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• And Hashem Remembered Rachel

  Jan 12, 2025 Admin 0 Comments

  Ever wonder why Yaakov Avinu has elevated Menashe and Efraim to the level of shevatim / tribes? Don't forget these kids have lived outside of Eretz Yisrael and grown without Yaakov Avinu's influence. Why did Yaakov Avinu elevate them to such great heights? 
  
  In Parashat Vayechi 48:5 when Yaakov Avinu was about to bless Menashe and Efraim, he says the following: "וְעַתָּ֡ה שְׁנֵֽי־בָנֶ֩יךָ֩ הַנּוֹלָדִ֨ים לְךָ֜ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֗יִם עַד־בֹּאִ֥י אֵלֶ֛יךָ מִצְרַ֖יְמָה לִי־הֵ֑ם אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ וּמְנַשֶּׁ֔ה כִּרְאוּבֵ֥ן וְשִׁמְע֖וֹן יִֽהְיוּ־לִֽי׃ - Now, your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, shall be mine; Efraim and Menashe shall be mine no less than Reuven and Shimon." Why would Yaakov Avinu make such a request, he already has 12 sons, why does he need additional 2 sons? 
  
  On this pasuk, Ari HaKadosh says that Yaakov Avinu should have had fourteen sons, but Reuven confused the beds by taking them out of Bilhah's tent and placing them in Leah's tent (Parashat Vayishlach 35:22); he caused these two additional souls not to descend. These souls came down only when Yosef married Osnath. Therefore, says Yaakov, I say that Menashe and Efraim shall be like Reuven and Shimon to me since they were originally destined to be fathered by me. 
  
  In the same parsha in pasuk 30:14 says: "וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ רְאוּבֵ֜ן בִּימֵ֣י קְצִיר־חִטִּ֗ים וַיִּמְצָ֤א דֽוּדָאִים֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וַיָּבֵ֣א אֹתָ֔ם אֶל־לֵאָ֖ה אִמּ֑וֹ וַתֹּ֤אמֶר רָחֵל֙ אֶל־לֵאָ֔ה תְּנִי־נָ֣א לִ֔י מִדּוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנֵֽךְ׃ - Once, at the time of the wheat harvest, Reuven came upon flowers in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah - Please give me some of your son's flowers." The Sages say these flowers are jasmine or mandrakes which promote fertility. 
  
  וַתֹּ֣אמֶר לָ֗הּ הַמְעַט֙ קַחְתֵּ֣ךְ אֶת־אִישִׁ֔י וְלָקַ֕חַת גַּ֥ם אֶת־דּוּדָאֵ֖י בְּנִ֑י וַתֹּ֣אמֶר רָחֵ֗ל לָכֵן֙ יִשְׁכַּ֤ב עִמָּךְ֙ הַלַּ֔יְלָה תַּ֖חַת דּוּדָאֵ֥י בְנֵֽךְ׃  - But she said to her, "Was it not enough for you to take away my husband, that you would also take my son's flowers?" Rachel replied, "I promise, he shall lie with you tonight, in return for your son's flowers." 
  
  It seems to me that there's something about these flowers or the Dudaim that Reuven has found in the field. Rachel is asking for them to have more chances to conceive, but I believe it is more than that. 
  
  I believe this is what Rachel thought at that moment. The maids, Bilhah and Zilpah, already had two sons each, while Rachel had none. So, Rachel thought, "I am the wife of Yaakov Avinu, and I still have no children. The maids have two children each, and even if I have two, am I on the same level as the maids?" 
  
  So, she asked Leah for the dudayim in the plural form, the flowers—Rachel was asking for two more boys or tribes to be added to her, making her greater than the maids. 
  
  Leah agreed with Rachel. Rachel also said, "Yaakov shall lie with you tonight." He did. Until today, Leah rests with Yaakov Avinu in the Maarat Hamachpela or The Cave of the Patriarchs, and Rachel alone rests on the road to Ephrath, near Bethlehem.
  
  Since this agreement was made between matriarchs—the Mothers of Our Nation—Hashem has remembered Rachel, and carried it out exactly as they have agreed on.  Today, Rachel Imenu is the mother of four tribes: Yosef, Benyamin, Menashe, and Efrayim. 
  
  Just as Hashem has carried out their agreement in the past, He promised to do more for Rachel Imenu in the future. 
  
  A cry is heard, and that person has never been comforted. It is Mama Rachel's bitter cry. 
  
  Says Prophet Yirmiyahu, 31:15-17:
  
  כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר ה׳ ק֣וֹל בְּרָמָ֤ה נִשְׁמָע֙ נְהִי֙ בְּכִ֣י תַמְרוּרִ֔ים רָחֵ֖ל מְבַכָּ֣ה עַל־בָּנֶ֑יהָ מֵאֲנָ֛ה לְהִנָּחֵ֥ם עַל־בָּנֶ֖יהָ כִּ֥י אֵינֶֽנּוּ׃         
  Thus said  G-d:
  A cry is heard in Ramah—
  Wailing, bitter weeping—
  Rachel weeping for her children.
  She refuses to be comforted
  For her children, who are gone. 
  
  כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר ה׳ מִנְעִ֤י קוֹלֵךְ֙ מִבֶּ֔כִי וְעֵינַ֖יִךְ מִדִּמְעָ֑ה כִּי֩ יֵ֨שׁ שָׂכָ֤ר לִפְעֻלָּתֵךְ֙ נְאֻם־ה׳ וְשָׁ֖בוּ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ אוֹיֵֽב׃ 
  Thus said  G-d:
  Restrain your voice from weeping,
  Your eyes from shedding tears;
  For there is a reward for your labor
  —declares  G-d: They shall return from the enemy’s land. 
  
  וְיֵשׁ־תִּקְוָ֥ה לְאַחֲרִיתֵ֖ךְ נְאֻם־ה׳ וְשָׁ֥בוּ בָנִ֖ים לִגְבוּלָֽם׃ 
  And there is hope for your future
  —declares  G-d:
  Your children shall return to their borders.
  
  May this come speedily in our days, amen!!
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• Мои Года, Моё Богатство

  Nov 25, 2019 Admin 0 Comments

  Я выбрал не зря это название. Недавно прослушав одну из лекций Раввина Жэйкобсона которая натолкнула меня на новое понимание, мне хотелось бы поделиться с вами вот с такой идеей.
  
  В Главе Ваера, есть рассказ, как приходят три ангела к Лоту и говорят ему что его город Содом будет разрушен утром и он должен покинуть его. И вот во время побега, Ангелы предупреждают Лота и его семью не отворачиваться назад несмотря ни на что. Но Лота жена услышав голос одной из своих подруг, отворачивается и становится солёным столпом. 
  
  Интересно почему солёным столпом и почему она наказана солью? В Мидраше есть одно из объяснений, что так-как она согрешила из-за соли, когда пошла по соседям выпрашивать соль говоря что у неё нет соли и у них сейчас гости, этим намекая что её муж в данный момент нарушает закон города принимая гостей и этим призывая жителей принять меры по отношению к пришельцам. Убегая она услышала голос одной из своих подруг, и в этот момент произошёл закон мера за меру - так как она просила соль, этим побудив жителей восстать против пришельцев и в данный момент они умирали в городе, они позвали её, давая ей понять что она тоже не может спастись, потому-что она побудила их сделать грех. Как говорят мудрецы Содом сидел очень глубоко в жене Лота.
  
  Но вопрос почему она стала солью? Давайте немного углубимся в этот эпизод, чтоб ответить на этот вопрос.
  
  Когда Ангелы подошли к Лоту и сказали ему о планах Вс-вышнего, то первым делом Лот подошёл к своим зятьям и передал им о своих намерениях и пригласил их покинуть город с ним вместе, так как к утру он будет разрушен.
  
  В Берешит 19:14 сказано: "И пошёл Лот к своим зятьям и говорил он с ними, к тем которые были женаты на его дочерях и сказал он им: Поднимайтесь, покиньте это место, потому что Вс-вышний разрушит этот город. Но он выглядел для своих зятьёв шутом." 
  
  Первый раз через столько лет Лот понял одну вещь, что насколько бы высоко он не находился на социальной лестнице, и какую бы позицию он не занимал, он всё же оставался пришельцем и тем самым жидом и всё той же насмешкой для неевреев. Вроде бы Лот достиг всего что можно было иммигранту достичь - Мидраш говорит, что он был главным судьёй города Содома, и выносил приговоры по делам в городе. Его дочки достигли пика их подъёма - выйдя замуж за парней из этого города. Вроде бы Лот уже один из них - но не тут то было. Зятья его высмеивают, и не идут с ним и за своими жёнами. Такое же повторялось у нас истории. Вроде мы часть общества где мы живём, занимаем большие позиции, имеем богатство и хорошее расположение, но приходит время и туман рассеивается. 
  
  И вот они бегут, жена Лота обернулась и превратилась в солёный столп. Почему она не умерла как все остальные жители Содома? За всю историю человечества, миллионы людей умерли - злодеи, деспоты и люди совершившие всякие преступления и благие дела, все были преданы земле - только один человек был выбран остаться на земле в виде солёного столпа - это жена Лота. Добавлю что Талмуд Берахот говорит, если человек увидит статую этой женщины, он должен произнести благословение. 
  
  Но всё что написано в Торе не спроста. За каждым случаем кроется смысл и за каждым персонажем есть что-то что кроется в каждом из нас. Содом город который находится на берегу моря, но люди которые там жили характером были эгоистичны,  эгоцентричны, погруженные в себя и самовлюблённые и в этом есть маленькая частичка Содома которая находится в каждом из нас. Каждый раз когда в нас или вокруг нас происходят акты злости, мести, разврата, унижения и притеснения - мы также должны бежать из этого места, из этого Содома. Но с одним условием, не отворачиваться назад. Убегая, но отворачиваясь мы не отдаляемся а продолжаем переживать все те события от которых бежали, живя в истории в которой мы провинились, или в которой нам причинили много боли и страданий, вспоминая все падения, унижения и разочарования. У каждого своя история, на то и она называется историей его жизни, и все те персонажи которые в ней участвуют живут в этой истории и всегда с ним напоминая о себе каждый день. 
  
  Со временем человек становится вон тем самым столпом соли - очень горьким и солёным. С ним очень трудно говорить и иметь дело, он погружён в мысли прошлого и живёт в страданиях. Есть люди кто очень искусно могут скрывать это состояние, но есть люди кто не могут. 
  
  Но тут мы приходим к одному важному моменту. Став солью у нас появляются две дороги в жизни. 
  
  Некоторые люди выбирают дорогу мести - мне причинили боль и страдания и теперь я в свою очередь причиню другим то же самое. Они ломают семьи, портят людям жизнь, злословят, причиняют как можно больше вреда - работая над этим годами и вовлекая многих в эту грязь. 
  
  Второй путь - это путь служения Вс-вышнему. Как сказано в Псалмах 37:27, "Беги от зла и делай хорошее." Осознано совершать хорошее, отойти от источника зла и продолжать служение Вс-вышнему.
  
  Говорят наши мудрецы, поставив человека в какую-то ситуацию, Вс-вышний хочет научить его какому-то уроку и если он осознано делает зло и выбирает идти по дороге зла - конец такого человека не завистлив ни в этом и ни в следующем мирах. Но если человек выбирает дорогу добра и несмотря на свою боль и свои прошлые обиды делает добро, то не замеченным от Вс-вышнего это не останется и к тому же Вс-вышний подарит ему самую красивую черту характера которая может быть у человека - это черта сострадания. Позже, после своих "проблем и ситуаций", однажды он увидит человека в страдании и в проблемах, и он сумеет почувствовать его боль и протянуть ему руку помощи, так как он знает что это такое, этим самым борясь со злом и поднимаясь высоко в духовных мирах как награждение за пройденный урок.
  
  Так что же делать человеку, если он уже погряз в этой соли и не видит облегчения?
  
  Давайте разберём два закона касающихся соли - Сефер Ваикра говорит что когда Коэн приносит жертву, то он должен обсыпать жертвоприношение солью со всех сторон, но сегодня у нас нет Храма и этот закон мы не можем использовать для данной ситуации. Второй закон в Книге Шулхан Арух или Свод Законов говорит: что на каждом столе должна присутствовать соль. Каждая трапеза должна сопровождаться солью и при этом когда человек говорит благословение на хлеб он должен хорошо обмакнуть хлеб в соль.
  
  Как было уже сказано, один из путей борьбы со своей солью, которые люди к сожалению выбирают это делать зло. Но делая зло, они всё больше погружаются в болото зла, из которого выйти не всем удаётся. Потому-что не все помнят что про кого сказали, как далеко пошли слухи, как сложились судьбы тех людей которые были замешаны во все эти интриги или судьбы их поколений, а также не хотение попросить прощения из-за гордости, да и люди которым был причинён вред, могут быть уже не с нами в этом мире. Это называется Домино Эффект - который трудно остановить, но полная ответственность всё равно лежит на нас так как Вс-вышний помнит все мотивы и ситуации.
  
  Но я бы хотел предоставить вам второй путь, как избавиться от соли и выйти из своего Содома - это перестать думать о себе и начать жить по другому - думать о Вс-вышнем, о своей жизни, и о людях вокруг вас. Спросить себя, что Вс-вышнему нужно от вас? Почему вы продолжаете жить и вставать по утрам? Куда вы идёте и что у вас за цель в жизни? Понять что у вас есть душа, частичка самого Вс-вышнего и она в вас - и ничто и никто не может осквернить или замарать её ни словами и ни делами. И вы являетесь Послом Вс-вышнего здесь в этом мире, чтоб раскрыть Его и Его свет и принести этот свет в жизнь других людей и быть маяком для других в этом мире. Тот свет что является светом радости, надежды и веры, который так иногда не хватает в жизни многих людей. И осознание этой истины и есть избавление от своей соли и выход из своего Содома.
  
  Принять, понять и осознать что вся соль которая есть в вас и есть ваш жизненный путь и всё это пришло от Вс-вышнего и только от Него одного - а люди которые подыграли в этом - сделали это не по своей воле, а потому что были выбраны для этого по разным провинностям и причинам которые известны только Вс-вышнему, и всё что вы можете сделать по отношению к ним, это пожалеть их за то что они были выбраны сделать зло, что является не совсем завидным достижением в жизни. И тот жизненный путь который вы прошли, был проделан вами и только вы один знаете насколько трудно оно было для вас. И ту боль которую вы сейчас испытываете и есть ваша боль. И при всём этом - вы просто должны дорожить процессом духовного и морального роста и набранному опыту познанию людей и жизни в целом, и постарайтесь всё это использовать себе на благо.
  
  Но как...?
  
  Во время благословения на хлеб, закон говорит обмакнуть хлеб в соль. И вот тут самое время вспомнить всю свою соль - всю ту боль а иногда может и рёв души, и сказать Вс-вышнему - спасибо за опыт, и всё это преподнести ему как приношение на своём собственном жертвеннике - этим исправляя и освящая себя - своё тело и свою душу, и при этом радуясь своему уделу, потому-что вся ваша боль и годы проведённые с ней ведут к вашему освящению, и приближению к Вс-вышнему. И однажды обернувшись назад, вы по настоящему начнёте понимать глубину слов: Мои Года, Моё Богатство!!
  
  Шмуэль Катанов

  Леилюй Нишмат: 
  Шломо бен Тамара (Семён Якубов)
  Рафаэль бен Тамара (Рафаэль Мирзакандов)
  Нисан бен Лея (Нисан Якубов)

   

   

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• Why Do Good People Suffer?

  Aug 26, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  There plenty of clues in the Torah, and in this essay, 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 maybe should be read as Vehaya Yaakov Tishmeoun - "When Yaakov Will Listen to these rules and observe them carefully..."
  
  So, let's look at this scenario from this angle for a second. 
  
  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 Yaakov, but Yisrael, 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, at that moment he had become a giant - a father of the tribes, and a forefather of the nation.
  
  How can this be applied to our everyday lives?
  
  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 the child enters the level of Yaakov. At this stage the neshama or soul changes, since now it has Yetzer Hara and Yetzer HaTov or Good and Bad Inclinations or Good or Bad Angels inside, and until the age of 120, there's a constant 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 Angels. Hashem puts him through many tests and situations until he passes his tests, subdues his Yetzer Hara to total control, chooses to do good and not evil, atones for past misdeeds, 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 more closer to Hashem. 
  
  Did you hear of Olam Habah or The Future World, the one that will start some time 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 Lakhem Khelek LeOlam Habah - All Yisrael have a share in the World To Come - All Yisrael, which, by the way, doesn't mean Every Jew, but means 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, repented and embraced Torah and mitzvot for life and for real, and thus graduated from the level of Yaakov to the level of 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 seem to 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 ones who seem to suffer more than the others are under the strict supervision of G-d Almighty. Since He loves them and wants them to earn their passage into the Future World, and He wants them to be there next to Him. He tests them and creates unpleasant situations for them through other people who ought to be punished for their misdeeds, 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 to others due to their environment, their targeted efforts, fewer lacks, 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 should we do?
  
  Many say Hashem loves you - they are not lying to you. He does, since He has given you those 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 the Evil Inclination under control - slowly muting its volume 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. And at that moment, the Divine becomes our life and calling. At this point, 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 down here on the planet Earth, with a guaranteed ticket to the Future World. 
  
  So, my friend, how about you? Are you ready to battle your Internal Angel?!! 
  
  Vehaya Yaakov Tishmeoun - When Yaakov Will Listen to these rules and observe them carefully... Your name shall no longer be Yaakov, but Yisrael, for you have fought with beings divine and human, and have won.
  
  A light tap on the microphone.
  
  Testing, testing. Is this thing on? May I have your attention, please? Will the real Yisrael please stand up? I repeat. Will the real Yisrael please stand up?
  
  We're not gonna have a problem here!!
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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• Moshe, will sing!!

  Apr 3, 2025 Admin 0 Comments

  Why were the words of the song that Moshe Rabbenu sang in the future tense: "Moshe will sing - Az Yashir Moshe" and not in the present tense? 
  
  But I will ask you another question: why did Moshe wait to sing the song? Why didn’t he sing it when they left the borders of Egypt? Why wait till they crossed the sea?
  
  As it says in Sanhedrin 94A, where's the song from Chizkiyahu HaMelech when, on the night of Pesach, Hashem killed 185,000 soldiers of Sanheriv? But when Hashem cured Chizkiyahu HaMelech, he sang. Since Chizkiyahu HaMelech didn’t sing the song when there was a national miracle, he lost his opportunity to become a Moshiach.
  
  Moshe Rabbenu didn’t sing when they crossed the border of Egypt, but he did once they had crossed the sea. By the time they crossed the sea, he had realized that he had made a mistake; that’s why the words of the song - as if he had prophesied - "Moshe will sing" - a reincarnation of Moshe - Mashiach will sing at the time of Geulah, thus fixing what Moshe Rabbenu had missed.
  
  Below are some more thoughts out loud:
  
  By missing this opportunity, Moshe wasn’t punished right away, but he was as if "marked for more tests in the future - TBD - to be determined". Read my essay about 'Hitting the Rock' - Moshe knew he had made a mistake by not singing the song on time. He was given another chance when he hit the rock, but by then, he was already a seasoned leader who had been fighting in the spiritual realm, teaching and ruling the nation for years. That’s why the hitting of the rock came out as it did due to his calculation as a leader -- for the benefit of the nation, but not as Hashem had planned. Hashem has honored his decision. But these two events have worked against him: he was not allowed to enter Eretz Yisrael and had to stay behind with the nation in the desert.
  
  So, how important is singing in the service of Hashem?
  
  It’s Very...Very Important!!
  
  
  Part 2: I can't let you go without expanding on this idea. So, for a second, imagine the following scenario. 
  
  In Parashat Beshalakh 13:17 says: "Vayhi Beshalakh... - As it happened, when Pharaoh let the people go, G-d did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although it was nearer."
  
  We were led by G-d towards the land of the Philistines, because it was near. Vayhi - As it happened, what happened? The fact that Moshe Rabbenu did not sing or the absence of the song - happened, this made G-d reroute the nation through the sea, send Amalek, and us having problems until today from the people that are living in that patch of land.
  
  Honestly, this long route we have been walking on is called Galut, and it feels like it drags on forever. 
  
  Let me explain.
  
  What would have happened if Moshe Rabbenu had sung the song of Gratitude upon leaving the land of Egypt?
  
  I believe that the miracles of delivering the ten plaques and devastating ancient Egypt, and later crossing the border that had been guarded for 210 years by the dark forces, are achievements in themselves that requires its own celebration. That's why Hashem expected a song from the Nation. This would have been a HaKarat HaTov or Moment of Gratitude. 
  
  At that moment, this action would have been a valuable lesson, an example for the Nation and the world by the top human authority chosen by G-d. Moshe Rabbenu missed that opportunity. Since the miracles that would be performed in the land of Philistines, amongst a hostile nation, would make our Nation and the world believe in Moshe and G-d Almighty forever and with no doubt, and would have solidified and glorified G-d's authority and the nation's position as G-d's chosen. 
  
  But until then, gentlemen, let's chant as well... Free.. Free The minor Moshe. So we, today, can take a turn singing the song for real this time. We've been practicing this song every day for more than 2,500 years... And Hashem, believe me, we know the words by heart.
  
  Hashem, the time has come for You to let it happen. We're ready whenever You are. 
  
  Shmuel Katanov
  April 3, 2025
  
  

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• Why Did The Brothers Hate Joseph?

  Nov 27, 2018 Admin 0 Comments

  In the story of Joseph and his brothers, one incident stands out and makes the whole story seem very puzzling. Let's delve into it and try to understand it.
  
  As you already know, there was tension between Joseph and his older brothers, one against the many. Some commentators say it was jealousy, others say it was simply hatred, but let's look at it in more detail.
  
  "And Joseph went after his brothers, and found them in Dotan," says in Midrash Tanchuma, Parashat Vayeshev 13:6 (Gen. 37:17-18). Per his father's request, Joseph was coming towards his brothers. As he approached, the brothers saw him from afar and said to each other, "Here's the dreamer coming," and they began planning how to get rid of him. Some suggested killing him to solve this problem once and for all. The older brother, Reuven, suggested throwing him in the pit. He said Why kill your own blood, your own brother, when we can accomplish the same by throwing him into the empty pit. In Masechet Shabbat 22A, it says: "Pit empty from water but full of snakes and scorpions." Everyone liked this idea, except Reuven, who thought to himself that he would come later to rescue him.
  
  When Joseph came close to his brothers, they pulled off his fancy coat - the one his father gave him, the extra one - Rashi (Parashat Bereshit 37:24), and threw him into the pit. As they sat down to eat, they saw a caravan passing by, so out came another brilliant idea to sell their small brother to Arab merchants, to be taken to a distant land (Bereshit 37:27). And so they did. As much as Joseph pleaded with them, they were determined on their plan and did not turn from it, and the caravan slowly left their sight.
  
  After the brothers left the scene, Reuven came over to rescue Joseph, but to his astonishment, Joseph was gone. Reuven tore his clothing in grief, but it was too late - Joseph was nowhere to be found. Rashi (Bereshit Rabbah 84:19).
  
  Where was Reuven? Wasn't he the one who gave the idea to throw Joseph into the pit?! Why didn't he stay to make sure his suggestion was carried out? Why did he leave the scene? In Midrash Tanchuma, Vayeshev 13:9 (Gen. 37:22:) says: "If Reuven had known that the Holy One would write this verse about him (about his suggestion and his intention of coming back for Joseph later), he would have placed Joseph on his shoulders and brought him unto his father."
  
  One of the answers Rashi gives in (Bereshit Rabbah 84:19) is that Reuven was doing a teshuvah, a repentance for the incident that took place after the death of Rachel. What he did was move Jacob's bed from one tent to another. But hold on a second, that incident happened 10 years ago. Why was he doing the teshuvah now, after 10 years?
  
  When Rachel Imenu died, Reuven thought to himself, saying that the right place for the bed was in his mother's tent, Leah. Without consulting his father about whether he wants this done, he has moved the bed himself. What he did was challenge his father, Jacob's authority, by moving the bed on his own, based on his own thinking, calculations, and conclusions. As a result of this, the punishment which Reuven suffered was threefold -- he lost the birthright, the priesthood, and the kingship.
  
  And now 10 years later, Reuven looks at Joseph and his brothers, and asks himself – Why are the brothers treating Joseph this way? Okay, granted, he may have said lashon hora or slander, he may have behaved differently than you, but he is their small brother and may have been too young to make the right decisions; they should have given him the benefit of the doubt. And if Joseph is doing something wrong, let the brothers go and ask their father, Jacob, to get involved so he can tell them how they should behave in this situation. Maybe Jacob will admonish Joseph, or maybe he will let them know how to behave towards Joseph, so this issue should not escalate into something out of proportion, as they say: "nip it in the bud" under their father's supervision. Which would make things correct and no one would have gotten hurt and no ill feelings would have been around.
  
  But something else was happening: the brothers were following in Reuven's footsteps; he was witnessing the consequences of his own action—he saw how his brothers treated Joseph, thinking they could get away with it, which was a direct result of his own action. They are making the same mistake he made 10 years before. Reuven has subconsciously taught them to act on their own conclusions without consulting their father or any other authority.
  
  How about us?
  
  Do we jump to conclusions and act out on our fears and anxieties, without thinking of the consequences the other party may have? Do we feed someone non-kosher food and he ends up liking it, and maybe later gets a job in non-kosher place and marries a non Jew. Have we introduced someone to try something they should of not and they have liked it and their life is not the same anymore. Have we mistreated someone in a synagogue, at work or someone we may have known while wearing a kippah and looking very or somewhat religious, and that person left the religion with a bad feeling toward the religious people, what will happen to all the generations that will come from him after this?
  
  Think before you act, and, most importantly, consider the consequences.
  
  Every Yom Kippur, when we finish the Shmoneh Esreh of Shacharit and before starting the chazarah, in Sefardi sidurim, there's a song, which goes like this: "Hashem Shamati Shim'akha Yareti Hashem." 
  
  It finishes off the song with these lines: "Hashem, sifrey chaim umetim lefonecha niftachim..." -- "Hashem, the Book of Living and the Book of Dead are open before You?" (Habakkuk 3:2)
  
  I understand why Hashem would open the Book of Living, as it says in the in Masechet Rosh Hashanah 16b: "Rabbi Kruspedai said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Three books are opened on Rosh Hashanah before the Holy One, Blessed be He: One of wholly wicked people, and one of wholly righteous people, and one of middling people whose good and bad deeds are equally balanced. Wholly righteous people are immediately written and sealed for life; wholly wicked people are immediately written and sealed for death; and middling people are left with their judgment suspended from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur, their fate remaining undecided. If they merit, through the good deeds and mitzvot that they perform during this period, they are written for life; if they do not so merit, they are written for death."
  
  Besides writing the names of the new people in the Book of the Dead, Hashem judges those people who have already passed away a long time ago... why? Aren't the dead gone and everything forgotten?
  
  No matter how many years passed from whatever incident you might have had, be it money, slander, or something else. If the consequences of your actions, after many years, still affect the people involved (see the Book of Chofetz Chaim - a story with a pillow), even generations later, you still get punished, no matter where you are and what state you are in - dead or alive. It's just that, while you're alive, you still have the ability and the chance to repent and fix whatever situation you have caused.
  
  Understanding the magnitude of the situation and the consequences it had caused, Reuven was doing teshuvah ten years after the incident – feeling his direct involvement in the treatment of Joseph and in all that followed.
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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