Latest Essays

• Why men are obligated to light the Chanukah candles?

  Dec 15, 2020 Admin 0 Comments

  In the story of Chanukah, when the Maccabees returned to Jerusalem, they entered the Temple and removed all the idols that the army of Antiochus had placed there. When they wanted to light the menorah, they found only a small jug of pure olive oil bearing the seal of Rabbi Yochanan Cohen Hagadol. It was sufficient to light only for one day. By a miracle of Hashem, it continued to burn for eight days, till new oil was made available. That miracle proved that Hashem had again taken His people under His protection. In memory of this, our sages appointed these eight days for annual thanksgiving and candle lighting.

  
  Chachamim z"l tell us that the Second Temple was destroyed for only one sin - Sinat Chinam - Baseless Hatred. Only one sin brought down the House of G-d, and I believe we are still battling with it till today. There's no unity, and plenty of lashon hara, dislike, and ill will floating between the communities and among people. I believe that the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash is the sin of the men - this is something we as men are responsible for. 
  
  That's why the obligation to light the Chanukah menorah lies on men, and we have eight days to do it - in our own homes, each one, no matter what part of the world he is in, or what the situation he may be in. In addition, the Sages say that there's a segulah in looking at burning candles, and hopefully this will give us chidushim — new insights — into the Torah. But maybe it could also mean that we should look at the candles and ponder: how can we fix the divisiveness, the hatred, and the distancing between communities and people? We got the whole eight days to think,  and the rest of the year to carry out the plan. If anyone can do it, then it is we, men.
  
  Since the destruction of the Second Temple, Hashem has no home to reside in; the Shechina is in exile; the nation is spread around the world; and there are plenty of problems in families, the nation, and the world as a whole. 
  
  Perhaps, this is the time we say: We've had enough of it?!
  
  Perhaps, this is the time to approach this consciously?!
  
  Either, we can keep on lighting our menorahs for years to come - in exile and in our warm homes, distanced from each other, comfortable and in disagreements, or we put our egos aside, make up with each other, unite as a nation and light the Golden Menorah next year in the House of Hashem - our own Bet Hamikdash Shlishi?!!
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• Modesty or The Holy Scroll

  Aug 17, 2020 Admin 0 Comments

  Modesty or Tzeniut... When one hears either of these words, the first thing that usually comes to mind is: Oh come on! Do I really have to wear all that? It is so hot outside, I feel so layered up, like an onion... There are lots of excuses one can come up with, but allow me to show you the outcome of whichever choice you make.
  
  I looked up the word "Modesty" in the dictionary, and this is what I found: Modesty is a mode of dress that intends to avoid encouraging sexual attraction in others. The word "modesty" comes from the Latin modestus, meaning "keeping within measure." 
  
  The word Tzniut means: it describes both the character traits of modesty and discretion, and a group of Jewish laws pertaining to conduct. In modern times, the term has become more commonly used in reference to the rules of dress for women in Judaism.
  
  The Sages say that if a woman keeps the laws of modesty as a reward, she will merit to marry a Cohen and have Cohanim Gedolim come from her. She will have children who may be Jewish judges, great sages, righteous people, and so much more—all of this just by being modest.
  
  But what is it about modesty that so much can be gained from it?
  
  In the book Power Points by Rabbi Ephraim Nissenbaum, there's a story in Parashat Nasso about a young woman who became observant and was bothered by the fact that Jews hold lavish Bar Mitzvahs for boys. At the same time, for girls, the Bat Mitzvah passes unnoticed.
  
  So she asked her Rav, to which he replied, "The Vilna Gaon says that tzeniut or modesty is to a woman what Torah study is to a man, meaning it is her vehicle for spiritual growth. When a boy turns 13, he is counted as part of the minyan and called to the Torah. These are public events, and the celebration is, therefore, public as well.
  
  When a girl reaches bat mitzvah, her defining moment is marked by an image of royalty through modesty. So with this spirit of modesty, her celebration is less public and more reserved."
  
  An image of royalty is a great way to view it, but there could be more to it.
  
  The Sages compare a woman to a Sefer Torah scroll. Since the Sefer Torah is holy and valuable, we dress it beautifully and hide it in a safe box or the Aron. Not only that, but if any of the letters in the scroll are missing or broken, the whole scroll becomes invalid or not kosher.
  
  But what is the scroll made of? It is made of the skin of a kosher animal—klaf—and the sofer, the person who writes it, writes it in holiness and while meditating on the names of G-d.
  
  The Midrash Tanchuma, Bereshit 1 says: How was the Torah written? It was written with letters of black fire on a surface of white fire or black ink against the white parchment. 
  
  I believe there could be more to the black fire on white fire.
  
  We can literally compare them to a married couple—a woman as white fire and a man as black fire.
  
  Just like in the Torah, if a letter is broken or falls from its original place, the scroll becomes invalid. So is the woman; if she is dressed immodestly, not according to Jewish law, she loses that energy or her white fire.
  
  But what is this energy or the white fire?
  
  In Bereshit 2:24 it says: "עַל־כֵּן֙ יַֽעֲזָב־אִ֔ישׁ אֶת־אָבִ֖יו וְאֶת־אִמּ֑וֹ וְדָבַ֣ק בְּאִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וְהָי֖וּ לְבָשָׂ֥ר אֶחָֽד׃ - Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh." What happens when the two of them become one flesh? Once the man and the woman are united in a holy act, when permitted by Jewish law, they combine their energies or their fires—black fire and white fire—and this is when the Presence of Hashem comes to dwell in their home, helping them grow in holiness.
  
  When a woman dresses immodestly, she loses her energy, or white fire, and thereby her holiness. This causes the couple to get distracted from serving Hashem, and their goals switch from spiritual to physical, but this is not the only loss. This distraction weakens all the members of the family in their service to G-d and slowly moves them further and further away from Him. Since she has been with her husband, she cannot cling to him, and they cannot become one flesh - thus they lose out in this world and the next. This is when the issues of Shalom Bayit and other problems arise.
  
  When a woman keeps the laws of Modesty, she becomes a holy parchment—the white fire. A man becomes the black fire or the black ink. When they are together in the holy act, the couple becomes a Holy Letter of the Torah, with their children around them as crowns on that letter written on the holy parchment. 
  
  As families around the world strengthen in their modesty, they slowly grow in holiness. Hashem handpicks them to be part of his own Sefer Torah—The Living and Breathing Sefer Torah. These holy couples keep the laws of modesty and the laws of Torah, either from birth or by returning to their roots later in their lives, thus becoming part of the Holy Scroll of Hashem. And if the woman reveals little in an immodest way, that letter loses its place in the Holy Scroll of Hashem, but not only does the woman lose her place, the whole family is affected by it as well.
  
  In the Megilat Ruth 2:5 says, "וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בֹּ֙עַז֙ לְנַעֲר֔וֹ הַנִּצָּ֖ב עַל־הַקּֽוֹצְרִ֑ים לְמִ֖י הַנַּעֲרָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃ - Boaz said to the servant who was in charge of the reapers: Whose girl is that? Rashi explains, To whom does this maiden belong. What did Boaz see in Ruth? He saw her modest and wise behavior, how she picked up the wheat stalks, and did it modestly by sitting."
  
  This act alone led to her marriage to Boaz, thus paving the way for a royal lineage to come from her—King David, King Shlomo, and the long-awaited Mashiach himself —because of her modesty.
  
  But let's look at this from yet another angle. 
  
  It is written in the Torah, "The Israelites journeyed from Raamses to Succoth, about 600,000 men on foot, aside from children." (Shemot 12:37) They all traveled with their wives and children, and as it says in the Masechet Sotah 11B, "Rav Avira taught: In the merit of the righteous women that were in that generation, the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt."
  
  Also, the word "ישראל - Israel" can be read as an acronym for "Yesh Shishim Ribo Otiot LaTorah", meaning: "There are 600,000 letters in the Torah." Therefore, the nation of Israel did not leave Egypt until 600,000 holy couples were included in Hashem's Sefer Torah.
  
  So, if problems come into this world, we have probably fallen short of our minimum of 600,000 families or letters in Hashem's Sefer Torah for modesty. If we improve on this collectively, it can be the answer to the problems the world faces today.
  
  As we increase the number to 600,000+ families, we will increase our chances of bringing redemption closer and finally meeting Mashiach in the near future.
  
  - - Part 2 - - 
  
  But let's go a bit deeper.
  
  In Masechet Menachot 29B, we are told of this story:
  
  "Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: When Moses ascended on High, he found the Holy One, Blessed be He, sitting and tying crowns on the letters of the Torah. Moses said before G-d: Master of the Universe, who prevents You from giving the Torah without these additions? G-d said to him: There is a man destined to be born after several generations, and Akiva ben Yosef is his name; he is destined to derive from each thorn of these crowns, mounds upon mounds of halakhot. For his sake, the crowns must be added to the letters of the Torah. 
  
  Moses said before G-d: Master of the Universe, show him to me. G-d said to him: Return behind you. Moses went and sat at the end of the eighth row in Rabbi Akiva's study hall and did not understand what they were saying. Moses' strength waned as he thought his Torah knowledge was deficient. When Rabbi Akiva arrived at the discussion of one matter, his students said, "My teacher, from where do you derive this? Rabbi Akiva told them: It is a halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai. When Moses heard this, his mind was put at ease, as this was part of the Torah he would receive."
  
  Those couples who are careful about the laws of modesty are like the holy couples that came before King David. Please take a look at this essay: King David's Lineage. These holy couples will merit being inscribed in Hashem's Sefer Torah. As it says in the above Gemara, Hashem ties the crowns to the letters as if Hashem rewards these couples with unbelievable Torah growth, and with high-caliber children, who will grow to be prophets, great Talmidei Chachamim, and righteous and holy individuals. And this is how you raise an upright and holy family. 
  
  So, My Holy Nation -- Reserve and earn your place in Hashem's Living and Breathing Sefer Torah!!
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• Why should I keep Shabbat?

  Jul 23, 2020 Admin 0 Comments

  Shabbat or Shabbos... we heard it so many times; some heard it since birth if they were born into a religious home, while others heard it from a friend, at a lecture, or read an article about it later in their lives. This is the only question that is asked most of the time, whether one observes Sabbath... when one is about to be hired, looking for a shidduch, or dealing with some other important matter, but what is it? Why is such importance placed on this one day of the week? There are books and books on this subject, and if you search the Internet, you'll find literally thousands of lectures on the importance of keeping Shabbat and its laws. Let's look into it closely so we can better understand it...
  
  The first time Shabbat is mentioned is when Moshe Rabbeinu received the Ten Commandments. G-d said: "Remember Shabbat day and keep it Holy". 
  
  So, what is Shabbat all about?
  
  A person is not allowed to perform the 39 melachot, or types of work, on Shabbat, according to the Mishkan's activities associated with them.
  
  The commandment of Shabbat is a sign between us and Hashem for generations to come, when one day of the week we unplug ourselves from mundane, and plug ourselves, or shall I say flood our life with holy energy of Shabbat, for one day of the week that lasts until the next week Shabbat comes around. 
  
  But I believe there's more to it, so please allow me to offer my explanation.
  
  When a woman lights the Shabbat candles, the Shabbat starts. Men go to shule for prayers, the table is set, and everyone is in a great mood. This is when the table is adorned with a beautiful tablecloth and fine silverware. The feeling of holiness is in the air. The food is extra delicious, more dishes are being brought out, and overall, it feels extra special. Kids are sitting around the table, everyone singing, talking about the words of Torah, and simply enjoying each other's company. There's a feeling of harmony, oneness, love, and camaraderie in the family. This is the time when family bonds and the ties of love among all family members become stronger.
  
  Suddenly, one member of the family gets up from the table and sits on the sofa, reaches out for the remote control and turns on the TV...and BOOM - all the magic suddenly disappears, the harsh reality of mundane sets in, the voices of the people sitting at the table become louder and louder, the situation switches from the holy to everyday and the feeling of holiness and harmony of Shabbat is no longer there.
  
  This is how Shabbat is broken. The Holy Books bring some of the harshest punishments to the one who breaks Shabbat, but why go to such extremity? Why is G-d so harsh with the one who breaks Shabbat?
  
  To answer the question above, we need to look into one incident in the Torah, and hopefully we will be able to look at this with a different set of eyes.
  
  In Sefer Bereshit, G-d created Heaven and Earth, then He created animals, trees, birds, man, and everything else to support His creation in the livable conditions. After each day of work, He said, "It Was Good," and indeed it was. Everything was simply beautiful: the sky, with birds flying around, singing and enjoying life; the land, with its animals and greenery; the oceans, with their creatures; and, above all, Adam with his wife Chava—everything in the Garden of Eden was in harmony and simply beautiful.
  
  Suddenly, the Snake comes over to Chava while Adam is away, talks her into eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, which she does, and then makes Adam do the same. And for this, everyone involved was punished. G-d cursed Adam, Chava, and a Snake with the harshest curses for breaking His word.
  
  Since Adam and Chava ate from the Tree of Knowledge, their view of the world has changed in an instant. But more than that, something else has been changed, or shall I say, broken. The efforts that G-d put into creating that perfect world, one that could coexist with its flora and fauna—its harmony and its magic—were broken, evaporated, gone, and faded.
  
  Murder, rivalry, death, hardships, competition, diseases, and more were introduced into the world. This plagues us to this day, and the whole world suffers. Turn on any media outlet, and the negative news floods the minds of millions of people daily, trying to sway them from spiritual truth and pursuits. We're drowning in the lies, and it seems that there's no way out. Go out into any social setting, and you'll see lies, slander, murder, and anything bad you can think of is done either openly or stealthily.
  
  But I believe there's more to the curse of the snake. In Bereshit 3:14 it says: "Then the LORD G-d said to the serpent, Because you did this, More cursed shall you be Than all cattle And all the wild beasts: On your belly shall you crawl And dirt shall you eat all the days of your life."
  
  In the beginning, it may seem that the snake hasn't lost much, but the Sages say the real curse was that the snake was walking like a human being in an upright position, but after the curse, it lost its limbs, thus had to crawl on its belly and eat the dust, which is plentiful and all around it. He also lost the ability to pray or be heard by G-d; this ability has been taken away from him, no matter the situation he may be in.
  
  When a person breaks Shabbat, he breaks the harmony of that day, he breaks the flow of the holy energy, he breaks the ancient creation, and draws more of that negative energy into this world, thus continuing the work of the snake. That is why Masechat Chulin 5A says that he deliberately takes himself out of the covenant and sets himself apart from the nation, where he is considered to be like a non Jew. By breaking Shabbat, it opens the door to more transgressions, at which point they are committed without a second thought.
  
  We can even go further and say that just like the snake lost his limbs, so are the person's spiritual limbs on his neshama atrophying, so he can't experience the spiritual, and he pursues physical pleasures in this world. He may enjoy wealth and positions in this world since they become more available and abundant to him, because they become easier to acquire than spiritual items which require functional limbs, but he also loses the opportunity to have a relationship with G-d, and gets paid for any of the outstanding merits and good he may have done over the years in this world to enjoy his life, until he is ready to part with this world.
  
  When a Jew dies, it is said in the Holy Books, that so and so is joined to his nation, his neshama or soul is joined with his parents, grandparents and so on all the way to the forefathers, but not so with the one that breaks the Shabbat, he is not joined to his nation and his soul goes to a different place not where all the Jews are going, the cleansing process of the soul is longer, and when the time of resurrection comes, he won’t be joining his nation, since he is not part of the Jewish nation and his soul is lost forever.
  
  By breaking Shabbat, we are breaking away from our people, thus making ourselves outsiders not only to the religion but also to G-d, to the nation, to the future redemption, and to the turmoil of everyday life.
  
  Our passed on parents, grandparents, and the ones before them all the way to our forefathers are praying that we will make the right choice and embrace the covenant so we stay together after our passing as a nation.
  
  The Sages say that this world is like a hallway before the Grand Ballroom. In order to get to the main room, we need to pass through the hallway, make ourselves look presentable - by toiling in Torah and mitzvot - in order not to be ashamed in front of others that have passed before us, and not to shame our relatives because we lack in front of others present in the ballroom.
  
  But what should we do if Shabbat was not on our To Do list as a major, important item? Start today, keep some of it — or all of it —and you will see how your life will change. Make an opening in your heart and let G-d enter and fill your heart, and let the blessings overflow into every area of your life. And when you do that, that's when your spiritual limbs will heal and get stronger, and you will be able to easily grow and prosper in the spiritual domain. As it is says in the Devarim 4:4 "וְאַתֶּם֙ הַדְּבֵקִ֔ים בַּיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם חַיִּ֥ים כֻּלְּכֶ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם׃ - While you, who held tight to the LORD your G-d, are all alive Today." With the turmoil that's going on in the world today, you can hold tight, only if your spiritual limbs are intact and strong.
  
  So, why should we keep Shabbat? Because life is full of vanities as was told by Shlomo HaMelech, it is full of things that make noise but have no base and no real value. Loyalty to G-d, and to the generations of the past, and loyalty to your own nation - this is something worth living for, everything else is just a fading noise which is not worth pursuing.
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• The Wisdom of the Jewish Sage

  Jun 21, 2020 Admin 0 Comments

  It's very puzzling how it all played out. The nation of Israel was three days away from the Land of Israel—go in, and mission accomplished: you are in Israel, Moshe Rabbeinu is a Moshiach, build the Bet Hamikdash, and life is beautiful.
  
  But suddenly, people ask for the spies to be sent to check out the land. So Hashem says to Moshe Rabbeinu in Parashat Shelach 13:2: "Send men to scout the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelite people; send one man from each of their ancestral tribes, each one a leader among them." So Hashem asked for leaders to be sent from each tribe. To date, I have read many explanations on this pasuk. But with your permission, allow me to offer you yet another explanation.
  
  So twelve people go together as a group. The Rabbis say that the ten men out of twelve concentrated on the negative aspects of the Land, since they had their own hidden agenda, and this was the reason for their downfall—the exile and the hardships we are facing today. The other two men - Calev ben Yefuneh and Yehoshua Bin Noun - have tried, but could not overcome the ten men's efforts to slander the Land.
  
  But why did the ten men do that? What made them commit such a grievous sin?
  
  To answer the above questions, we need to look at another story of a different leader—a story of Mordechay HaTzadik, a story of Purim. There's something in this story that can be viewed from a different angle.
  
  Mordechay HaTzadik was a sage who spoke 70 languages and was part of the Great Assembly.
  
  The Megilat Esther says: "Once on a party in front of other kings and his friends, King Achashverosh executed his wife Vashti in a fit of drunken rage. After he got sober, he regretted it, but then realized that he needed a new wife, one who was beautiful and charming. So the King sent his people throughout the towns to find a wife who would please him. 
  
  They gathered lots of ladies for the King to choose from, and this is when Mordechay HaTzadik approached Esther.
  
  There are many explanations of who Esther was to him; one of them says she was his niece. So Mordechay HaTzadik asked her to become the King's wife. We don't realize what it meant to her - being married to a non-Jew, she forfeits all the mitzvot that a woman should perform, and she becomes part of the non-Jewish nation. To our dismay, she agrees...why would she do that? Let's try to understand this as well.
  
  As time passes, there comes a man called Haman who didn't like Mordechay HaTzadik, and then he tries to annihilate the Jewish nation. He gets the King's permission to do just that. The King agrees, and Haman starts the process.

  So, this is when Mordechay HaTzadik goes to Plan B.
  
  Queen Esther invites Haman to the palace along with the King, where she exposes the evil plans of Haman. The King gets furious with Haman and gives an order to hang Haman and ten of his sons on the gallows. And the King's orders have been carried out.
  
  Mordechay HaTzadik gets his community together for the attacks of the locals, since the decree was signed and put in motion by Haman, the Jews win the battle, and there's happiness and joy all over the towns in the Jewish neighborhoods."
  
  Our Rabbis say that this story is not over yet. Mordechay HaTzadik becomes the King's advisor, thus ensuring that peace and security are guaranteed going forward for the Jews in those towns.
  
  Queen Esther and King Achashverosh have a son. The son grows up and becomes the next King after his father's death. It is said that this new king, Cyrus, King of Persia, under the influence of his mother, allowed for the mass immigration of the Jews from Persia to the Land of Israel to rebuild the Second Temple. He sent the nation with gifts of gold and silver to make a fitting house for G-d.
  
  Do you realize what has just happened? Did you see the wisdom of the Jewish sage?
  
  Mordechay HaTzadik asked his niece to marry a non-Jewish King, to be a "spy," where she lost out on all the mitzvot she could have done and ended up living a non-Jewish lifestyle. But she was there for her nation in the darkest and trying times. She had saved the nation from the pogroms, overturning the decrees. Eventually, this led to the rebuilding of the Second Bet Hamikdash and the ingathering of the Jews back in Israel.
  
  The wisdom of Mordechay HaTzadik lay in the clear assessment of the situation and the right moves to win the battle in the long run and make it good and comfortable —not for himself, but for the entire Jewish nation.
  
  This is something the Meraglim, or the spies, lacked in the times of Moshe Rabbeinu. They were looking out for themselves, they were trying not to lose their positions, and were more concerned with their fate and not with the fate of the Jewish nation.
  
  But why? Why was Mordechay HaTzadik able to make the right choices, and the spies failed at it? Because Mordechay HaTzadik had the wisdom of a Jewish sage. 
  
  How can a person acquire wisdom? There's a pasuk on how to acquire wisdom that goes like this: Reshit Chochmah Yirat Hashem — The beginning of wisdom is fear of G-d. If one wants wisdom, he must learn to fear G-d; he must fear G-d; without this, he will not have wisdom - he will transgress everything under the sun, will make people around him suffer, for which eventually he will bring judgment upon himself.
  
  The ten spies who went out to spy out the Land came back with a bad report—because they lacked one thing: a Fear of G-d. They did things to fit their own agenda, and they spoke to support their own story. They were worried about their positions, about what they had, and about how their lives would unfold, without giving a second thought to the fate of the nation, the people they led, and the task they were entrusted with. Eventually, it led the nation to wander for forty years in the desert, and the death of that older generation.
  
  The Rabbis say that the ten spies were fixing the sin of the ten sons of Yaakov Avinu that sinned against Yosef HaTzadik, but they failed. So the rabbis instituted that there should be ten men whenever they gather to pray daily prayers—a miniyan—so that the gathering of ten people, or the miniyan, would have to fix the sin of the ten spies.
  
  A prayer in the minyan is the search for the right meaning, correction, and unification of the goals, desires, and motivation to serve the One and Only G-d, where it is done in unity and oneness of spirit or achdut, just like it was done back in the day when we received the Torah on Mount Sinai.
  
  Why did Hashem hold them liable for the lack of Fear of G-d? Because in Talmud Berachot 33b it says: "Hakol Bidey Shamayim Chutz Miyirat Shamayim," which means "Everything is in the Hands of G-d except for the Fear of Heaven / G-d."
  
  That's why Hashem has not given us the Fear of G-d - because He wants to see us work for it. It is attainable and available, within our reach, and definitely something that should NOT be ignored or postponed for later years.
  
  With everything that we have been through lately - virus and us being out of the shules and having no miniyanim - it makes one wonder if we have been making the mistakes of the ten spies, being too selfish with no concern for the nation, while forgetting the most important thing that we must possess and work on - The Fear of G-d. 
  
  Fortunately, we have been granted the opportunity to return to our shules, where we have minyanim, and are allowed to pray together. Let's step up to the expectations that Hashem has for us. The meraglim did what they did, and now it is on our shoulders and our responsibility to fix the wrong that was done so we can get to the next phase of our redemption.
  
  It is hard to acquire the Fear of G-d, but it is a worthy cause to invest our life into!!
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• Upon whom shall we depend?

  Jun 16, 2020 Admin 0 Comments

  "When murderers multiplied, the [ceremony of] breaking a heifer’s neck ceased. That was from the time of Eliezer ben Dinai, and he was also called Tehinah ben Perisha. He was afterwards renamed “son of the murderer”. When adulterers multiplied, the ceremony of the bitter waters ceased. It was Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai who discontinued it, as it is said, “I will not punish their daughters for fornicating, nor their daughters-in-law for committing adultery, for they themselves [turn aside with whores and sacrifice with prostitutes]” (Hosea 4:14). When Yose ben Yoezer of Zeredah and Yose ben Yohanan of Jerusalem died, the grape-clusters ceased, as it is said, “There is not a cluster [of grapes] to eat; not a ripe fig I could desire [The pious are vanished from the land, none upright are left among men" (Micah 7:1-2).
  
  "Yohanan the high priest brought to an end the confession made at the presentation of the tithe. He also discontinued the wakers and the knockers. Up to his days, the hammer used to strike in Jerusalem, and in his days, there was no need to inquire about doubtfully tithed produce."
  
  "When the Sanhedrin ceased [to function], song ceased from the places of feasting, as it is said, 'They drink their wine without song' (Isaiah 24:9).
  
  "When the former prophets died, the Urim and Thummim ceased. When Temple was destroyed, the shamir and nopheth zufim ceased. And people of faith ceased, as it says, “Help, O Lord, for the faithful are no more” (Psalms 12:2). Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel in the name of Rabbi Joshua: from the day the Temple was destroyed, there is no day without a curse, the dew has not descended for a blessing, and the flavor has departed from produce. Rabbi Yose says, "The fatness was also removed from produce."
  
  "Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: [the cessation of observation of the] purity laws has removed taste and fragrance, [the cessation of observation of] the tithes has removed the fatness of grain. But the Sages say: licentiousness and sorcery destroyed everything."
  
  "When Rabbi Meir died, the composers of fables ceased. When Ben Azzai died, the diligent students [of Torah] ceased. When Ben Zoma died, the expounders ceased. When Rabbi Joshua died, goodness ceased from the world. When Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel died, locusts came and troubles multiplied. When Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah died, the sages ceased to be wealthy. When Rabbi Akiba died, the glory of the Torah ceased. When Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa died, men of wondrous deeds ceased. When Rabbi Yose Katnuta died, the pious men (hasidim) ceased. Why was his name called Katnuta? Because he was the youngest of the pious men. When Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai died, the splendor of wisdom ceased. When Rabban Gamaliel the elder died, the glory of the Torah ceased, and purity and separateness perished. When Rabbi Ishmael ben Fabi died, the splendor of the priesthood ceased. When Rabbi died, humility and fear of sin ceased."
  
  "Rabbi Phineas ben Yair says: when the Temple was destroyed, scholars and freemen were ashamed and covered their heads, men of wondrous deeds were disregarded, and violent men and big talkers grew powerful. And nobody expounds, nobody seeks, and nobody asks. Upon whom shall we depend? Upon our Father who is in Heaven."
  
  "Rabbi Eliezer the Great says: from the day the Temple was destroyed, the sages began to be like scribes, scribes like synagogue-attendants, synagogue-attendants like common people, and the common people became more and more debased. And nobody seeks. Upon whom shall we depend? Upon our Father who is in Heaven. In the footsteps of the messiah insolence (hutzpah) will increase and the cost of living will go up greatly; the vine will yield its fruit, but wine will be expensive; the government will turn to heresy, and there will be no one to rebuke; the meeting-place [of scholars] will be used for licentiousness; the Galilee will be destroyed, the Gablan will be desolated, and the dwellers on the frontier will go about [begging] from place to place without anyone to take pity on them; the wisdom of the learned will rot, fearers of sin will be despised, and the truth will be lacking; youths will put old men to shame, the old will stand up in the presence of the young, 'For son spurns father, daughter rises against mother, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law a man’s own household are his enemies (Micah 7:6)."
  
  "The face of the generation will be like the face of a dog; a son will not feel ashamed before his father. Upon whom shall we depend? Upon our Father who is in Heaven."
  
  "Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair says, Heedfulness (being aware or alertness) leads to cleanliness, cleanliness leads to purity, purity leads to separation, separation leads to holiness, holiness leads to modesty, modesty leads to fear of sin, fear of sin leads to piety, piety leads to the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit leads to the resurrection of the dead, and the resurrection of the dead comes from Elijah, blessed be his memory, Amen." -- Mishnah  Sotah Chapter 9.
  
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