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• Из-за Денег или Аз Баҳри Пул

  Feb 11, 2019 Admin 0 Comments

  В Книге Деварим 21:1-2 говорится:
  וְיָצְא֥וּ זְקֵנֶ֖יךָ וְשֹׁפְטֶ֑יךָ וּמָדְדוּ֙ אֶל־הֶ֣עָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר סְבִיבֹ֥ת הֶחָלָֽל׃ כִּי־יִמָּצֵ֣א חָלָ֗ל בָּאֲדָמָה֙ אֲשֶׁר֩ הי אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ נֹתֵ֤ן לְךָ֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ נֹפֵ֖ל בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖ע מִ֥י הִכָּֽהוּ׃ - "На земле которую даст вам Г-сподь, если вы найдёте тело которое лежит в открытом поле, и вы не знаете кто убийца, то старейшины города должны выйти и определить к какому городу тело лежит ближе, и значит тот город является виноватым в убийстве этого человека."
  
  Почему Тора считает город виноватым в смерти этого человека?
  
  Чтоб ответить на этот вопрос, давайте посмотрим что произошло с этим человеком.
  
  Чужеземец пришел в город, и чтобы найти себе на пропитание пошёл на базар. Проходя по базару, прося милостыню у прохожих и заходя в лавки к торговцам, он не получил от них не единого гроша, куска хлеба или глотка воды. Уставший от скитаний, проголодавшись и утомлённый жаждой, он вспомнил что по дороге в этот город он проходил по полю которое находилось между двумя городами, и он решил собраться с последними силами и пойти в соседний город с надеждой получить там свой кусок хлеба.
  
  Как говорится в произведении Ильяс Малаева, песня исполненая Авраам Толмасовым - Бахри Пул:
  
  Пул набошад дар барат, ҳеч кас намедиҳад салом,
  На ки меҳмондўстию, на ҳурмату, на эҳтиром,
  На зиёфат, на муроъат, на ки чою на таом,
  Дойимо барпо шавад ҳар муддао аз баҳри пул.
  
  И вот он в пути в другой город за куском хлеба. Иссякая силами, уставший и голодный, еле еле он плетётся в другой город, но не дойдя до цели, он падает и умирает на пол-пути в поле.
  
  Тахтаю тобут пулу, гўру кафан ҳам пул, бидон,
  Мурдашўю сангу гўрков-пул, ба ғайри мункирон,
  Дар барат гар пул набошад вақти мурдан, ногаҳон,
  Мурдаат дар кўча монад бенигоҳ, аз баҳри пул.
  
  И вот его тело лежит в открытом поле одно без присмотра и его находит другой прохожий, проходивший мимо, зовёт старейшин чтоб те позаботились об умершем.
  
  Закон гласит - что старейшины должны измерить расстояние от тела до ближе лежащего к нему города. И тот город к которому тело ближе находится, старейшины должны оповестить его о том что они всецело виноваты и на них кровь этого человека. Тогда старейшины города из которого вышел этот бедняк, приведут с собой молодого телёнка который в первом году жизни и которого хозяин ещё не эксплуатировал. Они ломают шею телёнка топором, моют над ним руки провозглашая - "Прости нас странник, что мы не знали что ты был в нашем городе, что ты нуждался, и хотел есть и пить, и прости нашу молодёжь которая была на рынке и к которой ты подошёл, но они не ответили на твой зов и не услышали твой крик о помощи и не помогли тебе. Если бы мы знали что ты в городе и видели бы тебя, то конечно мы помогли бы тебе, накормили и напоили бы тебя, и дали бы в дорогу денег. Пожалуйста прости нас, наших детей и всех жителей нашего города." Только проделав этот обряд, Тора говорит что душа умершего находит покой и это будет правильно в глазах Г-спода и этот акт уберёт вину от людей всего города, как сказано в Деварим 21:1-9.

  
  Господа - на нас лежит ответственность за наших стариков и тех семей нуждающихся в материальной помощи. Мудрецы уже дали нам самые оптимальные способы как это сделать. Человеку нужна работа - помогите ему устроиться на работу - сделав пару звонков и став его гарантом, кто-то хочет открыть своё дело но не имеет достаточно средств - станьте его партнёром и наставником в этом деле, семьям не хватает с пропитанием - помогите и там.
  
  Велика заслуга человека который денежно помогает но не знает кто получит его добро, а те в свою очередь принимают но не знают от кого оно. Этим сохраняя достоинство и не унижая честь человека которым необходима помощь. Любая оказанная помощь, возвращается дающему и его потомству многократно. И награда этой мицвы гарантированна самим Вс-вышним и Он призывает нас испытать Его в этом.
  
  Таърифи он шахси пулдор ки, саховатпеша шуд,
  Меҳри худ дар мардумон доду, худаш дилреша шуд,
  Маст нагашту, соҳиби хоксорию андеша шуд,
  Дон ки, ў гашт одами ақли расо аз баҳри пул.
  
  Дўсти ҷонӣ, дўсти пул ҳеч вақт нагардад дар ҷаҳон,
  Фарқи дўсту, фарқи пулро, аз ҳама афзал бидон,
  Сер шавад инсон, зи обе қатраю, як бурда нон,
  Баҳри ин, Илёс бигўяд:“Ҳар хато аз баҳри пул“
  
  - Шмуэль Катанов
  
  

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• King David's Lineage

  Feb 9, 2025 Admin 0 Comments

  Long live the King! Long live the King.. - shouted people when King David walked amongst the crowd to his throne. But did you hear about the tough road he had to go through to get to this point in his life? Even after he was established as a king, they said that his lineage was stained, and anyone who came from it and would come in the future, like Mashiach, would be stained as well. It feels like it has become almost established, and everyone is so sure of it, but is it so, and could it be any other way? 
  
  This is the topic I would like to delve into with your permission. 
  
  So, King David's lineage starts with Yehuda, the son of Yaakov Avinu.
  
  Tamar married two of Yehudah’s sons, and both of them died. Yibum, a levirate marriage, had to be performed, but Yehudah was saving his third son for marriage to Tamar and was hesitant to allow that marriage to go forth. Tamar decides to do the unthinkable and appears at the crossroads as a zonah (prostitute), and Yehudah, without realizing that it is his daughter-in-law, hires her services.
  
  Yehudah has relations with this woman who he thought was zonah, and she becomes pregnant. When Yehudah learns that his daughter-in-law is pregnant, he assumes that she has been unfaithful to his third son and orders her to be put to death. Tamar proves to Yehudah that she was pregnant from him, and he responds, "She is more righteous than I." as it says in Parashat Vayeshev 38:14-26.
  
  The Midrash asks, how is it that Yehudah, patriarch of one of the Twelve Tribes of G-d, could do such a thing? What caused him to have relations with a zonah that he happens to see at the crossroads? The Midrash answers that Hashem sent Yehudah, "Malach ha'me'muneh al ha'tayvah", an Angel appointed over the attribute of human sexual desire. Yehudah was almost forced into this unseemly act. He didn’t want to do it, but somehow, a spiritual entity "forced him" into it. This angel was given such a mission because it was part of the Divine Plan that the Davidic monarchy, and ultimately the Moshiach himself, would descend from this union. 
  
  Now, let's look at the story of Yishai, the father of David HaMelech. 
  
  David's father, Yishai, was the grandson of Boaz and Ruth. After several years of marriage to his wife, Nitzevet, and after raising several virtuous children, Yishai began to question his own ancestry. True, he was the leading Torah authority of his day, but his grandmother Ruth was a convert from the nation of Moab, as it says in the book of Ruth.
  
  Many people doubted the legitimacy of her marriage to Boaz during Ruth's lifetime. The Torah specifically forbids an Israelite to marry a Moabite convert since this nation cruelly refused the Jewish people passage through their land and did not allow them to purchase food and drinks when they wandered in the desert after being freed from Egypt.
  
  To fix his problematic situation as he thought it was, he decided to do the following: His plan was to engage in relations with his Canaanite maidservant.
  
  He said to her: "I will be freeing you conditionally. If my status as a Jew is legitimate, then you are freed as a proper Jewish convert to marry me. If, however, my status is blemished and I have the legal status of a Moabite convert forbidden to marry an Israelite, I am not giving you your freedom, but as a Shifchah K'Naanit, a Canaanite maidservant, you may marry a Moabite convert."
  
  Maidservant agreed and went straight to Nitzevet, Yishai's wife, and told her about his plans. They decided to switch places, and with a prayer on her lips that the plan should succeed, Nitzevet took the place of her maidservant. That night, Nitzevet conceived. Yishai remained unaware of the switch.
  
  After three months, her pregnancy became obvious. Enraged, her sons wanted to kill their mother with the "illegitimate" baby that she carried. But Nitzevet did not want to embarrass her husband by revealing what had occurred. And just like Tamar, who was ready to be burned alive and not to embarrass Yehudah, Nitzevet decided to keep quiet. She kept quiet for twenty-eight years, and David lived and was treated as an outcast by his family and the community. When Shmuel HaNavi anointed David, the sound of weeping could be heard from outside the room. It was the voice of Nitzevet, his mother, David’s only supporter and only source of comfort.
  
  Her twenty-eight long years of silence in the face of humiliation were finally coming to an end. At last, all would see that the lineage of her youngest son was pure and undefiled by any blemish. Finally, the anguish and humiliation that she and her son were going through would come to an end.
  
  All the doubts originated from these two events mentioned above... But -- something has been overlooked elsewhere, and this, in my opinion, would be the key to solving it once and for all. 
  
  Parashat Vayetzeh 29:16-18 says that Lavan had two daughters, Leah and Rachel. "Leah had weak eyes, while Rachel was shapely and beautiful." Jacob loved Rachel, and he offered to work for her for seven years.
  
  Later, in Vayetzeh 29:23-25, "When the seven years were up, Lavan substituted Leah for Rachel on the night of the wedding. Yaakov discovered the deception only after consummating the marriage with Leah." Because Yaakov had given signs to Rachel, since both knew that Lavan might cheat and switch the sisters, so, when Rachel saw that they were bringing Leah, she said, "Now, my sister will be put to shame. So she willingly transmitted those signs to Leah.", as it says in the Masechet Megilah 13B. Rachel received a reward for this act from Hashem, and you can read about it here. 
  
  But once again, Yaakov Avinu didn't know that he was with Leah; he thought he was with Rachel. 
  
  How can Kiddushin, Betrothal, or an intent to get married be accomplished? Through three things - money or a gift, shtar or a document, and biya or being together.
  
  - In Yaakov Avinu's case, all three items were present, and the only thing that was absent was the realization of who he was with.
  - With Yehudah, he gave her "money"—items that would be exchanged later for a gift and were held by her as collateral, which had monetary value, and there was biya—he cohabited with her. The only item missing was a document/shtar, but those 2 items were enough to get married. On top of it, she was an available woman who was waiting for Yehuda's third son from that same family, and the only thing missing was Yehuda didn't know who he was with.
  - With Yishai, Nitzevet was his wife, and he was married to her. Again, the only item missing was the realization of who he was with. 
  
  All three instances above have one thing in common - all three couples were together, and men didn't know who they were with. Yaakov didn't know it was Leah; Yehudah had no idea it was his daughter-in-law, Tamar, and Yishai didn't know it was his own wife, Nitzevet. (Wow.. look at the holiness level these couples practiced during their intimate moments.)
  
  These holy ladies - Tamar and Nitzevet, have taken a vow of silence not to shame Yehuda and Yishai. Both ladies have endured plenty of shame over the centuries until today. As a reward, their lineage will have Mashiach, who will talk incessantly about G-d's greatness and will bring honor to these ladies, their lineage, and G-d Almighty.
  
  PS: I would like to mention Lot's daughters. After their city was destroyed, the two daughters of Lot thought that no man was left in the world, so they decided to be with their father to continue mankind. To accomplish this, they decided to intoxicate their father with wine. And that’s exactly how they did it. 
  
  The oldest daughter named her child Moav—another way to read מוֹאָ֑ב would be as Me Av—which means From My Father as if she were declaring it to the world. The second daughter named her son Ben-Ammi, the Son of My Nation, which could be anyone and nothing shameful. You could say that she had a blissful life with no worries or concerns.
  
  But the oldest asked for trouble by naming her son this way, and she got plenty of it. But because she chose to be honest, unlike her other sister, with no made-up stories, accepted her situation, and went through that shame and suffering in life—so as not to mislead anyone—she merited to have royalty come from her lineage—which makes her a link before Leah. 
  
  I believe King David's lineage has mighty and holy ancestors who have endured hardships, shame, and suffering and whose descendants will eventually elevate the Name of G-d and bring Honor to G-d Almighty.
  
  That's why it says in Prophet Isaiah 52:13, הִנֵּ֥ה יַשְׂכִּ֖יל עַבְדִּ֑י יָר֧וּם וְנִשָּׂ֛א וְגָבַ֖הּ מְאֹֽד׃ - Behold, My servant shall prosper, He shall be exalted and lifted up, and shall be very high - Mashiach will be exalted because his ancestors endured hardships and shame, so Hashem will raise His servant to bring honor to Himself and to His servant's lineage. 
  
  And in the Prophet Isaiah 52:7-10 says, "מַה־נָּאו֨וּ עַל־הֶהָרִ֜ים רַגְלֵ֣י מְבַשֵּׂ֗ר מַשְׁמִ֧יעַ שָׁל֛וֹם מְבַשֵּׂ֥ר ט֖וֹב מַשְׁמִ֣יעַ יְשׁוּעָ֑ה אֹמֵ֥ר לְצִיּ֖וֹן מָלַ֥ךְ אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ׃ - How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good news. That announcer of peace, the forerunner of good news. That announces salvation; That says unto Zion: "Your G-d is King!
  
  ק֥וֹל צֹפַ֛יִךְ נָ֥שְׂאוּ ק֖וֹל יַחְדָּ֣ו יְרַנֵּ֑נוּ כִּ֣י עַ֤יִן בְּעַ֙יִן֙ יִרְא֔וּ בְּשׁ֥וּב ה׳ צִיּֽוֹן׃ - Your scouts raise their voices and sing together, for they shall see G-d's return to Zion with their own eyes. 
  
  פִּצְח֤וּ רַנְּנוּ֙ יַחְדָּ֔ו חׇרְב֖וֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם כִּֽי־נִחַ֤ם ה׳ עַמּ֔וֹ גָּאַ֖ל יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃ - Break out in song, together, the ruins of Jerusalem! For G-d has consoled His people and redeemed Jerusalem! 
  
  חָשַׂ֤ף ה׳ אֶת־זְר֣וֹעַ קׇדְשׁ֔וֹ לְעֵינֵ֖י כׇּל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם וְרָאוּ֙ כׇּל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֔רֶץ אֵ֖ת יְשׁוּעַ֥ת אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃ - G-d shall reveal His holy arm before all nations and all ends of the earth shall see salvations of our G-d. 
  
  And just like that, the Ruach Elokim - The Spirit of G-d, has left the waters and is walking the land. 
  
  Please read Part 2, or the continuation of this thought.
  
  Shmuel Katanov
  
  

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• The Challenge of Unity

  Jun 22, 2023 Admin 0 Comments

  The Parashat Shelach opens with interesting words: Shelach Lecha Anashim. Rashi and many commentators translate it as "Send for yourself," meaning, "Hashem has said that the Land is good, so just go in and take the land," but that generation wanted to see it for themselves, kind of like they wanted to make sure it was a good land.
  
  It seems to me that there's another meaning behind these words. With your permission, let's look at it closely.
  
  So, the Shelach Lecha means "Send for yourself", but if you pay close attention, Lecha is in the singular tense, but it is directed to Moshe and affects 12 people, who are being sent out on this expedition. So, how is the singular tense being used for this group of people? Why not just use the plural?
  
  In Parashat Bereshit, right after Chava and Adam ate from the Tree of Knowledge, and after Hashem had punished them, it says that Hashem banished them from Gan Eden. It uses an interesting word for it; in Bereshit 3:23, it says: וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵ֛הוּ - Vayeshalkhehu - And Hashem banished him or sent him out from Gan Eden... Sent him out? Why him? Weren't two people sent out from the Garden of Eden - Adam and Eve? Why does Hashem only refer to Adam-"sent him out"? I believe this is where Hashem is giving us an important message: that Adam and Eve are one, a union, a single entity—a Father and a Mother of all of humanity—the Parents.
  
  But let's go further into the Parashat Lech Lecha. When Hashem tells Avraham Avinu, "Lech Lecha—Go for yourself from your land..." Again, in this case, the word Lecha is used, affecting many people who came out with Avraham Avinu—his wife Sarah, his nephew Lot, all the souls they had made in Haran, and their shepherds. 
  
  We have three instances in which the singular tense was used, affecting the group "the many". This teaches us that Hashem wants a group to achieve unity and stay together as a group on their journey, getting from point A to point B as one single entity, with no one left behind. 
  
  But it doesn't happen so.
  
  Later, in Parashat Lech Lecha 13:5-12, we are told how the shepherds argued, and Avraham Avinu offered Lot the option to go left while he went right, or right while he went left, and Lot agreed. They both went different ways—but as you remember, Hashem said 'Lech Lecha,' which means that Hashem wanted him to go as one single unit, without separation; thus, the word 'Lecha' is used. 
  
  Back then, Avraham Avinu, Sarah Imenu, and Lot were the Jewish nation, and Hashem wanted them to stay together and reach the Point B —the Promised Land —which unfortunately did not happen.
  
  The Parashat Toldot tells us about Yitzchak Avinu and his two sons, Esav and Yaakov. Yaakov gets the birthright and the blessing, and Rivkah Imenu, worried about Yaakov's safety, tells him to leave for Charan since his brother Esav might kill him. Yakov leaves, and the family breaks up—the unity is lost once again. 
  
  The Parashat Vayishlach tells us that 22 years later, Yaakov Avinu returns from his father-in-law's house with his family: four wives, twelve sons, and a daughter, Dina. Knowing fully well his brother Esav, Yaakov Avinu hides his daughter in the chest so Esav does not see her. When the brothers meet, Esav never sees Dina, and they go their separate ways. The Sages tell us that Yaakov Avinu made a mistake by hiding Dina. Dina should have married Esav—since only she could have brought him back to Teshuva. And then Yaakov, with his kids and four wives, and Esav, with Dina, would have returned to Israel together as one unit—but it didn't happen. The family has broken up once again, Esav went totally off the derech, and billions of his descendants were forever lost to Judaism.
  
  In Parashat Vayeshev, the nation of Israel is now Yaakov Avinu and his twelve sons. Everything seems to be going well, but suddenly, there's a conflict between the brothers and the younger one, Yosef. So, the brothers end up selling him to Egypt, which breaks the family once again. Later, the whole family moves to Egypt to join Yosef due to the famine in the Land of Israel. 
  
  Years later, Moshe Rabbenu appears in Parashat Shemot. He is sent by Hashem, who tells him to take His nation out. Three million people came out with Moshe Rabbenu after all the punishments G-d brought upon Egypt.
  
  And in Parashat Yitro, we finally got it—the nation stood as one body and soul—we have achieved complete unity. The Jewish Nation received the Torah on Mount Sinai and officially married G-d.
  
  Then, the nation traveled closer to the Land of Israel, and suddenly, in Parashat Shelach, the people approached Moshe Rabbenu. They wanted to scout out the land, but in reality, they sought to achieve what Avraham Avinu, Yaakov Avinu, and the brothers had been unable to attain: unity. The twelve spies wanted to go to the Land of Israel and return with a unified opinion on the strategy and goodness of the Land. But, as you know, for whatever reason, they came back with ten people’s opinions versus two people’s opinions. Hashem did what He did - males of that generation, 20-60 years old, lost their lives in the desert.
  
  Thirty-nine years later, in the Parashat Matot and Masei, when the nation was standing on the banks of the Jordan River, the tribes of Reuven, Gad, and part of the tribe of Menashe approached Moshe Rabbenu and asked to remain in the east of the Jordan due to an abundance of green pastures for their livestock. Moshe agreed, and in return, they promised to help other tribes conquer Eretz Yisrael.
  
  And this is where I believe a mistake was made...
  
  The word Lecha in the Lech Lecha or Shelach Lecha does not only mean Go or Send for Yourself, but it means to go from point A, which is Egypt, to point B - Eretz Yisrael - as one unit, a single entity - all 3 million people, all 12 tribes with no one left behind or anyone left outside of The Land of Israel. This is where Hashem is telling Moshe Rabbeinu — or obligating him — to ensure that all 12 tribes make it to the Land of Israel, no matter how appealing it may look outside it.

  If they had done so, Moshe Rabbenu would have passed away, but Yehoshua Bin Nun would have taken the nation into the Land of Israel. He would have become a Mashiach ben Yosef, and then the Mashiach ben David would have been found in the nation. The Geulah or Redemption would have started at that moment, followed by the Tehiyat Hametim - the Resurrection of the Dead, where Moshe Rabbeinu and everyone left behind in the desert would have come back to join the rest of the nation in the Land of Israel.
  
  But this did not happen. And because of this, we have had our First Bet Hamikdash and its destruction, Second Bet Hamikdash and its destruction, and today, this.... current long exile with all its hardships - still going on for almost 2,000 years. However, we remain hopeful and are waiting for our own Lecha Moment—Mashiach, who will unite us and gather all 12 tribes together in Israel, and initiate the prophecies as written in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah and the books of other prophets.
  
  Just like Adam and Chava were sent out from the Garden of Eden as one entity, so are we—all 12 tribes of Israel—have to re-enter our physical Garden of Eden—The Land of Israel—as one, united and strong nation.
  

  May this happen speedily in our days. Amen.
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• The Thoughts Behind The Empty Pit

  Dec 22, 2023 Admin 0 Comments

  "And they took him and cast him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it." Vayeshev 37:24. It is puzzling that the Torah mentions that the pit was empty. Why would I need to know that? If you ask me, they are in the desert, and if there is water in the pit, it would be called a well. Why does the Torah specifically mention the lack of water in the pit?
  
  I think the answer may be hiding in a few places in the Torah. Let's start with the first key. Yosef, וְה֣וּא נַ֗עַר - Ve Hu Naar, Rashi explains, "And He, Being a Lad - His actions were childish: he dressed his hair, he touched up his eyes so that he should appear good-looking." 
  
  But I believe there's more to it.
  
  Ve Hu Naar - And He, Being a Lad, can also be interpreted as him having a child-like imagination. It seemed as if he was a dreamer with his head high up in the clouds. Maybe that is why when he saw the dreams, he was able to come up with great explanations for his and other people’s dreams because he thought out of the box.
  
  So, after Yaakov Avinu sent him to check up on his brothers, Yosef, being the dreamer he is, wasn't just walking to his brothers; his mind was thinking. And this time, he was thinking about Kayin and Hevel. 
  
  Our job in this world is to fix what was broken before – to make the Tikkunim - and Yosef was a great example of this.
  
  In Parashat Bereshit 4:9, Hashem said to Kayin, "Where is your brother Hevel?" Kayin said, "I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?" And this is what bothered Yosef that day. Being the most hated one in the family, he felt that vibe between Kayin and Hevel. And this is where the Tikkun or fixing was being done...given a chance, he thought - he could fix Kayin's error.
  
  And with these thoughts, he came to Shechem, but there he met a man. Chachamim tells us it was an angel, and when that man asked him, who is he looking for, he said: My brothers do I seek - אֶת־אַחַ֖י אָנֹכִ֣י מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ, Parashat Vayeshev, 37:16, but as you know in the Sefer Torah the Nekudot - the vowels are missing and the word אַחַ֖י - My Brothers can also be written as Achi, so at the end, he meant: אֶת־אחִי אָנֹכִ֣י מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ  and that makes it as - My brother do I seek.
  
  Fully determined to fix Kayin’s error and with full understanding of why Kayin killed Hevel, Yosef felt that no matter the amount of hate Yosef had seen from his brothers, they were as a Brother to him, and he was looking not for them but for him, all as one. And with this thought, he went to the city of Dotan. 
  
  But Yosef didn't stop there; he asked Hashem for a sign that he was on the right track, that his thought process was correct, and his Tikkun was noticed above. 
  
  He didn't have to wait too long, because when he approached his brothers, they took off his colorful tunic - "And took him and cast him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.", Parashat Vayeshev 37:24. No water in it...?! Notice how the Torah highlights that water was not there.
  
  In Parashat Bereshit, after Kayin killed Hevel, Hashem came to punish Kayin. He asked him, Where's Hevel? Kayin answered, וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי הֲשֹׁמֵ֥ר אָחִ֖י אָנֹֽכִי׃ - And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?"
  
  So, Hashem said, וְעַתָּ֖ה אָר֣וּר אָ֑תָּה מִן־הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּצְתָ֣ה אֶת־פִּ֔יהָ לָקַ֛חַת אֶת־דְּמֵ֥י אָחִ֖יךָ מִיָּדֶֽךָ׃ - "Therefore, you shall be more cursed than the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand." Meam Loez says that the sin of the Earth was that it left no trace of blood, as if it wanted to hide the blood completely so it could not be discovered, and thus it completely swallowed the blood.
  
  So, Yosef got the sign he asked for - no water in the pit when he was thrown into it, just like the incident with Kayin killing Hevel - no blood was left visible on the ground.
  
  But let's go even further. In Parashat Vayigash 45:12, when Yosef HaTzaddik opened up to his brothers, he says the following:" וְהִנֵּ֤ה עֵֽינֵיכֶם֙ רֹא֔וֹת וְעֵינֵ֖י אָחִ֣י בִנְיָמִ֑ין כִּי־פִ֖י הַֽמְדַבֵּ֥ר אֲלֵיכֶֽם׃ - You can see for yourselves, and my brother Benyamin for himself, that it is indeed I who am speaking to you." Rashi said," ועיני אחי בנימין - And the eyes of my brother Benyamin - just as I harbor no hatred against Benyamin, my brother, for he was no party to selling me, so is my heart free from hatred against you."
  
  But maybe it can also mean, just like Benyamin, my brother looks at me and sees me as His Brother, so am I, looking at all of you and seeing you all as My Brother - Achi, and not as Achai - My Brothers. He was not looking for brothers in Shechem; Yosef HaTzaddik was looking for them all, as a Brother looks for His Brother.
  
  Kayin fell short by not being able to coexist with one brother, and was not content with his lofty share, even though he had more than plenty., Yosef HaTzaddik has proven that he was his brother's keeper—the caretaker of the entire family. When the time came and the family moved to Egypt, he took care of his father, his brothers, and their families, thus making his contribution to the atonement of Kayin's sin.
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• Why Did Moshe Rabbenu 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 we should 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 familiarize us with the story. But once again, let's go even 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, and 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 Rabbenu. Hashem confirms his request and says that He will do so. We need to find out why Moshe is making such a request. Why is Moshe asking that Mashiach should be like Moshe Rabbenu?
  
  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 that when their armies met in battle or even without it, the Jewish nation would be defeated. This all sounds good, but when they came to the desert to carry out the plan, Bilaam understood this was impossible. 
  
  Ever since Moshe separated himself from his wife Tziporah, starting with Parashat Yitro and in Vaetchanan, Moshe grew in Torah knowledge and got closer to Hashem. When Balak and Bilaam came to the desert, Bilaam saw a giant – and said, “Even I cannot go against a person like him!” Moshe Rabbenu was preparing 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 a prophetic vision of all the personalities that would come from him from the beginning of time until 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 his 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 children pass away around the world; why did Adam give to this little kid named David instead of any of them?
  
  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 young male, and while in the river, unintentionally - he wasted his seed. Since Adam was created by Hashem and was a holy being, his seed gave rise to demonic beings that roamed the earth (Zohar, Parashat Bereshit), and within 130 years, he had created plenty of those creatures.
  
  As he watched this "movie", he was horrified to see how those beings had attacked 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.  As he traced his lineage, he came to a child named David, who died a few minutes after birth, which meant there would 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 who would come later wouldn't be able to do what Moshe did and wouldn't 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, 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 Rabbenu 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, many 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 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. Until the year 6,000 mark, or even earlier, it is a long time to expose the nation to situations where others may attempt 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 it, not once but twice—fully believing in his choice, making the ruling—psak for the nation, 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 follow Hashem's plan, Hashem kept His word by being with the Nation and never abandoning it, even for a second. Yehoshua bin Nun led the nation across the Jordan River, battled and defeated 31 kings, and conquered the Eretz Yisrael, thus becoming one of the greatest generals and prophets in our history. Hashem has also sprinkled, in every generation until 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 that has been happening for thousands of years. 
  
  Today, Israel has advanced irrigation technology, and as a result, the deserts have been transformed into lush gardens. Israel has a robust 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?
  
  
  P.S.: Below is my opinion, something I've been analyzing and thinking about a lot lately. 
  
  So, what are the Milchamot Hashem - The Wars of G-d?
  
  Here are some of the points I believe many may have missed:
  
  - On October 7, 2023, Israel was forced to enter into a war. Since then, they have expanded their war efforts and fought on seven fronts. The amazing success they have had in going against different groups has been attributed to the learning and davening of the nation. As a nation, we have been learning and davening for centuries, but this type of success we never had.
  
  - Outside of Israel, Chutz La'aretz, the antisemitism is up, but if you look at how it was years ago vs now, the life situation is not bad at all. 
  
  - For the past two years, the Sefirat HaOmer and the Three Weeks of the season of Tisha B'Av, have had almost no fatal accidents. It almost feels like the month of Av has become just another month.
  
  - During the year, life is smooth for many. There are struggles, but they are tolerable.
  
  I could probably go on, but I believe that Milchamot Hashem have started and have been going on for a while, and the Son of David is at it alone and may be struggling. That's why Adam HaRishon gave David HaMelech 70 years of his life so that he could father Shlomo, ensuring the lineage would continue for the Mashiach to come to this world and fulfill his role. 
  
  So there you have it..!!
  

  This may be a successful attempt, or perhaps not, as I have tried to explain some things as I see them. However, as I always say, it’s just my two cents on the issue. 
  
  - Shmuel Katanov

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