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The Maimed Sacrifice

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:21:23 -0400

I believe there's something left uncovered in the story of Bar Kamtza. With your permission, let's look into it again.

Just as it goes with anything I write, this is my opinion, or how I understand passages in the Torah.

This story is almost in every speech on Tisha B'Av. But for some reason, everyone portrays Bar Kamtza as a guilty party. In no way do I downplay what he has done and the evil it has brought onto the nation. But I believe there's another guilty party in this story that has walked away as innocent to date.

In Tractate Gittin 55B-56A, a story is told of a slave who is asked to invite a guy named Kamtza to a party, but the worker mistakenly calls Bar Kamtza, his owner's enemy, instead.

While going around the tables, the host notices his enemy sitting with other guests and enjoying himself. Infuriated, he comes over and asks him, what is he doing here? Bar Kamtza told him that his slave invited him, so that is why he is here. The host said, "It must be a mistake, since he asked him to call Kamtza, and not his enemy, Bar Kamtza."

The host asked him to leave. To avoid being humiliated in front of everyone, Bar Kamtza offered to pay for his meal, half the party, and even the entire banquet. The host refuses, grabs him by his hand, stands him up, and pushes him out of the party.

While there, Bar Kamtza notices many rabbis at the table. And none of them have interfered on his behalf. A thought crept into his mind that the host's behavior was acceptable to them, as if they supported the host.

He decides to get back at the rabbis by going to Caesar and inciting him against Jerusalem. Per his suggestion, Caesar sends them a fine calf as a sacrifice, but on the way to the Bet Hamikdash, Bar Kamtza causes a blemish to it by making a small cut on its lip, which disqualifies the animal as a kosher sacrifice in the Temple.

Now the rabbis are faced with a dilemma. They can't bring the animal as a sacrifice since it is not kosher, and they can not send the animal back, since it is something that Caesar sent as an offer.

So, they decided to bring it anyway. But Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulas said, "But people will say that a blemished animal may be offered on the Altar."

So they decided to kill Bar Kamtza, but Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulas said, "But people will say, those who blemish consecrated animal will be put to death."

At the end, they did nothing.

Says Rabbi Yochanan: "The tolerance displayed by Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulas towards Bar Kamtza has destroyed our Temple, burned down our Sanctuary, and exiled us from the land."

And this is where I would like to draw your attention to.

Why would Hashem destroy the Temple, kill millions, and drive away millions into slavery, and cause over 2,000 years of exile till today, because of the decision of one rabbi?

Because the rabbis at the party were not new to this issue of Bar Kamtza. Every argument has a pre-story, plenty of hearsay, slander, and defamation, to the point where people take sides and work tirelessly, blindly following their "leader".

The host of the party knew this game, and he took advantage of it to its fullest. He had "slaves" working for him in every layer of society, from top to bottom. People were talking about Bar Kamtza to the point that he felt like an outsider in the community, and he did not feel guilty for punishing the whole city for what was done to him. And the worst thing about this was that all the rabbis knew all the fresh and latest dirt about Bar Kamtza.

And this is what Hashem did not like about this whole thing: that Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulas was concerned about what people might say about the blemished animal, or about the people who bring the blemished animal, it is as if Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulas suddenly became too religious or makhmir, way to strict about this one law of bringing a maimed korban, while ignoring all other laws.

As if Hashem was saying to Rabbi Zechariah ben Avkulas: for years, the issue with Bar Kamtza was a known fact, and everyone was talking about it; the laws of evil speech, defamation, and plenty of other laws that support this type of behavior were broken daily by many people. All the rabbis were okay with this behavior of the community for years, and suddenly, this One Halacha - this law of the maimed korban, a sacrifice which may lead to peace between the king and the nation, suddenly, you are too makhmir or strict about it?? Two-faced behavior, most likely of the many, led Hashem to destroy the Temple.

And no rabbi of that time was able to overrule Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkulas’ decision, since he was most likely the highest-ranking rabbi above all the others. This decision of the former Chief Rabbi affected the nation back then, and we are still in exile today because of it.

But let's jump to Tractate Chagigah 14B, which I have been talking about incessantly. The above just proves my point in another essay I have written about four people who went to Pardes. People learn it as just another story, but it is not - just another story. The story of Pardes or the issues I have raised here, just proves that Ben Zoma and Rabbi Elisha ben Avuya, who was later called Acher, have dealt with the same set of rabbis as Bar Kamtza.

The Gemara has recorded the stories of Acher and Ben Zoma, and later of Bar Kamtza, as MAJOR FAILURES of that past generation, mostly of the rabbis who were ruling the nation at that time.

The failure of that past generation was never fixed, and every generation since then has failed to make things right. How about this one? Are we on our way to fail, too?!

According to the Talmud (Yoma 54b), when the Babylonians entered the Holy of Holies to destroy the Temple, they found the Keruvim or Cherubs on the Ark in a close embrace. There's an explanation that this scene represented G-d's enduring and intimate love for the Jewish people, even during the exile and destruction. But in my opinion, it can also represent G-d's frustration at seeing the injustice and incompetence of the few on top in executing justice, enforcing laws, reinstating the rejected ones into society, and ensuring that this won't happen again - therefore the destruction…with the hope to start all over again at some future date.

Shmuel Katanov

The Failed Mission

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 23:33:28 -0500

In every essay I have written so far, I have presented a question and answered it, but in this one, I would like to have a different approach. Here I would like to present a bunch of questions on a topic that has been bothering me for a few years now. On the outside, it looks simple, but once you start delving in, you notice a whole different picture. So, with your permission, let's begin.

Just to mention, the following is my opinion, or just some thoughts and questions out loud.

In Masechet Chagigah 14b of the Talmud Bavli, there's a story about four people who went to Pardes: Ben Azzai and Ben Zoma, Acher, and Rabbi Akiva. Four great scholars embarked on a mystical journey. Ben Azzai died, Ben Zoma lost his mind, and Acher lost his faith or went off the derech. Only one, Rabbi Akiva, returned unscathed.

As a sidenote, Rabbi Elisha ben Avuya or Acher was a wealthy Jerusalemite, one of the great sages of the Mishnah, as they were called Tannayim. Tannayim were the caliber that could raise the dead. He is quoted by name in a Mishnah in Tractate Avot, and his ruling regarding mourning rites is cited in Tractate Megillah. He was a colleague of Rabbi Akiva and the teacher of Rabbi Meir, one of the greatest and most prolific contributors to the Mishnah. Above is his biography, so we know who we are dealing with.

My personal rule is: No Tannah EVER Goes OFF The Derech. So, in that case, what happened? Why is it documented in the Gemara that he did go off the derech?

I think the correct question that should be asked about what happened in the Pardes?

So he chopped the trees and saw Angel Methatron sitting. And this is what made him go off the derech? But why?

I do believe there's much more to this.

The Nation at that time was divided into two camps: those who had visited the Pardes and those who hadn't.

And I believe that the current problems we have in the nation are because those who were not in Pardes won, since they crushed those who had been there. And I am not talking about one or two people, but the Rabbanut and the community as a whole went against Rabbi Elisha ben Avuya and Ben Zoma. (Looks like the community loves to crush people and go as a group against the few, but more on this later.)

The ascent to Pardes was a failed mission; they had a reason to go there, and thus far, what we know about it is only hinted at and not discussed openly in the Gemara. But there's a reason why they went there.

And the reason IS...

First, what is Pardes? You can read about it here. The fruits they ate from the tree made them know Torah. So, all three knew Torah, not only Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva was a seasoned rabbi, and he was the only one teaching Torah. What happened to the other two?

Well, Ben Zoma was called crazy. Why? I believe he was a young fellow with no credentials as a Rabbi, and since he knew Torah because he came from Pardes, the rabbis of the old told him, "You think you're going to teach us Torah? We are double and triple your age, and we been at it longer than you, and you want us to listen to you? You must be crazy! Oh yes, you are!" And that's what they labeled him.

In his conversation on Chagigah 15A says: "There was once an incident with regard to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya, who was standing on a step on the Temple Mount, and ben Zoma saw him and did not stand before him to honor him, as he was deep in thought. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: From where do you come and where are you going, ben Zoma, i.e., what is on your mind? He said to him: In my thoughts I was looking upon the act of Creation, at the gap between the upper waters and the lower waters, as there is only the breadth of a mere three fingers between them, as it is stated: "And the spirit of G-d hovered over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2), like a dove hovering over its young without touching them. Rabbi Yehoshua said to his students who had overheard this exchange: Ben Zoma is still outside; he has not yet achieved full understanding of these matters."

But if you dwell on his answer a bit more, you will see a depth in his answer. What are the lower and upper waters? The breadth of a mere three fingers between the waters; what does he mean by that? He has given a very deep answer. I believe Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya did not understand him, since they did not learn Torah from a young, crazy, and no-credentials fellow.

Again, just so you know who Ben Zoma is: a Tannah, who is cited in multiple places in the Talmud and the Midrash for Midrashic interpretation, for laws relating to blessings, for discussions about lineage and marriage laws, and in the Passover Haggadah. Although not formally ordained (hence called "Ben" rather than "Rabbi"), he was regarded as extraordinarily brilliant. The Talmud preserves statements showing that leading sages considered him exceptionally sharp in argumentation.

Rabbi Akiva came intact - came back alive and seemed as if nothing happened.

I heard in one of the lectures that there's an opinion that 24,000 students' deaths happened because of his support for Bar Kochba, since they joined his army. And second, he publicly supported Bar Kochba and proclaimed him Mashiach, which turned out to be false, and there were plenty of consequences that followed.

How come no one holds him liable for that? Oh wait, someone does - Hashem. Rabbi Akiva is counted as one of the martyrs and dies a horrible death. Can it be because of the above??

- Why did Rabbi Akiva support Bar Kochba?
- Why was Rabbi Akiva smiling when he saw a fox on the Temple Mount, emerging from the place of the Holy of Holies? (Read the whole story)
- How come Acher and Ben Zoma were not part of the 10 martyrs, since they all lived in that generation, but only Rabbi Akiva was one of the ten?

Let's talk a little about Rabbi Elisha ben Avuya or Acher, as he is currently called.

- My first question would be, what made Rabbanut turn away from him?
- Why did he turn away from them?
- Why did he leave the community?
- Why did he stop going to synagogue or Bet Midrash?
- Why were the kids reciting to him the passages that sounded bad - or insisted that he was a rasha?
- Why did he ride a horse on Shabbat (a public violation)?
- Why did he carry items beyond the permitted boundary (techum Shabbat)?
- Why did he hire a zona? That's a big one.
- But another BIG question is, what made him a rasha?
- What was it about him that, after his arrival from Pardes, made him different?
- Why did everyone think that the Torah of Acher was maimed and bad? He ate the fruit in Pardes; his Torah was awesome and ahead of its time.

He was a rejected sage, and I really would like to add him to the following list of The Rejected Trio.

So many questions, and more could be added to this list, but so much of this story can be explained only if it is learned through the passage from Tanach and Torah together, since the keys are hidden there. Once they are applied, then a whole new picture is painted.

Are there consequences for the community for mistreating Rabbi Elisha Ben Avuyah? I believe there, and we are paying for it to this day. Rabbi Elisha Ben Avuyah is a Mighty of Israel, and for mistreating the Tannah HaKadosh, Hashem has taken the insults personally and has punished the nation to this day, to this year of 2026. From just reading the Gemara, it seems all cut and dry, with no questions, but once we start delving in a new way, all the questions above will be answered, and many places in the Torah become clear and understandable.

- Who atoned for Rabbi Elisha Ben Avuyah? There's someone who has made atonement for him.
- Did he succeed?
- How far did he go in the atonement process?
- What is his name, and when did he live?
- What steps has he taken to accomplish that?

Since Ben Zoma didn't make a sin, how did Hashem atone the nation for mislabeling and mistreating Ben Zoma? Ben Zoma died young, and believe me, he was another rejected one from society.

Society should get its act together. Nothing in this world goes away unpunished. Eventually, we answer for everything.

And finally, is there a connection between Rabbi Elisha Ben Avuyah and Adam HaRishon, Chavah, Moshe Rabbenu, and our times? Yes, I think there's one.

And the reason why they went to Pardes IS...

I will reveal the answers to the Honored Rabbis at my humble shulchan aruch - at a set table of insights, where I would like to serve those answers to the above posed questions and some more...

Shmuel Katanov aka Acher

The Power of The Constant Drip

Thu, 22 May 2025 16:37:43 -0400

I am sure you have all heard the story of Rabbi Akiva. I want to touch on just a small part of it.

After Akiva gained basic knowledge of the Torah, he and his wife agreed that he would go to the academy of the great scholars of the day, headed by Rabbi Eliezer, to devote 12 years to intensive study. Thus, the two parted, and for 12 long years, Rachel worked hard to support herself, while her husband grew to become one of the most learned men that ever lived. At the end of 12 years, Rabbi Akiva returned to his wife, as he had promised. When he came to his house, and before he opened the door, he heard a conversation between his wife and a neighbor taunting Rachel for being foolish enough to wait and slave for her husband, who had left her to study Torah.

"As for me, he could stay away another 12 years at the Yeshivah to acquire more knowledge," was Rachel's reply.

When Rabbi Akiva heard this from his wife, he turned around and did as Rachel wanted - he went back to Yeshivah.

At the end of 24 years, Rabbi Akiva became the most famous living scholar. Youth came from all over Israel to study under his guidance. Rabbi Akiva was the rabbi of 24,000 scholars.

Accompanied by them, Rabbi Akiva returned home in a triumphant journey from city to city, welcomed everywhere by the highest nobility.

My question would be, how come Rabbi Akiva didn't even come to the house or say hello to his wife?

Below, as always, is just my opinion.

I believe that just like the young Yosef was atoning for Kayin, Rabbi Akiva has taken it upon himself to atone for Yaakov Avinu.

Why would Yaakov Avinu need an atonement for, you may ask?

Parashat Vayetzeh 29:18-30 says Yaakov came to Lavan and agreed to work for Rachel for seven years. Seven years had passed, and on the night of the wedding, Lavan switched the sisters, and Yaakov married Leah. Indignant but determined to marry Rachel, Yaakov agrees to work for another seven years. So at the end of 20 years, Yaakov leaves Lavan's house with four wives, 12 children, and lots of livestock. Yaakov Avinu has become rich.

But during this time, he concentrated on his work; "he worked hard," as it says in Vayetzeh 31:6. One thing lacking in this effort was the study of Torah. I am sure he learned in his free time, but most of this free time was dedicated to diligently delivering work to Lavan, his employer.

So, centuries later, Rabbi Akiva gathers many students. He fills the gaps that Yaakov Avinu left, where no Torah was learned. Rabbi Akiva has filled them with his years of learning, no matter the time and effort it took; thus, he has become the greatest sage, renowned and wealthy.

When Rabbi Akiva was a 40-year-old shepherd, he saw drops of water falling on a huge stone – drip, drop – and, directly where the drops fell, a deep hole appeared in the stone.

"What mighty power there is in a drop of water," thought the shepherd. "Could my stony heart ever be softened up that way? Look what the little drops of water did to the rock. Suppose I began to study the Torah, little by little, drop by drop, perhaps my mind would soften up?"

This motivated him to study Torah and become the greatest Torah sage.

How about you? Are you still looking for your rock with a hole made by water drips to motivate or convince you to study Torah?

Many have "used" Rabbi Akiva's rock and reached the heights in Torah and holiness.

Drip, drop.. drip, drop.. Let’s..reach those heights!!

Shmuel Katanov

For Out of Zion Shall Go Forth The Torah

Mon, 05 May 2025 16:35:11 -0400

There's a story in Masechet Chagiga 14b, "The Rabbis taught: Four Sages entered the Pardes or the orchard - the highest spiritual elevation, as explained by Rashi. They were Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Elisha ben Avuya, and Rabbi Akiva.”

The consequences of this journey were as follows:

- Ben Azzai: He gazed upon the Divine Presence and died.
- Ben Zoma: He glimpsed the Divine Presence and was harmed by losing his mind.
- Elisha ben Avuyah: He became a heretic and was thus called Acher.
- Rabbi Akiva: He entered and exited the Pardes safely.

With your permission, I would like to examine why Rabbi Akiva exited safely. Was he safe after he came back?

Below are some ideas, and are only my opinion.

If you look at his students' names, they are not the same people who went with him to Pardes. His students are: Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda bar Ilai, Rabbi Yossei ben Halafta, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua.

He took with him a different group of people. His students were not on the level to travel with him into those realms, but the ones who went with him were on the same level as him to travel that far.

After the journey, the other three rabbis met their fate, but Rabbi Akiva seems to be fine, as the Gemara above says, but why?

Because after Rabbi Akiva buried 24,000 students, no Torah teacher was left in this world capable of transmitting the Torah to the next generation. So, Hashem has given a Master Teacher time to teach the next generation of Rabbis, who taught the five luminaries that have revived the Torah. After he had accomplished this goal and left the teachers behind, Rabbi Akiva was executed by the Romans.

But what is this place, Pardes?

It is a Paradise or an orchard, "a place of fruit trees".

In Parashat Bereshit, we read that after G-d created man and woman, he placed them in the Garden of Eden. Adam was instructed that he could eat anything in the Garden except the fruit of one tree—the Tree of Knowledge.

But Adam and Eve ate from that tree, and G-d punished them. Since then, we have been banished from the Garden for thousands of years. This act alone prevented us from understanding Torah and appreciating its depth.

If you break down the word PARDES by letters it stands for four levels of understanding Torah: P'shat (straight, direct, literal), Remez (hinted-at), D'rash (inquire, seek) and Sod (secret, mysterious).

So, maybe one day when the time is right, we will be able to travel to Pardes and partake in all the fruits in the Garden of Eden, and even from the Tree of Knowledge—and this time, be ready and fit to understand Torah on all four levels - deep and wide, feel its sweet flavor ourselves, love it, appreciate it, and be able to share it with others.

As the prophet Yeshayhu 2:3 says: "Ki MiTzion Tetze Torah uD’var Hashem Me’Yerushalayim - For out of Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of Hashem from Jerusalem."

Imagine what a wonderful world it would be!!

Click here to go to Part 2 of this essay.

Shmuel Katanov

The Few versus The Many

Fri, 02 May 2025 17:22:51 -0400

What sin led to the destruction of Rabbi Akiva's students? The Talmud (Yevamot 62b) states that the students died because they did not treat each other with respect.

A quick look in the dictionary shows the following:

What is respect? When one admires (someone or something) deeply, as a result of their abilities, qualities, or achievements.

What is disrespect? To disrespect someone is to act in an insulting way toward them. When you disrespect people, you think very little of them. Disrespect is all about not showing respect. It's about showing the opposite of respect, by acting rude, impolite, and offensive.

The Talmud says that 24,000 died in an epidemic called by the Aramaic word "askara." What is askara? Some translators translate it as croup, and others call it diphtheria.

But what led to this catastrophe? What sin did they commit that triggered this epidemic?

Below is only my opinion.

Rabbi Akiva's students were great at Torah, but as is usually the case, some knew less and some knew more.

When you disrespect people, you think very little of them. But why would someone disrespect another human being, especially another student in the class? Only if the other one knows more than he does, which opens the door for one of the heaviest sins - lashon hara, driven by some internal and unconfronted character traits.

They have talked. All 24,000 of them have spoken. And I bet no matter what Rabbi Akiva has said, he could not get through to any of them, and the heavy consequences of the lashon hara eventually caught up to all of them.

After burying 24,000 students, Rabbi Akiva understood one simple rule. It is better to have quality rather than quantity. It is better to have the few that truly follow Torah, its laws, and truly fear G-d, instead of thousands that you have no control over, who may know Torah and its rules, but do not keep them, or allow themselves to break the laws as they see fit.

These are the names of his five students: Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda bar Ilai, Rabbi Yossei ben Halafta, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, and Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua—the luminaries of yesteryears. The Torah we have today is from these five students. But the Torah of the 24,000 is forgotten and not recorded at all.

The simple questions arise:

Where do we stand? Do we follow in the footsteps of the five or 24,000 students? Which camp do we belong to? Each of us does what he does, and Hashem keeps the score, and eventually the consequences of us breaking the Torah laws will catch up to us as well.

Shmuel Katanov

King David's Lineage

Sun, 09 Feb 2025 15:05:24 -0500

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

The Fifth Son - 2, The State of The Generation

Mon, 03 Jun 2024 20:30:57 -0400

If you haven't read the Part 1, you can do so here. I strongly suggest it since Part Two is built on the previous article.

There's something about The Fifth Son and the goat offering. Let's go a bit deeper so we understand more of it.

So עֵז - Ez means a goat, but it also means arrogance. So, by throwing a goat from a cliff, this ceremony fixes the trait of arrogance.

But this word can also be read as עַז - Az or עַז פָנִים - Az Panim brazen-faced, shameless, arrogant with total disregard for others - a type of individual. There's a pasuk that predicts the end of this type of people - עַז פָּנִים לְגֵיהִינוֹם - Az Panim Le Gehinam, which means that the Shameless end up in Hell. But why would Hashem judge them so harshly and write their destination in books ahead of time while they are still alive on Earth?

The Az Panim or Shameless person or his sin of arrogant behavior and his disregard for others allows him to start rumors and incite people just to keep the hatred against the individual going for years to come. It's never a one-time venture; it is a long, quiet, and behind-the-scenes operation that can go on for years with many people involved. That is why Hashem lets us know his destination - Gehinam/Hell. Notice in the community that these Azei Panim start rumors that go on for years with no hope of dying off even after many years while causing many sleepless nights and suffering to the other party.

But what about his support group - the ones that support him and his ideas for the next dirty rumor? The ones that do his dirty work while he stays on the side "clean and dry." These people fall into a whole different category. So, let's talk about them for a change.

In Mishna Sotah 9:15, it tells us about the generation - פני הדור כפני הכלב - The face of the generation will be like the face of a dog. Why would Sages compare the generation's face to the face of a dog? What is it about this animal that Hashem compares the generation to it?

In Parashat Bereshit 2:19-20, we are told about Adam HaRishon and how he was naming the animals. Midrash on these pesukim tells us a bit more. Every time Adam HaRishon looked at the animal, he looked at its essence; that is why the dog got its name Kelev, which derived from the words "Kulo Lev" or "All Heart." This accurately represents the dog since its traits are devotion and loyalty. The people who support the shameless person, or Az Panim, become his dogs without realizing it and they apply their devotion and loyalty to the wrong cause. In the process, which may take years, they lose their free choice and act as slaves while serving their master - the Az Panim guy, while disregarding an enormous amount of sins being committed loyally and with devotion for years and all for the wrong reasons and serving The Shameless and participating in various conflicts and situations, across shuls, communities, and continents.

And this is the sorry state of the generation, Azei Panim - shameless, brazen-faced people with lots of dogs around them… And if you notice a similar scenario in your daily life, expect Mashiach to be in their midst, getting most of the blows.

So, what is the way out of this? How do you silence the Az Panim and his dogs? Parashat Bo 11:7 tells us that when the nation of Israel came out from Egypt, no dog barked against a man or beast. And so it will be in the future, no dogs of the generation will bark or raise their voices when Hashem on That Day will humiliate the Azei Panim - The Shameless of the generation and their dogs. Mashpil Geim Ade Aretz - He will throw down the Proud/Arrogant people to the ground.

There's a pasuk, ה' עֹז לְעַמוֹ יִתֵן - Hashem Ohz Le Amo Yiten - Hashem gave the strength to His Nation - עֹז - Ohz, another variation. What is this strength? It is a Strength to Choose - choose the way of Ez/Goat and become the Az Panim, the Shameless Individual, and end up in Gehinam or Hell, and end up as someone's slave or dog. Or use that strength to stay away from the way of the Az Panim - Shameless, and not become his slave or dog, but to be a Boshet Panim - a Person of Modesty and be on the way to Gan Eden or Paradise, and serve Hashem wholeheartedly, with loyalty and devotion, all for the right reasons. And only then ה' יְבַרֵך אֶת עַמוֹ בַשָלוֹם - Hashem Yevarech Et Amo Ba Shalom - Hashem will bless His Nation with Peace.

Shmuel Katanov

The Fifth Son - 1, The Arrogance

Tue, 28 May 2024 23:08:31 -0400

The story is told in the Parashat Behalotcha 9:6-14 of people who approached our teacher Moshe and posed a very logical request. They have been carrying the bodies of people who passed away, and as the law states, those who have been exposed to the dead body are ritually unclean and may not partake in the offering of Korban Pesach that is brought on the Holiday of Pesach. But they felt - why should they miss out on this commandment, and they also want to have a share in it! So Moshe, after speaking with Hashem, was told that the nation of Israel gets a new commandment of a Second Pesach or Pesach Sheni, which will allow them to fulfill some of the rituals and get Merit for the performed mitzvah as if they have fulfilled it as well - they were given a Second Chance.

But here it gets more interesting. There's a discussion in Masechet Sanhedrin that goes like this: what if the person skipped the Holiday of Pesach on purpose, but on the Pesach Sheni wants to partake in the mitzvah, how will that work..?

So, this is where I would like to drop the anchor.

In Haggadah of Pesach, we are told about four sons that are sitting around the Passover table: Chacham - the wise son, Rasha - the evil one, Tam - the simpleton, and Eno Yodea Lishol - one that doesn’t know how to ask a question. But the Sages tell us of yet another son who is missing from this list; it is the one that chose not to come to the Seder.

The one that has intentionally skipped the observance of the Holiday of Pesach. He didn’t feel like it; he had other plans and other people to see, so he didn't come for the seder. But as time passed, this person regretted it and came to the rabbi to ask what he could do to make up for that missed Seder night. And this is where the Holiday of Pesach Sheni comes in, as a Second Chance.

But what is the character trait that played the role in his decision not to come to the Seder, but enjoy himself somewhere else when he was supposed to be together with the others? It is a trait of Gaavah or Arrogance, Bloated Ego, or a mix of the few.

This reminds me of another incident in the Torah, where I believe the clarity may set in.

Parashat Acharei Mot 16:6-11 tells us of a service performed on Yom Kippur. They would take two male goats, and by lot, one would be sent to the wilderness to Azazel to be thrown from the cliff, and the other to be offered as a korban, as an atonement.

But why a goat? What is so special about it? This animal has a bloated ego, is arrogant, head-butting, jumping the fence or on the trees, has no problem climbing mountains and cliffs, is loud, and is somewhat a rebellious child - always pushing boundaries.

So the person who did not attend the Seder night feels bad about it and wants to make up for the missed Seder. So, the Torah tells us to throw the goat from the cliff. But the intention of the Torah is for us to throw our traits like bloated ego and arrogance that led us to rebel against Hashem, Rabbinical, and Torah laws, and to throw those traits from the cliff. When this person is about to make teshuvah and wants to return and rejoin the Seder, the Torah tells us that we should take a goat and bring it as a sacrifice. Because those traits that have made the person not attend the Seder are still inside of him, so this sacrifice is as if we are bringing our ego and arrogance as a sacrifice to Hashem, and that's how we start anew.

Sometimes, we let our traits of arrogance, ego, and chutzpah shine and run wild. Be it in the service of Hashem where we allow ourselves to bend some of the laws and not follow them as Hashem commanded, or ignore them altogether and be on the loose. Or maybe, it is the laws between fellow men, be it monetary, slander, or many other ways one can hurt the other individual. But either way, we are sure that we are loved and accepted by Hashem, but maybe...

As it says in the Book of Prophet Ezekiel in 41:22, ...And He said to me, This is the table that is before Hashem... maybe we have disqualified ourselves from His Table, by acting as the Fifth Son - and now we are no longer there, because of the things we have done on purpose. Oh, maybe Hashem is NO Longer Present at Our Table, and we have to go through the painstaking process of wiping clean those traits of ego and arrogance, deal with the consequences of our traits, and eventually take our rightful place at the table of Hashem or have Him be present at Our Table.

The Hebrew word for "table" is "shulchan" (שלחן). The same Hebrew letters can be rearranged to spell "lenachash" (לנחש) - "to a snake." It is either we change, and our Shulchan becomes "a table [before Hashem]", or we make it "lenachash" - to a snake - that kills and makes our food, us and our lives - "zivchei meitim" — lifeless, dead, and full of impurities.

In a few places in the Torah, it says - Ish Ish... which may be explained the following way. The first Ish is translated as Man, which includes all men, but the second one talks about the person who says: It does not mean me. And it has no connection to me, in no way it concerns me as I am above all of that - comes Hashem and adds a second Ish, to include exactly the one that tries to exclude himself: Ish - Yes, You Too May Be if not already The Fifth Son.

Click here to go to Part 2 of this article, where you will learn more secrets about The Fifth Son.

Shmuel Katanov

King Mashiach - מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 14:41:29 -0500

It is written (Bereshit 1:2)

וְר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים מְרַחֶ֖פֶת עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַמָּֽיִם

"And the spirit of 'ELOKIM' hovered over the face of the waters"

זֶה רוּחוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ הֵיאַךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (ישעיה יא ב) וְנָחָה עָלָיו רוּחַ ה

The spirit refers to king Mashiach as it is written "And the spirit of The LORD will rest upon him!" (Isaiah 11:2)(Midrash Rabbah)

שֶׁלִּבּוֹ הוּא לֵב כָּל קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל

"his heart is the heart of all the Jewish people"

(Rambam Mishna Torah Melachim 3:6)

מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאוֹתוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹד מִזֶּרַע דָּוִד בַּעַל חָכְמָה יִהְיֶה יֶתֶר מִשְּׁלֹמֹה וְנָבִיא גָּדוֹל הוּא קָרוֹב לְמשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ וּלְפִיכָךְ יְלַמֵּד כָּל הָעָם וְיוֹרֶה אוֹתָם דֶּרֶךְ ה' וְיָבוֹאוּ כָּל הַגּוֹיִם לְשָׁמְעוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה ב ב) וְהָיָה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים נָכוֹן יִהְיֶה הַר בֵּית ה' בְּרֹאשׁ הֶהָרִים

for/because this king Mashiach will arise from the seed of David and will be gifted with wisdom more than Solomon and great in prophecy close to Moshe our Master. He will therefore teach the people and point out to them the LORD's path, and all nations will come to listen to him as it is written "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of The LORD shall be established on the top of the mountains" (Isaiah 2:2)

(Rambam Mishna Torah Teshuva 9:2)

רַבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה כְּשֵׁם שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי יַעֲקֹב בְּכוֹר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ד כב) בְּנִי בְכֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּךְ אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה לְמֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ בְּכוֹר שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים פט כח) אַף־אָ֭נִי בְּכ֣וֹר אֶתְּנֵ֑הוּ עֶ֝לְי֗וֹן לְמַלְכֵי־אָֽרֶץ

Rabbi Natan said "The Holy One Blessed Is He said to Moshe "Just as I made Yaakov a firstborn, so too I will make king Mashiach a firstborn as it is written "I too will make him a firstborn, supreme over all the kings of the earth" (Psalms 89:28)(Midrash Rabbah)

ר' יהושע בן לוי אשכח לאליהו אמר ליה ומאי סימניה

Rabbi Yehoshua the son of Levi encountered Eliyahu the Prophet and asked him, how do we know who is the Mashiach?

יתיב ביני עניי סובלי חלאים

Eliyahu the Prophet answered him "The Mashiach sits among the poor and suffers from afflictions" (Sanhedrin 98a)

נִבְזֶה֙ וַחֲדַ֣ל אִישִׁ֔ים אִ֥ישׁ מַכְאֹב֖וֹת וִיד֣וּעַ חֹ֑לִי וּכְמַסְתֵּ֤ר פָּנִים֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ נִבְזֶ֖ה וְלֹ֥א חֲשַׁבְנֻֽהוּ

"he is despised, shunned by men, a man of suffering, familiar with illness, as one who hid his face from us, he was despised, we held him of no account" (Isaiah 53:3)

אָכֵ֤ן חֳלָיֵ֙נוּ֙ ה֣וּא נָשָׂ֔א וּמַכְאֹבֵ֖ינוּ סְבָלָ֑ם וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ חֲשַׁבְנֻ֔הוּ נָג֛וּעַ מֻכֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים וּמְעֻנֶּֽה

"Yet it was our sickness that he was bearing, our suffering that he endured. We accounted him plagued, smitten, and afflicted by GOD" (Isaiah 53:4)

וְהוּא֙ מְחֹלָ֣ל מִפְּשָׁעֵ֔נוּ מְדֻכָּ֖א מֵעֲוֺנֹתֵ֑ינוּ מוּסַ֤ר שְׁלוֹמֵ֙נוּ֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבַחֲבֻרָת֖וֹ נִרְפָּא־לָֽנוּ

"But he was wounded because of our sins, crushed because of our iniquities. He bore the chastisement that made us whole, and by his bruises, we were healed" (Isaiah 53:5)

נִגַּ֨שׂ וְה֣וּא נַעֲנֶה֮ וְלֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּיו֒ כַּשֶּׂה֙ לַטֶּ֣בַח יוּבָ֔ל וּכְרָחֵ֕ל לִפְנֵ֥י גֹזְזֶ֖יהָ נֶאֱלָ֑מָה וְלֹ֥א יִפְתַּ֖ח פִּֽיו

"He was oppressed yet he did not open his mouth to answer back, like sheep being led to slaughter, like a ewe dumb before those who shear her he did not open his mouth" (Isaiah 53:7)

וַיהֹוָ֞ה חָפֵ֤ץ דַּכְּאוֹ֙ הֶחֱלִ֔י אִם־תָּשִׂ֤ים אָשָׁם֙ נַפְשׁ֔וֹ יִרְאֶ֥ה זֶ֖רַע יַאֲרִ֣יךְ יָמִ֑ים וְחֵ֥פֶץ יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּיָד֥וֹ יִצְלָֽח

"But The LORD chose to crush him with suffering, if he accepted his suffering with joy he will see offspring and have a long life, and in the Torah of the LORD he will prosper" (Isaiah 53:11)

חַיִּ֤ים שָׁאַ֣ל מִ֭מְּךָ נָתַ֣תָּה לּ֑וֹ אֹ֥רֶךְ יָ֝מִ֗ים עוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד

"he asked You for life and You granted him, a long life, everlasting"

(Psalms 21:5)

קָנָה לוֹ דִבְרֵי תוֹרָה קָנָה לוֹ חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא

if you have acquired words of The Torah! you have acquired The Life of The World To Come!" (Avot)

צַדִּיק וּמוֹשִׁיעַ אֵין כְּתִיב אֶלָּא צַדִּיק וְנוֹשַׁע הוּא וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר אִמְרוּ לְבַת צִיּוֹן הִנֵּה יִשְׁעֵךְ בָּא (ישעיה סב יא) מוֹשִׁיעֵךְ בָּא אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא יִשְׁעֵךְ כִּבְיָכוֹל הוּא נוֹשַׁע

It is not written about king Mashiach "he is righteous and a savior" rather "he is righteous and he will be saved" as it is written "Say to the daughter of Zion behold the one who was saved has come" (Isaiah 62:11) (Tanhuma)

לָכֵ֞ן אֲחַלֶּק־ל֣וֹ בָרַבִּ֗ים וְאֶת־עֲצוּמִים֮ יְחַלֵּ֣ק שָׁלָל֒ תַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶעֱרָ֤ה לַמָּ֙וֶת֙ נַפְשׁ֔וֹ וְאֶת־פֹּשְׁעִ֖ים נִמְנָ֑ה וְהוּא֙ חֵטְא־רַבִּ֣ים נָשָׂ֔א וְלַפֹּשְׁעִ֖ים יַפְגִּֽיעַ

"Therefore, I will give him a portion from the multitudes, he will divide the mighty as spoils because he poured out his soul in repentance to death. He was numbered among the sinners, he bore the guilt of the many, he prayed for sinners” (Isaiah 53:12)

אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא סָרוֹנְגַיָא וּנְהוֹרָא עִמֵּהּ שְׁרֵא זֶה מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ק֥וּמִי א֖וֹרִי כִּ֣י בָ֣א אוֹרֵ֑ךְ וּכְב֥וֹד יְהֹוָ֖ה עָלַ֥יִךְ זָרָֽח

Rabbi Abba Sarongia says, it is written "light dwells with him" (Daniel 2:22) this refers to king Mashiach as it is written "Arise, shine, for your light has dawned, The Presence of The LORD has shone upon you" (Isaiah 60:1) (Midrash Rabbah)

וְנָחָ֥ה עָלָ֖יו ר֣וּחַ יְהֹוָ֑ה ר֧וּחַ חׇכְמָ֣ה וּבִינָ֗ה ר֤וּחַ עֵצָה֙ וּגְבוּרָ֔ה ר֥וּחַ דַּ֖עַת וְיִרְאַ֥ת יְהֹוָֽה

"The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and might, a spirit of knowledge,

and reverence for The LORD" (Isaiah 11:2)

וַהֲרִיח֖וֹ בְּיִרְאַ֣ת יְהֹוָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־לְמַרְאֵ֤ה עֵינָיו֙ יִשְׁפּ֔וֹט וְלֹא־לְמִשְׁמַ֥ע אׇזְנָ֖יו יוֹכִֽיחַ

"He shall sense the truth by his reverence for the LORD, he shall not judge by what his eyes behold, nor rebuke by what his ears perceive" (Isaiah 11:3)

וְשָׁפַ֤ט בְּצֶ֙דֶק֙ דַּלִּ֔ים וְהוֹכִ֥יחַ בְּמִישׁ֖וֹר לְעַנְוֵי־אָ֑רֶץ וְהִֽכָּה־אֶ֙רֶץ֙ בְּשֵׁ֣בֶט פִּ֔יו וּבְר֥וּחַ שְׂפָתָ֖יו יָמִ֥ית רָשָֽׁע וְהָ֥יָה צֶ֖דֶק אֵז֣וֹר מׇתְנָ֑יו וְהָאֱמוּנָ֖ה אֵז֥וֹר חֲלָצָֽיו

"he will judge the poor and instruct justly the humble of the earth, he will reprove the inhabitants with his mouth, and with the breath of his mouth, he will smite the wicked. Justice shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his waist" (Isaiah 11:4-5)

שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (זכריה ט א) מַשָֹּׂא דְּבַר ה' בְּאֶרֶץ חַדְרָךְ מַהוּ חַדְרָךְ רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אָמַר זֶה מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ שֶׁהוּא חַד וְרַךְ חַד לָאֻמּוֹת וְרַךְ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל דָּבָר אַחֵר חַדְרָךְ זֶה מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ שֶׁעָתִיד לְהַדְרִיךְ כָּל בָּאֵי הָעוֹלָם בִּתְשׁוּבָה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

It is written "A prophecy of the LORD in the land of hadrach" (Zecharia 9:1) What does the word 'hadrach' (חַדְרָךְ) mean? Rabbi Nehemia said this refers to King Moshiach who is sharp(חַדְ) and soft(רָךְ). Sharp towards the idolaters and soft to the people of Israel. Another explanation: The word (חַדְרָךְ) refers to king Mashiach who is destined to guide (לְהַדְרִיךְ) the people of the world to repentance before The Holy One Blessed Is He (Midrash Rabbah)

שֶׁמֶן לַמָּאוֹר זֶה מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר שָׁם אַצְמִיחַ קֶרֶן לְדָוִד עָרַכְתִּי נֵר לִמְשִׁיחִי (תהלים קלב יז)

"The oil for the light" (Exodus 25:6) This refers to the king Mashiach as it is written "There will I make a horn to shoot up for David, there have I prepared a lamp for My anointed" (Psalms 132:17)(Tanhuma)

הַמָּשִׁיחַ שֶׁעָתִיד לִפָּרַע מֵעוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שָׁם עִמָּהֶם גָּדֵל בַּמְּדִינָה דִּכְתִיב שָׁם יִרְעֶה עֵגֶל וְשָׁם יִרְבָּץ וְכִלָּה סְעִפֶיהָ (ישעיה כז י)

king Mashiach is destined to exact retribution from the idolaters. He will live among them in their city as it is written "There shall the calf feed and there shall he lie down and consume the branches thereof" (Isaiah 27:10) (Tanhuma)

וְהוּא הָיָה רוֹאֶה אֶת מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ שֶׁכֵּן דָּנִיֵּאל אוֹמֵר חָזֵהּ הֲוַיְתָ עַד דִּי הִתְגְּזֶרֶת אֶבֶן דִּי לָא בִידַיִן וּמְחָת לְצַלְמָא בֶּן לָקִישׁ זֶה מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ וּמְחָת לְצַלְמָא לְכָל מַלְכוּת שֶׁהֵם עוֹבְדוֹת לַצֶּלֶם בְּצַלְמָוֶת וּבִזְכוּת מָה הוּא מוֹשֵׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ בָּאֶבֶן? בִּזְכוּת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל יְגֵעִים בָּהּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לֻחֹת אֶבֶן כְּתֻבִים בְּאֶצְבַּע אֱלֹהִים (שמות לא יח)

Daniel the prophet saw the coming of the Messiah (in his vision), as Daniel said "I saw a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon its feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces" (Daniel 2:34) Rabbi Simeon the son of Lakish said "This verse refers to the Messiah" Smote the image alludes to all the kingdoms that serve idols. Why is the rule of king Mashiach likened to stone? It is likened to stone because of the Torah study in which Israel toils as it is written "The two tablets of the testimony, tables of stone written with the finger of GOD" (Exodus 31:18)(Tanhuma)

מֶלֶךְ בָּשָׂר וָדָם אֵין לוֹבְשִׁין עֲטָרָה שֶׁלּוֹ וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עָתִיד לְהַלְבִּישׁ עֲטָרָה שֶׁלּוֹ לְמֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ וּמַהוּ עֲטָרָה שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא? כֶּתֶם פָּז שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר רֹאשׁוֹ כֶּתֶם פָּז (שה״‎ש ה יא) וְכָתוּב בּוֹ תָּשִׁית לְרֹאשׁוֹ עֲטֶרֶת פָּז (תהלים כא ד)

No one would dare don the crown of a human king, but in the future, The Holy One Blessed Is He will place His crown upon the head of king Mashiach. What is the crown of The Holy One Blessed Is He? The crown of The Holy One Blessed Is He is of the finest gold as it is written "His head is covered with hat made of a special garment, full of Torah" (Song of Songs 5:11) and it is also written "You will set a crown of fine gold on his head" (Psalms 21:4) (Tanhuma)

אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בַּר אֲבִינָא אִם רָאִיתָ מַלְכֻיּוֹת מִתְגָּרוֹת אֵלּוּ בְּאֵלּוּ צַפֵּה לְרַגְלוֹ שֶׁל מָשִׁיחַ

Rabbi Elazar the son of Abina said "If you see in your generation that all the nations engaged in conflict with one another, expect the coming of the Mashiach" (Midrash Rabbah)

רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה אָמַר בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יִצְחָק כַּגּוֹאֵל רִאשׁוֹן כָּךְ גּוֹאֵל אַחֲרוֹן מַה גּוֹאֵל רִאשׁוֹן נֶאֱמַר (שמות ד כ) וַיִּקַּח משֶׁה אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת בָּנָיו וַיַּרְכִּבֵם עַל הַחֲמֹר כָּךְ גּוֹאֵל אַחֲרוֹן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (זכריה ט ט) עָנִי וְרֹכֵב עַל הַחֲמוֹר מַה גּוֹאֵל הָרִאשׁוֹן הוֹרִיד אֶת הַמָּן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות טז ד) הִנְנִי מַמְטִיר לָכֶם לֶחֶם מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם אַף גּוֹאֵל אַחֲרוֹן יוֹרִיד אֶת הַמָּן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים עב טז) יְהִי פִסַּת בַּר בָּאָרֶץ מַה גּוֹאֵל רִאשׁוֹן הֶעֱלָה אֶת הַבְּאֵר אַף גּוֹאֵל אַחֲרוֹן יַעֲלֶה אֶת הַמַּיִם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יואל ד יח) וּמַעְיָן מִבֵּית ה' יֵצֵא וְהִשְׁקָה אֶת נַחַל הַשִּׁטִּים

Rabbi Berechiah in the name of Rabbi Itzhak said "Like the first redeemer Moshe so too the final redeemer king Mashiach. Just like regarding Moshe, it is written: "Moshe took his wife and his children and mounted them on the donkey" (Exodus 4:20) so does it say of the final redeemer as it is written "A poor man riding upon a donkey"(a family man, battling his evil inclination, toiling in Torah, providing for his family) (Zechariah 9:9) Just as the first redeemer caused the manna to fall in the wilderness as it is written "Behold, I shall rain down for you food from Heaven" (Exodus 16:4) so will the final redeemer cause the manna to fall as it is written "There shall be an abundance of bread on the earth" (Psalms 72:16) Just as the first redeemer caused the water of the well to raise up so will the final redeemer as it is written "a spring will go out from the House of Hashem and water the valley of Shittim" (Joel 4:18)(Just as in the wilderness, having been granted the manna and water from the well, the people were free to devote their time to the study of Torah and service of The Holy One Blessed Is He, the same will occur in the times of Mashiach) (Tiferet Zion) (Midrash Rabbah)

הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ עָתִיד לַעֲמֹד וּלְהַחְזִיר מַלכוּת דָּוִד לְיָשְׁנָהּ לַמֶּמְשָׁלָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה וּבוֹנֶה הַמִּקְדָּשׁ וּמְקַבֵּץ נִדְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְחוֹזְרִין כָּל הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים בְּיָמָיו כְּשֶׁהָיוּ מִקֹּדֶם

king Mashiach will arise and re-establish the monarchy of David as it was in former times. He will build the Temple and gather in the dispersed of Israel. All the earlier statutes will be restored as they once were (Rambam Mishna Torah Melachim 11:1)

וְאַל יַעֲלֶה עַל דַּעְתְּךָ שֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ צָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת אוֹתוֹת וּמוֹפְתִים וּמְחַדֵּשׁ דְּבָרִים בָּעוֹלָם אוֹ מְחַיֶּה מֵתִים וְכַיּוֹצֵא בִּדְבָרִים אֵלּוּ אֵין הַדָּבָר כָּךְ

It should not occur to you that the king Machiach must bring wondrous signs or perform marvels or invent new things or revive the dead or anything like that

(Rambam Mishna Torah Melachim 11:3)

רַבָּנָן אָמְרוּ גָּדוֹל שָׁלוֹם שֶׁכְּשֶׁמֶּלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ בָּא אֵינוֹ פּוֹתֵחַ אֶלָּא בְּשָׁלוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נב ז) מַה נָּאווּ עַל הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם

The Rabbis of Blessed Memory said "great is peace for when King Mashiach will come he will only open with peace as it is written "How pleasant on the mountains are the feet of the messenger proclaiming peace!" (Isaiah 52:7)

It is written וּמַטֵּ֥ה אַהֲרֹ֖ן

"And the staff of Aharon" (Bamidbar 17:21)

יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים הוּא הַמַּטֶּה שֶׁהָיָה בְּיַד יְהוּדָה

Some Rabbis of Blessed Memory say that this is the same staff that of Yehuda as it is written וּמַטְךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדֶךָ

"The staff that is in your hand" (Bereshit 38:18)

וְאוֹתוֹ הַמַּטֶּה עָתִיד לִהְיוֹת בְּיַד מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ

And this is the exact staff that in the future will be held by the King Mashiach, may he come speedily in our days as it is written

מַטֵּה עֻזְּךָ יִשְׁלַח ה' מִצִּיּוֹן רְדֵה בְּקֶרֶב אֹיְבֶיךָ

"The LORD will stretch forth from Zion your mighty scepter,

to rule over your enemies!" (Psalms 110:2)(Midrash Rabbah)

It is written

מִֽי־אַתָּ֧ה הַֽר־הַגָּד֛וֹל לִפְנֵ֥י זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל לְמִישֹׁ֑ר

"Who are you? the big mountain! in front of us, from Zerubbabel, who will come to make men upright" (Zechariah 4:7)

זֶה מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד

This refers to king Mashiach the son of David

וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ הַר הַגָּדוֹל

Why is he called the great mountain?

שֶׁהוּא גָדוֹל מִן הָאָבוֹת

Because he is spiritually greater than the Patriarchs as it is written about the king Mashiach

שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הִנֵּה יַשְׂכִּיל עַבְדִּי יָרוּם וְנִשָּׂא וְגָבַהּ מְאֹד (ישעיה נב יג)

"Behold, my servant will prosper in wisdom and prophecy, he will be exalted and raised to great heights" (Isaiah 52:13)

יָרוּם מֵאַבְרָהָם וְנִשָּׂא מִיִּצְחָק וְגָבַהּ מִיַּעֲקֹב

he will be exalted more than Abraham, uplifted more than Itzhak, and greater than Jacob

וְגָבַהּ מִמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת

he will be greater than the ministering angels

שֶׁגְּדוֹלִים הַצַּדִּיקִים יוֹתֵר מִמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת

because righteous are greater than the ministering angels

לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר מִי אַתָּה הַר הַגָּדוֹל

that's why the verse says "who are you? the big mountain!"

וּמִמִּי הוּא יוֹצֵא

From whom will he emerge?

מִזְּרֻבָּבֶל

From Zerubbabel

וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ זְרֻבָּבֶל

Why is his name called Zerubbabel?

מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנּוֹלַד בְּבָבֶל

Because he was born outside of the Land of Israel in Babel

וּמִי הוּא

Who is he descended from?

מִדָּוִד

From King David as it is written

שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וּבְנֵ֣י אֶלְיוֹעֵינַ֗י הוֹדַוְיָ֡הוּ וְאֶלְיָשִׁ֡יב וּפְלָיָ֡ה וְ֠עַקּ֠וּב וְיוֹחָנָ֧ן וּדְלָיָ֛ה וַעֲנָ֖נִי שִׁבְעָֽה

"And the sons of Elioenai: Hodaviahu and Eliyashiv and Pelaya and Akkuv and Yohanan and Delaya and Ononi—seven"

(1 Chronicle 3:24)

וּמַהוּ עֲנָנִי

Who is Ononi? ( עֲנָנִי - answer me)

זֶה מָשִׁיחַ

This is Mashiach a man of prayer as it is written

שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר חָזֵה הֲוֵית בְּחֶזְוֵי לֵילְיָא וַאֲרוּ עִם עֲנָנֵי שְׁמַיָּ֔א

"I saw in the night visions, and behold, there he came, Ononi

(עֲנָנֵי answer me) is his name" (Daniel 7:13)

in the next verse it is written

וְלֵ֨הּ יְהִ֤ב שׇׁלְטָן֙ וִיקָ֣ר וּמַלְכ֔וּ וְכֹ֣ל עַֽמְמַיָּ֗א אֻמַּיָּ֛א וְלִשָּׁנַיָּ֖א לֵ֣הּ יִפְלְח֑וּן שׇׁלְטָנֵ֞הּ שׇׁלְטָ֤ן עָלַם֙ דִּֽי־לָ֣א יֶעְדֵּ֔ה וּמַלְכוּתֵ֖הּ דִּי־לָ֥א תִתְחַבַּֽל

"Dominion, splendor and kingship were given to him. All nations, nations of every language will pay reverence to him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away,

and his kingship, one that shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:14)

וְשָׁפַ֤ט בְּצֶ֙דֶק֙ דַּלִּ֔ים וְהוֹכִ֥יחַ בְּמִישׁ֖וֹר לְעַנְוֵי־אָ֑רֶץ וְהִֽכָּה־אֶ֙רֶץ֙ בְּשֵׁ֣בֶט פִּ֔יו וּבְר֥וּחַ שְׂפָתָ֖יו

יָמִ֥ית רָשָֽׁע

"he will judge the poor with righteousness and rebuke with uprightness the humble ones of the earth, he will strike down the land with the rod of his mouth and with his holy spirit that will emanate from his mouth he will slay wicked" (Isaiah 11:4)

וְהֵיכָן הוּא בָא

Where will he come from?

דֶּרֶךְ הֶהָרִים

he will come by the way of the mountains as it is written

שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עַל־הֶהָרִ֜ים רַגְלֵ֣י מְבַשֵּׂ֗ר מַשְׁמִ֧יעַ שָׁל֛וֹם מְבַשֵּׂ֥ר ט֖וֹב מַשְׁמִ֣יעַ יְשׁוּעָ֑ה אֹמֵ֥ר לְצִיּ֖וֹן מָלַ֥ךְ אֱלֹהָֽיִךְ (ישעיה נב ז)

"Upon the mountains are the footsteps of the messenger, proclaiming peace, heralding good news, announcing salvation, telling the nation of Israel “Your King, The Holy One Blessed Is He has Reigned” (Isaiah 52:7)

בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה יִהְיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִסְתַּכְּלִין וְאוֹמְרִים אֶשָּׂא עֵינַי אֶל הֶהָרִים מֵאַיִן יָבֹא עֶזְרִי עֶזְרִי מֵעִם ה' עֹשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ (תהלים קכא א)

At that time Israel will look up and say "I lift up my eyes unto the mountains, from where will my help come? my help will come from The LORD who made The Heavens and the Earth" (Psalms 121:1)

אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן

Amen, and may it be so! (Tanhuma תּוֹלְדֹוֹת)

הִנֵּ֤ה אָנֹכִי֙ שֹׁלֵ֣חַ לָכֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת אֵלִיָּ֣ה הַנָּבִ֑יא

"behold! I will send Elijah The Prophet to you" (Malachi 3:23)

וְהָיָ֣ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִתָּקַע֮ בְּשׁוֹפָ֣ר גָּדוֹל֒

"and on that day a great shofar will be blown" (Isaiah 27:13)

מְשָׁחֵ֖הוּ כִּי־זֶ֥ה הֽוּא

"anoint him! for this is the one!" (1 Samuel 16:12)

מגביהו הקב"ה למשיח עד שמי השמים ופורש עליו מזיו כבודו

"The Holy One Blessed Is He will lift him up to The Heavens and cover him with the splendor of His Glory" (Pesikta Rabatti)

חֹפֵ֤ף עָלָיו֙ כׇּל־הַיּ֔וֹם וּבֵ֥ין כְּתֵפָ֖יו שָׁכֵֽן

"The Holy One Blessed Is He hovers over him all day and resides between his shoulders" (Devarim 33:12)

תוֹרָ֖ה יְבַקְשׁ֣וּ מִפִּ֑יהוּ כִּ֛י מַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהֹֽוָה־צְבָא֖וֹת הֽוּא

"seek Torah form his mouth! because he is the Messenger/Angel of The LORD of HOSTS!" (Malachi 2:7)

יִלָּחֵם מִלְחֲמוֹת ה

"he will wage the wars of The LORD!"(Rambam Melachim 11:4)

קִנְאַ֛ת יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה־זֹּֽאת

"the zeal of The LORD of HOSTS this one will perform" (Isaiah 9:6)

וְאֶת־פֹּשְׁעִ֖ים נִמְנָ֑ה

"he was counted among the sinners" (Isaiah 53:12)

וּמִתַּחְתָּ֣יו יִצְמָ֔ח

"he will sprout forth from the bottom" (Zachariah 6:12)

כִּ֣י אָדָ֔ם אֵ֥ין צַדִּ֖יק בָּאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֶׂה־טּ֖וֹב וְלֹ֥א יֶחֱטָֽא

“for there is no righteous person on earth that does good and never sinned” (Kohelet 7:20)

אֲלַמְּדָ֣ה פֹשְׁעִ֣ים דְּרָכֶ֑יךָ

"i will teach the sinners Your ways" (Psalms 51:15)

וּמוֹדֶ֖ה וְעֹזֵ֣ב יְרֻחָֽם

“he who confesses and forsakes his sins will be granted mercy” (Proverbs 28:13)

הֶעֱרָ֤ה לַמָּ֙וֶת֙ נַפְשׁ֔וֹ

"he stirred himself up to death in repentance, in order to know ME!" (Isaiah 53:12)

אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ אֵין דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה מִתְקַיְּימִין אֶלָּא בְּמִי שֶׁמֵּמִית עַצְמוֹ עָלֶיהָ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר זֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אָדָם כִּי יָמוּת בְּאֹהֶל

"Reish Lakish says "Words of The Torah only endure in a person who kills himself over them, one who is ready to devote all his efforts as it is written “This is the way to acquire the words of The Torah, a person who dies in a tent” ((Numbers 19:14) (Shabbat 83b)

מְנָא לַן דִּשְׁמָא גָּרֵים אָמַר רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר דְּאָמַר קְרָא לְכוּ חֲזוּ מִפְעֲלוֹת ה׳ אֲשֶׁר שָׂם שַׁמּוֹת בָּאָרֶץ אַל תִּקְרֵי שַׁמּוֹת אֶלָּא שֵׁמוֹת

"From where do we derive that the name affects a person's life? Rabbi Eliezer said that the verse says “Go, see the works of The LORD! who has made desolations [shamot] upon the earth” (Psalms 46:9) Do not read the word as shamot, but rather as shemot - names. The names given to people are therefore “the works of the LORD upon the earth” (Berachot 7b)

מה שמו

"what is his name?

ורבנן אמרי חיוורא דבי רבי שמו

“the Rabbis of Blessed Memory say "the pious/shamefaced one from the house of Ribbi is his name"” (Sanhedrin 98b)

אַתָּה־ה֣וּא מַלְכִּ֣י אֱלֹהִ֑ים

"You are my KING! O LORD!" (Psalms 44:5)

שכל מדותיו של הקב"ה מדה כנגד מדה

the ways of The Holy One Blessed Is He is measure for measure (Sanhedrin 90a)

וַ֭אֲנִי נָסַ֣כְתִּי מַלְכִּ֑י

"and I have anointed 'malki'" (Psalms 2:6)

יַעֲמֹד מֶלֶךְ

"a king will rise up" (Rambam Melachim 11:4)

מַלְכִּי־צֶ֙דֶק֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ שָׁלֵ֔ם

"a righteous king, king of peace, in Jerusalem" (Bereshit 14:18)

וּלְשָׁל֣וֹם אֵֽין־קֵ֗ץ עַל־כִּסֵּ֤א דָוִד֙ וְעַל־מַמְלַכְתּ֔וֹ

"and to peace there will be no end upon the throne of David and his kingdom" (Isaiah 9:6)

מְשִׁ֙יחַ֙ אֱלֹהי יַעֲקֹ֔ב וּנְעִ֖ים זְמִר֥וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

"the anointed one of our GOD! Yaakov! with pleasing songs/melody/nigun, Israel!" (2 Samuel 23:1)

וּמׇשְׁלוֹ֙ מִיָּ֣ם עַד־יָ֔ם

"he will rule the entire world" (Zechariah 9:10)

"Dominion, splendor and kingship were given to him. All nations, nations of every language will pay reverence to him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away,

and his kingship, one that shall not be destroyed" (Daniel 7:14)

שֶׁקּוֹלוֹ עָרֵב

"because his voice is sweet/pleasing to Me" (Midrash Rabbah)

הַקֹּל֙ ק֣וֹל יַעֲקֹ֔ב

"the voice is the voice of Yaakov" (Bereshit 27:22)

הַרְּאִיתֶם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַר־בּ֣וֹ יְהֹוָ֔ה

"have you seen whom The LORD/HASHEM has chosen"

(1 Samuel 10:24)

הוֹגֶה בַּתּוֹרָה וְעוֹסֵק בְּמִצְוֹת כְּדָוִד אָבִיו כְּפִי תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב וְשֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה

"his thoughts are pre-occupied with Torah and his performs the mitzvot as his fore-father Kind David, according to the Written and The Oral Torah" (Rambam Mishnah Torah Melachim 11:4)

ה' צַדִּיק יִבְחָן

"The Holy One Blessed Is He tests the righteous" (Psalms 11:5)

שֶׁהַיִּסּוּרִין מוֹשְׁכִין אֶת הָאָדָם לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא

"for afflictions bring a person closer to The Holy One Blessed Is He"

(Tanhuma)

יָ֘בֵ֤שׁ כַּחֶ֨רֶשׂ כֹּחִ֗י וּ֭לְשׁוֹנִי מֻדְבָּ֣ק מַלְקוֹחָ֑י וְֽלַעֲפַר־מָ֥וֶת תִּשְׁפְּתֵֽנִי

"my strength is dried up like a shard, my tongue cleaves to my palate, to the dust, to death you place me" (Psalms 22:16)

עִמּֽוֹ־אָנֹכִ֥י בְצָרָ֑ה

"I am with him in his distress" (Psalms 91:15)

בַּ֝רְזֶ֗ל בָּ֣אָה נַפְשֽׁוֹ

"iron was laid upon his soul" (Psalms 105:18)

רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה אָמַר אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְיַחֵד שְׁמוֹ עַל בְּרִיָּה כְּשֶׁהוּא חַי אֶלָּא עַל בַּעֲלֵי יִסּוּרִין

"Rabbi Berechiah said "The Holy One Blessed Is He does not enjoin His Name upon a person still alive unless he is afflicted with suffering" (Midrash Rabbah)

וְנוֹשָׁ֖ע ה֑וּא

"he will be saved" (Zechariah 9:9)

וְ֠אַתָּ֠ה אַל־תִּירָ֞א עַבְדִּ֤י יַֽעֲקֹב֙ וְאַל־תֵּחַ֣ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל כִּ֠י הִנְנִ֤י מוֹשִֽׁעֲךָ֙

"but as for you, do not be afraid My servant Yaakov! do not be frightened Israel! I will save you!" (Jeremiah 46:27)

אֵין שַׁרְבִיטוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְמַשְׁמֵשׁ וּבָא אֶלָּא בִּבְנֵי אָדָם שֶׁלִּבָּם רַךְ כַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּים

"the staff/scepter of The Holy One Blessed Is He comes down only upon those who's hearts are as soft as roses" (Midrash Rabbah)

לוּלֵ֣י ת֭וֹרָתְךָ שַׁעֲשֻׁעָ֑י אָ֝֗ז אָבַ֥דְתִּי בְעׇנְיִֽי

"were not Your Torah my delight I would have perished in my affliction" (Psalms 119:92)

It is written

צַ֭דִּיק כַּתָּמָ֣ר יִפְרָ֑ח כְּאֶ֖רֶז בַּלְּבָנ֣וֹן יִשְׂגֶּֽה

"A righteous person blossoms like a palm tree, like the cedar of Lebanon he flourishes" (Psalms 92:13)

מה התמרה הזאת נאה במראיה וכל פירותיה מתוקין וטובים כך בן דוד נאה במראהו וכל מעשיו מתוקין וטובים לפני הקב"ה

"just as the date palm is pleasant to look at and all its fruits are sweet and good, so too with the son of David, he is pleasant to look at and all his deeds are sweet before The Holy One Blessed Is He" (Midrash Tehillim)

בְּנִ֥י אַ֑תָּה

"you are My son!" (Psalms 2:7)

אָמַר רָבָא אָמַר רַב סְחוֹרָה אָמַר רַב הוּנָא כׇּל שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חָפַץ בּוֹ מְדַכְּאוֹ בְּיִסּוּרִין שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַה׳ חָפֵץ דַּכְּאוֹ הֶחֱלִי

Rava said that Rav Seḥora said that Rav Huna said "Anyone in whom The Holy One Blessed Is He delights, He oppresses him with suffering as it is written “Yet in whom The LORD delights, He oppresses him with illness/afflictions" (Berachot 5a)

שְׁאַ֤ל מִמֶּ֗נִּי וְאֶתְּנָ֣ה ג֭וֹיִם נַחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ וַ֝אֲחֻזָּתְךָ֗ אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ

"ask of Me! and I will give you nations as your inheritance! your estate will extend to the ends of the earth!" (Psalms 2:8)

וְאֶת־עֲצוּמִים֮ יְחַלֵּ֣ק שָׁלָל֒

"vast will be his booty" (Isaiah 53:12)

וְ֭יֵרְדְּ מִיָּ֣ם עַד־יָ֑ם

"he will rule the entire world" (Psalms 72:8)

וְאֶל־זֶ֣ה אַבִּ֔יט אֶל־עָנִי֙ וּנְכֵה־ר֔וּחַ וְחָרֵ֖ד עַל־דְּבָרִֽי

"at this one do I gaze, at the poor and humble one, the penitent, who trembles upon My words" (not to forget them) (Isaiah 66:2)

מַגְדִּל֮ יְשׁוּע֢וֹת מַ֫לְכּ֥וֹ וְעֹ֤שֶׂה חֶ֨סֶד לִמְשִׁיח֗וֹ לְדָוִ֥ד וּלְזַרְע֗וֹ עַד־עוֹלָֽם

"He will increase salvations to the king Mashiach, He will act kindly to his anointed one, To King David and his descendants forever" (Psalms 18:51)

אִם־יִתְמַהְמָהּ֙ חַכֵּה־ל֔וֹ כִּי־בֹ֥א יָבֹ֖א

"if Mashiach delays, await for him, for he will surely come!" (Habakkuk 2:3)

וְכָל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַאֲמִין בּוֹ אוֹ מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְחַכֶּה לְבִיאָתוֹ לֹא בִּשְׁאָר נְבִיאִים בִּלְבַד הוּא כּוֹפֵר אֶלָּא בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְמשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ

"anyone who doesn't believe in the coming of Mashiach or someone who does not await his coming, not only is he denying all the other Prophets, but also in the Torah and Moshe our Teacher of Blessed Memory" (Rambam Melachim 11:1)

וַיָּ֤שַׂר אֶל־מַלְאָךְ֙ וַיֻּכָ֔ל

"he STRUGGLED with the angel/the SATAN and prevailed!!!" (Hoshea 12:5)

IN his 40's רֹכֵ֣ב עַל־חֲמ֔וֹר

there are 7 stages in a person's life

עוֹלָם חֲמִישִׁי דּוֹמֶה לַחֲמוֹר שֶׁמַּנִּיחִין עָלָיו אֻכָּף כָּךְ לִבְנֵי אָדָם מַנִּיחִין לוֹ אֻכָּפוֹ עָלָיו נוֹתְנִין לוֹ אִשָּׁה וּמוֹלִיד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת וְחוֹזֵר וְהוֹלֵךְ לְכָאן וּלְכָאן וּמֵבִיא מָזוֹן וּמְפַרְנֵס לְבָנָיו וּמְכַלְכְּלָן וְנוֹתְנִין עָלָיו מַשָּׂא וְהוּא מְעֻמָּס מִן בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

"In the 5th stage, a man is like an ass/donkey upon which a saddle has been placed by giving him a wife who bears him sons and daughters, he roams from business to business to obtain food and sustenance for his children. They pile additional burdens upon him, and he is overwhelmed with carrying the burdens of his children

וְאֵימָתַי כְּשֶׁהוּא בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה

when is that? in his 40's" (Tanhuma)

מַשָּׂ֥א

"a burden" (Malachi 1:1)

צַדִּ֥יק עָנִי֙ וְרֹכֵ֣ב עַל־חֲמ֔וֹר

"he is righteous, poor and humble, battling his evil inclination, toiling in Torah, a taxi driver, providing for his family, in his 40's" (Zechariah 9:9)

חסיד נקרא על שם הבושת כי חסיד לשון לבן הוא כי תרגומא של חסידא הוא חוורתא (ויקרא יא יט) וכן ולא עתה פניו יחוָרו (ישעיהו כט כב) תרגום של חרפה הוא חסודא וכל זה למה כי החסיד צריך לסבול בושת כדי לקיים את התורה וצריך להעביר מעל פניו הבושת במקום מצווה ואז נקרא חסיד ובזה יגיע לנבואה כדכתיב (תהלים פט כ) אז דברת בחזון לחסידיך ויגיע בבושתו לידי יראת שמים כדכתיב (שמות כ יז) ובעבור תהיה יראתו על פניכם לבלתי תחטאו – איזהו יראה שהיא נכרת על הפנים הוי אומר זו הבושה (נדרים כ א)

"A pious person is so-called because he has a sense of shame, for the word 'Hassid' or 'pious' means 'white', for the translation of 'stork' (Hasidah) in Aramaic is "hawarita" meaning 'the white one' as you note in (Leviticus 11:19) and similarly in (Isaiah 29:22) "Neither shall his face now become white/pale" (with shame), and the Aramaic translation of 'herpah' (shame) is 'hisda' (same as Hassid), as you will note in (Genesis 34:14) And all of this for what reason? That the Hassid or pious person must bear shame in order to fulfill the Torah and he must remove shame from his face at performing any commandment of The Holy One Blessed Is He. Then that person is called a Hassid or 'pious one' and thus he attains prophecy as it is written "Then did You speak in vision to Your pious ones" (Psalms 89:20) And through a sense of shame, a person will attain true reverence of GOD as it is written "In order that His awe is upon your faces so that you do not sin" (Exodus 20:20) What kind of awe or fear of GOD can be seen in a person's face? You must surely say "a sense of shame" (which causes the face to change color) (Nedarim 20a) (Orhot Tzadikim)

אמר ליה שבור מלכא לשמואל אמריתו משיח על חמרא אתי אישדר ליה סוסיא ברקא דאית לי אמר ליה מי אית לך בר חיור גווני

"king shapur said to Shmuel mockingly "You say that the Messiah will come on a donkey!? (perhaps the Messiah has not come yet is because he is riding on a slow donkey?) I will send him my finest fastest horse that I have. Shmuel said to him "do you have a pious son like him?"" (Sanhedrin 98a)

ורבנן אמרי חיוורא דבי רבי שמו

the Rabbis of Blessed Memory say "the pious one from the house of Ribbi is his name" (Sanhedrin 98b)

וּבָ֤א לְצִיּוֹן֙ גּוֹאֵ֔ל

"and a redeemer shall come to Zion!" (Isaiah 59:20)

יַעֲמֹד מֶלֶךְ

"a king will rise up" (Rambam Melachim 11:4)

________________________

מלכיאל חי בן יוסף בן דוד

יעקב ישראל

מר אברהם

רוש חדש כסלו תּוֹלְדֹוֹת

The Loving G-d

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 13:34:10 -0400

Did you ever hear the expression that G-d loves you —He is all love, and it's all love? But is it? When you open Torah books and start flipping through the pages, all you see is the opposite. He seems vengeful and very just, with many stories of people being punished for what they have done wrong. And then we go to shul, and we observe the following: people talking, laughing at jokes, sometimes even laughing at others, talking about others; you may even hear arguments and maybe even shouts, and, of course, you will see people praying. But don't stop there —keep on observing, and you will see kids of all ages... some walking around, some seated, some reading books, and some praying.

While there in shul, you hear of some kid or a member who no longer comes to shul, or someone who grew up and moved to a different neighborhood where there is no shul nearby, and we say, Oy! He had such great potential...and, we even got a fancy label for these types of people - Off The Derech.

But what is this thing called derech, or a road? Is it the physical road we walk on daily, back and forth for years to and from the shul, or is it something bigger - like an accepted Way of Life or even a Way of Behavior?! So, these people get off this "accepted way of behavior" by society... but let me ask you a question, are we truly on that "accepted way of behavior"?

Torah tells us a story of Amalek in Devarim 25:17-19. It goes like this, the Jewish nation came out of Egypt and a people of Amalek came and attacked the Jewish nation while attacking those that were as Torah calls them כל הנחשלים אחריך - Hanecheshalim, Rashi explains those that were weak ones, in Midrash Tanchuma it says that those that were expelled from the protection of the Clouds of Glory due to their sins and were walking behind the camp... So Amalek attacked those that were walking outside of the camp, out of the protection of the Clouds of Glory, so by attacking them, they have instilled doubt into the hearts of the other nations - which means that all the miracles that Hashem has done when He took the Jewish nation out from Egypt which has made the Jewish nation look powerful in the eyes of other nations - after the war has made them look like nothing, and that the Jewish nation is not untouchable, and you can fight it as well. Amalek did it to prove this point: even though they lost the war, they still achieved their agenda. So, G-d gave us a commandment to kill the nation of the Amalek, and G-d said He will not rest till the end of days until He brings vengeance on this nation.

For centuries, rabbis tried to figure out who this nation of Amalek is, and in every generation, we see the few that try to annihilate the Jewish nation, and every time G-d saves us from their hands.

But there's also another explanation given by our Sages. That there's an Amalek inside each one of us, and he overtakes us and influences our behavior. Let's go a bit deeper into this idea.

It is no coincidence that Torah has used the word chalashim - the weak - they have attacked the weak, maybe Torah is giving us a hint, since we also have the weak ones in our society. These are the kids, people with little to no emunah, those that have come to Judaism recently, and the ones that are not firmly established in the Torah society.

For kids—with their undeveloped, naïve minds —beyond playing and praying, they sit and observe, watching us, our behavior, our interactions with others, and, most importantly, our service to G-d.

Those who have returned to Hashem, and have accepted the kingship of Heaven upon themselves, still struggling day to day with belief in G-d and details overall, come to shul, join the minyan, and also look around at those "established ones", and ones that have been "in it" for years… The same goes for those who are not established in the Torah society.

And we that have been “in it” for years, through our inappropriate conduct in shul, without realizing, packing and stuffing the hearts of these children and people that have returned to Hashem - stuffing their hearts with doubts - doubt of Hashem's might and mercy, His Torah, and a way of Torah life.

Suddenly, we hear of someone who moved to another neighborhood away from shul, someone who walked out of shul never to return, and, slowly, they fall out one by one...

Maybe, and just maybe, Amalek is not some other nation, but us—our inappropriate behavior and our urge to crush others in the community just to inflate our worth in public. Our way of mistreating others, spreading rumors about them, and feeling great about it before, after, and all the time, openly or secretly, casts doubt on G-d, His justice, and His involvement in our daily lives. Doubt that goes straight into the hearts of these kids and people, daily for years, as being a normal behavior in shul and in life.

Then the speech from the rabbi's podium isn't taken seriously, since it feels like a story, 'cause these kids and people have already seen from their own observations that you can do it all and be ok with G-d and others... since look, everyone is doing it. And their fathers, seeing their kids not wanting to pray or come to shul, scratch their heads, thinking Where did they go wrong?

So these Baalei Teshuvah and these kids grow up, and their doubts grow with them to the point where they become convictions, or even total disbelief in G-d, since their views were already altered from their childhood days or from the early days of praying with the minyan. Worst yet, when some of these kids grow up, finish yeshivot, have a beard and a hat, and pray daily in minyan while behaving with total disregard for G-d and halacha.

But there's more...

A similar scenario we see played out in Parashat Vayeshev: the incident with the brothers and Yosef, who was 17 years old. The Torah describes Yosef as vehu na'ar (he was young). It is no coincidence that the Torah mentions that he was young, but to bring exactly the point I was making above: he was young, naïve, and the weakest among his brothers. His naivety was shown when he saw his brothers do something he thought was wrong; he went to his father to tell him, interpreting it as he understood it. Worst yet, fully knowing that his brothers hated him, he told them about the dreams that he had, which made them hate him even more.

But what happens next? They sell him to Egypt. Years later, when the brothers are arguing with Yosef, who was the viceroy of Egypt at that moment, Yosef told them—Ani Yosef, I am Yosef —and then added something that kind of doesn't make sense—Haod Avi Chai—is my father still alive? Yosef, of course, your father is alive—you know it, since you have already heard it many times in the discussions you have had with your brothers—how can you forget it?

But, there must be a reason why Yosef asked them this question....

There are many explanations for this pasuk, but with your permission, I would like to give one as well.

During all this time, the brothers have been trying to get their brother Benyamin out of Egypt and leave. Yosef hinted to them many times, when he thought they would recognize their "enemy" before them —who was their flesh-and-blood brother Yosef —but the brothers didn't recognize him. So, when he said, Is my father still alive, he was trying to say the following:

My dear brothers, you saw me a few times already; we ate together and talked, and during all this time, you did not recognize me because I look different. But I am your brother. But do you know why I look different? Because of you. You have mistreated me in the house of my father, and then you have sold me to Egypt. I have been torn away from my father, from the security of my father's house, and thrown to a far and unknown land. Here I went through many troubles and tribulations. And look at me—you didn’t recognize me; I look different than you. You look like a Hebrew, and I look like an Egyptian, and so do my sons. So, when I was with my father, he knew me. But now, since I look so different —like an Egyptian —will my father accept me? Will he consider me part of the family, as his son?

When Yakov Avinu saw Yosef HaTzadik for the first time, our Sages say he was praying the Shema Yisrael prayer, because Hashem had introduced him to the first Off The Derech individual, someone who looked totally different, as was customary in the house of Yaakov Avinu. But this also meant that, since Yaakov Avinu and his whole family were descending into exile, there would be many more of these types of individuals. And at that moment, Yaakov Avinu was praying for all the people who would fall out of the accepted derech, for all the generations, from Yosef HaTzaddik until Mashiach times. Later, Yaakov Avinu not only accepted Yosef HaTzadik as his son, but he also accepted his children and raised them to the level of the shevatim, the tribes.

But who paid for the sin of selling Yosef to Egypt? The Holy Books tell us that Turnusrufus, a Roman official summoned Rabbi Shimon Ben Gamliel and his colleagues and presented a question before them:

What is the law with regard to he who kidnaps a man from the Jewish nation and sells him [into slavery]?” The rabbis replied that Torah mandates that such a man be put to death. “If so,” continued Turnusrufus, “where are your forbearers who sold their brother into slavery? Had they been here, I would have prosecuted them before your eyes. As for you, accept the decree of heaven, for since the times [of the 12 tribes] there have never been 10 sages of your stature [alive at one time]. Take upon yourself to die in accordance with your law; for Joseph, the son of Jacob was kidnapped and sold by his 10 brothers, and their punishment has never been exacted.”

And so it was - ten of the biggest rabbis of that generation - of all times, have been killed to atone for the sin of the 10 brothers, that have sold the young and weak lad Yosef into slavery, which turned his life upside down, tore him away from his father’s house, and made him the first Off The Derech individual in the family of Yaakov Avinu.

Take out your phone or grab a newspaper, and open the News section - what do you see? Wars and unrest worldwide, problems in national and local news. It is not there, and is contained—no, it is coming closer to home.

Now listen.. what do you hear? Do you hear the voice of Hashem - His angry roar? The Gemara Masechet Berachot 3A says the following: “Rabbi Eliezer says: The night has three watches, and at each watch, HaKadosh Baruch Hu sits and roars like a lion. Hashem says: Woe to the Children because of whose sins I destroyed My Temple and burned My Sanctuary, and exiled them among the nations of the world.”

All this unrest around us, and in the news, is for us to wake up and realize...Haven’t We Done Enough Evil??!

Hashem is coming, and He is NO Loving G-d; He is angry, since the Amaleks amongst us have turned plenty of His children away from the Torah, and He is coming with vengeance to deal with us. And by the way, there’s no need to run for the hills; they won’t help us this time. Now...He..is coming for us.

Shmuel Katanov

The Inner Battle

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 20:47:14 -0400

The Gemarah says that the First Bet Hamikdash was destroyed due to three sins - idol worship, forbidden relations, and bloodshed. The Second is due to one—Sinat Chinam, or Baseless Hatred. The Chachamim say that the sin of baseless hatred is equivalent to the three severe transgressions of the First Bet Hamikdash and was enough to destroy the Second. Today, I would like to focus on the issue of the Second Bet Hamikdash, since I believe a message may be waiting for us to discover.

Let's take, for example, the times of the Second Temple. The Gemarah tells a story about Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, but I assume you know the story, so I will not go into details. But imagine this - a person who has been thrown out of a party, and went through humiliation while witnessing the total silence from the rabbis and other members of his community present at the party, has assumed that they were OK with what was done to him. But the worst thing of all, is his next step - to frame the Country and I don't mean the host of the party or some of the members of his community that were present at the party, but a country where the ones who suffered were all the residents of the ancient Jerusalem, his parents, I assume his wife and children, neighbors and many other people unknown to him - millions were killed and taken into captivity.

Till today, the Jewish nation has not recovered from this, and the exile has been going on for 1,954 years. Our nation says we have suffered enough and deserve redemption—but do we? Have we learned from our mistakes? Have we learned from the mistakes of the generation of the Second Bet Hamikdash? Do we know what this sin is - a baseless hatred?

What moves a person to hurt someone else—jealousy... ego? Not being happy with his lot, not being happy with what Hashem has given him, and looking into someone else's plate and saying - that plate should have been mine, why he and not me, and going miles, doing and saying much - to destroy the good others have, just to have that feeling - that the other person no longer has more than him.

That feeling of anger that lurks inside the person at those moments, and the bleeding ego, spring him into action. That desire to rip the other person's life apart, or, as he thinks, to level the battlefield, or to totally level the other person to the ground, is an animalistic desire that stems from the other side of the human body.

But what is this desire to cause damage, or these traits - anger, ego, and jealousy? These are traits that have led to the downfall of many throughout human history... but they are also traits that go against G-d, against his decision, and against His authority.

When Adam and Chavah were just created and resided in the Garden of Eden, they were given only one commandment - not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. But as you know, they did not pass that test, and the result wasn’t that they had acquired all the bad character traits; it also means those bad character traits can now compete with the other traits—the good traits.

The human body has two spiritual forces - The Neshama and The Nefesh. The Neshama is the G-dly Soul that pulls the person to do G-dly work, and the Nefesh is an animal soul or an earthly soul that pulls the person to act in the physical world. There's a constant battle between these two souls. Who wins, do you think? It depends on what you fill yourself with.

If you fill yourself with Torah knowledge and good deeds, your Neshama becomes stronger and can fight off your animalistic soul. But if you indulge in this world, don't learn, transgress the laws of the Torah, and don't keep the commandments, the animalistic soul wins every time, and the person slowly changes into a different being.

So, what is baseless hatred? It is a combination of several traits - anger, ego and jealousy of another human being, enough to move the person into action to set some goals for himself - goals not of his growth, but of bringing the other person down - to affect every area of someone's life and to bring him to the point of destruction of the other's character, income, and social standing. Whether it takes months or years, he will do it constantly and involve many others in this endeavor. And all of this is done, while totally ignoring the laws of Torah and Hashem's authority over his and other people's lives.

During the Second Temple period, the nation didn't have a tribe of Yehuda ruling. Because of this one fact, as Yaakov Avinu commanded, the rest of society was not properly aligned, which led to many problems in the future, as we'll see.

The position of Cohen HaGadol was awarded to the highest bidder, since people who were not cohanim could become one, even though they knew full well that they would die upon entering Kadosh Kedoshim. And since the office of the King and Cohen HaGadol had problems, there was no system of checks and enforcement of the laws—no one demanded that the Kohanim and Leviim go out and teach the nation. And since nobody learned, and no one demanded, but the few, the general population was busy hating, ridiculing, spreading lies, and framing others. People were coming to bring sacrifices to Hashem, but on the other hand, they continued to hate and malign others.

In the Haftorah of the Parashat Devarim, in Shabbat Chazon, it says: "Why do I need your numerous sacrifices? - says Hashem - I am satiated with elevation offerings of rams and the choicest of fattened animals; and the blood of the bulls and sheep and he-goats I do not desire. When you come to appear before Me, who sought this from your hand, to trample my courtyards? You shall not continue to bring a worthless meal-offering - incense of abomination it is unto Me; New Moon and Shabbat, calling of the assembly, I cannot accept untruthfulness from society. Your New Moons and your appointed festivals, My soul hates; they have become a burden upon Me that I am weary of bearing. And when you spread your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you were to increase prayer, I do not hear; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves, purify yourselves; remove the evil of your doings from before My eyes; desist from doing evil. Learn to do good, seek justice, strengthen the victim, do justice for the orphan, take up the cause of the widow."

The nation was deep in its evil ways, and the hate flowed in all directions, along with animalistic behavior. People were killing others with their rumors and words, destroying livelihoods and families, while totally neglecting the sanctity of the place they were in. To Hashem, and to many others, it seemed like a WILD JUNGLE in HIS own House - The Bet Hamikdash. And this Hashem did not allow to continue - thus blood flowed - many were killed and many were taken captive when Hashem destroyed the Second Bet Hamikdash.

In Yerushalmi, Masechet Yoma 1a, the Sages teach, "Any generation in which the Temple is not built, it is as if it had been destroyed in their times".

And here we are today. Are we ready for redemption and the building of Bet Hamikdash, or are we in the process of destroying the one we were going to build?

Not by coincidence, our shuls are called Small Batey Mikdashim.

Do we think twice before we malign, spread rumors, and act in an animalistic and hateful way toward others? Are the tefillin, daily prayers, and tzedakah held in high importance, while spreading lies, rumors, and hate is allowed? Do our shuls look like a Jungle in the eyes of Hashem and others, who try to stay as far away as possible from the places of Torah? Or do they look like a place that draws others in, to learn how to serve Hashem better?

And maybe this is another coincidence, but since the destruction of the Second Temple, we say in the evening prayer of Aravit, in the Hashkivenu part - ...Shevor Ve Haser HaSatan Milefanenu U Meacharenu - Break and remove the Satan from before us and from behind us - could mean that those people with animalistic traits have graduated from an Animal level to a Satan level, and got really good at ruining people's lives - and here we ask for Hashem's assistance to deal with them?! Deal with them while we are in their presence, and deal with them when we are not around them, when they are out there spreading rumors and lies.

So, what are we doing with our Bet Hamikdash—building it or destroying it daily? Will it be the next generation that succeeds and builds it, or will it be us?

For as long as we avoid Torah learning, we’ll repeat the behavior and the mistakes of the previous generations, since we'll think that everything we do is right and we have no need to change. The animal in us will strive and grow, and will take over our lives while trampling over others. We won't notice the bad we do, since we will feel that we are prospering and growing in life, but in reality, we'll be walking over the bodies of other people "to reach our goals" as it happened in the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza who achieved his goal of revenge, but had total disregard to the consequences of his actions.

But then we realize, that we’ve ended up with nothing good, and have gained whole lot of bad - since we’ve been filling our souls with evil, lies and emptiness of this world while strengthening the traits of anger, ego and jealousy, and committing countless amounts of sins - by making the animal inside of us stronger and bolder every day.

So, I ask you my reader - who do you give your strength to in your life - to your G-dly Soul or to your Animal Soul?

Shmuel Katanov

PS: Dedicated to B.S. & F.N.

Modesty or The Holy Scroll

Mon, 17 Aug 2020 15:18:40 -0400

Modesty or Tzeniut... When one hears either of these words, the first thing that usually comes to mind is: Oh come on! Do I really have to wear all that? It is so hot outside, I feel so layered up, like an onion... There are lots of excuses one can come up with, but allow me to show you the outcome of whichever choice you make.

I looked up the word "Modesty" in the dictionary, and this is what I found: Modesty is a mode of dress that intends to avoid encouraging sexual attraction in others. The word "modesty" comes from the Latin modestus, meaning "keeping within measure."

The word Tzeniut means: it describes both the character traits of modesty and discretion, and a group of Jewish laws pertaining to conduct. In modern times, the term has become more commonly used in reference to the rules of dress for women in Judaism.

The Sages say that if a woman keeps the laws of modesty as a reward, she will merit to marry a Cohen and have Cohanim Gedolim come from her. She will have children who may be Jewish judges, great sages, righteous people, and so much more—all of this just by being modest.

But what is it about modesty that so much can be gained from it?

In the book Power Points by Rabbi Ephraim Nissenbaum, there's a story in Parashat Nasso about a young woman who became observant and was bothered by the fact that Jews hold lavish Bar Mitzvahs for boys. At the same time, for girls, the Bat Mitzvah passes unnoticed.

So she asked her Rav, to which he replied, "The Vilna Gaon says that tzeniut or modesty is to a woman what Torah study is to a man, meaning it is her vehicle for spiritual growth. When a boy turns 13, he is counted as part of the minyan and called to the Torah. These are public events, and the celebration is, therefore, public as well.

When a girl reaches bat mitzvah, her defining moment is marked by an image of royalty through modesty. So with this spirit of modesty, her celebration is less public and more reserved."

An image of royalty is a great way to view it, but there could be more to it.

The Sages compare a woman to a Sefer Torah scroll. Since the Sefer Torah is holy and valuable, we dress it beautifully and hide it in a safe box or the Aron. Not only that, but if any of the letters in the scroll are missing or broken, the whole scroll becomes invalid or not kosher.

But what is the scroll made of? It is made of the skin of a kosher animal—klaf—and the sofer, the person who writes it, writes it in holiness and while meditating on the names of G-d.

The Midrash Tanchuma, Bereshit 1 says: How was the Torah written? It was written with letters of black fire on a surface of white fire or black ink against the white parchment.

I believe there could be more to the black fire on white fire.

We can literally compare them to a married couple—a woman as white fire and a man as black fire.

Just like in the Torah, if a letter is broken or falls from its original place, the scroll becomes invalid. So is the woman; if she is dressed immodestly, not according to Jewish law, she loses that energy or her white fire.

But what is this energy or the white fire?

In Bereshit 2:24 it says: "עַל־כֵּן֙ יַֽעֲזָב־אִ֔ישׁ אֶת־אָבִ֖יו וְאֶת־אִמּ֑וֹ וְדָבַ֣ק בְּאִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וְהָי֖וּ לְבָשָׂ֥ר אֶחָֽד׃ - Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh." What happens when the two of them become one flesh? Once the man and the woman are united in a holy act, when permitted by Jewish law, they combine their energies or their fires—black fire and white fire—and this is when the Presence of Hashem comes to dwell in their home, helping them grow in holiness.

When a woman dresses immodestly, she loses her energy, or white fire, and thereby her holiness. This causes the couple to get distracted from serving Hashem, and their goals switch from spiritual to physical, but this is not the only loss. This distraction weakens all the members of the family in their service to G-d and slowly moves them further and further away from Him. Since she has been with her husband, but he cannot cling to her, and they cannot become one flesh - thus they lose out in this world and the next. This is when the issues of Shalom Bayit and other problems arise.

When a woman keeps the laws of Modesty, she becomes a holy parchment—the white fire. A man becomes the black fire or the black ink. When they are together in the holy act, the couple becomes a Holy Letter of the Torah, with their children around them as crowns on that letter written on the holy parchment.

As families around the world strengthen in their modesty, they slowly grow in holiness. Hashem handpicks them to be part of his own Sefer Torah—The Living and Breathing Sefer Torah. These holy couples keep the laws of modesty and the laws of Torah, either from birth or by returning to their roots later in their lives, thus becoming part of the Holy Scroll of Hashem. And if the woman reveals little in an immodest way, that letter loses its place in the Holy Scroll of Hashem, but not only does the woman lose her place, the whole family is affected by it as well.

In the Megilat Ruth 2:5 says, "וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בֹּ֙עַז֙ לְנַעֲר֔וֹ הַנִּצָּ֖ב עַל־הַקּֽוֹצְרִ֑ים לְמִ֖י הַנַּעֲרָ֥ה הַזֹּֽאת׃ - Boaz said to the servant who was in charge of the reapers: Whose girl is that? Rashi explains, To whom does this maiden belong. What did Boaz see in Ruth? He saw her modest and wise behavior, how she picked up the wheat stalks, and did it modestly by sitting."

This act alone led to her marriage to Boaz, thus paving the way for a royal lineage to come from her—King David, King Shlomo, and the long-awaited Mashiach himself —because of her modesty.

But let's look at this from yet another angle.

It is written in the Torah, "The Israelites journeyed from Raamses to Succoth, about 600,000 men on foot, aside from children." (Shemot 12:37) They all traveled with their wives and children, and as it says in the Masechet Sotah 11B, "Rav Avira taught: In the merit of the righteous women that were in that generation, the Jewish people were redeemed from Egypt."

Also, the word "ישראל - Israel" can be read as an acronym for "Yesh Shishim Ribo Otiot LaTorah", meaning: "There are 600,000 letters in the Torah." Therefore, the nation of Israel did not leave Egypt until 600,000 holy couples were included in Hashem's Sefer Torah.

So, if problems come into this world, we have probably fallen short of our minimum of 600,000 families or letters in Hashem's Sefer Torah for modesty. If we improve on this collectively, it can be the answer to the problems the world faces today.

As we increase the number to 600,000+ families, we will increase our chances of bringing redemption closer and finally meeting Mashiach in the near future.

- - Part 2 - -

But let's go a bit deeper.

In Masechet Menachot 29B, we are told of this story:

"Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: When Moses ascended on High, he found the Holy One, Blessed be He, sitting and tying crowns on the letters of the Torah. Moses said before G-d: Master of the Universe, who prevents You from giving the Torah without these additions? G-d said to him: There is a man destined to be born after several generations, and Akiva ben Yosef is his name; he is destined to derive from each thorn of these crowns, mounds upon mounds of halakhot. For his sake, the crowns must be added to the letters of the Torah.

Moses said before G-d: Master of the Universe, show him to me. G-d said to him: Return behind you. Moses went and sat at the end of the eighth row in Rabbi Akiva's study hall and did not understand what they were saying. Moses' strength waned as he thought his Torah knowledge was deficient. When Rabbi Akiva arrived at the discussion of one matter, his students said, "My teacher, from where do you derive this? Rabbi Akiva told them: It is a halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai. When Moses heard this, his mind was put at ease, as this was part of the Torah he would receive."

Those couples who are careful about the laws of modesty are like the holy couples that came before King David. Please take a look at this essay: King David's Lineage. These holy couples will merit being inscribed in Hashem's Sefer Torah. As it says in the above Gemara, Hashem ties the crowns to the letters as if Hashem rewards these couples with unbelievable Torah growth, and high-caliber children, who will grow to be prophets, great Talmidei Chachamim, and righteous and holy individuals. And this is how you raise an upright and holy family.

My Holy Nation -- Reserve and earn your place in Hashem's Living and Breathing Sefer Torah!!

Shmuel Katanov
8/17/2020

Why should I keep Shabbat?

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 12:00:38 -0400

Shabbat or Shabbos... we heard it so many times; some heard it since birth if they were born into a religious home, while others heard it from a friend, at a lecture, or read an article about it later in their lives. This is the only question that is asked most of the time, whether one observes Sabbath... when one is about to be hired, looking for a shidduch, or dealing with some other important matter, but what is it? Why is such importance placed on this one day of the week? There are books and books on this subject, and if you search the Internet, you'll find literally thousands of lectures on the importance of keeping Shabbat and its laws. Let's look into it closely so we can better understand it...

The first time Shabbat is mentioned is when Moshe Rabbeinu received the Ten Commandments. G-d said: "Remember Shabbat day and keep it Holy".

So, what is Shabbat all about?

A person is not allowed to perform the 39 melachot, or types of work, on Shabbat, according to the Mishkan's activities associated with them.

The commandment of Shabbat is a sign between us and Hashem for generations to come, when one day of the week we unplug ourselves from mundane, and plug ourselves, or shall I say flood our life with holy energy of Shabbat, for one day of the week that lasts until the next week Shabbat comes around.

But I believe there's more to it, so please allow me to offer my explanation.

When a woman lights the Shabbat candles, the Shabbat starts. Men go to shule for prayers, the table is set, and everyone is in a great mood. This is when the table is adorned with a beautiful tablecloth and fine silverware. The feeling of holiness is in the air. The food is extra delicious, more dishes are being brought out, and overall, it feels extra special. Kids are sitting around the table, everyone singing, talking about the words of Torah, and simply enjoying each other's company. There's a feeling of harmony, oneness, love, and camaraderie in the family. This is the time when family bonds and the ties of love among all family members become stronger.

Suddenly, one member of the family gets up from the table and sits on the sofa, reaches out for the remote control and turns on the TV...and BOOM - all the magic suddenly disappears, the harsh reality of mundane sets in, the voices of the people sitting at the table become louder and louder, the situation switches from the holy to everyday and the feeling of holiness and harmony of Shabbat is no longer there.

This is how Shabbat is broken. The Holy Books bring some of the harshest punishments to the one who breaks Shabbat, but why go to such extremity? Why is G-d so harsh with the one who breaks Shabbat?

To answer the question above, we need to look into one incident in the Torah, and hopefully we will be able to look at this with a different set of eyes.

In Sefer Bereshit, G-d created Heaven and Earth, then He created animals, trees, birds, man, and everything else to support His creation in the livable conditions. After each day of work, He said, "It Was Good," and indeed it was. Everything was simply beautiful: the sky, with birds flying around, singing and enjoying life; the land, with its animals and greenery; the oceans, with their creatures; and, above all, Adam with his wife Chava—everything in the Garden of Eden was in harmony and simply beautiful.

Suddenly, the Snake comes over to Chava while Adam is away, talks her into eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, which she does, and then makes Adam do the same. And for this, everyone involved was punished. G-d cursed Adam, Chava, and a Snake with the harshest curses for breaking His word.

Since Adam and Chava ate from the Tree of Knowledge, their view of the world has changed in an instant. But more than that, something else has been changed, or shall I say, broken. The efforts that G-d put into creating that perfect world, one that could coexist with its flora and fauna—its harmony and its magic—were broken, evaporated, gone, and faded.

Murder, rivalry, death, hardships, competition, diseases, and more were introduced into the world. This plagues us to this day, and the whole world suffers. Turn on any media outlet, and the negative news floods the minds of millions of people daily, trying to sway them from spiritual truth and pursuits. We're drowning in the lies, and it seems that there's no way out. Go out into any social setting, and you'll see lies, slander, murder, and anything bad you can think of is done either openly or stealthily.

But I believe there's more to the curse of the snake. In Bereshit 3:14 it says: "Then the LORD G-d said to the serpent, Because you did this, More cursed shall you be Than all cattle And all the wild beasts: On your belly shall you crawl And dirt shall you eat all the days of your life."

In the beginning, it may seem that the snake hasn't lost much, but the Sages say the real curse was that the snake was walking like a human being in an upright position, but after the curse, it lost its limbs, thus had to crawl on its belly and eat the dust, which is plentiful and all around it. He also lost the ability to pray or be heard by G-d; this ability has been taken away from him, no matter the situation he may be in.

When a person breaks Shabbat, he breaks the harmony of that day, he breaks the flow of the holy energy, he breaks the ancient creation, and draws more of that negative energy into this world, thus continuing the work of the snake. That is why Masechat Chulin 5A says that he deliberately takes himself out of the covenant and sets himself apart from the nation, where he is considered to be like a non Jew. By breaking Shabbat, it opens the door to more transgressions, at which point they are committed without a second thought.

We can even go further and say that just like the snake lost his limbs, so are the person's spiritual limbs on his neshama atrophying, so he can't experience the spiritual, and he pursues physical pleasures in this world. He may enjoy wealth and positions in this world since they become more available and abundant to him, because they become easier to acquire than spiritual items which require functional limbs, but he also loses the opportunity to have a relationship with G-d, and gets paid for any of the outstanding merits and good he may have done over the years in this world to enjoy his life, until he is ready to part with this world.

When a Jew dies, it is said in the Holy Books, that so and so is joined to his nation, his neshama or soul is joined with his parents, grandparents and so on all the way to the forefathers, but not so with the one that breaks the Shabbat, he is not joined to his nation and his soul goes to a different place not where all the Jews are going, the cleansing process of the soul is longer, and when the time of resurrection comes, he won’t be joining his nation, since he is not part of the Jewish nation and his soul is lost forever.

By breaking Shabbat, we are breaking away from our people, thus making ourselves outsiders not only to the religion but also to G-d, to the nation, to the future redemption, and to the turmoil of everyday life.

Our passed on parents, grandparents, and the ones before them all the way to our forefathers are praying that we will make the right choice and embrace the covenant so we stay together after our passing as a nation.

The Sages say that this world is like a hallway before the Grand Ballroom. In order to get to the main room, we need to pass through the hallway, make ourselves look presentable - by toiling in Torah and mitzvot - in order not to be ashamed in front of others that have passed before us, and not to shame our relatives because we lack in front of others present in the ballroom.

But what should we do if Shabbat was not on our To Do list as a major, important item? Start today, keep some of it — or all of it —and you will see how your life will change. Make an opening in your heart and let G-d enter and fill your heart, and let the blessings overflow into every area of your life. And when you do that, that's when your spiritual limbs will heal and get stronger, and you will be able to easily grow and prosper in the spiritual domain. As it is says in the Devarim 4:4 "וְאַתֶּם֙ הַדְּבֵקִ֔ים בַּיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם חַיִּ֥ים כֻּלְּכֶ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם׃ - While you, who held tight to the LORD your G-d, are all alive Today." With the turmoil that's going on in the world today, you can hold tight, only if your spiritual limbs are intact and strong.

So, why should we keep Shabbat? Because life is full of vanities as was told by Shlomo HaMelech, it is full of things that make noise but have no base and no real value. Loyalty to G-d, and to the generations of the past, and loyalty to your own nation - this is something worth living for, everything else is just a fading noise which is not worth pursuing.

Shmuel Katanov

Upon whom shall we depend?

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 00:05:55 -0400

"When murderers multiplied, the [ceremony of] breaking a heifer’s neck ceased. That was from the time of Eliezer ben Dinai, and he was also called Tehinah ben Perisha. He was afterwards renamed “son of the murderer”. When adulterers multiplied, the ceremony of the bitter waters ceased. It was Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai who discontinued it, as it is said, “I will not punish their daughters for fornicating, nor their daughters-in-law for committing adultery, for they themselves [turn aside with whores and sacrifice with prostitutes]” (Hosea 4:14). When Yose ben Yoezer of Zeredah and Yose ben Yohanan of Jerusalem died, the grape-clusters ceased, as it is said, “There is not a cluster [of grapes] to eat; not a ripe fig I could desire [The pious are vanished from the land, none upright are left among men" (Micah 7:1-2).

"Yohanan the high priest brought to an end the confession made at the presentation of the tithe. He also discontinued the wakers and the knockers. Up to his days, the hammer used to strike in Jerusalem, and in his days, there was no need to inquire about doubtfully tithed produce."

"When the Sanhedrin ceased [to function], song ceased from the places of feasting, as it is said, 'They drink their wine without song' (Isaiah 24:9).

"When the former prophets died, the Urim and Thummim ceased. When Temple was destroyed, the shamir and nopheth zufim ceased. And people of faith ceased, as it says, “Help, O Lord, for the faithful are no more” (Psalms 12:2). Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel in the name of Rabbi Joshua: from the day the Temple was destroyed, there is no day without a curse, the dew has not descended for a blessing, and the flavor has departed from produce. Rabbi Yose says, "The fatness was also removed from produce."

"Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: [the cessation of observation of the] purity laws has removed taste and fragrance, [the cessation of observation of] the tithes has removed the fatness of grain. But the Sages say: licentiousness and sorcery destroyed everything."

"When Rabbi Meir died, the composers of fables ceased. When Ben Azzai died, the diligent students [of Torah] ceased. When Ben Zoma died, the expounders ceased. When Rabbi Joshua died, goodness ceased from the world. When Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel died, locusts came and troubles multiplied. When Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah died, the sages ceased to be wealthy. When Rabbi Akiba died, the glory of the Torah ceased. When Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa died, men of wondrous deeds ceased. When Rabbi Yose Katnuta died, the pious men (hasidim) ceased. Why was his name called Katnuta? Because he was the youngest of the pious men. When Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai died, the splendor of wisdom ceased. When Rabban Gamaliel the elder died, the glory of the Torah ceased, and purity and separateness perished. When Rabbi Ishmael ben Fabi died, the splendor of the priesthood ceased. When Rabbi died, humility and fear of sin ceased."

"Rabbi Phineas ben Yair says: when the Temple was destroyed, scholars and freemen were ashamed and covered their heads, men of wondrous deeds were disregarded, and violent men and big talkers grew powerful. And nobody expounds, nobody seeks, and nobody asks. Upon whom shall we depend? Upon our Father who is in Heaven."

"Rabbi Eliezer the Great says: from the day the Temple was destroyed, the sages began to be like scribes, scribes like synagogue-attendants, synagogue-attendants like common people, and the common people became more and more debased. And nobody seeks. Upon whom shall we depend? Upon our Father who is in Heaven. In the footsteps of the messiah insolence (hutzpah) will increase and the cost of living will go up greatly; the vine will yield its fruit, but wine will be expensive; the government will turn to heresy, and there will be no one to rebuke; the meeting-place [of scholars] will be used for licentiousness; the Galilee will be destroyed, the Gablan will be desolated, and the dwellers on the frontier will go about [begging] from place to place without anyone to take pity on them; the wisdom of the learned will rot, fearers of sin will be despised, and the truth will be lacking; youths will put old men to shame, the old will stand up in the presence of the young, 'For son spurns father, daughter rises against mother, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law a man’s own household are his enemies (Micah 7:6)."

"The face of the generation will be like the face of a dog; a son will not feel ashamed before his father. Upon whom shall we depend? Upon our Father who is in Heaven."

"Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair says, Heedfulness (being aware or alertness) leads to cleanliness, cleanliness leads to purity, purity leads to separation, separation leads to holiness, holiness leads to modesty, modesty leads to fear of sin, fear of sin leads to piety, piety leads to the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit leads to the resurrection of the dead, and the resurrection of the dead comes from Elijah, blessed be his memory, Amen." -- Mishnah Sotah Chapter 9.

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Coronavirus or What Is G-d Trying To Tell Us?

Mon, 02 Mar 2020 12:12:34 -0500

As you know, more and more countries are getting infected with the CoronaVirus, and it is not slowing down. The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially named this virus COVID-19. Why did they choose this name?

The Sages tell us that parents become prophets when they choose a name for their child, since they name the child with the name G-d wants him to have. I believe the same thing happened here: the World Health Organization has chosen a name that G-d wants, since He is trying to tell us something.

But what exactly is He trying to tell us?

Covid-19 is written in Hebrew as: 19–כוביד starts with letters כו - Kaf & Vav that have a Gematria or a numerical value of 26, as in the Tetragrammaton - YHVH, and the word ends with יד - Yud & Dalet or word Yad which means Hand - with a numerical value of 14. Together, both words mean: the Hand of G-d. In the middle, there's the letter ב—Bet, which has a numerical value of 2. So, if we add all these values together —26+14+2=42 —it represents a powerful Kabbalistic 42-letter name of G-d.

In Exodus 8:12-15, we have a similar reference, but to a finger of G-d: "And the Lord said to Moshe, Say to Aharon, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may turn into lice throughout all the land of Mizrayim. And they did so; for Aharon stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Mizrayim. And the magicians did so with their secret arts to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice on man and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, This is the finger of G-d: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said."

Back then, G-d showed His Might to Pharaoh and the whole of Egypt. But during this process, Pharaoh hardened his heart every time, and at the end, he lost it all.

This time, G-d is showing His Might to the whole world, and it is not pretty.

But what should we do? There's only one way to stop it, and it is a Teshuvah - to return to G-d, to keep Shabbat, Torah laws, learn the laws of slandering, and to make G-d our Master and the driving force of our life instead of wealth and a comfortable lifestyle. The nation of Israel must keep its end of the bargain—we must fulfill what we promised when we accepted the Torah at Mount Sinai.

The same thing goes for the non-Jews, who have their own set of laws to keep.

These are the times of the Mashiach, and G-d will do everything to bring the end of days events and prophecies to happen, whether we are ready for them or not.

DO NOT repeat the mistake of Pharaoh and Harden Your Heart, a lot is at stake, and we are all in this together.

The destruction of Egypt happened with The Finger of G-d, imagine what may happen to our World from the blow of The Hand of G-d...?? Let's work together, do our parts, and make this World a better place for all of Humanity.

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Here is the latest news from around the world where COVID-19, or Coronavirus, is found.

Shmuel Katanov

Козёл Отпущения

Wed, 08 May 2019 15:25:14 -0400

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

The Life on Autopilot

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 15:20:17 -0500

As you already know, Moshe Rabbeinu grew up in the palace of the Pharaoh, and one day he decided to go out and see the world beyond the palace. As he toured the city, he saw the hardships and bitterness his people had to endure in their everyday lives. Suddenly, he came across this scene - he saw how an Egyptian guard was beating a Jewish slave.

In Shemot 2:12 says:
וַיִּ֤פֶן כֹּה֙ וָכֹ֔ה וַיַּ֖רְא כִּ֣י אֵ֣ין אִ֑ישׁ וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־הַמִּצְרִ֔י וַֽיִּטְמְנֵ֖הוּ בַּחֽוֹל׃
“He turned this way and that, and seeing no one about, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.”

Rabbeinu Bahya said:
וירא כי אין איש אין איש עתיד לעמוד ממנו שיתגייר - And he saw that no one, (people were standing around since Pharaoh found out about this incident), no one was a man enough to stand up to him, to the Egyptian guard. All were afraid, and no one stepped forward to defend the slave.

So Moshe Rabbeinu struck the Egyptian guard, killed him, and buried him in the sand.

In the Masechet Gittin 56A, there’s a story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, where the host of the party was arguing with one of the people who was invited to the party erroneously, and who happened to be his enemy - Bar Kamtza. As they were arguing back and forth, no one from the rabbis present at the party said anything in his defense. When he was thrown out of the party, bar Kamtza decided to take revenge on all those people involved in his humiliation, and the outcome was that we lost millions of lives and the Temple was destroyed.

In another scenario, when Moshe Rabbeinu came late for a few hours from Mount Sinai, where he received the Torah, the people came over to Chur, the son of Miriam, and demanded from him to build them an idol - he flatly refused, for which he was killed, said Rashi on Shemot 32:5:3. After killing Chur they have approached Aaron HaCohen. He saw how they had dealt with Chur and agreed to build them an idol, but he was stretching out the time and slowing the process in hopes that Moshe Rabbeinu would come down and foil this plan. But against all of his efforts and with the help of the Egyptian sorcerers working behind his back, the Golden Calf has emerged from the fire and people have worshipped the idol as it says in Shemot 32:4. When Moshe Rabbeinu came down with the commandments, he saw similar scenario, few thousand or so people are dancing around the golden calf and the rest of the three million people along with Aharon HaCohen are standing around and watching.

After this incident, Aaron HaCohen becomes a Rodef Shalom—the Pursuer of Peace. Aaron HaCohen understood one simple truth – we should not live on autopilot. He began strengthening bonds among friends and families, thereby fostering peace, unity, and harmony in society.

But what is living on autopilot? When we live on autopilot, we make mistakes in ideology, principles, and convictions. We ignore quarrels in society, accept and spread slander, and play along in other people's arguments.

Evil thrives when no one stands up to it, when no one challenges it, and it sweeps more people into it while causing great damage.

As German theologian Martin Niemöller said in his poem in 1933:

"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."

And as Albert Einstein said: “This world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”

The more we ignore things that are happening with others, standing by idly while letting things be done and words be said, the more it goes out of control, and in the end, we too become liable in the eyes of G-d. Look around in your community, your family, and the places where you have influence. Is it lacking peace? Is there harmony or strife and slander?

Moshe Rabbeinu had to get involved when an Egyptian guard was beating a Jewish slave to death, and he did. The rabbis who were present at the party had to get involved in the story of Kamtza and Bar-Kamzta without considering the consequences it might have. And in the building of the golden calf, the three million people and Aaron HaCohen had to stand their ground and go against the people who were bowing down to the idol, no matter the outcome that was there for them.

The more we keep quiet, thinking that it is none of our business and while pretending we do not notice anything – we give evil time to carry out their evil plans, because that's when they start to count on us that we will defend them, justify their actions before others and not expose their plans – and for this we carry the burden of the guilt. We will be responsible before G-d, as our ancestors did.

So, what should one do? Should he get involved in a machloket (dispute)? Definitely YES! But not to make more trouble or take sides, but to ensure the dispute is resolved and peace is restored.

That's why in Pirkey Avot 1:12 it says: "Hillel used to say: Be of the disciples of Aaron HaCohen, loving peace and pursuing peace..."

When Aharon HaCohen died, at his funeral, there were a lot of children from all those families that were about to fall apart, whom he was able to save. Thousands of children were named after him as a token of appreciation from their parents. Aharon HaCohen has dedicated his life to peace; he has pursued it, has busied himself with it all the hours of his day, giving it the importance and letting us know of the huge responsibility that was placed on our shoulders.

Through his efforts and results, Aharon HaCohen has proven that each of us can — and should — be a peacemaker in our own society.

Shmuel Katanov

Жизнь на Автопилоте

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 19:42:39 -0500

Как нам известно, Моше Раббейну вырос во дворце у фараона, и однажды он решил выйти на улицу, чтобы увидеть мир вне дворца. Гуляя по городу он увидел все страдания, трудности и горечь повседневной жизни, в которой пребывал его народ. И вдруг перед ним встала вот такая картина - он увидел как египетский страж бил еврейского раба.

В Шемот 2:12 сказано:
"וַיִּ֤פֶן כֹּה֙ וָכֹ֔ה וַיַּ֖רְא כִּ֣י אֵ֣ין אִ֑ישׁ וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־הַמִּצְרִ֔י וַֽיִּטְמְנֵ֖הוּ בַּחֽוֹל׃
Он повернул голову в эту сторону потом в другую, увидев никого рядом, он ударил Египтянина и закопал его в песке."

Рабейну Бахия сказал на этот отрывок:
וירא כי אין איש אין איש עתיד לעמוד ממנו שיתגייר - И он увидел что там никого не было, (хотя там стояли люди, потому что об этом инцинденте узнал фараон позже), люди были вокруг но мужчин не было, кто мог бы противостоять египтянину. Все боялись пойти против него и все стояли в стороне.

Так Моше Раббейну ударил египтянина, убил его и закопал в песке. (Шемот 2:12)

Мы встречаем аналогичную ситуацию в других местах:

В Масехет Гиттин 56А, есть история про Камца и Бар Камца. Хозяин торжества спорит с одним из ошибочно приглашенных гостей, - который являлся его врагом, - и все сидящие раввины за столом не проронили ни слова в защиту этого гостя. Когда его выпроводили, он решил отомстить всем тем, кто сидел за столом и, вследствие этого была месть всему народу, что и послужило разрушению Храма и гибели миллионов людей.

В другом случае, когда Моше Раббейну опоздал на несколько часов после принятия Торы на горе Синай, люди подошли к Хуру, сыну Мирьям и потребовали сделать для них идола - он категорически отказался за что и был убит, говорит нам Раши в Книге Шемот 32:5:3. После этого они подошли к Аарон хаКоэну брату Моше Раббейну. Увидев, как они разделались с Хуром, он согласился построить им идола, и начал тянуть время и процесс изготовления идола. Но наперекор всем его стараниям, колдуны, работающие против него, оживили идола и он выпрыгнул из огня, как сказано (в Шемот 32:4). Когда Моше Раббейну спустился с горы, он увидел как горстка людей танцует вокруг идола а Аарон хаКоэн и три миллиона людей стоят вокруг и смотрят.

После этого инцидента, Аарон Хакоэн становится человеком, Преследующим Мир - Родеф Шалём. Он понял одну простую истину - не надо жить на автопилоте. Он укреплял дружбу между друзьями, мирил семьи, при этом создавая мир, спокойствие и гармонию в обществе.

А что такое жизнь на автопилоте?

Когда мы живём на автопилоте - мы ошибаемся в своих идеалах, принципах и убеждениях. Мы игнорируем все ссоры в обществе, принимаем и разносим сплетни, и подыгрываем в спорах.

Зло живет, когда против него никто не идёт, когда никто не противостоит ему и оно заглатывает всё больше людей делая при этом больше вреда.

Как сказал германский теолог Мартин Нимоллер в своей поэме в 1933 году:

«Сначала они пришли за социалистами, и я молчал — потому что я не был социалистом.
Затем они пришли за профсоюзными активистами, и я молчал — потому что я не был членом профсоюза.
Затем они пришли за евреями, и я молчал — потому что я не был евреем.
Затем они пришли за мной — и не осталось никого, кто мог бы заступиться за меня!»

Как сказал Альберт Эйнштейн: "Этот мир очень опасное место - не из за людей которые делают зло, а из за людей которые видят и молча наблюдают."

Чем больше мы игнорируем события происходящие с другими, стоим в стороне и даём вещам произойти и словам сказаться, тем больше усугубляется ситуация, и, в конце концов, мы становимся ответственными в глазах Вс-вышнего.

Оглянитесь вокруг себя в своём обществе, есть ли там мир?

Существует ли там гармония или там сплетни и разногласия?

Моше Раббейну должен был вмешаться, и он вмешался, когда египетский страж бил еврейского раба до смерти. Раввины, присутствующие на торжестве должны были вмешаться в истории с Камцой и Бар Камцой, несмотря ни на что, как бы это им не обернулось.

В истории с золотым тельцом, три миллиона людей во главе с Аарон хаКоэном должны были стоять на своём и пойти против горстки людей поклоняющихся золотому тельцу - несмотря на последствия, которые их ожидали.

Чем больше мы молчим - основываясь на то что нас это не касается или, делая вид что мы ничего не замечаем - мы даём злу время осуществить свои злые замыслы и этим мы становимся свидетелями моральной деградации нашего общества. Своим молчанием мы становимся частью их злых планов и дел, потому что они начинают рассчитывать на нас - на то, что мы их поддержим, оправдаем перед другими, и не раскроем их планы. И за это мы несем бремя вины, и за это мы будем в ответе перед Вс-вышним так же, как и наши предки.

Так что же делать в таком случае? Нужно ли встревать в спор? Конечно ДА! но не для того чтобы встать на чью-то сторону, пускать слухи и создавать ещё больше проблем, а только для того чтобы остановить спор и восстановить мир.

Недаром в Пиркей Авоте 1:12 говорится: "Хиллель говорил: Будь учеником Аарон хаКоэна, люби мир и гонись за миром..."

Когда Аарон хаКоэн ушёл из жизни, на его похоронах вышло много детей от всех тех семей, которые были на грани развода и которые он сумел сохранить. Тысячи детей носили его имя в знак благодарности от их родителей. Аарон хаКоэн посвятил свою жизнь миру, он гнался за ним, он занимался этим все часы своего дня - придав этому делу важность, и этим дав нам понять, какая большая ответственность возложена на наши плечи.

Своими делами, усилиями и результатами Аарон хаКоэн доказал что каждый из нас может и должен стать миротворцем в своём обществе.

Шмуэль Катанов

Борьба и Триумф Наших Праотцов

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 12:06:06 -0500

Как вы уже знаете у нас есть 3 праотца это Авраам Авину, Ицхак Авину и Яаков Авину, и они олицетворяют собой три качества: Авраам Авину это Хесед или доброта, Ицхак Авину это Гевура или сила и Яаков Авину это Эмэт или Истина. Давайте рассмотрим каждый из них в отдельности.

Авраам Авину это Хесед или доброта, это очень легко увидеть в Мидрашах и в Торе - его дом был местом куда приходили поесть бесплатно - первая сеть бесплатных столовых в пустыне - где нет ничего кроме песка и солнца, и всё что он брал за плату, это благословение за еду. Люди стекались толпами и Авраам Авину смог привести много людей к вере в Единого Творца. Доброта и была тем магнитом которая притягивала к нему эти массы людей.

Ицхак Авину, он олицетворяет собой Гевура или силу. Но если вы почитаете Хумаш, то вы наверняка заметите что он не участвовал ни в одной войне, где бы он мог показать свою физическую силу, а всё время учился в шалашах Торой. Но есть один момент. В Недельной Главе Тольдот, Брешит 26:17 рассказывается как Ицхак Авину переехал в долину Герар, и начал откапывать колодцы которые принадлежали его отцу Аврааму но были засыпаны в их отсутствии. Откопав первый колодец и увидев воду его слуги обрадовались, но прибежали филистимляне и начали спор доказывая что этот колодец принадлежит им. Ицхак Авину промолчал, и отошёл подальше от того места. Когда люди Ицхака Авину откопали другой колодец, филистимляне прибежали доказывая своё и отобрали и этот колодец. И опять Ицхак Авину промолчал и перешёл в другое место. Откопав следующий колодец, и увидев воду он оглянулся и ждал - а не придут ли опять чтобы отобрать и этот? Они не пришли, и он назвал это место Реховот и сказал: "Вот сейчас Г-сподь сделал место для нас и мы будем размножаться на этой земле" (Берешит 26:18-22).

Так что же заслужило ему титул сильного? В Пиркей Авот в четвёртой главе, говорится: "Кто сильный? Тот кто может побороть свои наклонности." Как говорится в Книге Притчей Соломоновых 16:32, "Лучше тот, кто медлит свой гнев, чем тот у кого есть сила, тот кто правит своим духом, чем тот, кто захватывает город." Каждый раз когда филистимляне отбирали колодцы повышая свои голоса, и доказывая что это принадлежит им, Ицхак Авину держал себя в руках, пред своими слугами, домочадцами и зеваками на улице не проронив ни слова в ответ и не отстаивая земли которые принадлежали ему по праву. Умение совладать собой и заслужило ему титул сильного.

А Яаков Авину это символ Эмэт или Истина и мы знаем, что Истина - Эмэт – одна из характеристик Торы. А это значит, что Яаков Авину, который всю свою жизнь посвятил изучению Торы – איש תם, יושב אוהלים – Простой человек, обитавший в шалашах. - желал жизни, наполненной исключительно миром и правдой. Наши мудрецы подчеркивают, что в этом заключалась вся его сущность. Но, как мы видим из Торы, его желание не осуществилось.

Однажды Яаков Авину был дома и приходит к нему Эсав и говорит что очень голоден. Увидев суп с чечевицей, он просит ему дать поесть. Яаков Авину предлагает сделку - тарелку супа в обмен на первородство. Эсав говорит, на что оно мне это первородство, и соглашается на обмен. Проходит некоторое время, и их отец Ицхак Авину чувствует что приходит время уходить в мир иной. Подозвав Эсава он сказал ему что хочет его благословить. Отцовское благословение самое огромное сокровище и Эсав это знает, он уходит в лес на охоту чтоб приготовить обед и получить его благословение. Но его опережает мать - Ривка Имену. Она идёт к молодому Яаков Авину и говорит ему чтоб срочно привёл животное и она приготовит из него блюдо. Она одевает ему на руки лоскуты из кожи козла, чтоб сделать его на ощупь с волосатыми руками и быть похожим на Эсава, и уговаривает его пойти к отцу и взять благословение первым. Яаков Авину сомневается, но мать его переубеждает и говорит если отец проклянёт, то она готова принять все проклятия на себя, и она очень хотела бы чтоб Яаков Авину получил благословения. Яаков Авину идёт и получает благословение, выдавая себя за Эсава. Получив благословение Яаков Авину выходит из комнаты и за ним входит Эсав и просит отца сесть за стол чтоб потом его благословить. Но Ицхак Авину говорит, разве он его уже не благословил? И в этот момент он понимает что произошло, и говорит: пусть тот кто получил на самом деле будет благословлён. Эсав заплакал, зарыдал и попросил отца другое благословение, которое он и получает. (Брешит 27:36)

И вот Вам вопрос, мне кажется что Ривка Имену повела себя как то странно. Почему она настояла на своём чтоб Яаков Авину притворился Эсавом, одела на него лоскуты из козлиной кожи, для чего нужен был весь этот спектакль и маскарад? Чтоб ответить на этот вопрос, нам нужно узнать побольше о Ривке Имену.

Её отцом был Бетыэль, человек очень любивший денег, его сыном был Лаван который не отставал от своего отца. Для них обман было очень обыденным делом и очень часто они нагло обманывали людей. Для них не было никаких преград для обмана, прегрешений и достижений своих целей. Раши в Брешит 25:51 говорит "...[Бетуэль] был до того злодеем что он даже хотел предотвратить чтоб Ривка пошла с Элиэзером, он попытался отравить его[Элиэзера]". Сын его не отличался от отца, много лет спустя, когда Яаков пришёл к Лавану чтоб взять в жены Рахель, и отработав за неё семь лет, Лаван подсовывает старшую дочь, а на следующее утро оставляет его ещё на годы работ чтоб получить ту жену которую он хотел в начале, и после меняет условия контракта и выплаты этим самым избегая платежа. Ривка выросла в этой среде, и видела каждый день все их трюки.

Когда у неё родились свои дети - Эсав и Яаков, она начала замечать в Эсаве те же манеры которые она видела в доме своего отца. Перед отцом и людьми Эсав был очень религиозным, он учился с Яаковом Авину в школе, был одет по религиозному и вёл себя очень религиозно и даже спрашивал у отца очень религиозные вопросы. А вне дома он вытворял всё что хотел. В тот день когда он продал своё первородство за тарелку супа, в Трактате Бава Батра 15Б сказано: "Говорит Раби Ёханан: Пять грехов сделал Эсав в тот день - прелюбодеяние, убийство, отрёкся от веры и будущего воскрешения и призрено отнёсся к правам первородства."

Но Ривка Имену знала еще что то другое, чего не знали ни Ицхак Авину и ни Яаков Авину.

Когда Ривка Имену вышла замуж за Ицхак Авину, они ждали детей 20 лет. Когда их молитвы были услышаны и она забеременела, но беременность проходила с огромными трудностями и страданиями, на что она воскликнула: "Если так то зачем я жива?" И она пошла спросить у мудреца почему беременность такая трудная, говорится в Брешит 25:22. В Мидраше Брешит Рабба 63:6 говорится: "Когда Ривка проходила мимо дома идола то Эсав хотел выйти наружу, а когда мимо дома Г-спода то Яаков". Не знавши что у неё двое детей в чреве, это раздвоенное желание её плода очень её огорчало. И вот она получает пророчество от мудреца: "Два народа во чреве твоем, и две нации разойдутся из твоих внутренностей; и нация от нации будет укрепляться, и старший будет служить младшему" (Брешит 25:23).

Она готова была принять все проклятия от Ицхак Авину. Но она не могла позволить чтоб Эсав получил благословения, отлично понимая всю ту обманчивую ауру которую он строит вокруг самого себя. Она всячески старалась сделать всё и привести события к исполнению пророчества.

А Яаков Авину понимал один очень важный факт: цель жизни состояла чтоб построить Еврейский народ и построить хорошую и твёрдую основу для народа. Эсав не подходил на эту роль - сделавший все выше перечисленные прегрешения, он знал что Эсав не построит народ, он знал что он не передаст последующим поколениям правильные качества, тем самым не выполнит поставленную перед ним задачу и не продолжит миссию отца, и поэтому Яаков Авину покупает у него первородство, которую Эсав охотно продаёт за тарелку супа.

Даже страшно представить себе на секунду если бы Эсав получил благословение. Наше общество выглядело бы не совсем таким каким бы хотел видеть нас Творец, и таких бы Эсавов вокруг было бы очень много.

Хочу заметить очень важную деталь. "Когда Эсав услышал от своего отца эти слова (что благословение первородства было отдано его брату), он завопил громким и очень горьким воплем, и сказал отцу: "Благослови меня тоже отец" (Брешит 27:34).

וַיִּצְעַ֣ק צְעָקָ֔ה גְּדֹלָ֥ה וּמָרָ֖ה עַד־מְאֹ֑ד - "он завопил очень громким и горьким воплем" - почему? Только теперь Эсав понял и вспомнил всех людей которым он причинил боль и страдания в жизни, и теперь он почувствовал всю эту боль и горечь которую они испытали, и узнал боль пострадавшего, и ощутил эту боль на себе.

Эсав потерял, и я бы сказал очень даже много, он потерял первородство, благословение первенца, и он и его потомки не стали частью Еврейского народа ни в этом мире ни в мире Грядущем. Только его голова удостоилась быть похоронена с праотцами, а не тело. Тора была в его голове - в знаниях и в понимании добра и зла, но в его делах она отсутствовала.

Каждый день и каждый миг Вс-вышний ставит перед нами выбор - быть как Эсав или как Яаков Авину - в чём и заключается суть свободы выбора. Этот выбор всегда за нами, и никто его у нас не отбирает. Подаваясь своим порывам страстей, мы спотыкаемся об очередное качество - которое в нас ещё не отработано или было игнорировано нами годами, но из за которого пострадало или страдают люди - и вот за эти прегрешения мы в ответе.

Живя с Лаваном - мастером манипуляций, его имя означает белый - он отбеливал реальность так, что полуправда и неправда приобретали глянцевое подобие правды и несмотря на все его уловки, Яаков Авину остаётся верным и честным человеком, не перенявший от него его плохие привычки. Он делает это не своей тихой жизнью, а остаётся честным в гуще повседневной лжи, обмана и злобы. И именно живя в этом лживом мире, Яаков Авину удостаивается стать третьим из трёх наших праотцов.

Авраам-авину воплощал собой Хесед - милосердие, колонну с правой стороны - делая добро и помогая другим. Ицхак Авину стоял с противоположной стороны, воплощая мужество - Гевура. Яаков-авину не тянулся к какому-то конкретному направлению, но он был готов стоять за правду, защищая ценности и идеалы, был готов бороться со злом - несмотря в какие одежды оно одето. Благодаря этой черте своего характера, подобной качеству Торы, он сочетает две крайности в срединной линии – золотой середине. Этим сумевший соединить в себе в одно единое целое - добро, силу и истину, и передать это духовное наследие своим детям, и нам до наших дней.

Шаббат Шалом

Шмуэль Катанов

Беспричинная ненависть или что на кону?

Thu, 18 Oct 2018 15:53:10 -0400

Наши мудрецы рассказывают что Первый Храм был разрушен из за трёх нарушений: поклонению идолам, убийствам и прелюбодеянию. Второй Храм был разрушен только из за одного греха - Синат Хинам - Беспричинная Ненависть.

Все грехи из за которых был разрушен Первый Храм плохи сами по себе, но я хотел бы поговорить только об одном грехе который называется - беспричинной ненавистью. Давайте разберём его по деталям.

Так что же является Синат Хинам? Это беспричинная ненависть или просто ненависть которая выходит из корня зла внутри человека. Это желание увидеть смерть или неудачу своего врага и когда человек в этом состоянии, всё что бы не делал "его враг" он будет воспринимать всё как негативное и никогда не усомнится в правоте своих убеждений и всегда найдёт защиту своим проступкам.

Когда человек ненавидит, он всегда старается навредить своей жертве. Он говорит о нём плохо, выдумывает ложные истории чтоб иметь больше людей на своей стороне и чтоб у его жертвы было много врагов. Говорит и распространяет о нём лашон ара - злословие, слухи и сплетни - этим ломая и не обращая никакого внимания на множество законов Торы и мудрецов. Он делает всё чтоб разрушить его семью и сломать гармонию и мир его дома. Он портит ему репутацию в его общине и в месте где он зарабатывает свой хлеб. Он убеждает свою семью и людей вокруг чтоб к нему относились плохо. Это и многое другое делается скрытно и этим занимаются несколько людей в общине или многие во многих общинах.

Из за этого уродливого поведения этих людей, Вс-вышний разрушил Второй Храм. Так если два Храма уже разрушены и нет ничего другого чего Вс-вышний может у нас отнять сегодня, получается что мы неприкосновенны и нам нечего бояться?!

Мудрецы говорят, когда рождается новая семья, муж и жена создают и строят что-то грандиозно большое и святое - их собственный Бет Хамикдаш - Храм, где каждая комната у них в доме подразумевает тот оригинальный Храм. Спальня это Святая Святых, стол в зале - это Мизбеях там мы принимаем гостей и поглощаем наши земные приношения. Кухня это место где всё приготавливается по всем строгим законам кашрута.

Наши дома, синагоги и религиозные заведения являются теми маленькими Батэй Микдашим - нашими Храмами. Эти места где находится присутствие Вс-вышнего, где делаются митцвот и где прибывает Святость.

Вс-вышний хочет мира и единства между людьми в общине и между общинами, где люди помогают друг другу, рады за других, где видят только хорошее в других без зависти и ненависти к другим. Где они желают другим лучшие дома, машины, отпуска, уважение и тому подобное. Всё это и многое другое Вс-вышний не хочет а требует от нас.

Второй Храм был разрушен из за ненависти, которая является самой уродливой чертой, которая поглощает многие общины и людей не зависимо от их уровня религиозности. Избавление от этого недуга является Ахават Хинам - Беспричинной Любовью.

Наши Мудрецы говорят, "В том поколении в котором Храм не был построен, как будто он был разрушен в их дни" (Иерусалимский Талмуд, Трактам Ёма страница 1а). Потому что это поколение следует по тем же стопам тех поколений из за которых был разрушен Храм, не стараясь исправить их ошибки.

Продолжая этим путём, мы ставим свои маленькие Батэй Микдашим - храмы под удар.

Наша работа состоит в том чтоб измениться в лучшую сторону делая хорошие дела, уважать и помогать другим просто так, отречься от ненависти и злобы - к членам своей общины и к окружающим, улучшить нашу службу к Вс-вышнему и заслужить увидеть Мошияха, избавления и построения Третьего Храма в наши дни.

Шмуэль Катанов