece of gold? And why does it need to be hammered out to give it the shape and look of the Menorah? Let's try to answer these questions. 
  
  In Parashat Ki Tisa 32:1-5, when people approached Aharon HaCohen after killing Chur and asked him to make them an intermediary between them and Hashem. Aharon’s response was - Bring me the gold. He thought that till they go and get the gold from the ladies, who will not be very thrilled about the idea of parting with their jewelry, Moshe Rabbeinu will come. Just like he suspected - the women refused to give their jewelry, but he didn’t expect men to give their own instead. So in no time, they have gotten together the necessary amount of gold for their project. Aharon HaCohen threw that gold into the fire, and from that fire, the golden calf emerged.
  
  This is where I would like to analyze these two events closely. 
  
  Do you realize what happened? These two scenarios are very similar but with different outcomes and responses. When Moshe Rabbeinu was presented with a task he did not fully grasp, his response was - I don’t know, or I am not sure and I have to ask Hashem, as it was in the making of the Menorah we have discussed above, also judging the cases like with wood-gatherer or blasphemer in Parashat Shelach and Emor. But Aharon HaCohen's response was - Bring me the gold. 
  
  I strongly believe that Hashem has put Aharon HaCohen in this situation for Aharon to turn to Heaven and ask Hashem for assistance, and this is where something amazing would have happened. Aharon HaCohen would have risen in the level of prophecy, Hashem would have answered him and made him much closer to Himself, to the point where he would have been not far away in prophecy from Moshe’s level. 
  
  Even in Parashat Balak, when the delegation came to Bilaam HaRasha to invite him to "bless the Jewish Nation", his first response was - I need to ask Hashem.
  
  But since Aharon HaCohen made the call and did not get Hashem involved, his closeness was postponed and has taken a different road. 
  
  By the way, how big was the level of Moshe Rabbeinu or how close was he to Hashem? When Miriam and Aharon were discussing Moshe’s behavior towards his wife Tziporah, Hashem told both of them that they were nowhere near Moshe, since he was - the trusted one in His house, and his level of prophecy was far above anyone. (Parashat Behaalotcha 12:4-9)
  
  Now Hashem needs to bring Aharon HaCohen closer to Himself, but how can He do that? Aharon could have had that level by requesting help from Hashem, but since he did not turn to Hashem when he was in the situation of a golden calf, going forward he had to put in the required work and years of effort to attain it.
  
  So in Parashat Behaalotcha 8:1 Hashem gave a commandment to Aharon HaCohen to light the Menorah, and made it a part of the daily service in the Bet Hamikdash, thus making it a way for him to come closer to Hashem.
  
  How do we know that Aharon HaCohen succeeded in this task, and came closer to Hashem, and those lofty levels?
  
  Centuries later, King David wrote in the Book of Tehillim, in Psalm 99: "Moshe, Ve Aharon be Kohanav, u Shmuel be Kore Shemo, Korim El Hashem Ve Hu Yaanem - Moshe and Aharon are among his priests, and Shmuel among those who invoke His name, they would call to Hashem and He would respond to them." King David confirmed in prophecy that Aharon HaCohen was able to accomplish that closeness with Hashem, and rose in the level of prophecy. 
  
  My dear reader, let me ask you a question. When you are in a situation where you can do good or evil, do you call out to Hashem? Do you ask Him for His opinion on how to respond to the situation you may be in? Do you bring to your memory the Torah knowledge or life experiences, the values you have been brought up with or learned in life, to make sure you make the best possible decision? 
  
  Hashem puts us in situations, just to see the type of decisions we will make, and then we have to live and deal with those decisions and their consequences - be it man to man, or man to G-d.
  
  Each one of us hammers out his own Golden/Spiritual Menorah by the decisions we make down here on Earth. Every move we make, every decision we make, and every statement we make - slams and hammers out a dent on our own Menorah for Hashem to view in the spiritual realm, which is the only place where it is all truth, where one can't mask those dents, or simply lie about them. 
  
  Some have nice and symmetric menorahs - Kudos to them since lots of work went into it and it's not an easy task. The rest of us may have very dented, twisted proportions and ugly-looking shapes. But these are our menorahs, and we keep on hammering away on them daily, and hopefully bringing our menorahs to the right symmetry, and making them look nicer than they previously were. 
  
  Shhh..quiet down a bit and listen, do you hear the sound of the clock - tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock... How does your menorah look? Will you have enough time to fix it?
  
  Our decisions of the past and in the future make dents that matter. Whether good or bad, it is our dents, and our responsibility - dents made by us, and for us to fix. Decisions...an unending flow of more decisions pounding on us daily...it’s time to own up to those decisions. Maybe after 120, when we have had our chance to work on our menorahs, we won't be ashamed to view them, and we will be the Cohanim Gedolim of our Menorahs, and we will light it daily in front of Hashem, and we will come closer and closer to Hashem - just like it was done by Aharon HaCohen. 
  
  So, now do you hear the sound of the clock? It is always ticking away...nonstop, without skipping a beat, and not waiting for anyone. There's no way to stop it, but to use it to our advantage. There's so much to fix and so little time to do it. How does your menorah look? Maybe the time has come to make the right dents?!!
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• The State of The Generation - Part 2

  Jun 3, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  If you haven't read the Part 1, you can do so here. I strongly suggest it, since Part Two is built on the previous article.
  
  There's something about The Fifth Son and the goat offering. Let's go a bit deeper so we understand more of it. 
  
  So עֵז - Ez means a goat, but it also means arrogance. So, by throwing a goat from a cliff, this ceremony fixes the trait of arrogance. 
  
  But this word can also be read as עַז - Az or עַז פָנִים - Az Panim brazen-faced, shameless, arrogant with total disregard for others - a type of individual. There's a pasuk that predicts the end of this type of people - עַז פָּנִים לְגֵיהִינוֹם - Az Panim Le Gehinam which means that the Shameless end up in Hell. But why would Hashem judge them so harshly, and write in books their destination ahead of time, while they are still alive down here on Earth?
  
  The Az Panim or Shameless person or his sin of arrogant behavior, and his disregard for others, allows him to start rumors, and incite people just to keep the hatred against the individual going for years to come. It's never a one-time venture, it is a long, quiet, and behind-the-scenes operation that can go on for years with many people involved. That is why Hashem lets us know his destination - Gehinam/Hell. Notice in the community, that these Azei Panim start rumors that go on for years with no hope of dying off even after many years, while causing lots of sleepless nights and suffering to the other party.
  
  But what about his support group - the ones that support him and his ideas for the next dirty rumor? The ones that do his dirty work, while he stays on the side "clean and dry". These people fall into a whole different category. So, let's talk about them for a change.
  
  In Mishna Sotah 9:15, it tells us about the generation - פני הדור כפני הכלב - The face of the generation will be like the face of a dog. Why would Sages compare the generation's face to the face of a dog? What is it about this animal that Hashem compares the generation to it?
  
  In Parashat Bereshit 2:19-20, we are told about Adam HaRishon and how he was naming the animals. Midrash on these pesukim, tells us a bit more. Every time Adam HaRishon looked at the animal, he looked at its essence, that is why the dog got its name Kelev, which derived from the words "Kulo Lev" or "All Heart". This accurately represents the dog, since it’s traits are devotion and loyalty. The people who support the shameless person or Az Panim become his dogs without realizing it, and they apply their devotion and loyalty to the wrong cause. In the process which may take years, they lose their free choice and act as slaves while serving their master - the Az Panim guy, while disregarding an enormous amount of sins being committed loyally and with devotion for years and all for the wrong reasons. Serving The Shameless and participating in various conflicts and situations, across shuls, communities, and continents. 
  
  And this is the sorry state of the generation, Azei Panim - shameless, brazen-faced people with lots of dogs around them… And if you notice a similar scenario in your daily life, expect Mashiach to be in their midst getting most of the blows. 
  
  

  So, what is the way out of this? How do you silence the Az Panim and his dogs? In the Parashat Bo 11:7, it tells us - that when the nation of Israel came out from Egypt, no dog barked against a man or beast. And so it will be in the future, no dogs of the generation will bark or raise their voices when Hashem on That Day will humiliate the Azei Panim - The Shameless of the generation and their dogs. Mashpil Geim Ade Aretz - He will throw down the Proud/Arrogant people to the ground.
  
  There's a pasuk, ה' עֹז לְעַמוֹ יִתֵן - Hashem Ohz Le Amo Yiten - Hashem gave the strength to His Nation - עֹז - Ohz, another variation. What is this strength? It is a Strength to Choose - whether to choose the way of Ez/Goat and become the Az Panim, the Shameless Individual, and end up in Gehinam or Hell, or end up as someone's slave or dog. Or use that strength to stay away from the way of the Az Panim - Shameless, and not become his slave or dog, but to be a Boshet Panim - a Person of Modesty and be on the way to Gan Eden or Paradise, and serve Hashem wholeheartedly, with loyalty and devotion, all for the right reasons. And only then ה' יְבַרֵך אֶת עַמוֹ בַשָלוֹם - Hashem Yevarech Et Amo Ba Shalom - Hashem will bless His Nation with Peace.

  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• The Arrogance of The Fifth Son, Part 1

  May 28, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  The story is told in the Parashat Behalotcha 9:6-14 of people who approached our teacher Moshe and posed a very logical request. They have been carrying the bodies of people who passed away, and as the law states, those who have been exposed to the dead body are ritually unclean, and may not partake in the offering of Korban Pesach that is brought on the Holiday of Pesach. But they felt - why should they miss out on this commandment, and they also want to have a share in it! So Moshe, after speaking with Hashem, was told that the nation of Israel gets a new commandment of a Second Pesach or Pesach Sheni, which will allow them to fulfill some of the rituals and get Merit for the performed mitzvah as if they have fulfilled it as well - they were given a Second Chance.
  
  But here it gets more interesting. There's a discussion in Masechet Sanhedrin, that goes like this: what if the person skipped the Holiday of Pesach on purpose, but on the Pesach Sheni wants to partake in the mitzvah, how will that work..?
  
  So, this is where I would like to drop the anchor.
  
  In Haggadah of Pesach, we are told about 4 sons that are sitting around the Passover table: Chacham - the wise son, Rasha - the evil one, Tam - the simpleton, and Eno Yodea Lishol - one that doesn’t know how to ask a question. But the Sages tell us of yet another son that is missing in this list, it is the one that chose not to come to the Seder.
  
  The one that has skipped the observance of the Holiday of Pesach on purpose. He didn’t feel like it, he had other plans, and other people to see, so he didn't come for the seder. But as time passed, this person regretted it and came to the rabbi to ask what he could do, to make up for that missed Seder night. And this is where the Holiday of Pesach Sheni comes in, as a Second Chance.
  
  But what is the character trait that played the role in his decision not come to the Seder, but enjoy himself somewhere else when he was supposed to be together with the others? It is a trait of Gaavah or Arrogance, Bloated Ego, or a mix of the few.
  
  This reminds me of another incident in the Torah, and this is where I believe, the clarity may set in.
  
  In Parashat Acharei Mot 16:6-11, we are told of a service that was performed on Yom Kippur. They would take two male goats, and by lot, one would be sent to the wilderness to Azazel to be thrown from the cliff, and the other to be offered as a korban, as an atonement.
  
  But why a goat? What is so special about it? This is the animal that has a bloated ego, is arrogant, head-butting, jumping the fence or on the trees, has no problem climbing mountains and cliffs, is loud, and is somewhat a rebellious child - always pushing boundaries.
  
  So the person who did not attend the Seder night feels bad about it and wants to make up for the missed Seder. So Torah tells us to take the goat and throw it from the cliff. But the intention of the Torah is for us to throw our traits like bloated ego and arrogance that led us to rebel against Hashem, Rabbinical and Torah laws, and to throw those traits from the cliff. And when this person is about to make teshuvah and wants to come back and rejoin the Seder, Torah tells us, that we take a goat and bring it as a sacrifice. Because those traits that have made the person not to attend the Seder, are still inside of him. So this sacrifice is as if we are bringing our ego and arrogance as a sacrifice to Hashem, and that's how we start anew.
  
  Sometimes we let our traits of arrogance, ego, and chutzpah shine and run wild. Be it in the service of Hashem where we allow ourselves to bend some of the laws, and not follow them as Hashem commanded, or ignore them altogether and be on the loose. Or maybe it is the laws between fellow men, be it monetary, slander, or many other ways one can hurt the other individual. But either way, we are sure that we are loved and accepted by Hashem, but maybe...
  
  As it says in the Book of Prophet Ezekiel in 41:22, ...And He said to me, This is the table that is before Hashem... maybe we have disqualified ourselves from His Table, by acting as the Fifth Son - and now we are no longer there, because of the things we have done on purpose. Oh maybe Hashem is NO Longer Present at Our Table, and we have to go through the painstaking process of wiping clean those traits of ego and arrogance, deal with the consequences of our traits, and eventually take our rightful place at the table of Hashem or have Him be present at Our Table.
  
  The Hebrew word for "table" is "shulchan" (שלחן). The same Hebrew letters can be rearranged to spell "lenachash" (לנחש) - "to a snake." It is either we change and our Shulchan becomes "a table [before Hashem]", or we make it "lenachash" - to a snake - that kills and makes our food, us and our lives - "zivchei meitim" — lifeless, dead, and full of impurities.
  
  In a few places in the Torah, it says - Ish Ish... which may be explained the following way. The first Ish translated as Man which includes all men, but the second one talks about the person who says: It does not mean me. And it has no connection to me, in no way it concerns me as I am above all of that - comes Hashem and adds a second Ish, to include exactly the one that tries to exclude himself: Ish - Yes, You Too May Be if not already The Fifth Son.
  
  Click here to go to Part 2 of this article, where you will find out more secrets about The Fifth Son.
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• Aish Tamid - The Continuous Fire

  Apr 2, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  There were two items in the Bet Hamikdash called a Mizbeach or an Altar, Mizbeach HaChitzon or the Outer Altar or the Outer Mizbeach, and Mizbeach HaPnimi, The Inner Altar or Golden Altar. The root of the word Mizbeach is related to the noun Zevach(sacrifice) and verb Zoveach(sacrificial slaughtering). In this article, I would like to discuss The Outer Mizbeach and the fires that were present on it.
  
  While reading the Parashat Tzav, The Torah tells us that there were 3 fires on the Outer Mizbeach. Two fires were lit each day and were called ma'arachot or arrangements. The first fire, Ma'aracha Gedolah - The Great Arrangement, was used to burn the flesh of the animals, the parts of the Tamid, and other sacrifices. The second fire was called Ma'aracha Shniya - the Second Arrangement, from here the fire coals, were placed on the Golden Altar to burn the incense or Ketoret. The Third Fire is called אֵשׁ תָּמִיד - Aish Tamid - The Continuous Fire, a fire that Cohanim were responsible for, to make sure it is lit all the time, day and night, and is never extinguished. 

  
  So, as always anything in the Torah has a deeper meaning. So, what or who do these fires "represent" or how do we understand them?
  
  Let's take the first fire - The Great Arrangement where they would burn the animals' flesh as a sacrifice. One may think, why would they burn the animal, what did it do to deserve this? Let's imagine a scenario. Person A needs funds, so he goes to Person B and borrows from him $10,000. Per their verbal agreement, the funds must be returned in 6 months. Person A happy that he got the money and uses it for their intended purpose. But as sometimes happens, 6 months later he doesn't have the money available to return or he simply does not want to do that. When approached by Person B and reminded about the loan, Person A says that he doesn't remember borrowing from him such a sum. Infuriated, Person B takes him to the Jewish Court - Bet Din, where Person A denies it again, and even backs it up by swearing falsely. There's nothing Person B can do at that moment, but to walk away. And Person A walks away thinking he is off the hook and gets to keep the money. But, something happens to him at that moment - a tiny feeling of guilt embeds itself in his heart. As the Rosh Hashana approaches, he feels that guilt grows into a raging fire, which he does not want to suppress anymore, so he decides to return the money. He apologized to Person B and gave back the $10,000. The Torah requires him to pay another fifth which is $2,500, and on top of that to bring a korban which is called Korban Asham or Guilt Offering. The person admits the wrongdoing, and the animal is brought as a sacrifice instead of him, and the guilt fire that used to burn him inside, will now burn the animal and atone him for his sin. 
  
  The second fire - The Second Arrangement, from where the coals are used for Ketoret or Incense offering. The Sages tell us, that the aroma of the incense offering is the most pleasurable to Hashem, and this is something that Hashem enjoys. A few scenarios come to mind, but I will stop at two - Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. The learning of Rabbi Akiva was on such a high level, his dedication to the Torah, the number of students he taught, and the knowledge he had where he would uncover new insights just from the crowns of the letters in the Torah. And the same goes for Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai - his knowledge of the secrets of the mystical Torah - The Book of Zohar. His dedication to learning, the depth of learning, and countless new insights that come with it. This is how the Sages of the past have given ketoret-like pleasure to Hashem daily. 
  
  The third fire - The Aish Tamid - The Continuous Fire, is the fire that is never extinguished, this fire can be compared to none other than King David. A king, a warrior, and a Talmid Chacham of the highest caliber, who was never satisfied with his accomplishments and was always striving for more. During the day he governed the country, fought wars, and answered halachic questions of the nation. At night when the whole city was sleeping, he was up playing the harp, composing Tehillim, and learning Torah. But he didn't stop there. His desire to grow in service of Hashem was so great, that he started even building the Bet Hamikdash, where Hashem had to stop him from doing so, explaining that this task was reserved for his son King Solomon. 
  
  And that is why in Parashat Tzav 6:2 & 6:5 Torah tells us that, "the fire of the altar shall be ignited by it" - by the third fire, the continuous fire. Because The Asham guy - the person that brings the Guilt Offering hoped that he could get away with stealing money, so Torah tells us to ignite his sacrifice with continuous fire, which in turn will influence him and bring him to the levels of faith where he would never need to bring this type of sacrifice in the future ever again, and going forward he would grow in Torah observance, and overall grow across the board, and reach his highest potential.
  
  The same is true for the Ketoret guy, the person who learns every day, a few hours a day, but when he is finished, he goes on his daily routine, and his thoughts of serving Hashem end the moment he places the book back on the shelf. Torah tells us to ignite the coals for the Ketoret offering with the Continuous Fire, so it gives him a boost in his learning and his service. So his service does not stop once the book is placed back on the shelf, or when he walks out from the Bet Midrash, but Hashem and Torah are constantly on his mind, in his daily routine, in every one of his business transactions, and in all of his people to people interactions. His learning should not be repetitive, once a day, and just going over some text - but deep and earth-shattering, making the time for it during the day and night, to the point where the new insights are pouring out of him just like it was with Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and plenty of other Jewish Sages. And this is how we can give pleasure to Hashem - our own Ketoret offering, a pleasant aroma of the Torah. 
  
  So, are you an Asham or Ketoret guy? The Aish Tamid level is just few steps away.. Isn't it time to step up your game?!!
  

  To all the Aish Tamid Tzaddikim - we are coming, and we’ll see you at the top!!

  
  Shmuel Katanov

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