Latest Essays

• The Red Heifer? - 1, Why?

  Feb 22, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  We all have heard of the Red Heifer; the commandment has no explanation, but with your permission, I would like to try to explain it. So, without further ado, let's get started.
  
  There are different types of cows in the world, but the Torah commands us to take the rare cow —the red heifer —for a ceremony. 
  
  In Parashat Chukat 19:2-9 it says:
  
  זֹ֚את חֻקַּ֣ת הַתּוֹרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר דַּבֵּ֣ר ׀ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְיִקְח֣וּ אֵלֶ֩יךָ֩ פָרָ֨ה אֲדֻמָּ֜ה תְּמִימָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֵֽין־בָּהּ֙ מ֔וּם אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־עָלָ֥ה עָלֶ֖יהָ עֹֽל׃ 
  This is the law of the Torah which the Lord has commanded, saying, Speak to the children of Yisrael, that they bring thee a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and upon which never came a yoke: 
  
  וּנְתַתֶּ֣ם אֹתָ֔הּ אֶל־אֶלְעָזָ֖ר הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וְהוֹצִ֤יא אֹתָהּ֙ אֶל־מִח֣וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה וְשָׁחַ֥ט אֹתָ֖הּ לְפָנָֽיו׃ 
  and you shall give her to Elazar the priest, that he may bring her outside the camp, and she shall be slaughtered before his face: 
  
  וְשָׂרַ֥ף אֶת־הַפָּרָ֖ה לְעֵינָ֑יו אֶת־עֹרָ֤הּ וְאֶת־בְּשָׂרָהּ֙ וְאֶת־דָּמָ֔הּ עַל־פִּרְשָׁ֖הּ יִשְׂרֹֽף׃ 
  and the heifer shall be burnt in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall be burnt: וְלָקַ֣ח הַכֹּהֵ֗ן עֵ֥ץ אֶ֛רֶז וְאֵז֖וֹב וּשְׁנִ֣י תוֹלָ֑עַת וְהִשְׁלִ֕יךְ אֶל־תּ֖וֹךְ שְׂרֵפַ֥ת הַפָּרָֽה׃ 
  and the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer. 
  
  וְאָסַ֣ף ׀ אִ֣ישׁ טָה֗וֹר אֵ֚ת אֵ֣פֶר הַפָּרָ֔ה וְהִנִּ֛יחַ מִח֥וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֖ה בְּמָק֣וֹם טָה֑וֹר וְ֠הָיְתָ֠ה לַעֲדַ֨ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֧ל לְמִשְׁמֶ֛רֶת לְמֵ֥י נִדָּ֖ה חַטָּ֥את הִֽוא׃ 
  And a ritually clean man shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them outside the camp in a clean place. It shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Yisrael for the water of sprinkling: it is a purification offering. 
  
  This reminds me of something in Parashat Toldot. It says there in the Toldot 25:30 - "Esau said to Jacob: Feed me now from that red, red [haadom haadom] dish, as I am tired. Therefore, his name is called Edom". -  These two events in the Torah are connected via the red heifer and the soup that Eisav bought -- red or rare heifer VS הָאָדֹ֤ם הָאָדֹם֙ הַזֶּ֔ה - this red red dish. Hashem wants us to pay attention to Eisav when he asks for that dish.
  
  What is Hashem trying to tell us? 
  
  Hashem is trying to tell us that He is concerned about Eisav, but not the ancient Eisav—the brother of Yaakov Avinu —who has abandoned the path and faith of his father, Yitzchak, and his grandfather, Avraham. The one who ran after the wealth and luxury of this world while ignoring the spiritual side, thus being forever lost to Torah and Judaism, not only himself but billions of his descendants over the centuries till today. 
  
  Hashem is concerned about the other Eisav, the one you and I may know—the everyday Eisav'im. The ones we see on the street, and maybe the one that stares back at you in the mirror. Some are lost to the Torah and mitzvot because they either don't know it or, if they do, choose to ignore it. These are the Eisav'im of today - Hashem does not want to lose. He cares about them, and He wants them back.
  
  And how will He get them back? This is where the Red Heifer comes in.
  
  In the Haftorah for the Parashat Parah, after the red heifer is made to ashes, in Ezekiel 36:25-37, it says the following:
  
  וְזָרַקְתִּ֧י עֲלֵיכֶ֛ם מַ֥יִם טְהוֹרִ֖ים וּטְהַרְתֶּ֑ם מִכֹּ֧ל טֻמְאוֹתֵיכֶ֛ם וּמִכׇּל־גִּלּ֥וּלֵיכֶ֖ם אֲטַהֵ֥ר אֶתְכֶֽם׃ 
  I will sprinkle pure water upon you, and you shall be purified: I will purify you from all your defilement and all your fetishes. 
  
  וְנָתַתִּ֤י לָכֶם֙ לֵ֣ב חָדָ֔שׁ וְר֥וּחַ חֲדָשָׁ֖ה אֶתֵּ֣ן בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֑ם וַהֲסִ֨רֹתִ֜י אֶת־לֵ֤ב הָאֶ֙בֶן֙ מִבְּשַׂרְכֶ֔ם וְנָתַתִּ֥י לָכֶ֖ם לֵ֥ב בָּשָֽׂר׃ 
  And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit into you: I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh; 
  
  וְאֶת־רוּחִ֖י אֶתֵּ֣ן בְּקִרְבְּכֶ֑ם וְעָשִׂ֗יתִי אֵ֤ת אֲשֶׁר־בְּחֻקַּי֙ תֵּלֵ֔כוּ וּמִשְׁפָּטַ֥י תִּשְׁמְר֖וּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶֽם׃ 
  And I will put My spirit into you. Thus I will cause you to follow My laws and faithfully observe My rules. 
  
  וּזְכַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־דַּרְכֵיכֶ֣ם הָרָעִ֔ים וּמַעַלְלֵיכֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־טוֹבִ֑ים וּנְקֹֽטֹתֶם֙ בִּפְנֵיכֶ֔ם עַ֚ל עֲוֺנֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם וְעַ֖ל תּוֹעֲבוֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ 
  Then you will remember your evil ways and your doings that were not good, and you shall hate yourselves in your sight because of your sins and your disgusting practices.
  
  לֹ֧א לְמַעַנְכֶ֣ם אֲנִֽי־עֹשֶׂ֗ה נְאֻם֙ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִ֔ה יִוָּדַ֖ע לָכֶ֑ם בּ֧וֹשׁוּ וְהִכָּֽלְמ֛וּ מִדַּרְכֵיכֶ֖ם בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃         
  Not for your sake will I act — declares the Sovereign G-d — let it be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated because of your ways, O House of Israel! 
  
  When they sprinkle the waters of the Red Heifer on the people, it will purify them, and it will also change the heart of stone we currently have to the heart of flesh, and this is when we will finally understand and regret the times we went against G-d and His laws. 
  
  And this is Hashem's plan to help the Eisav'im of Today - all of us, to come back home - to truly repent and become holy, and to "re-join" the Jewish nation with a heart full of gratitude and dedication to Hashem and His laws.
  
  May it speedily happen in our days, Amen!
  
  Click here for Part 2 to go even deeper and to understand the secrets of the Red Heifer.
  
  Shmuel Katanov
  
  

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• The Reason Behind The “Borrowed” Treasures

  Jan 14, 2024 Admin 0 Comments

  Isn't it strange that Hashem is telling Moshe Rabbeinu to ask the nation to go and ask for gifts of silver and gold from the Egyptians?
  
  Parashat Bo, 11:2 it says: "דַּבֶּר־נָ֖א בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וְיִשְׁאֲל֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ מֵאֵ֣ת רֵעֵ֗הוּ וְאִשָּׁה֙ מֵאֵ֣ת רְעוּתָ֔הּ כְּלֵי־כֶ֖סֶף וּכְלֵ֥י זָהָֽב׃ - Tell the people to borrow, each man from his friend, and each woman from hers, objects of silver and gold."
  
  The Chachamim say that Hashem made a promise to Avraham Avinu, and He wants to keep His word. So, when the Jews ask the Egyptians, they will gladly give. 
  
  But there's much more hidden under such a request. So, please allow me to uncover what may be the reason for such an odd request.
  
  In Parashat Lech Lecha, when Lot was taken captive, Avraham Avinu assembled a small army and went to free him. After the battle of four against the five kings, Avraham Avinu was on the side of the winners. The victorious king made somewhat an interesting request, in Lech Lecha 14:21: "וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מֶֽלֶךְ־סְדֹ֖ם אֶל־אַבְרָ֑ם תֶּן־לִ֣י הַנֶּ֔פֶשׁ וְהָרְכֻ֖שׁ קַֽח־לָֽךְ׃ - Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, and take the possessions for yourself."
  
  To which Avraham Avinu answered in 14:23: " אִם־מִחוּט֙ וְעַ֣ד שְׂרֽוֹךְ־נַ֔עַל וְאִם־אֶקַּ֖ח מִכׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־לָ֑ךְ וְלֹ֣א תֹאמַ֔ר אֲנִ֖י הֶעֱשַׁ֥רְתִּי אֶת־אַבְרָֽם׃ - I will not take so much as a thread or a sandal strap of what is yours; you shall not say, ‘It is I who made Abram rich." It seems like Avraham Avinu wants to attribute his success and wealth to only one source—Hashem —but here, I believe—if I may say so—an error was made.
  
  In Parashat Vayeira, when the angels visited Avraham Avinu after he had made the Brit, one of the angels said that he had come to execute a judgment against the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. When they finished speaking with Avraham, they left and continued with their task.
  
  In 18:23-33 it says: "וַיִּגַּ֥שׁ אַבְרָהָ֖ם וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הַאַ֣ף תִּסְפֶּ֔ה צַדִּ֖יק עִם־רָשָֽׁע׃ - Abraham came forward and said, “Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty?   אוּלַ֥י יֵ֛שׁ חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים צַדִּיקִ֖ם בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֑יר הַאַ֤ף תִּסְפֶּה֙ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א לַמָּק֔וֹם לְמַ֛עַן חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים הַצַּדִּיקִ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּקִרְבָּֽהּ׃ - What if there should be fifty innocent people within the city; will You then wipe out the place and not forgive it for the sake of the innocent fifty who are in it?" And so Avraham went down in numbers each time, lowering it to 10. Hashem said that He would not destroy if He found ten righteous individuals in that city, and for their sake, he would not destroy other people. On this note, they parted.
  
  This story is about Sodom and Gomorrah, but we can view this incident from a different angle. 
  
  Let's imagine for a second that it may not be Sodom and Gomorrah, but rather about the generation coming out of Egypt. Avraham Avinu is a prophet, and he has realized that he made a mistake. When the King of Sodom offered him people or the gold and silver, Avraham declined. But now he has realized that this was a huge mistake. 
  
  In Parashat Lech Lecha 15:13-14 it says: "וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאַבְרָ֗ם יָדֹ֨עַ תֵּדַ֜ע כִּי־גֵ֣ר ׀ יִהְיֶ֣ה זַרְעֲךָ֗ בְּאֶ֙רֶץ֙ לֹ֣א לָהֶ֔ם וַעֲבָד֖וּם וְעִנּ֣וּ אֹתָ֑ם אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃  - And [God] said to Abram, “Know well that your offspring shall be strangers in a land not theirs, and they shall be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years; וְגַ֧ם אֶת־הַגּ֛וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲבֹ֖דוּ דָּ֣ן אָנֹ֑כִי וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֥ן יֵצְא֖וּ בִּרְכֻ֥שׁ גָּדֽוֹל׃ - but I will execute judgment on the nation they shall serve, and in the end they shall go free with great wealth." 
  
  And because Avraham Avinu had declined and did not take the wealth - gold and silver offered by the King of Sodom, which he had earned by fighting in a war, where one goes through pain, blood, and death, and by the rules of war, the treasures taken from the enemy are called loot and are shared amongst the winners. Declining to take the loot led Avraham Avinu's descendants to go down to the unknown land into slavery, to experience pain, blood, and death, and then be freed by Hashem, and only then bring out that great promised wealth. 
  
  Remember the discussion Avraham Avinu had with Hashem, where Hashem agreed to save the city if He found 10 worthy individuals? So, since Avraham Avinu's descendants had to go into exile in the Parashat Shelach, the fate of the men aged 20-60 in that generation was decreed to be burial in the desert. Since in this generation, Hashem didn't find the required 10 people to save the "city," 12 spies went to Eretz Yisrael, and 10 spoke against the Land. Since 2 out of the agreed ten were worthy of staying alive, which were Yehoshua bin Nun and Caleb ben Yefuneh, the rest of the men, ages 20-60, have died in the desert - remember the story of the spies?!
  
  So, at this point, you may ask why such a harsh punishment for not taking gold and silver when the King of Sodom offered them, because Avraham Avinu was raised by a father who was a craftsman who made idols from clay, wood, gold, and silver. Avraham Avinu should have foreseen the consequences and taken the treasures when they were offered to him. Only he was able to raise them to the levels of holiness to serve Hashem, but since he declined them, those treasures were made into idols. They were used to mislead the masses, which eventually led to the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. 
  
  That is why Moshe Rabbeinu asked people to get silver and gold from the Egyptians and to bring the treasures out of Mitzrayim. In the desert, he has raised those treasures to the highest levels of holiness by making them into Holy items, such as the Mizbeach, Mishkan, Menorah, and other Holy vessels, to serve Hashem. And those objects were built from gold, silver, and other materials for which the nation of Israel has paid with their pain, blood, and death. 
  
  Just like the Gemara in Masechet Berachot 5A says, three things are acquired through hardship: The Next World, Torah, and Eretz Yisrael. So are the artifacts of such enormous proportions of holiness that can't be acquired merely by money. They require national effort, sacrifice, and suffering, and only then will Hashem's presence be among the nation - when all are molded as if one vessel and are together working toward one goal - to serve Hashem in holiness.
  
  
  PS: The above is the story of how Moshe Rabbeinu elevated the treasures they brought out of Egypt to the level of holiness. However, others have made the same attempts throughout history.
  
  In Parashat Ki Tisa, people approached Aharon HaCohen. They asked him to serve as an intermediary between Hashem and the people because Moshe Rabbeinu had delayed his return from the mountain. Aharon HaCohen asked them to bring him the golden earrings from their wives, thus trying to delay the time. Still, men gave theirs - exactly those that they had gotten from the Egyptians, the ones they paid for with pain, suffering, and death - thus contributing to the sin of the golden idol and cheapening the national efforts of years of slavery and national sacrifice. This action alone has brought us a lot of trouble, for which we still atone to this day.
  
  Come, King Solomon, and try to elevate the gold in the service of Hashem. We are told in the Book of Melachim 1 that King Solomon has covered most of the Bet Hamikdash with gold, along with most of its vessels. There's an opinion that about 1,086 talents, or about 34 tons of gold, were brought to Jerusalem from Ophir by King Solomon's workers. This amount of gold is estimated to have been about half of the world’s known gold supply at that time. The First Temple was the most beautiful building in the world in its time - as the House of G-d should be. But there was another problem. King Solomon had around 1000 wives, and for each of them, he built a palace that also required gold to make them feel "royally accepted" in society. So, each of the wives' palaces was also looking golden and sparkly. But later in life, his wives began to worship their idols in each of their palaces, so the vast amount of gold of King Solomon wasn't elevated in holiness and did not achieve its intended purpose.
  
  The Second Bet Hamikdash had plenty of issues, so let's not discuss them right now. 
  
  So, where do we go from here? 
  
  We got another shot at it, and it is a Third Bet Hamikdash. When the time comes, we will build the Third Temple under Mashiach's supervision. And this time, we will also use gold—lots of it. The Third Bet Hamikdash - The House of G-d will attract people from all over the world, according to Sefer Yeshayahu. it will be a magnificent structure and, most importantly, holy according to the Jewish Law. But why, you may ask? The beauty of that scale and aggrandizement should be used to serve and elevate the Honor and Name of G-d. Because, if anyone deserves the praise and fanfare, that would be not us - the mere mortals, it is only Him alone - Hashem, G-d Almighty.
  
  But what do we do with the gold? Since Avraham Avinu hasn't taken a booty, and others were not able to atone it, who will take this gold?
  
  This time Hashem will give this to Mashiach, as it says in the Book of Yeshayahu 53:12, "Therefore I shall give him a portion with many and he shall split a booty with mighty ones. For he exposed himself to death and let himself be counted among the transgressors, whereas he bore the sins of many and prayed for the transgressors."
  
  And only then, the gold will be atoned, and will be properly used to elevate the Honor of G-d.
  
  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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• 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 Bitter Waters of the Sotah

  Jun 5, 2023 Admin 0 Comments

  In Parashat Nasso 5:11-31, Hashem tells about a woman who is suspected of adultery by her husband. I assume you know the details... So the husband takes her to the Bet Hamikdash, to Cohen for the test. A Cohen gives her a drink of bitter waters; if she is guilty, she dies there, but if she is not, she is blessed with a child.
  
  We have another incident of the bitter waters in a different parsha. In Parashat Beshalach 15:23-25, right after the Am Yisrael goes through the Yam Suf, the nation becomes thirsty, but couldn't drink the waters of the Marah, since they were bitter. So, they asked Moshe, who in turn asked Hashem. And Hashem showed him a piece of wood, which he threw into the water, and it became sweet. And.. the nation drank. 
  
  There's something about this piece of wood. So, let's look at it closely.
  
  Have you ever wondered why Aron HaKodesh looks this way? - click here
  
  In Parashat Terumah, we are told about the details of the Aron HaKodesh. A wooden box covered with gold from the inside out. On the box cover, there are two golden figures of angels—Keruvim—facing each other, their wings spread forward. Inside the box are two sets of Luchot - the 10 Commandments. And on the side of the box, two golden loops on each side, through which wooden poles covered with gold were inserted. The ends of each pole are wider than the openings of the loops, so the poles cannot be inserted through the loops. The Zohar says a miracle occurs, and the poles pass through the loops miraculously. 
  
  It is a very holy and mystical structure, where every part of it represents something.
  
  The tablets with the 10 Commandments that are inside the box represent a Ketuba, a marriage contract. When a man and a woman get married, they receive a Ketuba; the 10 Commandments are a Ketuba between the nation of Israel and Hashem, since on Shavuot, when we receive the Torah, Hashem marries the nation of Israel. 
  
  Each wedding ceremony or chupa has 2 witnesses, and the two Keruvim—the golden angels atop the Aron HaKodesh — also serve as witnesses. Every time Cohen HaGadol enters Kadosh Kedoshim on Yom Kippur, based on certain signs of the Keruvim, he determines whether Hashem is happy with the way the nation is leading its way of life.
  
  The wooden poles are covered in gold on the sides of the Aron HaKodesh, which represent man and woman, or to be exact, a husband and wife. Why are the poles covered in gold, you ask? Simple...what is Tzeniut or Modesty? When a couple follows the laws of modesty in front of Hashem, they are covered in gold. Still, by uncovering themselves or dressing immodestly, they are displaying their wooden-like bodies, since wood and the human body are physical products of Earth, which makes them appear lowly in G-d's eyes.
  
  So, there you have it - two wooden poles, covered in gold, miraculously inserted into the rings, as the Zohar says. The Torah adds: And the poles shall never be removed... But suppose the wife removes her golden wrapping, abandons her position on Aron HaKodesh, and is suspected of having relations with someone other than her husband. In that case, Torah requires her to undergo a test of bitter waters. If she is guilty, she dies; if she is not guilty, she is blessed with a child, and Hashem wraps her back in gold and restores her to her former position.
  
  And this makes Aron HaKodesh a symbol of Loyalty between Husband and Wife and between the Nation of Israel and Hashem. 
  
  The Midrash says Leviyim carried the Aron HaKodesh by holding the poles from each side. It adds that it is not the Leviyim who carried the Aron HaKodesh, but it is the Aron HaKodesh that carried the Leviyim in the desert. 
  
  So it is, with the husband and the wife. When the couple gets married or later in life, they dedicate their lives, their whole existence, to Kabbalat Ole Malchut Shamayim – Accepting the Kingship of Heaven - by following G-d's laws and leading a family based on Torah values. It is not the couple who carries the burden of the Kingship of Heaven, but the Kingship of Heaven itself, just as Aron HaKodesh, that carries the couple through their journey of life, by overflowing them with holiness, abundance, and constant miracles.
  
  Shmuel Katanov

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