Latest Essays

• Беспричинная ненависть или что на кону?

  Oct 18, 2018 Admin 0 Comments

  Наши мудрецы рассказывают что Первый Храм был разрушен из за трёх нарушений: поклонению идолам, убийствам и прелюбодеянию. Второй Храм был разрушен только из за одного греха - Синат Хинам - Беспричинная Ненависть.
  
  Все грехи из за которых был разрушен Первый Храм плохи сами по себе, но я хотел бы поговорить только об одном грехе который называется - беспричинной ненавистью. Давайте разберём его по деталям.
  
  Так что же является Синат Хинам? Это беспричинная ненависть или просто ненависть которая выходит из корня зла внутри человека. Это желание увидеть смерть или неудачу своего врага и когда человек в этом состоянии, всё что бы не делал "его враг" он будет воспринимать всё как негативное и никогда не усомнится в правоте своих убеждений и всегда найдёт защиту своим проступкам.
  
  Когда человек ненавидит, он всегда старается навредить своей жертве. Он говорит о нём плохо, выдумывает ложные истории чтоб иметь больше людей на своей стороне и чтоб у его жертвы было много врагов. Говорит и распространяет о нём лашон ара - злословие, слухи и сплетни - этим ломая и не обращая никакого внимания на множество законов Торы и мудрецов. Он делает всё чтоб разрушить его семью и сломать гармонию и мир его дома. Он портит ему репутацию в его общине и в месте где он зарабатывает свой хлеб. Он убеждает свою семью и людей вокруг чтоб к нему относились плохо. Это и многое другое делается скрытно и этим занимаются несколько людей в общине или многие во многих общинах.
  
  Из за этого уродливого поведения этих людей, Вс-вышний разрушил Второй Храм. Так если два Храма уже разрушены и нет ничего другого чего Вс-вышний может у нас отнять сегодня, получается что мы неприкосновенны и нам нечего бояться?!
  
  Мудрецы говорят, когда рождается новая семья, муж и жена создают и строят что-то грандиозно большое и святое - их собственный Бет Хамикдаш - Храм, где каждая комната у них в доме подразумевает тот оригинальный Храм. Спальня это Святая  Святых, стол в зале - это Мизбеях там мы принимаем гостей  и поглощаем наши земные приношения. Кухня это место где всё приготавливается по всем строгим законам кашрута.
  
  Наши дома, синагоги и религиозные заведения являются теми маленькими Батэй Микдашим - нашими Храмами. Эти места где находится присутствие Вс-вышнего, где делаются митцвот и где прибывает Святость.
  
  Вс-вышний хочет мира и единства между людьми в общине и между общинами, где люди помогают друг другу, рады за других, где видят только хорошее в других без зависти и ненависти к другим. Где они желают другим лучшие дома, машины, отпуска, уважение и тому подобное. Всё это и многое другое Вс-вышний не хочет а требует от нас.
  
  Второй Храм был разрушен из за ненависти, которая является самой уродливой чертой, которая поглощает многие общины и людей не зависимо от их уровня религиозности. Избавление от этого недуга является Ахават Хинам - Беспричинной Любовью.
  
  Наши Мудрецы говорят, "В том поколении в котором Храм не был построен, как будто он был разрушен в их дни" (Иерусалимский Талмуд, Трактам Ёма страница 1а). Потому что это поколение следует по тем же стопам тех поколений из за которых был разрушен Храм, не стараясь исправить их ошибки.
  
  Продолжая этим путём, мы ставим свои маленькие Батэй Микдашим - храмы под удар. 
  
  Наша работа состоит в том чтоб измениться в лучшую сторону делая хорошие дела, уважать и помогать другим просто так, отречься от ненависти и злобы - к членам своей общины и к окружающим, улучшить нашу службу к Вс-вышнему и заслужить увидеть Мошияха, избавления и построения Третьего Храма в наши дни.
  
  Шмуэль Катанов
  
  
  

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• The Baseless Hatred Mystery Revealed

  Jul 24, 2018 Admin 0 Comments

  Our Chachamim z"l tell us that the First Bet Hamikdash was destroyed because of three sins: Avodah Zarah/Idolatry, Shefichat Damim/Murder, and Arayot/Adultery, but the second Temple only one sin - sinat chinam, the baseless hatred.
  
  Each of the sins is bad in its own right, but it took three sins to bring down the First Temple and only one to bring down the Second. Why? Why only one? What is so destructive and bad about it?
  
  Let's dive into Sinat Chinam, cause the reasons for the destruction of the First Temple are self-explanatory.
  
  So what is Sinat Chinam? It is Baseless Hatred or Hate that is coming from a place of evil. It's a wish to see another's demise or failure, and when you are in that hating mode, you observe and translate anything that person does negatively with no benefit of the doubt.
  
  When you hate, you always pursue the harm of another. You speak of him in a harmful way, make up stories to get more people on your side to believe the lies, and turn him into an enemy of theirs. You speak and spread lashon hara—evil speech —because you want others to see him in a bad light. You may say things to his spouse that will leave the family with no peace and eventually cause them to fall apart. You accuse him and his children, so it should affect their shidduchim/marriage prospects. You make sure his reputation is ruined in his community and places of business. You make sure your family and the people around him give him the cold shoulder so he feels unwanted and unbelonged.
  
  All of this is done stealthily, with few people involved in the community or many across many communities. In our times, all of the above can be accomplished with just a few clicks on a computer or a phone.
  
  Because of this ugly behavior, of the few or the many, Hashem has destroyed the Second Temple. So if the Temple is destroyed, and it may seem like nothing is at stake today, what do we have to lose this time around?
  
  Chachamim tell us that when a new family is born, the chatan and kallah are on their way to build something enormously holy - their Own Bet Hamikdash, where each room of their house resembles the original Temple. The bedroom is like the Holy of Holies, the living room table is like a Mizbeach where we cater to the guests and consume our earthly sacrifices. The kitchen is where it's all prepared according to the strict laws of kashrut.
  
  Our houses and shuls are small Batey Mikdashim. This is where Shechina rests, where the mitzvot are done, and where kedusha or holiness resides.
  
  Hashem wants peace and unity among people in the community or between communities, where people help each other, are happy for each other, see good in each other, and feel no jealousy or hate. Where they want others to have better houses, cars, vacations, respect, and accessories, this is what Hashem expects from his people.
  
  The Second Temple was destroyed because of hate, the most ugly trait that consumes many communities and people, no matter their religious backgrounds. The solution to it is Achavat Chinam—Baseless Love. Otherwise, our small Batey Mikdashim are at stake.
  
  The Sages taught, "Any generation in which the Temple is not built, it is as if it had been destroyed in their times" (Yerushalmi, Yoma 1a).
  
  Our job is to change for the better, to do good to others, more of baseless love and no hate and animosity towards others - be it in their own community or outside of it, better ourselves in our servitude to Hashem, and earn the merit to see Moshiach and the Third Beit Hamikdash rebuilt in our days. Amen.
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• Solar Eclipse or MoonShine vs WifeShine

  Jan 15, 2018 Admin 0 Comments

  During the total solar eclipse, the moon covers the sun. The moon aligns with the sun, and the sun allows the moon to bathe in its aura.
  
  This is a MoonShine.
  
  A husband is like a sun, and a wife is like a moon.
  
  When he follows the Torah and she helps him in that task—aligning herself with him, being on the same page with him in life goals, values, and priorities—he grows, and one day he will become a luminary—a sun. That's when, as the moon, she will bathe in his aura.
  
  When Rachel wanted to go through the crowd to see Rabbi Akiva, no one allowed her, and that's when Rabbi Akiva said: "Let her through. All the Torah that you have and all that you know is because of this woman. All that I have become is because of this woman".
  
  This is a WifeShine.
  
  Rachel bathed in the aura of her husband, Rabbi Akiva, just as the Moon bathes in the aura of the Sun during a total solar eclipse.
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• Why did Yaakov Avinu switched hands while blessing Joseph's sons?

  Jan 15, 2018 Admin 0 Comments

  Every Friday night, we bless our children with the blessings of Menashe and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph. We want our children to be, act, and be blessed like those two boys. But while blessing, Yakov Avinu switched his hands, placing his right hand on Ephraim, the second son, and his left hand on Menashe, the firstborn. The right way should always be the right hand on the firstborn and the left on the second son.
  
  It pained Joseph to see this. So Joseph pointed it out to Yakov Avinu, saying, "This is his oldest son," pointing at Menashe. But Yakov Avinu said: From him will come a great nation, but from the other a greater nation will come, but... There was something that made Yakov Avinu give importance to the second son. What was it?
  
  Let's look into this closely.
  
  When Yakov Avinu saw these two boys, he was happy to see the achdut—friendship and brotherly love—that they had, even though they were raised amongst the gentiles in Mitzraim—far from the influence of Jacob's household. He saw something that earlier generations lacked. Kain and Hevel had problems between themselves, where Kain ended up killing his brother. So with Yishmael and Yitzchak, Hashem intervenes and asks Avraham to listen to Sarah, and he drives Yishmael out of his home. In the case of Yakov and Eisav, they had problems as well; Yakov had to run from home because he was afraid for his own life. Even amongst his own children, there was animosity towards Joseph. And now by placing his right hand on Ephraim, it is like ‘Déjà vu’ all over again. When Yakov gave a ketonet passim —a striped coat —to Joseph and singled him out from all his children, the result was 22 years of separation from his son Joseph. And now, by putting his right hand on Ephraim, he is introducing exactly the same thing into the relationship of these two young boys.
  
  But Yakov Avinu saw it differently. The love that he saw they had towards each other was more than any others had before. And by placing his right hand on the second son, he knew that his oldest brother would not be jealous of his younger brother and would only be happy for him.
  
  But there may be another reason.
  
  Gideon (see Judges) will come from the tribe of Menashe, and Yehoshua bin Noun will come from the tribe of Ephraim. Both are great men, but Yakov Avinu saw that the tests they would face in life would be at different levels for each.
  
  The tests in life are what separate us, and our reactions to them will determine whether we make the right or wrong choices. While going through a test and under pressure, we may hurt others and burn the bridges or build castles and discover powers within to overcome whatever is thrown our way.
  
  When the tribes approached Moshe Rabbenu to send spies to Eretz Yisrael, Yehoshua bin Noun was among the candidates chosen to spy out the land. Knowing the intentions of the others, Moshe Rabbeinu was afraid that this would influence Yehoshua bin Noun and that he might take the wrong side and commit a grave sin of slandering the land. So Moshe prayed for Yehoshua so he would not make that mistake, and he even changed his name to increase the odds.
  
  When Yakov Avinu was giving the blessing to Joseph's sons and saw the consequences of that slander, he felt that Yehoshua needed a blessing from his right hand —an extra push in the right direction, a zechut, or merit from Yakov Avinu himself through Ephraim.
  
  The death of that whole generation, wars, pogroms, and destruction of both Temples and all of the suffering that Am Yisrael has endured to date came because of that day, the slander, a false report that spies gave to the nation when they came back, and the nation’s reaction to it.
  
  Thus, by blessing Ephraim with the right hand, Yakov Avinu helped Yehoshua bin Noun to pass the test of the spies with flying colors. Yehoshua bin Noun returned, brought the right report, became the leader after the passing of Moshe Rabeinu, and took the Am Yisrael to the land of Israel.
  
  May the blessings of our fathers and our rabbis give us the right push in the right direction when the time comes, so we all shall build and not destroy, make the right choices, and pass our personal tests with flying colors, amen!!
  
  Shabbat Shalom,
  Shmuel Katanov

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• The Holy Ambassadors of Peace

  May 14, 2001 Admin 0 Comments

  Over 3,300 years ago, the nation of Israel received the Torah on the night of Shavuot, on Mount Sinai. This event was accompanied with many miracles, lightning and thunder. Hashem has come down upon the mountain and gave us the Torah - it was a transfer from spiritual to physical realm or merging of the spiritual and the physical domains. This continues to happen every day, in different communities across the world. 
  
  Every morning during the services in Sephardi synagogues, the cohanim bless the congregants. Says Rav Yosef Karo, that the cohanim should turn their faces and hands from side to side, which the Mishna Berura (168) explains as symbolically "spreading" the blessing over the people. In a way, the Cohen is acting like a conductor or an intermediary between Hashem and the community, raining the blessings from above.
  
  The trait of peace belongs to Aharon HaCohen and to his descendants, who are ohev shalom v'rodef shalom, the lovers and pursuers of peace, and to the cohanim of every generation till our times. Their unique ability to strengthen broken relationships across the nation was inherited from Aharon HaCohen and has made them the Holy Ambassadors of Peace. 
  
  As the kohanim bless the community in the synagogues - they are emulating Hashem - just like Hashem was able to merge the spiritual and physical domains and thus elevate the united nation of tribes to the level of prophets on Shavuot, so are the kohanim doing the same - unite the nation and bring down the spiritual blessings and rain it on the people, families and the world. 
  
  The only issue is that when those who choose to cause harm to others, be it by speaking or by doing evil, are present in the minyan or outside of it, they prevent their own bodies from receiving the spiritual blessings, thus doing a disservice to themselves. On top of that, if the kohen is not following in the footsteps of Aaron HaCohen, and is often aware of the problems in the community. He has not done anything about it in the past and is not working to implement peace in the present; this puts him in a position where it would be hard for him to bring down blessings for the community, thus making it hard for the whole minyan to raise their prayers to Heaven.
  
  Why is it so important to strive for the unity inside the community, and in the nation as a whole?
  
  Because when we have the unity - then we have more blessings rain down upon us, our families, and the world. Once united, we can stand on Shavuot or any other day - one in heart and body, like in the days of old - together shoulder to shoulder serving One and True G-d. 
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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