Latest Essays

• 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 Pekudei 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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• The Failed Mission

  Feb 19, 2026 Admin 0 Comments

  In every essay I have written so far, I have presented a question and answered it, but in this one, I would like to have a different approach. Here I would like to present a bunch of questions on a topic that has been bothering me for a few years now. On the outside, it looks simple, but once you start delving in, you notice a whole different picture. So, with your permission, let's begin.
  
  Just to mention, the following is my opinion, or just some thoughts and questions out loud.
  
  In Masechet Chagigah 14b of the Talmud Bavli, there's a story about four people who went to Pardes: Ben Azzai and Ben Zoma, Acher, and Rabbi Akiva. Four great scholars embarked on a mystical journey. Ben Azzai died, Ben Zoma lost his mind, and Acher lost his faith or went off the derech. Only one, Rabbi Akiva, returned unscathed. 
  
  As a sidenote, Rabbi Elisha ben Avuya or Acher was a wealthy Jerusalemite, one of the great sages of the Mishnah, as they were called Tannayim. Tannayim were the caliber that could raise the dead. He is quoted by name in a Mishnah in Tractate Avot, and his ruling regarding mourning rites is cited in Tractate Megillah. He was a colleague of Rabbi Akiva and the teacher of Rabbi Meir, one of the greatest and most prolific contributors to the Mishnah. Above is his biography, so we know who we are dealing with. 
  
  My personal rule is: No Tannah EVER Goes OFF The Derech. So, in that case, what happened? Why is it documented in the Gemara that he did go off the derech?
  
  I think the correct question that should be asked about what happened in the Pardes? 
  
  So he chopped the trees and saw Angel Methatron sitting. And this is what made him go off the derech? But why?
  
  I do believe there's much more to this. 
  
  The Nation at that time was divided into two camps: those who had visited the Pardes and those who hadn't. 
  
  And I believe that the current problems we have in the nation are because those who were not in Pardes won, since they crushed those who had been there. And I am not talking about one or two people, but the Rabbanut and the community as a whole went against Rabbi Elisha ben Avuya and Ben Zoma. (Looks like the community loves to crush people and go as a group against the few, but more on this later.)
  
  The ascent to Pardes was a failed mission; they had a reason to go there, and thus far, what we know about it is only hinted at and not discussed openly in the Gemara. But there's a reason why they went there.
  
  And the reason IS...
  
  First, what is Pardes? You can read about it here. The fruits they ate from the tree made them know Torah. So, all three knew Torah, not only Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva was a seasoned rabbi, and he was the only one teaching Torah. What happened to the other two? 
  
  Well, Ben Zoma was called crazy. Why? I believe he was a young fellow with no credentials as a Rabbi, and since he knew Torah because he came from Pardes, the rabbis of the old told him, "You think you're going to teach us Torah? We are double and triple your age, and we been at it longer than you, and you want us to listen to you? You must be crazy! Oh yes, you are!" And that's what they labeled him.
  
  In his conversation on Chagigah 15A says: "There was once an incident with regard to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya, who was standing on a step on the Temple Mount, and ben Zoma saw him and did not stand before him to honor him, as he was deep in thought. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: From where do you come and where are you going, ben Zoma, i.e., what is on your mind? He said to him: In my thoughts I was looking upon the act of Creation, at the gap between the upper waters and the lower waters, as there is only the breadth of a mere three fingers between them, as it is stated: "And the spirit of G-d hovered over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2), like a dove hovering over its young without touching them. Rabbi Yehoshua said to his students who had overheard this exchange: Ben Zoma is still outside; he has not yet achieved full understanding of these matters."
  
  But if you dwell on his answer a bit more, you will see a depth in his answer. What are the lower and upper waters? The breadth of a mere three fingers between the waters; what does he mean by that? He has given a very deep answer. I believe Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya did not understand him, since they did not learn Torah from a young, crazy, and no-credentials fellow.
  
  Again, just so you know who Ben Zoma is: a Tannah, who is cited in multiple places in the Talmud and the Midrash for Midrashic interpretation, for laws relating to blessings, for discussions about lineage and marriage laws, and in the Passover Haggadah. Although not formally ordained (hence called "Ben" rather than "Rabbi"), he was regarded as extraordinarily brilliant. The Talmud preserves statements showing that leading sages considered him exceptionally sharp in argumentation.
  
  Rabbi Akiva came intact - came back alive and seemed as if nothing happened.
  
  I heard in one of the lectures that there's an opinion that 24,000 students' deaths happened because of his support for Bar Kochba, since they joined his army. And second, he publicly supported Bar Kochba and proclaimed him Mashiach, which turned out to be false, and there were plenty of consequences that followed. 
  
  How come no one holds him liable for that? Oh wait, someone does - Hashem. Rabbi Akiva is counted as one of the martyrs and dies a horrible death. Can it be because of the above??
  
  - Why did Rabbi Akiva support Bar Kochba?
  - Why was Rabbi Akiva smiling when he saw a fox on the Temple Mount, emerging from the place of the Holy of Holies? (Read the whole story)
  - How come Acher and Ben Zoma were not part of the 10 martyrs, since they all lived in that generation, but only Rabbi Akiva was one of the ten?
  
  Let's talk a little about Rabbi Elisha ben Avuya or Acher, as he is currently called. 
  
  - My first question would be, what made Rabbanut turn away from him? 
  - Why did he turn away from them?
  - Why did he leave the community?
  - Why did he stop going to synagogue or Bet Midrash?
  - Why were the kids reciting to him the passages that sounded bad - or insisted that he was a rasha?
  - Why did he ride a horse on Shabbat (a public violation)?
  - Why did he carry items beyond the permitted boundary (techum Shabbat)?
  - Why did he hire a zona? That's a big one.
  - But another BIG question is, what made him a rasha? 
  - What was it about him that, after his arrival from Pardes, made him different?
  - Why did everyone think that the Torah of Acher was maimed and bad? He ate the fruit in Pardes; his Torah was awesome and ahead of its time.
  
  He was a rejected sage, and I really would like to add him to the following list of The Rejected Trio. 
  
  So many questions, and more could be added to this list, but so much of this story can be explained only if it is learned through the passage from Tanach and Torah together, since the keys are hidden there. Once they are applied, then a whole new picture is painted.
  
  Are there consequences for the community for mistreating Rabbi Elisha Ben Avuyah? I believe there, and we are paying for it to this day. Rabbi Elisha Ben Avuyah is a Mighty of Israel, and for mistreating the Tannah HaKadosh, Hashem has taken the insults personally and has punished the nation to this day, to this year of 2026. From just reading the Gemara, it seems all cut and dry, with no questions, but once we start delving in a new way, all the questions above will be answered, and many places in the Torah become clear and understandable.
  
  - Who atoned for Rabbi Elisha Ben Avuyah? There's someone who has made atonement for him.
  - Did he succeed?
  - How far did he go in the atonement process?
  - What is his name, and when did he live?
  - What steps has he taken to accomplish that?
  
  Since Ben Zoma didn't make a sin, how did Hashem atone the nation for mislabeling and mistreating Ben Zoma? Ben Zoma died young, and believe me, he was another rejected one from society. 
  
  Society should get its act together. Nothing in this world goes away unpunished. Eventually, we answer for everything. 
  
  And finally, is there a connection between Rabbi Elisha Ben Avuyah and Adam HaRishon, Chavah, Moshe Rabbenu, and our times? Yes, I think there's one.
  
  And the reason why they went to Pardes IS...
  
  I will reveal the answers to the Honored Rabbis at my humble shulchan aruch - at a set table of insights, where I would like to serve those answers to the above posed questions and some more... 
  
  Shmuel Katanov aka Acher

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• The Mystery of The Half Shekel

  Feb 15, 2026 Admin 0 Comments

  I want to share an interesting idea with you. There are many explanations for the reason for half shekel, but please allow me to offer another one. 
  
  In Megilat Esther, it says that Haman offered 10,000 kikar silver in exchange for the right to get rid of the Jews. Haman was afraid that Achashverosh would object to the loss of Jewish tax revenue if he killed them all. So, to prevent that objection, Haman was ready to sweeten the deal for the King by offering the above amount. King Achashverosh never took the offered money, which is an important fact to remember.
  
  Hashem foresaw the above conversation, so when the Nation of Israel came out from Egypt, Hashem gave Moshe Rabbenu a commandment to collect half shekel from each individual. Moshe Rabbenu did exactly that and collected from 600,000 men, as it says in Parashat Ki Tisa 30:11-16. 
  
  These funds were used to build the mizbeach or the altar in the desert, but its spiritual value has been reserved for future use. 
  
  Targum Sheni Masechet Megilah says that “Haman offered a quarter of the shekel for each person of the 600,000 that came out from Mitzrayim to King Achashverosh, which equals 10,000 kikar silver.” Or, in other words, Haman set the price to a quarter of a shekel or 50% of the half shekel.
  
  Based on the price set by Haman, it makes me think, since at the time of Exodus they collected half shekel, which is 50% of the whole shekel, Hashem deducted half from that collected value, and in its merit, the miracle of Purim happened, and the Nation of Israel was saved from the dark scheme of Evil Haman. 
  
  But the remaining 50% of the half is still unclaimed and has never been used.
  
  For centuries, no matter where in the world the Nation of Israel has been, on Taanit Esther, we have been “paying” in all types of currencies—but in reality, we are renewing the original half shekel, or the remainder of it—nonstop, which in turn has Hashem collecting its spiritual value and saving it for future use. 
  
  But when, and how can this remainder be used?
  
  I believe that when Mashiach comes, Hashem will use the merit of the remaining 50% of the half shekel. And this will end the dark schemes of this world's evil and allow the Nation of Israel to walk away free from current exile into redemption.
  
  But remember, King Achashverosh never took the money offered by Haman!!
  
  That's why says Prophet Isaiah in 52:3-6: 
  כִּי־כֹה֙ אָמַ֣ר יֱהֹוִ֔ה חִנָּ֖ם נִמְכַּרְתֶּ֑ם וְלֹ֥א בְכֶ֖סֶף תִּגָּאֵֽלוּ׃
  For thus said  G-D:
  You were sold for no price,
  And shall be redeemed without money. 
  
  כִּ֣י כֹ֤ה אָמַר֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֔ה מִצְרַ֛יִם יָֽרַד־עַמִּ֥י בָרִֽאשֹׁנָ֖ה לָג֣וּר שָׁ֑ם וְאַשּׁ֖וּר בְּאֶ֥פֶס עֲשָׁקֽוֹ׃ 
  For thus said my Sovereign  G-D:
  Of old, My people went down
  To Egypt to sojourn there;
  But Assyria has robbed them,
  Giving nothing in return.  
  
  וְעַתָּ֤ה מַה־לִּי־פֹה֙ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה כִּֽי־לֻקַּ֥ח עַמִּ֖י חִנָּ֑ם מֹשְׁלָ֤ו יְהֵילִ֙ילוּ֙ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָ֔ה וְתָמִ֥יד כׇּל־הַיּ֖וֹם שְׁמִ֥י מִנֹּאָֽץ׃ 
  What therefore do I gain here?
  —declares  G-D—
  For My people has been carried off for nothing,
  Their mockers howl
  —declares  G-D—
  And constantly, unceasingly,
  My name is scolded. 
  
  לָכֵ֛ן יֵדַ֥ע עַמִּ֖י שְׁמִ֑י לָכֵן֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא כִּֽי־אֲנִי־ה֥וּא הַֽמְדַבֵּ֖ר הִנֵּֽנִי׃         
  Assuredly, My people shall learn My name,
  Assuredly [they shall learn] on that day
  That I, the One who promised,
  Am now at hand. 
  
  And as it was V’Nahapoch Hu, the bitter situation was reversed to happy, centuries ago, so it will be reversed once again in our time. 
  
  Shmuel Katanov
  03/06/2025

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• The “Well-Meaning” In-Laws

  Feb 3, 2026 Admin 0 Comments

  Do you know what I thought was interesting? When Yitro came to the Nation in the desert, then Aharon, the elders, Yitro, and Moshe sat down for a festive meal. They all sat down for a meal, and suddenly Moshe Rabbenu - the Mashiach of the generation, the one who has saved the nation, the one who speaks to G-d, the one after whom 3 million went into the desert - took a tray and started serving people. The Sages said that he had done it out of humility. 
  
  Please allow me to share my perspective on these verses. So, with your permission, let's begin.
  
  The Parashat Yitro 18:12 says: "And Yitro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for G-d; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to partake of the meal before G-d with Moses' father-in-law." The name of G-d that is being used in the sentence is Elokim. So, here goes the question - why does the Torah use the Name of Judgement? It's just a meal. Why judge anyone at that moment? 
  
  The answer is found in the Midrash Mekhilta De Rabbi Ishmael, which states: "This is because Moshe Rabbenu was standing on his feet, serving the people. Moshe was humble enough that he ignored his status completely." 
  
  Again, what is about to follow is simply my opinion of how I understand and view the verses.
  
  But woe, that's a heavy one. Do you mean to tell me that Mashiach of the generation suddenly took a tray and started serving the dishes to everyone? Yes, but why? Was it because he saw his father-in-law? And suddenly he forgot that he is the leader of millions who always sits at the front, and that he is the one who should be served? Are we dealing with some kind of past and unresolved trauma?
  
  To understand this, let's go back in time.
  
  In Parashat Shemot, the Midrash tells us that when Moshe killed the Egyptian, and after being reported to authorities by Dathan and Aviram, he fled to the City of Cush. At around age 20, he joined the army and later became a king. Later, at the age of 67, he came to Midian and was sitting by the well. When the shepherds attacked the daughters of Yitro who were shepherding their flocks, Zohar said that "the girls were being attacked primarily because their father had abandoned the local idolatrous practices." 
  
  When Moshe came to live with Yitro, Targum Yonatan says: Moshe told him his life story - killing an Egyptian, and being deposed after being a king in the City of Cush. Not sure what to make of it, Yitro has thrown Moshe into a prison with no food and water for the next ten years. He would have starved to death if not for one of the daughters of Yitro, Tzipporah. She had pity on him and secretly fed him every day. That is how he survived those ten years. Imagine their amazement when they opened the prison to find Moshe alive and healthy.
  
  Later, he married Tzipporah and had a son whom he named Gershom, as if to say I have been a foreigner in the strange land, says Parashat Shemot 2:22. It never mentions that strange land. But I strongly believe that the strange land was the city of Midian, where Yitro lived. 
  
  In my opinion, since Yitro left his idolatrous practices, the locals were not friendly toward him, his daughters, or Moshe, who was caring for Yitro's flock. And since he was outside most of the time, he had plenty of face-to-face contact with the locals. 
  
  But I would also like to add that he was not only a stranger in the land but also a stranger in the family of Yitro. 
  
  When we are first introduced to Yitro in Shemot 2:18, it says, "they came to their father Reuel." Reuel means a friend of G-d. But not necessarily friendly to the son-in-law. When one comes to meet the future bride's parents, he finds them very religious and friendly. It is only after the wedding that he sees their true colors. Going forward, the Torah no longer uses the name Reuel; instead, it calls him Yitro. 
  
  With six daughters of marriageable age, I assume he had plenty of interesting moments with his brothers-in-law. 
  
  On the way to Moshe in the desert with Tzipporah and her two sons, Midrash Tanchuma says: "Said Yitro, I am here with your wife and two kids. If you will not come out to greet me, at least come to greet your wife. If you do not consider her worthy of your consideration, at least come to greet your two sons." (Hmm...)
  
  And here they are in the tent, everyone sitting around the table, and Moshe Rabbenu is serving everyone with dishes. What's wrong with it? The people who were present at the table - the elders, and Aharon, were stunned!! 
  
  In my opinion, it looks like Moshe had a tough life in the house of Yitro. He was raised as a prince, served as a king in the City of Cush, but in the house of Yitro, he served dishes.
  
  That is why G-d's name is used in the pasuk as "Name of Judgement"- Elokim. As if Hashem was saying to Moshe: Moshe, how can you do this? At least now DO NOT carry dishes in front of YOUR FATHER-IN-LAW and other people around this table. Through you, I have performed the 10 plaques in Egypt. Through you, I have punished Pharaoh and the Egyptians. Through you, I have parted the sea where the Jewish nation passed through it, and I drowned the Egyptians. Through you, with thunder and lighting I have given you the Torah. Through you, I give over the commandments and My teachings. You, I have raised and made almost as a god in the eyes of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. 
  
  And after all I have done for you, you feel it is okay to take a tray and serve people, as you have done in the house of Yitro?
  
  But again, what's wrong with it? 
  
  The elders who were sitting at the table, as is customary, talked. And they have done plenty of talking. At the time of the splitting of the sea, and plenty of efforts on Hashem's part, people finally believed in G-d and Moshe Rabbenu. But after this incident, his ratings dropped. He fell in the eyes of the Nation. The problems with Korach, Dathan, Aviram, and plenty of complaints flowed in throughout their forty-year journey.

  Yitro, his father-in-law heard and then saw that Moshe had risen to unbelievable heights. And simply by being present at the party, he had altered Moshe’s life path. 
  
  Reminds me of another incident in Parashat Vayetzeh 29:31: "וַיַּ֤רְא ה׳ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה לֵאָ֔ה וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח אֶת־רַחְמָ֑הּ וְרָחֵ֖ל עֲקָרָֽה׃ - Seeing that Leah was unloved, G-d opened her womb; but Rachel was infertile." In all the books, Senuah Leah is translated as "Leah was unloved," but the literal translation is "Leah was hated." Yaakov Avinu did not like that Lavan switched the sisters, and instead of Rachel, whom he loved and for whom he had worked seven years, he got Leah. So he hated her, if I may say so, because Lavan did things his way, the way he wanted, the way he saw things should be done. Yaakov Avinu wanted only one wife, just like his father Yitzchak Avinu had, but he ended up with four, and all because of Lavan, his father-in-law.
  
  No wonder our Sages have made a custom for a groom to break a nice piece of glass on his wedding night. 
  
  In the fourteenth century, the author of Kol Bo offered the following explanation: The broken glass represents the wreckage of our past glory, and the destruction of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem in the first century. It recalls, at the most joyous and momentous occasion of the life cycle, that there is a continuing national sadness. It is a memory of Zion that reminds us that, in life, great joy can be cancelled by sudden grief. 
  
  But it can also mean the following: The sound of broken glass is a reminder to those around the groom and bride at the wedding. SMASH - to remind them how their ancestors have destroyed the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, and now they, the "well-meaning" in-laws and all those well-wishers and not, those who are around the newlywed couple, may and definitely could destroy once again the new Temple that is about to be built by this new couple that just got married. 
  
  Shout-out to the well-meaning in-laws and all those well-wishers or not - how far have you gone in your efforts?!
  
  The sound of the broken glass - SMASH - means: Stay Out, Don't Get Involved. Mind Your Own Business. And only then does this new couple have a shot at creating their Temple - Bayit Ne'eman B'Yisrael, a Faithful Home in Israel.
  
  Kudos To All The Amazing In-Laws Out There..I Know You Exist!!
  

  Keep On Being AMAZING!!

  
  Shmuel Katanov

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