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  • For Out of Zion Shall Go Forth The Torah

    There's a story in Masechet Chagiga 14b, "The Rabbis taught: Four Sages entered the Pardes or the orchard - the highest spiritual elevation, as explained by Rashi. They were Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Elisha ben Avuya, and Rabbi Akiva.”

    The consequences of this journey were as follows:

    - Ben Azzai: He gazed upon the Divine Presence and died.
    - Ben Zoma: He glimpsed the Divine Presence and was harmed by losing his mind.
    - Elisha ben Avuyah: He became a heretic and was thus called Acher.
    - Rabbi Akiva: He entered and exited the Pardes safely.

    With your permission, I would like to examine why Rabbi Akiva exited safely. Was he safe after he came back? 

    Below are some ideas, and are only my opinion.

    If you look at his students' names, they are not the same people who went with him to Pardes. His students are: Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda bar Ilai, Rabbi Yossei ben Halafta, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua.

    He took with him a different group of people. His students were not on the level to travel with him into those realms, but the ones who went with him were on the same level as him to travel that far.

    After the journey, the other three rabbis met their fate, but Rabbi Akiva seems to be fine, as the Gemara above says, but why?

    Because after Rabbi Akiva buried 24,000 students, no Torah teacher was left in this world capable of transmitting the Torah to the next generation. So, Hashem has given a Master Teacher time to teach the next generation of Rabbis, who taught the five luminaries that have revived the Torah. After he had accomplished this goal and left the teachers behind, Rabbi Akiva was executed by the Romans.

    But what is this place, Pardes?

    It is a Paradise or an orchard, "a place of fruit trees".

    In Parashat Bereshit, we read that after G-d created man and woman, he placed them in the Garden of Eden. Adam was instructed that he could eat anything in the Garden except the fruit of one tree—the Tree of Knowledge.

    But Adam and Eve ate from that tree, and G-d punished them. Since then, we have been banished from the Garden for thousands of years. This act alone prevented us from understanding Torah and appreciating its depth.

    If you break down the word PARDES by letters it stands for four levels of understanding Torah: P'shat (straight, direct, literal), Remez (hinted-at), D'rash (inquire, seek) and Sod (secret, mysterious). 

    So, maybe one day when the time is right, we will be able to travel to Pardes and partake in all the fruits in the Garden of Eden, and even from the Tree of Knowledge—and this time, be ready and fit to understand Torah on all four levels - deep and wide, feel its sweet flavor ourselves, love it, appreciate it, and be able to share it with others.

    As the prophet Yeshayhu 2:3 says: "Ki MiTzion Tetze Torah uD’var Hashem Me’Yerushalayim - For out of Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of Hashem from Jerusalem."

    Imagine what a wonderful world it would be!!

    Shmuel Katanov

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  • The Few versus The Many

    What sin led to the destruction of Rabbi Akiva's students? The Talmud (Yevamot 62b) states that the students died because they did not treat each other with respect.

    A quick look in the dictionary shows the following:

    What is respect? When one admires (someone or something) deeply, as a result of their abilities, qualities, or achievements.


    What is disrespect? To disrespect someone is to act in an insulting way toward them. When you disrespect people, you think very little of them. Disrespect is all about not showing respect. It's about showing the opposite of respect, by acting rude, impolite, and offensive.

    The Talmud says that 24,000 died in an epidemic called by the Aramaic word "askara." What is askara? Some translators translate it as croup, and others call it diphtheria.

    But what led to this catastrophe? What sin did they commit that triggered this epidemic?

    Below is only my opinion. 

    Rabbi Akiva's students were great at Torah, but as is usually the case, some knew less and some knew more. 

    When you disrespect people, you think very little of them. But why would someone disrespect another human being, especially another student in the class? Only if the other one knows more than he does, which opens the door for one of the heaviest sins - lashon hara, driven by some internal and unconfronted character traits. 

    They have talked. All 24,000 of them have spoken. And I bet no matter what Rabbi Akiva has said, he could not get through to any of them, and the heavy consequences of the lashon hara eventually caught up to all of them.

    After burying 24,000 students, Rabbi Akiva understood one simple rule. It is better to have quality rather than quantity. It is better to have the few that truly follow Torah, its laws, and truly fear G-d, instead of thousands that you have no control over, who may know Torah and its rules, but do not keep them, or allow themselves to break the laws as they see fit. 

    These are the names of his five students: Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda bar Ilai, Rabbi Yossei ben Halafta, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua—the luminaries of yesteryears. The Torah we have today is from these five students. But the Torah of the 24,000 is forgotten and not recorded at all. 

    The simple questions arise: 

    Where do we stand? Do we follow in the footsteps of the five or 24,000 students? Which camp do we belong to? Each of us does what he does, and Hashem keeps the score, and eventually the consequences of us breaking the Torah laws will catch up to us as well. 


    Shmuel Katanov

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  • King David's Lineage

    Long live the King! Long live the King.. - shouted people when King David walked amongst the crowd to his throne. But did you hear about the tough road he had to go through to get to this point in his life? Even after he was established as a king, they said that his lineage was stained, and anyone who came from it and would come in the future, like Mashiach, would be stained as well. It feels like it has become almost established, and everyone is so sure of it, but is it so, and could it be any other way? 

    This is the topic I would like to delve into with your permission. 

    So, King David's lineage starts with Yehuda, the son of Yaakov Avinu.

    Tamar married two of Yehudah’s sons, and both of them died. Yibum, a levirate marriage, had to be performed, but Yehudah was saving his third son for marriage to Tamar and was hesitant to allow that marriage to go forth. Tamar decides to do the unthinkable and appears at the crossroads as a zonah (prostitute), and Yehudah, without realizing that it is his daughter-in-law, hires her services.

    Yehudah has relations with this woman who he thought was zonah, and she becomes pregnant. When Yehudah learns that his daughter-in-law is pregnant, he assumes that she has been unfaithful to his third son and orders her to be put to death. Tamar proves to Yehudah that she was pregnant from him, and he responds, "She is more righteous than I." as it says in Parashat Vayeshev 38:14-26.

    The Midrash asks, how is it that Yehudah, patriarch of one of the Twelve Tribes of G-d, could do such a thing? What caused him to have relations with a zonah that he happens to see at the crossroads? The Midrash answers that Hashem sent Yehudah, "Malach ha'me'muneh al ha'tayvah", an Angel appointed over the attribute of human sexual desire. Yehudah was almost forced into this unseemly act. He didn’t want to do it, but somehow, a spiritual entity "forced him" into it. This angel was given such a mission because it was part of the Divine Plan that the Davidic monarchy, and ultimately the Moshiach himself, would descend from this union. 

    Now, let's look at the story of Yishai, the father of David HaMelech. 

    David's father, Yishai, was the grandson of Boaz and Ruth. After several years of marriage to his wife, Nitzevet, and after raising several virtuous children, Yishai began to question his own ancestry. True, he was the leading Torah authority of his day, but his grandmother Ruth was a convert from the nation of Moab, as it says in the book of Ruth.

    Many people doubted the legitimacy of her marriage to Boaz during Ruth's lifetime. The Torah specifically forbids an Israelite to marry a Moabite convert since this nation cruelly refused the Jewish people passage through their land and did not allow them to purchase food and drinks when they wandered in the desert after being freed from Egypt.

    To fix his problematic situation as he thought it was, he decided to do the following: His plan was to engage in relations with his Canaanite maidservant.

    He said to her: "I will be freeing you conditionally. If my status as a Jew is legitimate, then you are freed as a proper Jewish convert to marry me. If, however, my status is blemished and I have the legal status of a Moabite convert forbidden to marry an Israelite, I am not giving you your freedom, but as a Shifchah K'Naanit, a Canaanite maidservant, you may marry a Moabite convert."

    Maidservant agreed and went straight to Nitzevet, Yishai's wife, and told her about his plans. They decided to switch places, and with a prayer on her lips that the plan should succeed, Nitzevet took the place of her maidservant. That night, Nitzevet conceived. Yishai remained unaware of the switch.

    After three months, her pregnancy became obvious. Enraged, her sons wanted to kill their mother with the "illegitimate" baby that she carried. But Nitzevet did not want to embarrass her husband by revealing what had occurred. And just like Tamar, who was ready to be burned alive and not to embarrass Yehudah, Nitzevet decided to keep quiet. She kept quiet for twenty-eight years, and David lived and was treated as an outcast by his family and the community. When Shmuel HaNavi anointed David, the sound of weeping could be heard from outside the room. It was the voice of Nitzevet, his mother, David’s only supporter and only source of comfort.

    Her twenty-eight long years of silence in the face of humiliation were finally coming to an end. At last, all would see that the lineage of her youngest son was pure and undefiled by any blemish. Finally, the anguish and humiliation that she and her son were going through would come to an end.

    All the doubts originated from these two events mentioned above... But -- something has been overlooked elsewhere, and this, in my opinion, would be the key to solving it once and for all. 

    Parashat Vayetzeh 29:16-18 says that Lavan had two daughters, Leah and Rachel. "Leah had weak eyes, while Rachel was shapely and beautiful." Jacob loved Rachel, and he offered to work for her for seven years.

    Later, in Vayetzeh 29:23-25, "When the seven years were up, Lavan substituted Leah for Rachel on the night of the wedding. Yaakov discovered the deception only after consummating the marriage with Leah." Because Yaakov had given signs to Rachel, since both knew that Lavan might cheat and switch the sisters, so, when Rachel saw that they were bringing Leah, she said, "Now, my sister will be put to shame. So she willingly transmitted those signs to Leah.", as it says in the Masechet Megilah 13B. Rachel received a reward for this act from Hashem, and you can read about it here

    But once again, Yaakov Avinu didn't know that he was with Leah; he thought he was with Rachel. 

    How can Kiddushin, Betrothal, or an intent to get married be accomplished? Through three things - money or a gift, shtar or a document, and biya or being together.

    - In Yaakov Avinu's case, all three items were present, and the only thing that was absent was the realization of who he was with.
    - With Yehudah, he gave her "money"—items that would be exchanged later for a gift and were held by her as collateral, which had monetary value, and there was biya—he cohabited with her. The only item missing was a document/shtar, but those 2 items were enough to get married. On top of it, she was an available woman who was waiting for Yehuda's third son from that same family, and the only thing missing was Yehuda didn't know who he was with.
    - With Yishai, Nitzevet was his wife, and he was married to her. Again, the only item missing was the realization of who he was with. 

    All three instances above have one thing in common - all three couples were together, and men didn't know who they were with. Yaakov didn't know it was Leah; Yehudah had no idea it was his daughter-in-law, Tamar, and Yishai didn't know it was his own wife, Nitzevet. (Wow.. look at the holiness level these couples practiced during their intimate moments.)

    These holy ladies - Tamar and Nitzevet, have taken a vow of silence not to shame Yehuda and Yishai. Both ladies have endured plenty of shame over the centuries until today. As a reward, their lineage will have Mashiach, who will talk incessantly about G-d's greatness and will bring honor to these ladies, their lineage, and G-d Almighty.

    PS: I would like to mention Lot's daughters. After their city was destroyed, the two daughters of Lot thought that no man was left in the world, so they decided to be with their father to continue mankind. To accomplish this, they decided to intoxicate their father with wine. And that’s exactly how they did it. 

    The oldest daughter named her child Moav—another way to read מוֹאָ֑ב would be as Me Av—which means From My Father as if she were declaring it to the world. 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 as not to mislead anyone—she merited to have royalty come from her lineage—which makes her a link before Leah. 

    I believe King David's lineage has mighty and holy ancestors who have endured hardships, shame, and suffering and whose descendants will eventually elevate the Name of G-d and bring Honor to G-d Almighty.

    That's why it says in Prophet Isaiah 52:13, הִנֵּ֥ה יַשְׂכִּ֖יל עַבְדִּ֑י יָר֧וּם וְנִשָּׂ֛א וְגָבַ֖הּ מְאֹֽד׃ - Behold, My servant shall prosper, He shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high - Mashiach will be exalted because his ancestors endured hardships and shame, so Hashem will raise His servant to bring honor to Himself and to His servant's lineage. 

    And in the Prophet Isaiah 52:7-10 says, "מַה־נָּאו֨וּ עַל־הֶהָרִ֜ים רַגְלֵ֣י מְבַשֵּׂ֗ר מַשְׁמִ֧יעַ שָׁל֛וֹם מְבַשֵּׂ֥ר ט֖וֹב מַשְׁמִ֣יעַ יְשׁוּעָ֑ה אֹמֵ֥ר לְצִיּ֖וֹן מָלַ֥ךְ אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ׃ - How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good news. That announcer of peace, the forerunner of good news. That announces salvation; That says unto Zion: "Your G-d is King!

    ק֥וֹל צֹפַ֛יִךְ נָ֥שְׂאוּ ק֖וֹל יַחְדָּ֣ו יְרַנֵּ֑נוּ כִּ֣י עַ֤יִן בְּעַ֙יִן֙ יִרְא֔וּ בְּשׁ֥וּב ה׳ צִיּֽוֹן׃ - Your scouts raise their voices and sing together, for they shall see G-d's return to Zion with their own eyes. 

    פִּצְח֤וּ רַנְּנוּ֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו חׇרְב֖וֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם כִּֽי־נִחַ֤ם ה׳ עַמּ֔וֹ גָּאַ֖ל יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ - Break out in song, together, the ruins of Jerusalem! For G-d has consoled His people and redeemed Jerusalem! 

    חָשַׂ֤ף ה׳ אֶת־זְר֣וֹעַ קׇדְשׁ֔וֹ לְעֵינֵ֖י כׇּל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וְרָאוּ֙ כׇּל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֔רֶץ אֵ֖ת יְשׁוּעַ֥ת אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ - G-d shall reveal His holy arm before all nations and all ends of the earth shall see salvations of our G-d. 

    And just like that, the Ruach Elokim - The Spirit of G-d, has left the waters and is walking the land. 

    Shmuel Katanov

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  • The Advice of The Wicked

    Each one of us lives in the community, and if you look hard enough, you may notice a certain behavior that many regard or view as normal. But is it the right thing to do?!

    One of the makkot or plagues Hashem brought upon Egypt was the Makkah of Choshech, the Plague of Darkness. Torah tells us that it was so dark that no Egyptian could physically move while it was happening. But if you read the Midrash on this, this is where it gets even more interesting. It says that during this plague, around 12 million Jews died, and the sons of Israel went from house to house and buried them under the cover of the darkness so as not to cause shame to the nation. In every plague, it has affected Egyptians, but in this one, we have buried many of our own. 

    So, let’s stop here. 

    During the week of darkness, we have buried 8 million people. Some say 12 million or even more, but for this article, I will use the 12 million who were buried; since 20% came out from Egypt, which comes out to 3 million people, we have left behind 80% of the nation within that one week, which in total makes 15 million people were living in Egypt before the plague.

    But the amazing thing is, no one screams from the podium about this event; why?? During the Holocaust, we have lost 6 million, and we make so much noise about that till today, but 12 million - no noise is made, and not much is said. With your permission, please allow me to shed some light on what might have happened there or be the one to make that noise that I believe needs to be made. As always, this is my opinion, which I would like to share with others.

    In Parashat Shemot 3:3, when Moshe stood at the burning bush and was instructed by Hashem to go to Egypt to free the nation of Israel, Moshe hesitated, and rightfully so. Two individuals have given Moshe the reason to flee Egypt since they reported him to authorities when he killed an Egyptian while saving another Jew. Now returning, it was not something Moshe wanted to do besides other reasons; he knew they wouldn’t stop and would continue and may even outperform and amaze themselves and others at their skill level even more than the previous time. And they did precisely so.

    When Moshe Rabbeinu went to the pharaoh, he performed miracles and brought or triggered a plague that Hashem had performed. It had an intended effect on Egyptians, as Hashem wanted, but those two individuals were busy spreading a whole different story to the nation.

    When Moshe came to Egypt, he told Aharon HaCohen—his brother and the elders - that G-d sent him. Aharon HaCohen believed him, but the elders believed Aharon HaCohen since they knew him and not Moshe, his brother. Every time the plague happened, Aharon HaCohen confirmed it as the "Doings of the Almighty." But those two - Dathan and Aviram—had a different plan and story to tell to others who were willing to listen.

    So what did these two tell them? They said that Moshe grew up in the House of Pharaoh and learned to perform those "miracles" there, with no G-d involved; it was him performing at an advanced level of sorcery. 

    But guess what - Dathan and Aviram were not the lazy bunch, and they didn't mind going miles from house to house - since they had no WhatsApp or other technologies we have today to spread slander, they put the time and effort into this "project." So, the elders living far from Aharon HaCohen believed these two since they were persistent and convincing. They walked far and wide and reached 12 million people - the elders and the ordinary folks had believed them that Moshe was not for real and all of those "miracles" - plagues were just his tricks. Since Aharon HaCohen and the elders loyal to him could convince only 3 million people, Hashem decided to leave the rest of the nation behind, so 80% of the Nation, 12 million people, were buried during the Plague of Darkness.

    So, the merit of the deaths of 12 million people belongs to these two individuals - Dathan and Aviram.

    - Hashem made Moshe His choice, but these two didn't agree with Him and smeared Moshe, no matter the effort, the time it took, or the consequences it had on the nation—thus challenging G-d's authority and weakening the belief
    in G-d of the people of that generation and on.

    - The nation - those 3 million people - truly believed in Moshe and Hashem later when they crossed the sea, as it says in Parashat Beshalach - Vayaaminu Ba Hashem Uve Moshe Avdo. However, as a consequence of the actions of Dathan and Aviram, our nation still has difficulties with faith in Hashem and Moshe today

    - Later in recent history, we have had another similar incident. After thousands of years, the nation followed the Derech, or the Way, that Moshe Rabbeinu taught us in ancient times, but in the early 1800s and on in Europe, new ways to serve G-d were introduced. Later, we lost another 6 million, and the effects of that are still present today.

    - As it was, so it will be. The Holy Books tell us of the End of Times. Those reincarnations of the past will smear the Son of David, and it will be a heavy load. 

    But all that, is done to test the Aharon HaCohen and the Elders of that generation. Whether they will back the one G-d has chosen, side with the ones who smear, or ignore it altogether and go on their way - their actions will determine whether The Nation will leave any of its members behind.

    That's why Parashat Korach says, And Korach took but never says what he took. Korach was a bystander who was quietly learning - he has witnessed the performance of The Masters of Defamation - Dathan and Aviram. So Korach has taken that "experience" - the knowledge of what the lies can achieve when repeated enough times, and their power to convince and rule the masses, and with that experience, Korach has taken with him the above “experts or the consultants” and together with other "upstanding scholars" - they went against Moshe Rabbeinu.

    So next time you are out there in public, socializing in the community, look around at those who do the Talking and the Walking and those who quietly stand on the side while gaining that "invaluable experience."

    That’s why King David said in the Book of Tehillim 1:1, "Happy is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scorners."

    After causing so many terrible problems in the nation and years of accusations of Moshe Rabbeinu by Dathan and Aviram, Moshe Rabbeinu calls on G-d again to solve this thorny problem once and for all and goes for the unthinkable.

    Parashat Korach 16:28-30 says: "And Moses said, By this, you shall know that it was Hashem who sent me to do all these things; that they are not of my devising: If these people’s death is that of all humankind if their lot is humankind's common fate, it was not Hashem who sent me. But if Hashem brings about something unheard-of, so that the ground opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into Sheol, you shall know that those involved have rejected Hashem." 

    And so it happened. Dathan, Aviram, Korach, and their families have fallen underground. Gemara Bava Batra 74A says that they never died, but they constantly keep on repeating down there deep in the Earth below: Torah is Truth, and Moshe is Truth—a bit too late if you ask me, but they realized that Moshe's doings were directly from G-d. 

    The same will be true with the Son of David, who also will do the same per the Will of G-d. Just like Moshe Rabbeinu, who has judged Korach and his people, the Son of David will take the judgments to the next level by the sense of smell to root out the Dathans, Avirams, and other evil of his time who quietly have operated for years amongst the nation. 

    Shmuel Katanov

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  • The Fifth Son - 2, The State of The Generation

    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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Latest Essays

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    For Out of Zion Shall Go Forth The Torah
    There's a story in Masechet Chagiga 14b, "The Rabbis taught: Four Sages entered the Pardes or the orchard - the highest...
  • The Few versus The Many
    The Few versus The Many
    What sin led to the destruction of Rabbi Akiva's students? The Talmud (Yevamot 62b) states that the students died because they...
  • Divine Justice
    Divine Justice
    In Parashat Shemini 9:23 it says: "וַיָּבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד וַיֵּ֣צְא֔וּ וַֽיְבָרְכ֖וּ אֶת־הָעָ֑ם...
  • Moshe, Will Sing!!
    Moshe, Will Sing!!
    Why the words of the song that Moshe Rabbenu sang were in future tense: “Moshe will sing - Az Yashir Moshe" and not in...
  • The Power of The Half a Shekel
    The Power of The Half a Shekel
    I want to share an interesting idea with you. There are many explanations for the reason for half a shekel, but please allow me...

Most Popular Essays

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    Modesty or The Holy Scroll
    Modesty or Tzeniut... When one hears either of these words, the first thing that usually comes to mind is: Oh come on! Do I...
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    CoronaVirus or What Is G-d Trying To Tell Us?
    As you know more and more countries get infected with CoronaVirus and it is not slowing down. The World Health Organization has...
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    The Wisdom of the Jewish Sage
    It's very puzzling how it all played out. The nation of Israel was three days away from the Land of Israel - just go in, and...
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    Why should I keep Shabbat?
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    The Baseless Hatred Mystery Revealed
    Our Chachamim z"l tell us that the First Bet Hamikdash was destroyed because of three sins: Avodah Zarah/Idolatry, Shefichat...