Latest Essays

• Woe to Me

  Jun 8, 2026 Admin 0 Comments

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  Because one can't just proclaim that the above oath is no longer valid and hope it goes away, we need a legal basis to annul it.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

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• An Alien Fire

  May 23, 2026 Admin 0 Comments

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

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• The Sprinkled Blood

  Apr 13, 2026 Admin 0 Comments

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

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• The Small Alef

  Mar 22, 2026 Admin 0 Comments

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

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• The Maimed Sacrifice

  Mar 9, 2026 Admin 0 Comments

  I believe there's something left uncovered in the story of Bar Kamtza. With your permission, let's look into it again.
  
  Just as it goes with anything I write, this is my opinion, or how I understand passages in the Torah.
  
  This story is almost in every speech on Tisha B'Av. But for some reason, everyone portrays Bar Kamtza as a guilty party. In no way do I downplay what he has done and the evil it has brought onto the nation. But I believe there's another guilty party in this story that has walked away as innocent to date. 
  
  In Tractate Gittin 55B-56A, a story is told of a slave who is asked to invite a guy named Kamtza to a party, but the worker mistakenly calls Bar Kamtza, his owner's enemy, instead.
  
  While going around the tables, the host notices his enemy sitting with other guests and enjoying himself. Infuriated, he comes over and asks him, what is he doing here? Bar Kamtza told him that his slave invited him, so that is why he is here. The host said, "It must be a mistake, since he asked him to call Kamtza, and not his enemy, Bar Kamtza." 
  
  The host asked him to leave. To avoid being humiliated in front of everyone, Bar Kamtza offered to pay for his meal, half the party, and even the entire banquet. The host refuses, grabs him by his hand, stands him up, and pushes him out of the party.
  
  While there, Bar Kamtza notices many rabbis at the table. And none of them have interfered on his behalf. A thought crept into his mind that the host's behavior was acceptable to them, as if they supported the host. 
  
  He decides to get back at the rabbis by going to Caesar and inciting him against Jerusalem. Per his suggestion, Caesar sends them a fine calf as a sacrifice, but on the way to the Bet Hamikdash, Bar Kamtza causes a blemish to it by making a small cut on its lip, which disqualifies the animal as a kosher sacrifice in the Temple. 
  
  Now the rabbis are faced with a dilemma. They can't bring the animal as a sacrifice since it is not kosher, and they can not send the animal back, since it is something that Caesar sent as an offer. 
  
  So, they decided to bring it anyway. But Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulas said, "But people will say that a blemished animal may be offered on the Altar." 
  
  So they decided to kill Bar Kamtza, but Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulas said, "But people will say, those who blemish consecrated animal will be put to death."
  
  At the end, they did nothing.
  
  Says Rabbi Yochanan: "The tolerance displayed by Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulas towards Bar Kamtza has destroyed our Temple, burned down our Sanctuary, and exiled us from the land."
  
  And this is where I would like to draw your attention to.
  
  Why would Hashem destroy the Temple, kill millions, and drive away millions into slavery, and cause over 2,000 years of exile till today, because of the decision of one rabbi? 
  
  Because the rabbis at the party were not new to this issue of Bar Kamtza. Every argument has a pre-story, plenty of hearsay, slander, and defamation, to the point where people take sides and work tirelessly, blindly following their "leader".
  
  The host of the party knew this game, and he took advantage of it to its fullest. He had "slaves" working for him in every layer of society, from top to bottom. People were talking about Bar Kamtza to the point that he felt like an outsider in the community, and he did not feel guilty for punishing the whole city for what was done to him. And the worst thing about this was that all the rabbis knew all the fresh and latest dirt about Bar Kamtza.
  
  And this is what Hashem did not like about this whole thing: that Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulas was concerned about what people might say about the blemished animal, or about the people who bring the blemished animal, it is as if Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulas suddenly became too religious or makhmir, way to strict about this one law of bringing a maimed korban, while ignoring all other laws. 
  
  As if Hashem was saying to Rabbi Zechariah ben Avkulas: for years, the issue with Bar Kamtza was a known fact, and everyone was talking about it; the laws of evil speech, defamation, and plenty of other laws that support this type of behavior were broken daily by many people. All the rabbis were okay with this behavior of the community for years, and suddenly, this One Halacha - this law of the maimed korban, a sacrifice which may lead to peace between the king and the nation, suddenly, you are too makhmir or strict about it?? Two-faced behavior, most likely of the many, led Hashem to destroy the Temple. 
  
  And no rabbi of that time was able to overrule Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulas’ decision, since he was most likely the highest-ranking rabbi above all the others. This decision of the former Chief Rabbi affected the nation back then, and we are still in exile today because of it.
  
  But let's jump to Tractate Chagigah 14B, which I have been talking about incessantly. The above just proves my point in another essay I have written about four people who went to Pardes. People learn it as just another story, but it is not - just another story. The story of Pardes or the issues I have raised here, just proves that Ben Zoma and Rabbi Elisha ben Avuya, who was later called Acher, have dealt with the same set of rabbis as Bar Kamtza.
  
  The Gemara has recorded the stories of Acher and Ben Zoma, and later of Bar Kamtza, as MAJOR FAILURES of that past generation, mostly of the rabbis who were ruling the nation at that time. 
  
  The failure of that past generation was never fixed, and every generation since then has failed to make things right. How about this one? Are we on our way to fail, too?!
  
  According to the Talmud (Yoma 54b), when the Babylonians entered the Holy of Holies to destroy the Temple, they found the Keruvim or Cherubs on the Ark in a close embrace. There's an explanation that this scene represented G-d's enduring and intimate love for the Jewish people, even during the exile and destruction. But in my opinion, it can also represent G-d's frustration at seeing the injustice and incompetence of the few on top in executing justice, enforcing laws, reinstating the rejected ones into society, and ensuring that this won't happen again - therefore the destruction…with the hope to start all over again at some future date.
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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