Latest Essays

• The Battle with The Divine

  Aug 26, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  Sometimes, the Torah contains clues, and in this article, we'll examine one of them. 
  
  In Parashat Ekev - וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ עֵ֣קֶב תִּשְׁמְע֗וּן אֵ֤ת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֙ הָאֵ֔לֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְשָׁמַר֩ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ לְךָ֗ אֶֽת־הַבְּרִית֙ וְאֶת־הַחֶ֔סֶד אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖ע לַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃ - And if you obey these rules and observe them, your G-d will maintain faithfully for you the covenant made on oath with your fathers. 
  
  The most interesting word here is Ekev, and besides the normal translation as a heel, there's an awesome secret hidden in it, that I would like to discuss. So, with your permission, let's delve into it!
  
  וְהָיָ֣ה ׀ עֵ֣קֶב תִּשְׁמְע֗וּן - Vehaya Ekev Tishmeoun - When you will listen - there's lots of great promises made by Hashem. To unlock this sentence, we need to refer to another place. 
  
  In Parashat Toldot, we are told the story of Yitzchak and Rivkah. The Midrash tells us that when Rivkah Imeinu was pregnant and passed by the synagogue, the child would be active, and if she passed by the place where the idol was worshipped, the child would be active again, as if it wanted to come out. She was worried—why her child would be so puzzled—drawn after holy and unholy. So, she went to inquire. 
  
  וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ה׳ לָ֗הּ שְׁנֵ֤י (גיים) [גוֹיִם֙] בְּבִטְנֵ֔ךְ וּשְׁנֵ֣י לְאֻמִּ֔ים מִמֵּעַ֖יִךְ יִפָּרֵ֑דוּ וּלְאֹם֙ מִלְאֹ֣ם יֶֽאֱמָ֔ץ וְרַ֖ב יַעֲבֹ֥ד צָעִֽיר׃ 
  and Hashem answered her,
  “Two nations are in your womb,
  Two separate peoples shall issue from your body;
  One people shall be mightier than the other,
  And the older shall serve the younger.” 
  
  And so it was. When her time to give birth came, there were twins in her womb. 
  
  וַיֵּצֵ֤א הָרִאשׁוֹן֙ אַדְמוֹנִ֔י כֻּלּ֖וֹ כְּאַדֶּ֣רֶת שֵׂעָ֑ר וַיִּקְרְא֥וּ שְׁמ֖וֹ עֵשָֽׂו׃ - The first one emerged red, like a hairy mantle all over; so they named him Esau. 
  וְאַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֞ן יָצָ֣א אָחִ֗יו וְיָד֤וֹ אֹחֶ֙זֶת֙ בַּעֲקֵ֣ב עֵשָׂ֔ו וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ יַעֲקֹ֑ב׃ - Then his brother emerged, holding on to the heel of Esau; so they named him Jacob... 
  
  Here, we learn that Hashem referred to Yaakov as the one holding onto  Eisav's heel. 
  
  So, another way to read this pasuk we have started with would be not Vehaya Ekev Tishmeoun - When you will listen, but should be read as Vehaya Yaakov Tishmeoun - "When Yaakov will listen to these rules and observe them carefully, your G-d will maintain faithfully for you the covenant made on oath with your fathers." When the nation listens and follows the laws, Esav, the older brother, will serve Yaakov, the younger brother.
  
  But let's go even further. Remember in Parashat Vayishlach 32:25-29, Yaakov Avinu went to get some jugs and was alone, and suddenly an angel jumped on him, and they fought. It was a long fight until the break of dawn. When the angel saw that he had not prevailed against him, he asked to be let go. Then the angel said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." But Yaakov answered, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." Said the angel, "What is your name?" He replied, "Yaakov." 
  
  וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לֹ֤א יַעֲקֹב֙ יֵאָמֵ֥ר עוֹד֙ שִׁמְךָ֔ כִּ֖י אִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּֽי־שָׂרִ֧יתָ עִם־אֱלֹהִ֛ים וְעִם־אֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַתּוּכָֽל׃ - Said the angel, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have fought with beings divine and human, and have won." 
  
  Yisrael means Yashar El - straight to Hashem; all the prayers go straight to Hashem, no longer with a delay or through an intermediary, as the one who is attached or very close to G-d. Before the fight with an Angel, Yaakov Avinu was just a prophet and a righteous married man - with four wives and 13 children, but after he won the battle with an angel and passed the hardships with people - that made him into a giant - a father of the tribes, and a forefather of the nation.
  
  How can this all be applied to us and our everyday life?
  
  When the child is born, that child stands at the level of Ekev or the Heel until the age of Bar Mitzvah. But once he has reached his 13th birthday and girls the age of 12, suddenly the neshama or soul changes, since now it has Yetzer Hara and Yetzer HaTov or Good and Bad Inclinations inside, and until the age of 120 there's a battle that goes on inside the person whether one should do good or evil. And since this inclination or Yetzer is part of his Divine Soul, this person, like Yaakov Avinu, battles with his exclusive and internal Divine Angel. Hashem puts him through many tests and situations until one day, he passes his tests, subdues his Yetzer Hara to total control, chooses to do good and not evil, and continues so for the rest of his life. This is when this person graduates from the level of Yaakov to the level of Yisrael and becomes even closer to Hashem. 
  
  Did you hear of Olam Habah or The Future World, the one that will start after Mashiach comes, which will be one long and the most enjoyable time ever? Any ideas on how to get the entry ticket to it? There's a pasuk that gives it away. Kol Yisrael Yesh Lahem Chelek Le Olam Habah - All Israel have a share in the World To Come - All Israel, which, by the way, doesn't mean Every Jew, only those Yaakovs that have graduated from the level of Yaakov to the level of Yisrael. They have battled men - by halacha, and battled Divine - their Yetzer Hara, subdued it to the point where it was under their total control, embraced Torah and mitzvot for life, and thus graduated from the level Yaakov to the level Yisrael, and only then got their ticket to the World To Come. 
  
  And since we've come this far, let me ask you this: Do you know why good people suffer and bad ones have it smooth and easy? 
  
  Those who go through life without paying attention to the laws of the Torah always stay at the level of Yaakov. At this level, they get all their goodness here on this Earth but lose their entry ticket to the World To Come. 
  
  But the righteous ones, who seem to suffer more than the others, are under strict supervision of the Almighty. Since He loves them and wants them to earn their passage into the Future World, and He wants them there next to Him. He tests them and creates unpleasant situations for them through other people who ought to be punished, puts them through trials and tribulations, so they learn to fight their Evil Inclination, and eventually, get it under their total control, and submit themselves to Hashem, to His laws, and Torah way of life. 
  
  But I bet you hear this often: This is how I am; I have always been like that!! Most probably, I am a reincarnation of some person who battled it then, and I can't change this about myself now. 
  
  So... little about reincarnations or the gilgulim. 
  
  Some very high souls have few things to fix about themselves. For them, the transition from Yaakov level to Yisrael is easy and almost unnoticeable for others due to their environment, their targeted efforts, and their insatiable and burning desire to reach those heights.
  
  But for the rest of us who have it tough and have plenty to change about ourselves… what do we do?
  
  Many say Hashem loves you - they are not lying to you. He does since He has given you hardships. Because each hurdle makes the next one easier to overcome even though it hurts more than the last time, each hardship is a stepping stone that gets our Evil Inclination under control - slowly muting its voice and minimizing its importance. Slowly but surely, step by step, year after year, blow after blow, until we finally stand on our feet with Yetzer Hara under our full control. At that moment, the Divine becomes our life and calling. This is when we graduate from the level of Yaakov to the level of Yisrael, and we become very close to Hashem in this world, as His extension here on Earth with a guaranteed ticket to the Olam Habah. 
  
  So, my friend, are you ready to battle your angel now?!! Challenge it; you won’t regret it!!
  
  Shmuel Katanov
  
  

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• Why Did Moshe Rabbeinu Hit The Rock?

  Jul 16, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  In Parashat Chukat 20:6-13, Hashem tells Moshe to take a staff and talk the rock, but Moshe hits it. Plenty of water came out, people drank, and the animals drank. But what is this miraculous stone?
  
  In Masechet Chagigah 12A:7, it talks about the Tohu va Vohu, and Vohu are the damp stones from which water emerges. Hashem wanted to introduce the nation to Vohu Stones - the damp stones, a lifesaver in Israel or any dry climate that depends on rain. These stones could help greatly with agriculture since the nation is about to enter Eretz Yisrael. With the knowledge of the type of stone with that capability, the nation can irrigate the land anywhere in Israel’s dry climate, which means good crops and prosperity. 
  
  So, the water came out. As is, it's a great miracle, but why were both of the brothers punished? 
  
  Every time Moshe had a question, he was always consulting with Hashem, but this time, the people were pressuring him to bring the water, and for a second, Moshe, if I may say - lost his cool or got angry - instead, he should of stick to his rule of asking Hashem as he always did in the past. So, in a way, Moshe made the same mistake as Aharon and hurried with his decision - hitting the stone instead of asking Hashem. Moshe said from which should we bring and took credit for both. Aharon was there, and since this scenario was familiar to him, and he did not stop his brother, both got punished pretty much for the identical sin.
  
  Hashem wanted him to talk to the rock, and people would have learned a lesson - look, even the rock listens to Moshe, who tells over the word of G-d, so we, the people, should do the same.
  
  But there may be even a deeper explanation.

  Since the times of Avraham Avinu and earlier, rock has been used for idols. Hashem wanted Moshe to teach them a different way of using rock in service of the Divine. But it didn’t happen. Since then, the nations of the world have used it for idols. There are humongous statues of different deities and other symbols and buildings built across the globe dedicated to anyone but G-d Almighty. Moshe had an opportunity to fix it then but missed it. That’s why the sin is so great. It lasts thousands of years and is practiced by billions across the globe till today, and its impact is simply huge. That’s why Hashem punished them both and forbade them from entering the Eretz Yisrael. That would also be why Hashem didn’t want Moshe to build the Bet Hamikdash since he didn’t elevate the use of the stone properly. Thus, he lost the opportunity to build the Bet Hamikdash, which is made out of stone.

  The above is to get us familiar with the story. But once again, let's go even more deeper.
  
  In Parashat Balak, when Bilaam is invited to "bless the Nation", in his first blessing he said: מִ֤י מָנָה֙ עֲפַ֣ר יַעֲקֹ֔ב וּמִסְפָּ֖ר אֶת־רֹ֣בַע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל תָּמֹ֤ת נַפְשִׁי֙ מ֣וֹת יְשָׁרִ֔ים וּתְהִ֥י אַחֲרִיתִ֖י כָּמֹֽהוּ׃ - Who can count the dust of Jacob, Number the dust-cloud of Israel? May I die the death of the upright, May my fate be like his! -- I would like to stop on the word Kamohu - Like his or can be read Like him. Bilaam is talking about the upright of the generation, but for a second, let's look at what other explanations may be.
  
  Kamohu - like him, we are not exactly sure who he means, and to zero in on the specific personality, we need to go to Parashat Shoftim 18:15,  נָבִ֨יא מִקִּרְבְּךָ֤ מֵאַחֶ֙יךָ֙ כָּמֹ֔נִי יָקִ֥ים לְךָ֖ הי אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ אֵלָ֖יו תִּשְׁמָעֽוּן׃ - From among your own people, your G-d will raise up for you a prophet like myself; that is whom you shall listen. Here it says Kamoni - like me, so we know it is Moshe he is referring to. And later Hashem confirms in 18:17: נָבִ֨יא אָקִ֥ים לָהֶ֛ם מִקֶּ֥רֶב אֲחֵיהֶ֖ם כָּמ֑וֹךָ וְנָתַתִּ֤י דְבָרַי֙ בְּפִ֔יו וְדִבֶּ֣ר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲצַוֶּֽנּוּ׃ - I will raise up for them from among their own people a prophet like yourself, in whose mouth I will put My words and who will speak to them all that I command; Kamocha - like you. 
  
  So Bilaam means Moshe, that he wants his fate to be like his. But Moshe means a prophet to be appointed at the end of days, a Mashiach himself, and he wants him to be like Moshe Rabbeinu, Hashem confirms his request and says that He will do so. We need to find out why Moshe is making such a request. Why Moshe is asking that Mashiach should be like Moshe Rabbeinu?
  
  Bilaam and Balak came to the desert for one reason only. Balak the king of Moab wanted to "bless" the Jewish nation, and Bilaam was invited to carry out the order, so when their armies meet in the battle or even without it - the Jewish nation should lose. This all sounds good, but when they came to the desert to carry out the plan, Bilaam understood this was impossible. Thus, the word Kamohu - like him means Bilaam saw a giant – and said - even I cannot go against a person like him!!
  
  Ever since Moshe separated himself from his wife Tziporah, starting from Parashat Yitro and in Vaetchanan, Moshe was growing in Torah knowledge and getting closer to Hashem. As he was doing all this, he also was getting ready to meet his challenger - Bilaam HaRasha, and not only him. 
  
  In the Midrash, we are told of a story. One day, Hashem showed Adam HaRishon in a prophetic vision of all the personalities that came from him, from the beginning of time till the end of days. Adam watches it all, and then he sees a small child who lives for a few minutes and dies after a short while. Adam asks Hashem why he died. Hashem tells him that this is how his fate or the mazal is, so Adam gives him 70 years of his life, and this child is David HaMelech, who lives a full life of 70 years because Adam has given him a chance to live. 
  
  It is a nice story - but for the kids. Let me ask you a question: Do you think something is not said in this story? Why does Adam suddenly feel so philanthropic and gives away years from his own life to this infant? Many kids pass away around the world; how come Adam didn't give to any of them but gave to this little kid named David?
  
  With your permission, I would like to fill in the blanks of what may be the reason.
  
  Adam HaRishon watches all the events and personalities and gets nervous towards the end of the days - Ketz HaYamim. Why? Because of the following story. When his oldest son Kayin killed Hevel, Adam decided not to have any more children, so for 130 years, he was sitting inside a river and not coming close - not being together with his wife Chava. But Adam was a healthy male, and while in the river, not on purpose - he wasted seed. Since Adam was created by Hashem and was a holy being, his seed turned into demonic beings that went roaming the earth (Zohar, Parashat Bereshit), and in 130 years he created plenty of those creatures.
  
  As he was watching this "movie", he was horrified to see how those beings attacked the people and nations throughout history, causing all sorts of problems and events to occur. But then he noticed one man, that went against them - the son of David, and he was successful in this battle.  As he traced his lineage, he came to this kid - David, who died a few minutes after being born, which means there will be no Son of David and no one to fight those battles in the future. Realizing his mistake - of creating and unleashing these beings into this world, and driven by the desire of teshuvah - fixing his sin, Adam HaRishon has given 70 years of his life to David so he can father Shlomo so the lineage could continue and the Messiah should be born into this world, to fix the mistake of Adam HaRishon - to battle the wars of G-d, Milchamot Hashem.
  
  Hashem wanted to make Yehoshua bin Nun a Mashiach - Mashiach ben Yosef, since he was from Efrayim, the son of Yosef HaTzaddik, and then Yehoshua would have prepared the environment for the arrival of Ben David. But Moshe felt, and he foresaw, since he was a prophet, that it was too early, and the kings that would come later wouldn't be able to do what Moshe did and would not follow the ways of their forefathers. With the capabilities of the Vohu stone - the damp stone, access to drinking water and abundance of it for irrigation, and power and prosperity that comes with it, it will be misused throughout the ages, and instead of the good - all would turn out for the worst.
  
  When Miriam was alive and they had water, Moshe lived separately in the tent - back then, he wore many hats. During the day, he was a leader and a teacher of the nation, but at night, he was their spiritual protector. When Bilaam came and tried to curse the nation, Moshe Rabbeinu had already built an invisible wall of protection around the camp. His learning, his prayers, and his being there amongst the nation were enough to ensure no Bilaam's or anyone's curses could penetrate the camp's spiritual defense line.
  
  Moshe was concerned for the nation; too much was at stake. Besides fighting wars on the battlefield, plenty of wars needed to be fought in the spiritual realm. People like Bilaam and Balak are always watching and trying to do evil to the nation by manipulating the unleashed ancient demons or trying to hurt the nation any other way they see fit. Moshe felt that Yehoshua and the people that would come after him would not be able to fight them off till the Son of David arrived. Till the year 6,000 mark or even earlier, it is a long time to expose the nation to those situations, where others will be trying to take over the land because of its abundance. Hashem has assured him that this task would be taken on by the biggest hidden and known tzaddikim in every generation. Each generation has its giants that are there quietly protecting us, and we may know them or find out about them after a tragedy hits us, and then we realize that it is because that protector is no longer around, so this is when the next generation of tzadikim step in quietly and take their place instead.
  
  So there was Moshe, not talking to the rock, but hitting, and not once but twice - fully believing in his choice, and making the ruling - psak for the nation, and deciding as a leader, and postponing the revelation of the knowledge of the stone.
  
  וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הי אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֒ יַ֚עַן לֹא־הֶאֱמַנְתֶּ֣ם בִּ֔י לְהַ֨קְדִּישֵׁ֔נִי לְעֵינֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לָכֵ֗ן לֹ֤א תָבִ֙יאוּ֙ אֶת־הַקָּהָ֣ל הַזֶּ֔ה אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נָתַ֥תִּי לָהֶֽם׃ - But Hashem said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust Me enough to affirm My sanctity in the sight of the Israelite people, therefore you shall not lead this congregation into the land that I have given them."
  
  Even though Moshe chose not to go with the plan of Hashem, Hashem kept His word by being with the Nation and never abandoning it even for a second. Yehoshua bin Nun took the nation across the Jordan River, battled and won 31 kings, and conquered the Eretz Yisrael, thus becoming one of the greatest generals and prophets in our history. Hashem also has sprinkled in every generation till our times the hidden and known Tzadikkim, who are giants and always there for us, battling in the spiritual realm in and out of the spotlight. 
  
  This would also explain why in Parashat Matot-Masei, Moshe allowed 2.5 tribes to stay outside of Israel since redemption is not happening soon. And why, in Parashat Vaetchanan, Hashem told him not to pray anymore since Moshe made the choice, and now he has to live with it.
  
  And why do we need that Vohu - the damp stone? Since it was never revealed to us, the Land of Israel never experienced true prosperity and always depended on rain. Dependence on rain means weak prosperity, a weak economy, and a weak army, which would explain the destruction happening for thousands of years. Today, Israel has the technology for irrigation, and because of it, the deserts have been turned into gardens. Israel has a strong economy and a strong army. But with the coming of Mashiach, Hashem will reveal this Vohu - damp stone to us, and with Kibbutz Galuyot – an ingathering of the exiles, the prosperity will grow exponentially across the board, as it says so in the Book of Prophet Yeshayahu.
  
  But until then, there are wars around the globe, pandemics, mournings, unrest, vacations, elections, parties, fun, and lots of noise going on in every corner of the world. But stop all of that noise for a second and listen. Do you hear the knock on the door? Who is it you may ask? It is the Son of David. Can someone answer the door?
  
  - Shmuel Katanov

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• The Sound Of The Clock

  Jun 26, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  Have you ever tried to hear the sound of a clock?
  
  In Parashat Terumah 25:31-40, "Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu to build a Menorah from a pure gold, hammered out shall the Menorah be made." The Hallacha says that if parts of it were made separately and then attached later on to make it look like one piece, this would make the Menorah not kosher and not fit for the service. Midrash Tanchuma tells us even more interesting details. Moshe could not visualize how the Menorah should look, so Hashem showed a Menorah of fire. Even then, he could not understand how to make it, so Hashem told him to throw the ingot, a huge solid chunk of gold, into the fire, and voila! A completed golden Menorah emerged from the fire, as explained by Rashi. 
  
  So, why must the Menorah be made from one solid piece of gold? And why does it need to be hammered out to give it the shape and look of the Menorah? Let's try to answer these questions. 
  
  In Parashat Ki Tisa 32:1-5, when people approached Aharon HaCohen after killing Chur and asked him to make them an intermediary between them and Hashem. Aharon’s response was - Bring me the gold. He thought that till they go and get the gold from the ladies, who will not be very thrilled about the idea of parting with their jewelry, Moshe Rabbeinu would come. Just like he suspected - the women refused to give their jewelry, but he didn’t expect men to give their own instead. So, in no time, they have gathered the necessary amount of gold for their project. Aharon HaCohen threw that gold into the fire, and from that fire, the golden calf emerged.
  
  This is where I would like to analyze these two events closely. 
  
  Do you realize what happened? These two scenarios are very similar but with different outcomes and responses. When Moshe Rabbeinu was presented with a task he did not fully grasp, his response was, "I don’t know, or I am not sure and I have to ask Hashem," as it was in the making of the Menorah we have discussed above, also judging the cases like with wood-gatherer or blasphemer in Parashat Shelach and Emor. But Aharon HaCohen's response was, "Bring me the gold."
  
  I strongly believe that Hashem put Aharon HaCohen in this situation so that Aharon would turn to Heaven and ask Hashem for assistance, and this is where something amazing would have happened. Aharon HaCohen would have risen in the level of prophecy, Hashem would have answered him and made him much closer to Himself, to the point where he would have been not far away in prophecy from Moshe’s level. 
  
  Even in Parashat Balak, when the delegation came to Bilaam HaRasha to invite him to "bless the Jewish Nation," his first response was - I need to ask Hashem.
  
  But since Aharon HaCohen made the call and did not get Hashem involved, his closeness was postponed and has taken a different road. 
  
  By the way, how big was Moshe Rabbenu's level, or how close was he to Hashem? When Miriam and Aharon were discussing Moshe’s behavior towards his wife Tziporah, Hashem told them that they were nowhere near Moshe since he was - the trusted one in His house, and his level of prophecy was far above anyone. (Parashat Behaalotcha 12:4-9)
  
  Now, Hashem needs to bring Aharon HaCohen closer to Himself, but how can He do that? Aharon could have had that level by requesting help from Hashem, but since he did not turn to Hashem when he was in the situation of a golden calf, going forward, he had to put in the required work and years of effort to attain it.
  
  So, in Parashat Behaalotcha 8:1, Hashem commands Aharon HaCohen to light the Menorah and makes it a part of the daily service in the Bet Hamikdash, thus bringing him closer to Hashem.
  
  How do we know that Aharon HaCohen succeeded in this task and came closer to Hashem and those lofty levels?
  
  Centuries later, King David wrote in the Book of Tehillim, in Psalm 99: "Moshe, Ve Aharon be Kohanav, u Shmuel be Kore Shemo, Korim El Hashem Ve Hu Yaanem - Moshe and Aharon are among his priests, and Shmuel among those who invoke His name, they would call to Hashem and He would respond to them." King David confirmed in prophecy that Aharon HaCohen was able to accomplish that closeness with Hashem, and rose in the level of prophecy. 
  
  My dear reader, let me ask you a question. When you are in a situation where you can do good or evil, do you call out to Hashem? Do you ask Him for His opinion on how to respond to the situation you may be in? Do you bring the Torah knowledge or life experiences to your memory, the values you have been brought up with or learned in life, to ensure you make the best possible decision? 
  
  Hashem puts us in situations just to see the type of decisions we will make, and then we have to live and deal with those decisions and their consequences - be it man to man or man to G-d.
  
  Each of us hammers out his own Golden/Spiritual Menorah by the decisions we make down here on Earth. Every move we make, every decision we make, and every statement we make - slams and hammers out a dent on our own Menorah for Hashem to view in the spiritual realm, which is the only place where it is all truth, where one can't mask those dents, or lie about them. 
  
  Some have nice and symmetric menorahs - Kudos to them since lots of work went into them, and it's not an easy task. The rest of us may have very dented, twisted proportions and ugly-looking shapes. But these are our menorahs, and we keep on hammering away on them daily, hopefully bringing our menorahs to the right symmetry, and making them look nicer than they previously were. 
  
  Shhh..quiet down a bit and listen. Do you hear the sound of the clock—tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock? How does your menorah look? Do you think you'll have enough time to fix it?
  
  Our decisions of the past and in the future make dents that matter. Whether good or bad, it is our dents and responsibility - made by us and for us to fix. Decisions...an unending flow of more decisions pounding on us daily...it’s time to own up to those decisions. Maybe after 120, when we have had our chance to work on our menorahs, we won't be ashamed to view them, and we will be the Cohanim Gedolim of our Menorahs. We will light it daily in front of Hashem and come closer and closer to Hashem - just like Aharon HaCohen did. 
  
  So, now, do you hear the sound of the clock? It is always ticking away...nonstop, without skipping a beat, and not waiting for anyone. There's no way to stop it but to use it to our advantage. There's so much to fix and so little time to do it. How does your menorah look? Maybe the time has come to make the right dents?!!
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• The State of The Generation, Part 2

  Jun 3, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  If you haven't read the Part 1, you can do so here. I strongly suggest it since Part Two is built on the previous article.
  
  There's something about The Fifth Son and the goat offering. Let's go a bit deeper so we understand more of it. 
  
  So עֵז - Ez means a goat, but it also means arrogance. So, by throwing a goat from a cliff, this ceremony fixes the trait of arrogance. 
  
  But this word can also be read as עַז - Az or עַז פָנִים - Az Panim brazen-faced, shameless, arrogant with total disregard for others - a type of individual. There's a pasuk that predicts the end of this type of people - עַז פָּנִים לְגֵיהִינוֹם - Az Panim Le Gehinam, which means that the Shameless end up in Hell. But why would Hashem judge them so harshly and write their destination in books ahead of time while they are still alive on Earth?
  
  The Az Panim or Shameless person or his sin of arrogant behavior and his disregard for others allows him to start rumors and incite people just to keep the hatred against the individual going for years to come. It's never a one-time venture; it is a long, quiet, and behind-the-scenes operation that can go on for years with many people involved. That is why Hashem lets us know his destination - Gehinam/Hell. Notice in the community that these Azei Panim start rumors that go on for years with no hope of dying off even after many years while causing many sleepless nights and suffering to the other party.
  
  But what about his support group - the ones that support him and his ideas for the next dirty rumor? The ones that do his dirty work while he stays on the side "clean and dry." These people fall into a whole different category. So, let's talk about them for a change.
  
  In Mishna Sotah 9:15, it tells us about the generation - פני הדור כפני הכלב - The face of the generation will be like the face of a dog. Why would Sages compare the generation's face to the face of a dog? What is it about this animal that Hashem compares the generation to it?
  
  In Parashat Bereshit 2:19-20, we are told about Adam HaRishon and how he was naming the animals. Midrash on these pesukim tells us a bit more. Every time Adam HaRishon looked at the animal, he looked at its essence; that is why the dog got its name Kelev, which derived from the words "Kulo Lev" or "All Heart." This accurately represents the dog since its traits are devotion and loyalty. The people who support the shameless person, or Az Panim, become his dogs without realizing it and they apply their devotion and loyalty to the wrong cause. In the process, which may take years, they lose their free choice and act as slaves while serving their master - the Az Panim guy, while disregarding an enormous amount of sins being committed loyally and with devotion for years and all for the wrong reasons and serving The Shameless and participating in various conflicts and situations, across shuls, communities, and continents. 
  
  And this is the sorry state of the generation, Azei Panim - shameless, brazen-faced people with lots of dogs around them… And if you notice a similar scenario in your daily life, expect Mashiach to be in their midst, getting most of the blows. 
  
  

  So, what is the way out of this? How do you silence the Az Panim and his dogs? Parashat Bo 11:7 tells us that when the nation of Israel came out from Egypt, no dog barked against a man or beast. And so it will be in the future, no dogs of the generation will bark or raise their voices when Hashem on That Day will humiliate the Azei Panim - The Shameless of the generation and their dogs. Mashpil Geim Ade Aretz - He will throw down the Proud/Arrogant people to the ground.
  
  There's a pasuk, ה' עֹז לְעַמוֹ יִתֵן - Hashem Ohz Le Amo Yiten - Hashem gave the strength to His Nation - עֹז - Ohz, another variation. What is this strength? It is a Strength to Choose - choose the way of Ez/Goat and become the Az Panim, the Shameless Individual, and end up in Gehinam or Hell, and end up as someone's slave or dog. Or use that strength to stay away from the way of the Az Panim - Shameless, and not become his slave or dog, but to be a Boshet Panim - a Person of Modesty and be on the way to Gan Eden or Paradise, and serve Hashem wholeheartedly, with loyalty and devotion, all for the right reasons. And only then ה' יְבַרֵך אֶת עַמוֹ בַשָלוֹם - Hashem Yevarech Et Amo Ba Shalom - Hashem will bless His Nation with Peace.

  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• The Arrogance of The Fifth Son, Part 1

  May 28, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  The story is told in the Parashat Behalotcha 9:6-14 of people who approached our teacher Moshe and posed a very logical request. They have been carrying the bodies of people who passed away, and as the law states, those who have been exposed to the dead body are ritually unclean and may not partake in the offering of Korban Pesach that is brought on the Holiday of Pesach. But they felt - why should they miss out on this commandment, and they also want to have a share in it! So Moshe, after speaking with Hashem, was told that the nation of Israel gets a new commandment of a Second Pesach or Pesach Sheni, which will allow them to fulfill some of the rituals and get Merit for the performed mitzvah as if they have fulfilled it as well - they were given a Second Chance.
  
  But here it gets more interesting. There's a discussion in Masechet Sanhedrin that goes like this: what if the person skipped the Holiday of Pesach on purpose, but on the Pesach Sheni wants to partake in the mitzvah, how will that work..?
  
  So, this is where I would like to drop the anchor.
  
  In Haggadah of Pesach, we are told about four sons that are sitting around the Passover table: Chacham - the wise son, Rasha - the evil one, Tam - the simpleton, and Eno Yodea Lishol - one that doesn’t know how to ask a question. But the Sages tell us of yet another son who is missing from this list; it is the one that chose not to come to the Seder.
  
  The one that has intentionally skipped the observance of the Holiday of Pesach. He didn’t feel like it; he had other plans and other people to see, so he didn't come for the seder. But as time passed, this person regretted it and came to the rabbi to ask what he could do to make up for that missed Seder night. And this is where the Holiday of Pesach Sheni comes in, as a Second Chance.
  
  But what is the character trait that played the role in his decision not to come to the Seder, but enjoy himself somewhere else when he was supposed to be together with the others? It is a trait of Gaavah or Arrogance, Bloated Ego, or a mix of the few.
  
  This reminds me of another incident in the Torah, where I believe the clarity may set in.
  
  Parashat Acharei Mot 16:6-11 tells us of a service performed on Yom Kippur. They would take two male goats, and by lot, one would be sent to the wilderness to Azazel to be thrown from the cliff, and the other to be offered as a korban, as an atonement.
  
  But why a goat? What is so special about it? This animal has a bloated ego, is arrogant, head-butting, jumping the fence or on the trees, has no problem climbing mountains and cliffs, is loud, and is somewhat a rebellious child - always pushing boundaries.
  
  So the person who did not attend the Seder night feels bad about it and wants to make up for the missed Seder. So, the Torah tells us to throw the goat from the cliff. But the intention of the Torah is for us to throw our traits like bloated ego and arrogance that led us to rebel against Hashem, Rabbinical, and Torah laws, and to throw those traits from the cliff. When this person is about to make teshuvah and wants to return and rejoin the Seder, the Torah tells us that we should take a goat and bring it as a sacrifice. Because those traits that have made the person not attend the Seder are still inside of him, so this sacrifice is as if we are bringing our ego and arrogance as a sacrifice to Hashem, and that's how we start anew.
  
  Sometimes, we let our traits of arrogance, ego, and chutzpah shine and run wild. Be it in the service of Hashem where we allow ourselves to bend some of the laws and not follow them as Hashem commanded, or ignore them altogether and be on the loose. Or maybe, it is the laws between fellow men, be it monetary, slander, or many other ways one can hurt the other individual. But either way, we are sure that we are loved and accepted by Hashem, but maybe...
  
  As it says in the Book of Prophet Ezekiel in 41:22, ...And He said to me, This is the table that is before Hashem... maybe we have disqualified ourselves from His Table, by acting as the Fifth Son - and now we are no longer there, because of the things we have done on purpose. Oh, maybe Hashem is NO Longer Present at Our Table, and we have to go through the painstaking process of wiping clean those traits of ego and arrogance, deal with the consequences of our traits, and eventually take our rightful place at the table of Hashem or have Him be present at Our Table.
  
  The Hebrew word for "table" is "shulchan" (שלחן). The same Hebrew letters can be rearranged to spell "lenachash" (לנחש) - "to a snake." It is either we change, and our Shulchan becomes "a table [before Hashem]", or we make it "lenachash" - to a snake - that kills and makes our food, us and our lives - "zivchei meitim" — lifeless, dead, and full of impurities.
  
  In a few places in the Torah, it says - Ish Ish... which may be explained the following way. The first Ish is translated as Man, which includes all men, but the second one talks about the person who says: It does not mean me. And it has no connection to me, in no way it concerns me as I am above all of that - comes Hashem and adds a second Ish, to include exactly the one that tries to exclude himself: Ish - Yes, You Too May Be if not already The Fifth Son.
  
  Click here to go to Part 2 of this article, where you will learn more secrets about The Fifth Son.
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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