Holidays

• Have You Repented Lately?

  Oct 14, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  Every year, we have been reading the same parsha on the first day of Rosh Hashana. Three words bother me, especially the way they are translated, interpreted, and, most of all, embraced by society. I want to mention once again that this is only my opinion. I believe the existing interpretation keeps people from making full repentance and truly embracing the way of Hashem. So, with your permission, please allow me to get a bit more specific.
  
  In Parashat Vayera 21:17 it says - "וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע אֱלֹהִים֮ אֶת־ק֣וֹל הַנַּ֒עַר֒ וַיִּקְרָא֩ מַלְאַ֨ךְ אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶל־הָגָר֙ מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לָ֖הּ מַה־לָּ֣ךְ הָגָ֑ר אַל־תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֧ע אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶל־ק֥וֹל הַנַּ֖עַר בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר הוּא־שָֽׁם׃  - G-d heard the cry of the boy, and a messenger of G-d called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for G-d has heard the cry of the boy in his present state." בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר הוּא־שָֽׁם - Baasher Hu Sha’m - in his present state - these are the 3 words that I was talking about. Rashi explains this as, according to the actions he is now doing shall he be judged and not according to what he may do in the future. And since in the word Baasher the Bet means In or Within, it means that Hashem is trying to tell us that something is hidden within.
  
  This needs to be understood well since once we get it, it will unlock other important areas.
  
  First, we must understand the Sha’m - There.. something has happened somewhere… In Parashat Lech Lecha 16:7-16, when Hagar runs away from Sarai, an angel finds her by the spring of water. In his conversation with Hagar, the angel instructs her to return to her mistress and submit to her domination. He tells her that she will have a son and she should name him Ishmael, and the angel specifies the negative characteristics the boy will have. And so it was - when Sarah Imenu saw how Ishmael was mocking and going against Yitzchak, she asked Avraham Avinu to drive him and his mother Hagar out of the house because of the threat Ishmael posed to Yitzchak's spiritual growth and physical being. 
  
  That's why the angel has used the word: Baasher Hu Sha’m - to mean not as much as "in his present state" but as he, the angel, has prophesized there before, or predicted, or has made up the boy's future there at that time to be.
  
  So, the fact that Sarah Imenu threw him out of the house is not something we should question or be amazed about. Since it all goes according to plan - Ishmael behaves as the angel had predicted. 
  
  From generation to generation, we come to the Holiday of Rosh Hashana, and we are told that if we sit, pray, and be nice to others -- and since all along we were taught that Hashem's judgment depends on "our present state" no matter our teshuva status, then we are guaranteed a good judgment. As if no repentance is required - just sit and smile and believe that your teshuva is accepted - and many have done exactly that for years. 
  
  But, as you make your way in life, in your daily encounters with people, you see their good or bad character traits. And on Rosh Hashana, a person from that crowd goes to shul and prays as Baasher Hu Sha’m - as he was created there - by his parents, years back at the time of the conception. The parents may not be around anymore, but he is the result and the fruit of that union. In this world, he relates to others as Baasher Hu Sha’m - as it was programmed into him - displaying either good or evil traits by being an amazing individual or an evil person.
  
  But let's go a bit further!!
  
  Why would the Sages include the parsha where Ishmael is mentioned in the reading of the First Day of Rosh Hashana? The Rosh Hashana Day is meant to proclaim Hashem as King - to make Him the King of our Nation and a Ruler of the World. How does Ishmael fit into all of this? 
  
  It is to show the World that Hashem has chosen only the descendants of Yitzchak as His Nation. But also to show the Chosen Nation the dedication of the unchosen nation - the number of times it prays and its willingness to go the distance to "proclaim G-d". It is a battle between Sarah Imenu and Hagar that has lasted for thousands of years. Therefore, to win - We must improve our service and commitment to G-d. Abolish those thorny man-to-man traits that have plagued us for thousands of years. And finally, make that full repentance.
  
  So, my reader... Have you... repented lately???
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• The Great Shofar

  Sep 10, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  Shofar has three distinctive sounds - Tekiah, a long, loud blast, Shevarim; three broken blows; and Teruah - nine broken blows. Why exactly are these notes being played? 
  
  The story is told in the Talmud, a mother of General Sisra would always wait for her son to return home from the battle. One of the days she waited and waited, and it got very late, and he was not coming back since usually, he should have been back a while ago, she understood that he was killed and she started to cry for her son. She cried a bitter cry, that only a mother would cry for her son.
  
  So we mimicked her cry with a shofar. 
  
  My question would be a pretty simple one: Why do we mimic the cry of a non-Jewish lady in our service to G-d? What does she have to do with us? We have plenty of our personalities crying throughout the Torah, so why don't we use any of them, why is the cry of this lady being used?
  
  So, please allow me to offer you what may be the explanation.
  
  In the story of Akedat Yitzchak, when G-d comes to Avraham Avinu, He asks him to bring his son as a sacrifice. The Parashat Vayera 22:2 says: "Take your son, your only son, the one you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you." So Avraham Avinu goes and ties up Yitzchak, and places him on the Mizbeach. Once he was on the Mizbeach and Avraham was about to bring him as a sacrifice, Hashem tells him, "Do not raise your hand against the boy or do anything to him. Because now, I know that you fear G-d since you have not withheld your son, your favored one, from Me." But Midrash says that Avraham Avinu wanted to carry out the commandment, to bring Yitzchak as a korban, and some say he did so. 
  
  So here's my question: why such a desire to hurt him? Yes I know he wanted to carry out the commandment, but for Yitzchak, it wasn't a fun moment. Later, we see when Avraham goes to fight for Lot and is offered prisoners instead of gold, he declines saying he won't take even shoelaces from the king as booty. Again, why not feel bad for the prisoners and take them and maybe set them free or convert them and show them the path to serve the True G-d?! When it concerned Yishmael, and Hashem told him to listen to Sarah and throw him out, Avraham Avinu got sad, but Hashem reassured him and said He will make a nation out of him, since he is his seed. How come Avraham didn't feel sad for the prisoners or Yitzchak? It looks like no compassion was shown, if I may say so.
  
  We go further to the story of Chana in the Book of Samuel. Chana had no children and was praying for a child. Eli, the Prophet, saw her and thought she was drunk; she asked him a question: How come you didn't see via your prophetic vision and bless me so I can have a child? Why didn't you feel bad for me? Again, no compassion was shown.
  
  More on the story of Chana and Penina. You'll be amazed at how much suffering Chana had to endure, all because she had no kids. This is yet another case of zero compassion.
  
  We go to Yaakov Avinu. When Rachel approaches him and asks him to give her a child, he says to talk to G-d since he can't help her. Again, there is no display of compassion.
  
  The same happens with the brothers and Yoseph. Yoseph begged them to return him to his father, but they sold him to Egypt, again without compassion.
  
  During the First and Second Bet Hamikdash, there was no display of compassion for each other; the nation had plenty of man-to-man problems, to the point that Hashem let the Two Temples be destroyed, millions killed, and millions sent out to exile.  
  
  This was when the Men of Great Assembly made it a law to blow the shofar in exile - mimicking the cry of a non-Jewish lady - the mother of General Sisra. The nation went into exile to be amongst the non-Jews, and there in those distant lands to blow the broken sounds of the shofar and to experience hatred, humiliation, death, pain, and suffering - because the nation has displayed no compassion towards each other in Israel, in the Land of G-d, and the House of Hashem. 
  
  And now two thousand years later, we are bitter and have suffered plenty. But how do we know that we, as a nation, have acquired the trait of compassion and are ready for the next chapter of our history?
  
  In the Book of Prophet Isaiah, Chapter 53 discusses Mashiach and his suffering. Here comes the question: Why does Hashem make him suffer? Why put him through so many - no compassion-shown moments? Let him live his life, and later appoint him to carry out his mission. Does it make sense, wouldn't you think? 
  
  And here's why Mashiach is going through the rough waters...
  
  After a long exile and plenty of suffering, Hashem wants to see - if and when the Nation of Israel will find a potential Mashiach; Hashem awaits for the nation to feel his pain, "to rescue him," and to "come over to the Mizbeach on which Mashiach is tied and suffering", and this time say to Him - to Hashem:
  
  "Hashem, Hashem, Do not raise Your Hand against the boy, or do anything to him. Since now, You know that we fear G-d... - for thousands of years, away from home, in exile, scattered all over the world, we have seen it all - death, illnesses, wars, pogroms, hunger, hatred, humiliation, difficulties, pain, suffering, and have had plenty of other unpleasant events happen to us. We have seen them all, and we have experienced them all, but we have stayed as Jews and still fear ONLY You. And now the time has come to "take this boy OFF the Mizbeach" and offer our korban - this prayer, and blast the shofar, just like Avraham Avinu did on That Day. And with that blast, he started the exile, but Today - this exile will end with us right Now, also with the blast of the shofar. The blast of Tekiah - a long, loud blast - תקע בשופר גדול לחרותנו - Teka b’Shofar Gadol l’Cherutenu - Sound the Great Shofar for Our Freedom. No more the sound of the broken blasts - no more sorrow, tears, pain, and hardships.”
  
  And with this long blast of shofar, the nation closes the old chapter of Exile - of this Galut and begins a new chapter in History - the Chapter of Geulah Shlemah, a Complete and Long Awaited Redemption.

  May it be so, and in our days, Amen.

  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 their destination in books ahead of time while they are still alive 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 many 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 its 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 and 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? Parashat Bo 11:7 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 - choose the way of Ez/Goat and become the Az Panim, the Shameless Individual, and end up in Gehinam or Hell, and 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 four 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 who is missing from this list; it is the one that chose not to come to the Seder.
  
  The one that has intentionally skipped the observance of the Holiday of Pesach. 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 to 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, where I believe the clarity may set in.
  
  Parashat Acharei Mot 16:6-11 tells us of a service 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 animal 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, the Torah tells us to throw the goat 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. When this person is about to make teshuvah and wants to return and rejoin the Seder, the Torah tells us that we should take a goat and bring it as a sacrifice. Because those traits that have made the person not 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 is 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 learn more secrets about The Fifth Son.
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• The Divine Plan

  Mar 5, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  In Megilat Esther, Chapter 2, Pasuk 7, we find something interesting and shocking.
  
  וַיְהִ֨י אֹמֵ֜ן אֶת־הֲדַסָּ֗ה הִ֤יא אֶסְתֵּר֙ בַּת־דֹּד֔וֹ כִּ֛י אֵ֥ין לָ֖הּ אָ֣ב וָאֵ֑ם וְהַנַּעֲרָ֤ה יְפַת־תֹּ֙אַר֙ וְטוֹבַ֣ת מַרְאֶ֔ה וּבְמ֤וֹת אָבִ֙יהָ֙ וְאִמָּ֔הּ לְקָחָ֧הּ מׇרְדֳּכַ֛י ל֖וֹ לְבַֽת׃ - He was foster father to Hadassah—that is, Esther—his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young girl was beautiful and good-looking; and when her father and mother died, Mordechai adopted her as his own daughter. 
  
  Some commentators translate the לְקָחָ֧הּ מׇרְדֳּכַ֛י ל֖וֹ לְבַֽת - Mordechai adopted her as his daughter; instead, they say that Mordechai took Esther as his wife.
  
  So, the shocking part would be that when Achashverosh was looking for a wife, Esther ended up as a contestant in a beauty pageant and later as the wife of Achashverosh. 
  
  Wow! How did that happen? A married Jewish lady, who never got a get, was never officially divorced, still had a living husband, ends up as the wife of another man, a non-Jew, a Persian monarch, a ruler of the many nations?! Why would anyone agree to this? Why would Esther agree to this? Why would Mordechai allow his wife to go and live with another man? What would people say? The story tells that Achashverosh didn't know that she was Jewish because she hid that fact, but the local Jewish community - they were no fools, they knew her and Mordechai, and they knew that she still was his wife. Imagine the daily slander floating in the community as if Hashem canceled out the laws of lashon hara - the stories, the dirt, the looks - the daily new insights.
  
  This is a very serious issue, so how do we understand it? It seems like Mordechai and Esther were driven by something. But what can it be? To understand this, we need to look at a different episode in the Torah, which is where I believe they took their inspiration from.
  
  In Parashat Vayera, Chapter 19, the Torah tells us how two angels came to save Lot and his family by taking them out of Sodom before it was destroyed. So the two daughters and father, Lot, end up in some cave outside the city. And this is where I would like to draw your attention.
  
  The two daughters of Lot thought that there was no man left in the world, so they decided to be with their father to continue mankind. To accomplish this, they decide to intoxicate their father with wine. And that’s exactly how they did it. 
  
  Chapter 19:36-38 - וַֽתַּהֲרֶ֛יןָ שְׁתֵּ֥י בְנֽוֹת־ל֖וֹט מֵאֲבִיהֶֽן׃  - Thus the two daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. 
  וַתֵּ֤לֶד הַבְּכִירָה֙ בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ מוֹאָ֑ב ה֥וּא אֲבִֽי־מוֹאָ֖ב עַד־הַיּֽוֹם׃ - The older one bore a son and named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. 
  וְהַצְּעִירָ֤ה גַם־הִוא֙ יָ֣לְדָה בֵּ֔ן וַתִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ בֶּן־עַמִּ֑י ה֛וּא אֲבִ֥י בְנֵֽי־עַמּ֖וֹן עַד־הַיּֽוֹם׃ - And the younger also bore a son, and she called him Ben-ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today. 
  
  So, the oldest daughter named him Moav - another way to read מוֹאָ֑ב would be as Me Av - which means From My Father (as if she was declaring it to the world).
  
  Whaaaaaaat?? Why would anyone name her son this way? Didn't she realize that people will point their fingers in his face and tell him that he came into this world not in a kosher way and there a whole lot is wrong with his lineage..? Why would a mother put her son through so much shame and put herself through shame as well? The second daughter named her son Ben-Ammi, the Son of My Nation, which could be anyone and nothing shameful. You could say that she had a blissful life with no worries or concerns.
  
  But the oldest asked for trouble by naming her son this way, and she got plenty of it. But because she chose to be honest, unlike her other sister, with no made-up stories, accepted her situation, and went through that shame and suffering in life - so not to mislead anyone, she merited to have royalty come from her lineage - King David, King Solomon, all the way to the King Messiah.
  
  As Mordechai approached Esther, he told her that for that generation to merit the next Bet Hamikdash, just like the oldest daughter of Lot merited kings, the only way would be if Esther married Achashverosh.
  
  When everything was done and over and the nation was saved, Queen Esther had a son Darius, who became King Darius II. She brought him up to be favorable to the Jews, and he eventually lifted the ban against the rebuilding of the Bet Hamikdash, freed the nation, and helped them rebuild the Second Temple in Jerusalem.  
  
  So now, let’s talk about the Messiah. The holy books say that Mashiach suffers a lot. Let’s try to understand that.
  
  The book of Prophet Isaiah, Chapter 53:10, says, “Hashem desired to oppress him, and He afflicted him.” In 53:7, “He was persecuted and afflicted.” In 53:5, “He was pained because of our rebellious sins and oppressed through our iniquities; the chastisement upon him was for our benefit, and through his wounds, we were healed.” In 53:4, “But in truth, it was our ills that he bore, and our pains that he carried.”
  
  Just like the oldest daughter of Lot went through her pain and humiliation - she merited the lineage of kings. Ruth The Moabite and her grandson King David went through their trials which merited the nation the First Bet Hamikdash. The Queen Esther went through her difficulties and merited the nation the Second Bet Hamikdash. So is the Righteous Messiah will go through pain and suffering just to atone for his generation, and eventually to merit the Third Bet Hamikdash in Yerushalayim.
  
  May Hashem bring about the events for the rebuilding of the Third Bet Hamikdash, and we see it rebuild speedily in our days, Amen!!
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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