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• Why did Yaakov Avinu switched hands while blessing Joseph's sons?

  Jan 15, 2018 Admin 0 Comments

  by Shmuel Katanov
  
  Every Friday night, we bless our children with the blessings of Menashe and Ephraim the sons of Joseph. We want our children to be, act and be blessed like those two boys. But while blessing, Yakov Avinu switched his hands and placed his right hand on the Ephraim – the second son, and the left hand on Menashe – the firstborn. The right way should be always right hand on the firstborn and left on the second son.
  
  It pained Joseph to see this. So Joseph pointed it out to Yakov Avinu saying that this is his oldest son pointing at Menashe. But Yakov Avinu said from him will come a great nation, but from the other a greater nation will come, but... there are was something that made Yakov Avinu to give importance to the second son. What was it?
  
  Let's look into this closely.
  
  When Yakov Avinu saw these two boys he was happy to see the achdut, friendship a brotherly love these two boys had even though they were raised amongst the gentiles, in Mitzraim - far from the influence of Jacob's household. He saw something that earlier generations lacked. Kain and Hevel had problems between themselves, where Kain ends up killing his brother. So with Yishmael and Yitzchak where Hashem intervenes and asks Avraham to listen to Sarah and he drives out Yishmael from his home. In case of Yakov and Eisav they had problems as well, Yakov had to run from home because he was afraid for his own life. Even amongst his own children there are was animosity towards Joseph. And now by placing his right hand on Ephraim - it is like ‘Déjà vu’ all over again. When Yakov gave a ketonet passim, a striped coat, to Joseph and singled him out from all his children, the end result was 22 years of separation with his son Joseph. And now by putting his right hand on Ephraim he is introducing exactly the same thing into the relationship of these two young boys.
  
  But Yakov Avinu saw it differently. The love that he saw they had towards each other was more then any others had before. And by placing his right hand on the second son, he knew that his oldest brother will not be jealous of his younger brother and only will be happy for him.
  
  But there are may be another reason.
  
  Gideon (see Judges) will come from the tribe of Menashe and Yehoshua bin Noun will come from tribe of Ephraim. Both are great men, but Yakov Avinu saw that the tests they will go through in life will be on different levels for each.
  
  The tests in life are the things that separate us all, and our reaction to them will determine whether we make the right choices or the wrong ones. While going through a test and under pressure we may hurt others and burn the bridges or build castles and discover powers within to overcome whatever thrown our way.
  
  When Moshe Rabeinu was approached by the tribes to send the spies to Eretz Yisrael, Yehoshua bin Noun was picked as one of the candidates to go and spy out the land. Knowing the intentions of the others Moshe Rabbeinu was afraid that this will influence Yehoshua bin Noun and he may take the wrong side and commit a gravely sin of slandering the land. So Moshe prayed for Yehoshua so he would not make that mistake and he even changed his name to increase the odds.
  
  When Yakov Avinu was giving the blessing to Joseph's sons, and seeing the consequences of that slander he felt that Yehoshua needs a blessing from his right hand, an extra push in the right direction, a zechut a merit from Yakov Avinu himself through Ephraim.
  
  The death of that whole generation, wars, pogroms and destruction of both Temples and all of the suffering that Am Yisrael has endured to date came because of that day, the slander, a false report that spies gave to the nation when they came back and nation’s reaction to it.
  
  Thus by blessing Ephraim with the right hand Yakov Avinu helped Yehoshua bin Noun to pass the test of the spies with flying colors. Yehoshua bin Noun came back, brought the right report, became the leader after passing of Moshe Rabeinu and took the Am Yisrael to the land of Israel.
  
  May the blessings of our fathers and our rabbis give us the right push in the right direction when the times come, so we all shall build and not destroy, make the right choices and pass our personal tests with flying colors. Amen.
  
  Shabbat Shalom!!

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• Тайна Половины Серебряной Монеты

  Feb 19, 2019 Admin 0 Comments

  В Главе Ки Тиса 30:12 говорится: "Когда будешь делать перепись сынов Израиля и пересчитывать их, то пусть при пересчете каждый даст выкуп Вс-вышнему за свою душу, чтобы не было среди них мора при пересчете."
  
  Итак, Вс-вышний передаёт Моше Рабейну повеление - чтобы все сыны Израиля принесли по половине серебряного шекеля этим искупая свою душу и избегая беды. Собрав всё серебро в одно единое целое, по общему весу вычислялось количество евреев находившихся с ними в пустыне.
  
  А почему не по целой монете вы спросите? Чтоб показать народу что мы зависим друг от друга и в рознь мы не народ. А также отвечает Раввин Элиягу Эссас, когда собирают по половине, то число всего народа скрыта от злого глаза и не подлежит сглазу. А когда по целой монете мы выставляем себя на показ и Суд свыше поднимает наши книги деяний, поэтому говорится “не будут поражены мором при подсчете”. Только два раза в году мы предстаём перед Высшим Судом по одиночке это на Рош Ашана и Ём Кипур где рассматриваются наши деяния по отдельности, а в другие времена мы должны всячески этого избегать.
  
  Поэтому у нас не принято считать людей на прямую, чтобы не призывать на них внимания свыше, считают обычно каким то косвенным способом - например: “пусть каждый проходящий подсчет даст половину шекеля”... В каждодневной жизни мы пересчитываем по шапкам или по количеству занимаемых стульев или говорят: “не один”, “не два”, “не три”... или произносят какие то отрывки из Торы состоящее из десяти слов.
  
  Как сказано в книге Пророка Шмуэль II 24:10-15, царь Давид провел “поголовную” перепись народа - без повеления Свыше. В результате чего началась эпидемия, во время которой погибло много людей.
  
  Теперь возникает вопрос - почему именно серебряные монеты а не золотые? Золото само по себе очень дорогой метал, к тому же цена на золото на рынке всё время растёт или падает. В Торе говорится что каждый, как сказано, должен был принести “не меньше и не больше”, и так как цена на золото всё время колеблется в отличие от серебра, поэтому золото отпадает.
  
  Но главное всё-таки здесь в другом. Любое упоминание в Торе имеет более глубокий смысл. Каждая вещь, каждый цвет и любой материал собою что-то символизирует.
  
  Золото в нашей традиции олицетворяет - суд. В то время когда был построен золотой телец, Моше Рабейну находился на Горе Синай при получении Торы, а люди построили золотого тельца - этим навлекая суд на народ. Шекель же из серебра и в нашей недельной главе упоминается не только для подсчета, но и для искупления человеческих проступков. Тем более что серебро для нас это символ милосердия и прощения, говорит Раввин Элиягу Эссас. Может быть это не случайность что во многих домах, стаканы для произнесения благословения над вином, канделябра для Субботних свечей и другие религиозные предметы сделаны из серебра?
  
  При получении Торы народ дошел до состояния где все раздоры и разногласия пропали и народ влился в одно единое целое - "Ба Лев Эхад, Ба Гуф Эхад" - приняли Тору "в Одном Сердце и в Одном Теле" - как один человек. При сооружении золотого тельца, были раздор и разногласия внутри народа и единство народа пропало.
  
  Сбор и сплав серебряных монет было вкладом всего народа в одно единое дело и в одну общую цель. И только когда народ осознает что единством, общими усилиями и общими целями может быть единое общество - только тогда есть этому обществу будущее, как народу - под солнцем на многие поколения.
  
  Из собранных половин шекелей были сделаны подножия столбов, на которых держалась вся конструкция шатра Мишкана - переносного Храма. И это стало символом единства и крепкого основания всего Еврейского народа на все поколения...
  
  Шмуэль Катанов
  
  

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• Strong When United...But Troubled When Divided

  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 is a good land.
  
  To me, it seems like there's some other meaning hiding behind this word. So, let's look at it closer.
  
  So, 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, that are being sent out in 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 has punished them, it says that Hashem banished them from Gan Eden, but it uses an interesting word for it, in Bereshit 3:23 it says: וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֵ֛הוּ  - And Hashem banished him or sent him out from Gan Eden... Sent him out? Why him? Aren't there two people that were sent out from the Garden of Eden - Adam and Chava, 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 Chava 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, it uses the word Lecha, which again affects many people who came out with Avraham Avinu - his wife Sarah, his nephew Lot, all the souls that they have made in Haran, along with their shepherds. 
  
  So, we have 3 places where a singular tense was used, that has affected the group - the many. And this teaches us, that Hashem wants a group to achieve unity, and while in their journey to stay as a group - and get from point A to point B as one single entity, with no one left behind. 
  
  But it doesn't happen so.
  
  Later, in the Parashat Lech Lecha 13:5-12 we are told a story of how their shepherds argued, and Avraham Avinu offered to Lot to go left while he goes right or go right while he goes 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. 
  
  Since at that point in time Avraham Avinu, Sarah Imenu, and Lot - were the Jewish nation, and Hashem wanted them to stick together and together get to Point B or 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 beracha, and Rivkah Imenu worried about the safety of Yaakov, tells him to leave for Charan since his brother Esav might kill him. Yakov leaves, and this is when the family breaks up - the unity is lost once again. 
  
  The Parashat Vayishlach tells us, that 22 years later Yaakov Avinu is coming back from the house of his father-in-law 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 should not see her. When the brothers meet up, Esav never sees Dina, and the brothers go their own ways. The Chachamim tell us that Yaakov Avinu has made a mistake by hiding Dina. Since Dina should have married Esav - since only she could of bring him back to Teshuva. And then Yaakov with his kids and four wives, and Esav with Dina would have come back 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 on, the whole family moves to Egypt to join Yosef due to the famine in the Land of Israel. 
  
  210 years later comes Moshe Rabbeinu in Parashat Shemot. He is sent by Hashem, who tells him to take His nation out. Three million people came out with Moshe Rabbeinu after all the punishments brought by G-d upon Egypt.
  
  And in Parashat Yitro, we finally got it - the nation stood as one body and one soul - we have achieved complete unity. The Jewish Nation received the Torah on Mount Sinai and officially was married to G-d.
  
  Then the nation traveled closer to the Land of Israel, and suddenly in Parashat Shelach, the people approached Moshe Rabbeinu. They wanted to scout out the land, but in actuality - they wanted to fix what Adam, Avraham Avinu, Yaakov Avinu, and the brothers could not - achieve unity. So, the twelve spies wanted to go to the Land of Israel and come back with one opinion on the strategy and goodness of the Land. But, as you know, for whatever reason they came back with two opinions - 10 people’s opinion versus 2 people’s opinion. 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 is standing on the banks of the Jordan River, tribes of Reuven, Gad, and part of the tribe of Menashe approached Moshe Rabbeinu 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 him to go out and help other tribes to conquer Eretz Yisrael.
  
  And this is where I believe a mistake was made.
  
  The word Lecha in the Shelach Lecha does not only mean 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 obligates him to make sure that all 12 tribes make it to the Land of Israel, no matter how appealing it may look outside of it. Since, if only they would have done so, Moshe Rabbeinu would of pass away, but Yehoshua Bin Nun would have taken the nation into the Land of Israel and would have become a Mashiach, and 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. But we are still hopeful and waiting for our own Lecha Moment - Mashiach, to unite us and ingather all 12 tribes together in Israel, and to kick off other prophecies, as it says in the Book of the Prophet Yeshayahu and in the books of other prophets.
  
  Since 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 Gan Eden - The Land of Israel, as one, united, 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 that 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, that he threw into the water and it became sweet. And.. the nation drank. 
  
  I believe there's something about this piece of wood. So, let's look at it closer.
  
  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 cover of the box, there are two golden figures of angels - Keruvim facing each other with their wings stretched 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 opening of the loops, which makes it impossible to insert the poles through the loops, so the Zohar says - that 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 10 Commandments that are inside the box - represent a Ketuba - a marriage contract. When man and woman get married - they get a Ketuba, and the 10 Commandments is 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 on top of the Aron HaKodesh also serve as witnesses. Every time Cohen HaGadol goes into 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 the way of life or not.
  
  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, but by uncovering themselves, or dressing immodestly they are displaying their wooden-like human body, since wood and the human body are physical products grown by Earth, which makes them look lowly in the eyes of G-d.
  
  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 if the wife removes her golden wrapping, abandons her position on Aron HaKodesh, and is suspected of having relations with someone else, other than her husband - Torah requires her to go through 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 a symbol of Loyalty 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 on in life - dedicates their life - their whole existence, to Kabbalat Ol Malchut Shamayim – Accepting the Kingship of Heaven, by following the laws of G-d, and leading a family based on Torah values. It is not the couple who carries the burden of The Kingship of Heaven, but it is The Kingship of Heaven just like 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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• Козёл Отпущения

  May 8, 2019 Admin 0 Comments

  Я прочитал эту идею у Рав Элиягу Эссас, и хотел бы с ней с Вами поделиться.
  
  В Главе Ахарей Мот 16:5 рассказывается как Коэн Гадоль берёт двух молодых и на вид одинаковых козлят, тянет жребий который определяет судьбу этих козлов - для жертвы в Храме а другого чтоб отнесли на гору Азазель в пустыню.
  
  Тот который для Храма, Коэн приносил в жертву, а другого несли в пустыню и сбрасывали с обрывистой скалы. Этим искупались грехи всего народа в тот день Йом Кипура. Отсюда и пошло название Козёл Отпущения.
  
  Но здесь возникает вопрос, почему именно берут козлов?
  
  На иврите козел переводится как саир. А общее название этой группы животных — эз (козы; отсюда и название Азазел, сложенное из двух слов: эз и азал – конец, смерть), что в максимальной степени выражает их главное свойство. Ведь слово эз переводится на русский язык как "наглость".
  
  Наглость сама по себе очень отрицательная черта, однако здесь не всё так просто, как кажется. Если бы Авраам Авину, главное качество которого - доброта (хэсед) и стремление помочь людям, не был эз, хватило бы ему "наглости" пойти против всего человечества, которое поклонялось идолам?
  
  К тому же эта черта очень помогла нашему народу - без способности противостоять общественному мнению еврейский народ давно бы ассимилировался.
  
  Однако правильно ли вообще называть такое качество "наглостью"?
  
  В языке иврит есть другое слово, которое тоже состоит из букв, айн и зайн. Разница лишь в том, что читается оно иначе - оз, что в переводе на русский означает — "сила". Это - сила, которая дает возможность противостоять злу.
  
  Но если евреи забывают свою клятву служить Вс-вышнему, эта сила превращается в наглость, что нередко становится причиной дурных поступков.
  
  Всё это частично объясняет, почему в Йом Кипур первосвященник брал для искупления проступков народа именно козлов.
  
  Также слово саир означает не только "козел", но и "косматый" – так называли Эйсава, близнеца Яакова, и его страну. Рожденные от праведных еврейских родителей, Ицхака и Ривки, воспитанные в одних условиях, братья пошли разными дорогами. Эйсав был прозван, в результате - Эдом (от слова адом – красный) — за то, что пренебрег традицией и хотел жить, исполняя все свои желания и проливая кровь. А Яков получил от посланника Всевышнего имя Исраэль - "прямой с Творцом".
  
  Все люди - смертны. Жизнь каждого из нас, казалось бы, заканчивается одинаково. Прожив энное количество лет мы все заканчиваем свой путь в одном и том же месте - под землёй. Но разница заключается вот в чём: кто-то посвящает себя служению Творцу, и ему выпадает жребий или скорее он этот жребий тянет осознанно - чтоб подняться навстречу Ему, в Будущий Мир. Другим, то есть тем, кто стремиться к иллюзорной, житейской свободе, суждено огромный подъём и  одиночество пустыни. И в конце они катятся вниз со скалистой горы, называемой Азазелем, как падает осужденный за тяжкие преступления на самую страшную казнь - скилу.
  
  Господа, какой конец Вы выберете себе?
  
  Шмуэль Катанов
  
  

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