Kahane Codes - Part Two Vayikra,Bamidbar,Dvarim

more or less abandoned remnant of the 1930's. As I began to reconnect to my Jewish roots I ended up becoming an expert at gathering a Minyan together. I could spot a Jew from three blocks away going into a Chinese restaurant to eat traif. Over the years, many startled Jews looked at me nervously as I said ' Excuse me are you Jewish? Can you help us with a Minyan for a few minutes?' Every Shabbat, I religiously read the The Jewish Press and the articles of Rabbi Meir Kahane. I kept thinking about how I can make aliyah one day to Israel. People told me that you need lots of money and I never was able to save anything. Then 9-11 happened and what hit home to me was the fact that ten minutes after the planes hit, every airport in the USA was closed. At that point I already saw prophetically, Corona. 'What would happen,' I thought 'if there was a plague and suddenly all the airports were closed? Even if you had millions of dollars you would not be able to leave. This is a warning sign, that money or no money, I must leave and escape now.' At that time my brother was going on a trip to Israel and he offered to take me along as a gift. I tried to gather my important things together and went along with the hopes I would find a way to stay there. As the two week vacation was almost over I had not found a solution and had no idea how I could stay. As I was pondering my situation a rabbi came up to me on Dizengoff street in Tel Aviv. 'Excuse me, can you help me with a Minyan?' he said. 'Me? I replied. 'Sure, that's my job. I am an expert Minyan maker. Where is the shul?' After davening he told me that he is trying to build a yeshiva and there is a place to stay for free in the shul if I can be part of the learning and the Minyanim. ' Are you serious?' I said. And so, this is how Hashem pulled me out of the Galut through the mitzva of the Minyan. Parsha Shlach saved my life. That first year in Israel I lived in that shul. I felt like I had won the lottery. The Tikkun of the Minyan (A discussion began at the frabrengen table. Some of the rabbis mentioned that according to Chassidut, Hashem wanted the Jewish people to desire the Land physically. In this sense the mission was a success because they saw that it was a desired Land and this was the main intention, even if they were mistaken afterwards. Someone argued that this did not make sense. Why did they sin then if they desired it?) I interrupted them. 'If we desired the Land then why did we not desire it? Is this the question?' Let me give you an answer as I see it. Today we all physically desire the Land of Israel. The Rosh Yeshivas however, similar to the Tribal leaders of the past say we can disengage and abandon settlements because there is 'danger to life' which takes precedence over the mitzva. Milchemet Mitzva is left for some future generation and Moshiach to bring. We religiously keep all of Hashems commandments, and even study Milchemet Mitzva, as long as there is no danger in it. Is there such a thing as Milchemet Mitzva without any danger? Is there such a thing as a war that has no potential danger? Rav Kahane would often question regarding abandoning mitzvot due to danger. And so if danger defines the extent of our faith, what do we need faith for? As a Minyan expert, let me suggest that one of the tikkuns of the Minyan is the following. If you have nine Rosh Yeshiva's, you have no Minyan. You may need to bring a homeless Jew from the street to complete the Minyan. Without him you have nothing. Is it not similar to 612 perfect mitzvot, but without that one homeless mitzva you have nothing? And from the other side a disconnected Jew who has forgotten about his Jewish soul is approached by someone who needs him. I was a homeless Jew who was searched out because of my searching. The Minyan is the nucleus of our Nation and transforms and rehabilitates the deficient into the undaunted. The Minyan builds faith and spiritual strength to those unfamiliar and completes the missing faith of the perfectly faithful. 201

Rejected or Refined (2023) There is a story of two young men who shared a hotel room. When they went to sleep one opened the window to get air. Shortly after the other closed it because he was cold. This went on back and forth until one got mad and smashed the window. One cursed the other for making him sick from the cold. The other slept comfortably with the breeze coming through the window. In the morning they realized he had actually broken a mirror not the window. The freezing man thought he was freezing even though the window was closed and the other thought he was breathing fresh air when the window actually was closed. We see from this story how the mind plays tricks on us to the degree that it actually alters our reality. We can also apply this to our Parsha. If one understands the power of deception with the proper persuasion one could alter the realities of a whole community. Governments often make use of psychological warfare to control an outcome that they desire. In the particular political landscape of our parsha, the tribal leaders understood there was some fear and lack of faith among the people and instead of calming fears and showing courage they exaggerated these fears to a level of hysteria. The fact that the leaders did not want to enter for their own selfish reasons was lost on the masses because they had successfully been hypnotized with hysteria that had been calculated. Joshua and Calev witnessed the exact same events and drew the opposite conclusion. Why wasn't there a difference of opinion among the Nation? Why not 50-50 or even 20-80? Why no discussion at all? Why was there so much animosity towards these two? The answer it seems to me is because when there is hysteria, people do not always make logical decisions. As Rav Kahane once said the world is not logical it is psychological. It’s quite shocking to see the degree to which our nation is continually sifted. Only 20% managed to escape Egypt and in our Parsha we see of that 20% only two men actually made it from Egypt to Israel. Rav Kahane discusses the irony that precisely because Hashem is patient and waits for us to do teshuva we misread this ‘grace period’ and mock those who warn of divine punishments. Hashems patience is lost on many of us. When the small punishments become bigger and bigger and we stubbornly become blinder and blinder forgetting what we have already witnessed then eventually we are rejected and do not pass through the sifter when judgment day arrives It is important to understand the same manipulations and sifting today for it could save our lives both physically and spiritually. When leadership wishes to advance their own selfish agenda and understands how to manipulate the masses by playing on their weaknesses, without force they can cleverly make the masses desire what they desire. The slavery of Egypt began with Pharaohs call to his citizens to show their loyalty in the pyramid building project. Pharoah himself went out wearing a brick on a chain. The Hebrews of course outdid themselves in a great show of loyalty, and after calculating the results of what they thought was a temporary display their overseers turned it into a continual obligation and enslavement. In our recent times it seems like we are going through a sifting process once again. Some have learned from these tests and some have become increasingly blinded. In 2020 a spiritual virus infected us and a rift between those who want a Jewish state and those who want a secular state made elections impossible. That is precisely when Covid broke out with all its mandates restrictions and vaccines. The few who saw this as a punishment from Hashem knew that a vaccine cannot fix a sin Most people failed this test and put their God given immune system at risk. Instead of fixing the sin they made it worst. Many of those who were vaccinated soon began to see something was fishy and 202

began to think twice about what the experts say. Despite Yehoshua and Calev being banned, they wanted to hear their opinion and it began to make sense. And now we are entering the next test which I am afraid will make the previous tests look like child’s play. The globalists just like Pharoah understand that it is much better for a population to willingly become slaves rather than forcing them, at least in the beginning. I have seen recently how the global warming hoax has taken over intelligent close friends of mine who also gladly rolled up their sleeves for the poison shot. The globalists have studied the Covid SCIOP well and deduced that hysteria is an excellent tool to deflect their motives and deploy further surveillance of the population they seek to reduce. Creating wildfires so they can convince the masses of this new idol worship called global warming will have a similar effect to Covid and through hysteria people will believe their carbon footprint must be monitored for the better good of all. And so, the masses will willingly imprison themselves with electronic travel restrictions. Just like Covid there is a direct relation between the protests in Israel for and against the supreme court reform. In a way it is worse this time because unlike pre-Covid stalemates between Jewish and secular parties, the Jewish side has now won. However, the winners are acting like losers and allowing the left to bully them and therefore lose the opportunity to turn things around for the better. If this opportunity is lost then we could be facing a much more difficult punishment that will blindly lead us into slavery and a great rejection of our generation similar to our Parsha. Let us hope that these tests have refined us and improved us rather than going deeper into blindness and being rejected. The mind can be manipulated by the masters of war who understand our fears and play on them even after all the miracles we have seen and been trained to see. To follow after man and be hypnotized by the idol worship of global warming we will only end up causing a greater rejection from above. May we learn to question authority and examine the minority views of those they try to cancel and mock as misinformation. For those are the few that succeed in making it all the way from Egypt to Israel and not be rejected but rather refined. 203

204

Kahane in the Parsha Korach 205

Korach 2011/2012 My Torah questions always have a common theme which is 'what does it mean today?' The Torah is not a history book, it is a book that is telling us about ourselves 'today'. With this in mind, the punishment that is meted out to Korah is a most unusual one that on the surface seems to have never occurred before or after. This cannot be, otherwise what would the Torah be teaching us? When I meditated on this punishment there is one event in recent history that seems very similar. There is one event in recent history where a whole population vanished in thin air, as if they never had been there. It is as if the ground swallowed them alive and to this day (as the Midrash tells us) they cry out Moshe was correct and we were wrong. The Talmud (using our Parsha as an example) tells us that innocent children die when there is a machloket (disagreement) between the spiritual leadership (like Korach and Moshe). What is the event where spiritual leaders clashed and many innocent children died? One place comes to everyone's mind; the graveyards of Europe. Whole civilizations were wiped out as if the earth swallowed them whole. Nothing is left to even remind us that these thriving civilizations and dynasties ever existed. The punishment of Korach closely matches this scenario and now let us examine the reasons why. The Offering of the Cohanim The spiritual leaders of the generation; the great Gaons and Admor's that could have carried the ark to Israel chose to stay out because this was not their vision. They would not take second place to a non- observant leadership and in their opinion, not only where the Zionists not kosher, but to go to Israel was also not kosher because of their influence. The pleading of the Moshe of their generation 'Jabotinsky' was met with threats and bans. They preferred to offer their incense to Hashem by staying in Europe and discouraging others to follow this Moshe. Their mistake, which is reflected in the story of Moshe and the rock, is that Hashem Himself was not angry, only they were. The terrible lesson was that they went up in flames along with six million, many of whom could have been saved if there had not been this bitterness between Moshe and Korach and those influenced by this rebellion. Rescue During the plague Moshe and Aaron try to save as many as they can – just like in the Shoa. Even those who died as Korach did in the rebellion became holy and their lives were an offering that is forever immortalized as we do the Shoa today. ,‫ ג יאת כמ נחתות כה כח הט יאים הה יא הלה נב כנ נפ הש התם‬3 even the fire-pans of these men who have sinned -‫ יכי‬--‫ נו העשו הא התם יר מק יעי כפ יחים יצפוי כל ימ נז יב כח‬at the cost of their lives, and let them be made ;‫כו יי נק הדשו‬ beaten plates for a covering of the altar--for they ,‫נלאות‬ ‫נו יי נהיו‬ ,‫ ניה הוה‬-‫יה נק ירי מבם יל נפ יני‬ are become holy, because they were offered before ‫יל נב יני יי נש הר יאל‬ Hashem -that they may be a sign unto the children of Israel.' ,‫ יאת כמ נחתות כה ננ הח השת‬,‫ ד כו יי כקח הא נל הע הזר כה הכ יהן‬4 And Eleazar the priest took the brazen fire-pans, ‫ יצפוי‬,‫ כה נש מר יפים; כו ני כר נקעום‬,‫ נא השר יה נק יריבו‬which they that were burnt had offered; and they ‫ כל ימ נז יב כח‬beat them out for a covering of the altar, 206

‫ יי נק כרב‬-‫ נל כמ כען נא השר ל הא‬,‫ ה יז הכרון יל נב יני יי נש הר יאל‬5 as a reminder to the Children of Israel, so that ‫ נל כה נק יטיר‬,‫ יאיש הזר נא השר ל הא ימ הז כרע כא נה הרן הוא‬no alien who is not of the offspring of Aaron, shall draw near to bring up the smoke of incense before ‫נכ הק כרחשיד המ תש ו‬‫ יי נה היה‬-‫נול הא‬ ;‫ניה הוה‬ ‫יל נפ יני‬ ,‫נק הט הרת‬ Hashem; that he fare not as Korah, and as his ‫ ה ל‬- ‫ ככ נא השר יד הבר ניה הוה נב‬,‫ נו ככ נע הדתו‬assembly; as the Hashem spoke about him through Moses. (Bamidbar 17:3-5) Hidden in these passages we see the most famous Holocaust Memorial – Yad Vashem. ‫וש יי מה תש ד‬,‫ ניה הוה‬-‫ כוי הא המר האל‬, ‫ נמ הא‬,‫טו כחר נל ה‬ 15 This distressed Moshe greatly and he said to Hashem, 'Respect not Thou their offering; I have ,‫ ימ ננ הח התם; ל הא נחמור הא החד ימ ההם‬-‫ ית הפן האל‬-‫כאל‬ not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt ‫ כא כחד ימ ההם‬-‫ האת‬,‫ נול הא נה יר הע יתי‬,‫הנ השא יתי‬ one of them.' ‫ = יד ושם‬Yad Vashem = 360 If we examine other gematrias of Yad Vashem we can see the undercurrents that lead towards Hashems wrath and our abandonment by Him. (more on Yad Vashem in following pages) Despair The people complain – how many will die? From the Shoa to our independence we keep dying and being offered as sacrifices. What kind of G-d is this that makes such demands of us? Does approaching Him lead to catastrophe? Maybe its best to distance oneself and try and 'fit in' with the world. There seems to be no solution. ‫ יהן‬:‫ המ השה ילא המר‬-‫ האל‬,‫ כז כוי הא נמרו נב יני יי נש הר יאל‬27 And the children of Israel spoke unto Moses, ‫ מכ הלנו הא הב נדנו‬,‫ הג כו נענו הא כב נדנו‬saying: 'Behold, we perish, we are lost, we are all lost. ;‫ הימות‬,‫ ימ נש ככן ניה הוה‬-‫ כח הכל כה הק ירב כה הק ירב האל‬28 Every one who approaches closer to the ‫ יל נגו כע‬,‫ כה יאם כת נמנו‬. tabernacle of the Hashem, is to die; shall we ever stop perishing?' (Bamidbar 17:28) Tzadikim Nevertheless The two hundred and fifty people who perished with Korach – the instigators of the rebellion were Bnei Torah. One of the rebels from the tribe of Ruben was saved by his wife, who uncovered her hair as the rebels approached to call for her husband. Because of modesty issues they did not approach. This indicates that these men were not non-observant rather the opposite. The number two hundred and fifty is the gematria of 'Ner'. Like the 'Ner' in Parsha Ki Sissa, these devotees who loved Hashem but despised Moshe became holy in their death. 207

Unfounded Fears The staff of Aaron is a symbol that what they feared, that Torah would be lost if people were encouraged to make aliya to the un-kosher Israel. Their fear was proved to be false as the greatest Torah academies have been rebuilt and there is more Torah study in Israel today than ever before. The natural growth that takes place in Israel is for the Torah to blossom quickly and flower like the almond tree. Hashems 'chosen ones' are the ones who 'choose' Him by coming home and really believing the words of their prayers. Korach and Meraglim Supposedly the Meraglim were afraid for their security of their children. In the end they perished and their children conquered Israel. Korach also perished, this time along with many children, however his own children did not participate and we read about them every Monday in the Tehillim dedicated by the sons of Korach. These children did teshuva. There are leftists today who are judges and in high positions who march and make decrees against the best interest of Israel. In addition among the spiritual leadership there are those who are afraid for the souls of their children and take no part in Zionist Israel. It is the children of Korach, the next generation of Torah scholars that flourish in the Land and eventually bring its redemption. The unfounded fears and animosities of the Meraglim and the Korachs will perish and their children will bring the redemption they had feared. ‫ ו הפ נצ התה הה נא הד המה‬,‫ נב ירי האה יי נב הרא ניה הוה‬-‫ ל נו יאם‬30 But if the LORD make a new thing, and the ,‫ נא השר הל ההם‬-‫ הכל‬-‫ יפי הה ו הב נל העה הא התם נו האת‬-‫ האת‬ground open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go ‫יכי ינ מאצו‬ ,‫ יוי כד נע התם‬--‫נש הא הלה‬ ,‫כח ייים‬ ‫נו הי נרדו‬ down alive into the pit, then ye shall understand ‫ ניה הוה‬-‫ הה נא הנ ישים הה יא הלה האת‬that these men have provoked the LORD.' (Bamidbar 16:30) ‫ = ינ מאצו‬they have provoked = 147 ‫ נע הב הדיו יי נת הנ החם יכי‬-‫ נו כעל‬,‫ הי ידין ניה הוה כעמו‬-‫ לו יכי‬36 For the LORD will judge His people, and repent Himself for His servants; when He seeth ‫העצור נו העזובכו תא תפס‬ ,‫ הא נז כלת היד‬-‫יי נר האה יכי‬ that their stay is gone, and there is none remaining, shut up or left at large. ‫ הח הסיו בו‬,‫צור‬--‫ יאי באל יהימו‬,‫ לז נו הא כמר‬37 And it is said: Where are their gods, the rock in whom they trusted? (Devarim 32:36) 208

‫ = כו תא תפס‬there is none = 147 ‫ כה הי ישב הב הא הרץ;תא תפס‬,‫ כעז הה העם‬-‫כיי‬ ‫ כח‬28 But the people that dwell in the land are ,‫ ני יל ידי הה נע הנק‬-‫ נו כגם‬,‫ נב מצרות נג הדלת נמ האד‬,‫ נו הה הע ירים‬fierce, and the cities are fortified, and very great; .‫ הר יאינו השם‬and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. (Bamidbar 13:28) This famous 'efes' which literally means 'nothing' also means 'but'. In other words the commentary that the spies were not commissioned for began with a 'but' after all the wonderful things they said about the Land. Their mis-perception of the enemy was based upon their own lack of faith as well as lack of self-esteem. To one who has simple faith their 'but' is really nothing. Korach Parables in the Midrash There are two famous stories in the Midrash that explain the nature of the disagreement that Korach had with Moshe. In one parable Korach scoffs at Moshe regarding the blue(techelet) fringe of the tzizit. He comes to Moshe dressed all in techelet and asks Moshe 'Do I still need a blue thread?' Moshe answers that he does. In another parable Korach scoffs at Moshe regarding the 'mezuzza'. He asks Moshe if he still needs a mezuzza that contains a few passages of Torah in them when his whole room is filled with Torah books? Moshe again answers that he does. On the surface it may seem that Korach has a point but when we examine this parable to me it seems to be quite clear that the dispute of Korach of the past is the same as the Korach's of the present. There are many mitzvot of the Torah and one could say that there isn't one that is worth more than another, however in certain times in our history certain mitzvot stand out as being critical to observe or not to observe. For example if there is an evil decree against circumcision, to circumcise ones child may be a dangerous thing to do, but also even more critical to do than at a time when there isn’t such a decree to make a statement about the sanctity of this mitzva that has been forbidden. There are also positive mitzvot that become possible to do, when formally they were almost impossible. By not fulfilling them when the opportunity is there, is showing disregard for all of the mitzvot. For example in our times the possibility of aliya was never more real. In addition governments around the world allowed the return of the Jewish people to their homeland in the beginning of the century, long before the Shoa. It was the Zionists, more than their Charedi brothers that took this mitzva seriously. They desired to return to their homeland and with their blood and sweat cultivated the desert, turning it into a garden. The Zionists may not have been as Torah observant as their brothers, but this one mitzva that involves a great deal of sacrifice, they observed and mastered. The meaning of the parables of Korach to me are very clear admonishments of our own times. It is as if Korach and his followers are scoffing because they are full of mitzvot like the techelet. They answer these Zionists mockingly 'Are you to teach us about the longing for Israel that we pray for each day?' The answer is 'yes'. This one mitzva stands like an accuser against a whole people, regardless of their close relationship to Hashem. If non-observant Jews feel the love for Israel to the point of sacrificing 209

their lives to conquer it, then even more so should their observant brothers who study Hashems commandments fulfill it. Not only do they abstain but they add insult to injury by rebelling against those who are fulfilling this particular commandment. Even if Korach is wearing all 'techelet' it means nothing if he is missing this one thread called 'Zionism'. One of the reasons that the mezuza is posted on the doorpost is for it to be a sign that one takes the Torah from his study out into the world. If ones study does not lead to action than a room full of books means less than one who follows a few passages. Korach and his followers mock Moshe and say 'Is your mezuza really more meaningful than our study halls full of books?' Again the answer is 'yes'. If after studying all these books one still has not grasped the command to return home and conquer the Land of Israel then he is missing the point of all these books. To add insult to injury he uses these books to justify his lack of faith to fulfill what his 'less than Torah observant' brother feels in his heart and does. This rebellious attitude towards those who are fulfilling the mitzva of settling the Holy Land not only stands as an accusation against the Torah observant but it strengthens the swords of our enemies. If the observant see no miracle and Divine providence in the re-birth of Israel, if they continue to build in the exile and criticize the Zionists as a godless entity invading the Holy Land, then what will the non- Jewish leaders of other countries think? Why should they see something Divine when the spiritual leadership is against the 'Zionist entity'? More on the Shoa and the number 360 :‫ הל כבז יי נה היה‬,‫ נא השר נא כמ נר התם‬--‫ לא נו כט נפ הכם‬31 But your little ones, that ye said would be a ‫ נא השר‬,‫ הה הא הרץ‬-‫ נו הי נדעו האת‬--‫ נו יה יביא יתי הא התם‬prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the ‫ נמ כא נס התם הבה‬land which ye have rejected. ‫ כב ימ נד הבר כה הזהו יפ כג ןרי תכם‬,‫ יי נפלו‬--‫ כא התם‬, ‫לב‬ 32 But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness. (Bamidbar 14:31,32) Rejecting the Land when Hashem desires us provokes Hashems wrath. ‫ = ופי כג ןריכתם‬your carcasses = 359+1(kollel) = 360 --‫ כה כת נא הוה‬,‫ ו נב יק נב הרת‬,‫ ו נב כמ הסה‬,‫ כב ו נב כת נב יע הרה‬22 And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibroth- ‫ ניה הוה‬-‫ האת‬,‫ שמ כק יצ יפים בה ייי התם‬hattaavah, you were provoking Hashem. (Devarim 9:22) ‫ = שמ כק יצ יפים‬you were provoking = 360 210

‫ יכ ככר‬-‫ הכל‬-‫ כו כי נרא האת‬,‫ יעי הניו‬-‫לוט האת‬-‫ י כו יי השא‬10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the ,‫ יל נפ יני כש יחת ניה הוה‬--‫ כמ נש הקה‬,‫ יכי מכ הלה‬,‫ כה כי נר ידן‬plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and ‫ ניה הוה‬-‫נכ כגן‬ ,‫ נע המ הרה‬-‫נו האת‬ ‫ נס הדם‬-‫האת‬ Gomorrah, like the garden of the LORD, like the ‫נכ הא הרץהצ שער‬ ‫ הב נא הכה‬,‫ ימ נצ כר יים‬land of Egypt, as thou goest unto Zoar. (Bereshit 13:10) The attraction of the galut and the unwillingness to sacrifice to conquer our Land are the root causes of the sins that lead to our destruction. ‫ = הצ שער‬Zoar = 360 ‫ יגיד‬-‫ יי נש הר יאל האת‬-‫י הא נכלו נב יני‬-‫ יכן ל הא‬-‫ לג כעל‬33 Therefore the children of Israel eat not the :‫ כהיום כה הזה‬,‫ כעד‬,‫ ככף כה הי ירך‬-‫ נא השר כעל‬,‫ כה הנ השה‬sinew of the thigh-vein which is upon the hollow ‫ נב יגיד שהנה תשה‬,‫ הי הרך כי נע הקב‬-‫יכי הנ כגע נב ככף‬ of the thigh, unto this day; because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh, even in the sinew of the thigh-vein. (Bereshit 32:33) The thigh vein alludes to Yacov's running from Esav. With the birth of Israel came the strong arm of G-ds vengeance upon His enemies. Even though Israel is not yet defined as a Religious Nation, the name of Israel has brought fear to our enemies who have been beaten in many wars. ‫ = שהנהשתה‬thigh-vein = 360 ‫ יכי‬,‫ כו יי נדעו‬,‫ יעי יני נש יני ההם‬,‫ ז כו ית הפ כק נח הנה‬7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and ‫ כו כי נעשוןעי אר ימם‬,‫יהם; כו יי נת נפרו נע ילה נת יא הנה‬ they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves girdles. ‫הל ההם נח הג הרת‬ (Bereshit 3:7) Sin leaves one exposed, which leads to covering up the sin. ‫ = ןעי אר ימם‬were naked = 360 -‫ כו הי ישימו כעל‬,‫ כה יש נמ הלה‬-‫ כג כו יי כקח ישם הו הי הפת האת‬23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and ‫ כו ני ככסו יאתכש תכם‬,‫ כו יי נלכו נא הח כר ינית‬,‫נש יני ההם‬ laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their ‫ נו הע נר כות‬,‫ נא הח כר ינית‬,‫נא יבי ההם; ו נפ יני ההם‬ father; and their faces were backward, and they ‫הע נר כות‬ ‫ ל הא הראו‬,‫ נא יבי ההם‬saw not their father's nakedness. (Bereshit 9:23) The sins of the Shoa are covered up. We walk backwards not to expose our sins, or our fathers sins, and the children of Yephet, the perpetrators assist us in our Holocaust education. We all shoulder the responsibility and yet walk backwards without really examining the root cause of these tragic events. Without examining and correcting the sin it inevitably returns. Measure for Measure, there is a growing 211

trend of Holocaust deniers. If we didn't learn the lessons, then it is as if it didn't happen. And so as the new generation of deniers arise and we find ourselves in a very similar predicament today as we were in before the Shoa, we must make the correction to prevent a new tragedy. ‫ = כש תכם‬their shoulders = 360 ‫כב שה כק ירי הבם‬-‫יאש‬ ,‫ כו נא יביהוא‬,‫סא כו הי המת הנ הדב‬ 61 And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered ‫ יל נפ יני ניה הוה‬,‫הז הרה‬ strange fire before the Lord (Bamidbar 26:61) ‫ = כב שה כק ירי הבם‬when they offered = 359+1(kollel) = 360 Spiritual Leadership ‫ בכקת ירי‬and ‫ = ישקכרן‬casualness and bring close = 312 The spiritual leadership is judged more severely for any deviations from what is commanded. Not only does punishment come for their sins, but the effect they have on the whole congregation is tremendous. Mistakes in leadership can cause terrible tragedy to all their followers. The root of this word 'to offer' or to 'come close' is also found in our Parsha. ‫שי כק ןרב‬,‫ יל יוי‬-‫נב יני‬ 10 and that He hath brought thee near, and all ‫ כא החיך‬-‫ הכל‬-‫ נו האת‬,‫ הא נתך‬, ‫י כו‬ thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee? and will ‫ נכ מה הנה‬-‫ כגם‬,‫ו יב כק נש התם‬ ;‫יא התך‬ ye seek the priesthood also? (Bamidbar 16:10) Rabbi Teichtel in Em Habonim Smecha admits that the Torah leaders of his generation made a great mistake. He wrote his book during the Shoa in Europe which he didn't survive. If we continue with this theme, we see that the anger and animosity against the Zionists reflected in this passage. The spiritual leaders also wanted to be the National leaders. It wasn't 'enough' to guide the Nation as spiritual leaders as the modern State of Israel was being born. The root of the same word we see in the curses of Bechukotai. 212

‫ ליי; כו נה כל נכ התם‬,‫ל הא ית נש נמעו‬--‫בנ הזאת‬-‫ כז נואים‬27 If despite this you will not heed me and behave .‫ כב תקריי‬,‫ עי ימי‬toward me with casualness. ‫ ; נו ייסכ נר יתיקתריי‬-‫ כבחנ כמת‬,‫כח נו הה כל נכ יתי יע המ הכם‬ 28 I will behave towards you with a fury of for .‫ כחט הא יתי הכם‬-‫ הש כבע כעל‬,‫ הא יני‬-‫הא נת הכם כאף‬ casualness I will chastise you seven times your sins. (Vayikra 26:27,28) The spiritual leaders even more than the laymen must be sensitive to the times and see the 'Divine' in the events of history. If the people were prepared to sacrifice for their own Nation, and the Land of Israel itself was blossoming and becoming green again with the arrival of its people, the spiritual leadership should not have made war against the 'Divine' current. At such a time of impending doom, and the Exodus dream coming true, its is not a time to be causal about these events. A story is told in Rabbi Nachum Kahane's book 'With All Your Might' of a woman who asked him why the Rebbe in her village in Europe forbade people to make aliya? The only time her father disobeyed the Rebbe was to take her and the family to Israel. When he had asked the Rebbe for a blessing, he tried to convince him to stay and said it was forbidden to go to the Zionist State. Everyone in her village was murdered except for her family. The two letters that add up to 360 are shin and samech or 'Shas' which is an acronym for the whole Talmud. There have been many devout Rabbis that have known the whole 'Shas' by heart. There is a positive and negative connection. In the negative it is as if the whole Talmud is meaningless if it takes the non-observant to teach us what all of these books failed to impress in our hearts. The whole Torah was burned in the Shoa. On the other hand all of those who were sacrificed are 'kedoshim' and are all holy. Just as in our Parsha Moshe picks up the pans and uses them forever in the Temple service. These sacrifices also built the Land of Israel and inspired our very being. Every visiting dignitary is taken to Yad Vashem to understand the background that gave birth to the modern State of Israel. The next State; Judea will not have this negative connotation for we will have matured and become more unified as a people. ‫ = יד ושם‬Yad Vashem = 360 ‫ = שס‬Shas = 360 The Future – The Sons of Korach The anti-Zionist attitude still exists today but is slowly changing. There are two types of teshuva (repentance)that are needed. The first is easier than the second. The first teshuva is for the unobservant Jews to become more observant and G-d fearing. The second, and more difficult teshuva is for the Charedim to become Zionists. The second teshuva will occur and the irony is it will be from the children of Korach. I believe the catalyst for this final teshuva before Moshiach will be the State of Judea. It is alluded to in our Parsha. 213

‫ נלכו נו ינ נל הכה‬,‫ הה העם‬-‫ יד כוי הא המר נשמו יאל האל‬14 Then said Samuel to the people: 'Come and let ‫ כה נמלו הכה‬,‫ כה יג נל הגל; ו ננ כח ידש השם‬us go to Gilgal, and renew the kingdom there.' (Samuel 1 11:14) -‫ הא נק הרא האל‬--‫ כהיום‬,‫ יח יטים‬-‫ יז נהלוא נק יציר‬17 Is it not wheat harvest to-day? I will call unto -‫ יכי‬,‫ נו יי יתן הקלות ו המ הטר; ו נדעו ו נראו‬,‫ ניה הוה‬the LORD, that He may send thunder and rain; ,‫ניה הוה‬ ‫נב יעי יני‬ ‫כר הבה נא השר נע ישי התם‬ ‫הר כע נת הכם‬ and ye shall know and see that your wickedness is ‫ המ הלך‬,‫הל הכם‬ ‫יל נשאול‬ great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.' (Samuel 1 12:17) Here is where we see the 'tikun' of the Charedim when they will be the 'first' to choose Nationalism. Gilgal is close to Bet El where there is controversy today regarding the destruction of buildings in Ulpana. The Nation will rise up and conquer Yehuda and Shomron from those who feel pressured to give it away to our enemies for a false promise of peace. Those who lack faith will find their faith while those who have faith will discover their Nationalism. Yet even after this victory the leaders of Judea will respond like Shmuel who was against Nationalism for its own sake. It is a sin to want to be a Nation like the other nations, only if we understand that we are a Holy Nation and our constitution is guided by the Torah will we be blessed. Shmuel was a descendant of Korach and in the future the very same sons of Korach will bring the final redemption with the condition that our nationalism is based upon the Torah. ,‫ ניה הוה‬-‫ הא נק הרא האל‬--‫ כהיום‬,‫ יח יטים‬-‫ יז נהלוא נק יציר‬17 Is it not wheat harvest to-day? I will call ‫ הר שע כת תכם‬-‫המ הלךיכי‬ to Hashem, that He may send thunder and ,‫יל נשאול הל הכם‬ ,‫נו יי יתן הקלות ו המ הטר; ו נדעו ו נראו‬ rain; and you shall recognize and see that ,‫כר הבה נא השר נע ישי התם נב יעי יני ניה הוה‬ great is your wickedness that you have perpetrated before the sight of Hashem, in asking for a king.' (Samuel 1 12:17) ‫ הר שע כת תכם‬-‫ = יכי‬your wickedness = 760 ‫ = כהנא‬Kahane x 10 = 760 I pondered what the connection might be here. I believe that when the State of Judea is born, Rabbi Kahane will be remembered in the same way Hertzel is remembered in Israel. He was the one who founded the 1st congress of the State of Judea. No one at the time took this very seriously, but time will tell if his last actions in life were not prophetic. 'Your wickedness' is also in the fact that you destroyed Rabbi Kahane who could have brought you redemption many years earlier with the State of Judea. 'Your wickedness' also alludes to the constant rebuke that he gave to the Nation for it to rise to its calling and be a Religious Nation, and to throw out those who lead us to destruction while circumcising our hearts once again and demanding of us to live up to his expectations of the Holy people we are. 214

Who is Korach Today? The Heavenly Court usually does not impose a penalty until a sinner reaches the age of 20. But in Korah’s dispute, even one-day-old babies were consumed by the fire and swallowed up by the earth. For Bamidbar 16:27 says, “with their wives, and their sons, and their little ones.” (Midrash Tanhuma Korach 3.) Korach knew and observed the entire Torah. He succeeded in convincing the entire Jewish nation, including the rabbis, to follow him and he even had the power of prophesy. And nevertheless he was completely wrong! What is this coming to teach us? If he was wrong then what hope Have we got? – RvTuvia Bolton on Korach There are different kinds of disagreements. The tragic consequence of Korachs disagreement is that not only the evil doers suffered but many innocents along with them. The punishment for Korach was a punishment that was most unusual; the ground opened up and closed and he was swallowed along with all of his wealth, as if he never even existed. Abarbanel explains that the unusual punishment is actually 'measure for measure'. They opened their mouths to devour and destroy the master of all prophets so they themselves were destroyed by the mouth of the earth, the lowest place. Their denial of reality caused their own reality to disappear. After the punishment the test of staffs was administered and we see that Aarons staff blossomed. Why couldn’t this test have been done before instead of the tragic test of the incense offering? Wouldn’t that have been enough to stifle the complaints of Korach and his followers? The Midrash says that he saw great Prophets coming from his lineage including Shmuel, so how could he be so wrong? The Parsha of Korach is followed by the Parsha of Chukat. The Midrash tells us a secret about Chukat, that it is a symbol for the Jewish people who are like a sacrifice. The Red Heifer is burned completely, even its dung, to symbolize the various elements of the Jewish people from the highest to the lowest elements. All of these are taken together as ashes that mixed with water cause the impure to become pure again. So who is Korach today? Well I have a theory. Where do we see in our times a punishment where many innocent children perish? Where do we see such a strange punishment that has swallowed whole communities and made them disappear as if they never existed? The Shoa of course. Thriving communities that once existed perished in a few years and when one returns to many of these communities there is no trace of them, as if they never existed. So who is Korach? What was the ‫( יפרח‬ifrach) 'fire pan test and test of stave’s?' The gematria of the 1st three letters of Ifrach ‘to blossom ‫ יפרח‬is similar to ‘Aretz’ –Land . The extra letter ‘Chet’ - ‫ ח‬also means ‘sin’. ‫ = יפר‬blossom – 290 ‫ = ארצ‬land - 291 Read: The sin (‫ ) ח‬of disregarding the blossoming of the Land. As Rabbi Teichtal writes in Eim Habonin Semaicha, the sin of the religious leadership in the years before the war was that they saw the blossoming of the Land of Israel, but they refused to heed the divine call to return home. They saw the impending dangers but they must have also seen the future 215

Jewish leaders that would come from them, and they trusted that Hashem would save them. Zionism and its leadership was banned. The modern day Moshe’s like Jabotinsky who tried to save the Jewish people, were not allowed to even speak. And so Parsha Korach is followed by Parsha Chukat and the death of Miriam. The death of the Tzaddikim atones for the Nation. Of course millions of Tzadikim perished, and of course their sacrifice atones for us, but was there also a sin or a mistake in calculation? Today the charedi might respond to this by reminding us of what happened to the religious Jews of Yemen who came to the Zionist state and were stripped of their Judaism. However, if great numbers of the religious world, had been encouraged by their leaders to return home, then maybe they also could have made a great influence in the building of the modern day Israel, and the Yemenite story might not have existed. One would think that the love of the Land of Israel would be found greatest among the observers of the Torah, but the sin of the past continues today and the vast majority of the religious Jewish world is still burning their incense in lands of foreign milk and honey. More on the Nature of Scorn ‫ ו הפ נצ התה הה נא הד המה‬,‫ נב ירי האה יי נב הרא ניה הוה‬-‫ ל נו יאם‬30 But if the LORD make a new thing, and the ,‫ נא השר הל ההם‬-‫ הכל‬-‫ יפי הה ו הב נל העה הא התם נו האת‬-‫ האת‬ground open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go ‫יכי ינ מאצו‬ ,‫ יוי כד נע התם‬--‫נש הא הלה‬ ,‫כח ייים‬ ‫נו הי נרדו‬ down alive into the pit, then ye shall understand ‫ ניה הוה‬-‫ הה נא הנ ישים הה יא הלה האת‬that these men have despised the LORD.' (Bamidbar 16:30) ‫ = ינ מאצו‬they have despised = 147 ,‫ כו כת כהר; כו ית הרא יכי הה הר התה‬,‫ הה הגר‬-‫ ד כו היב הא האל‬4 And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her ‫ כו ית כקל נג יב נר התה כב ןעי תני הה‬. mistress was despised in her eyes. (Bereshit 16:4) ‫= כב ןעי תני הה‬when she saw = 147 What could be the connection to scorn here? If Korachs followers were religious men accused of despising Hashem what is the connection to Hagar? I suggest that maybe there is a feeling among a segment of Charedim that feels a little like Hagar. They have children while Sarah is barren. Why does Avraham still love her more? Why did Hashem love the secular Israelites enough to make their deserts green and bless these people who are barren of mitzvot? If Hashem is not angry, does that mean that anger at those fulfilling National mitzvot is a little like despising Hashem? 216

‫הה נא הנ ישים נב הידושו שי מח יזיקו‬ - ‫טז כו ייתנמכ נה המה‬ 16 But he lingered; and the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon ‫ נב הח נמ כלת ניה הוה‬,‫ יא נשתו ו נב כיד נש יתי נב הנ התיו‬-‫ו נב כיד‬ the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him. And they brought him forth, ‫ ימחוץ הל יעיר‬,‫הע הליו; כו הי יצ מאהו כו כי ינ מחהו‬ and set him without the city. (Bereshit 19:16) ‫ = שו שי מח יזיקו‬laid hold = 147 Although a whole generation was wiped out in the Shoa many survived by a miracle. Each must have felt the hand of an angel that pulled them to safety. Before it was impossible to leave Europe there were many years where those who warned of the approaching doom (like Zev Jabotinsky) were scorned and banned. Today as well the tides of antisemitism grow daily. To many the thought of making aliyah not even on the list of priorities. In Europe those who saw past the scorn and controversy and sensed not to linger were saved. ‫ שו יי כמ הצא‬,‫ יח יטים‬-‫י כו יי הלך נראו יבן יבי ימי נק יציר‬ 14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought ;‫ יל האה יאמו‬-‫ האל‬,‫ כו הי יבא הא התם‬,‫דו הד יאים כב הש הדה‬ them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to ‫ ימדו הד יאי‬,‫ הנא ילי‬-‫ נת יני‬,‫ יל האה‬-‫ האל‬,‫כות הא המר הר יחל‬ Leah: 'Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's ‫ בנניך‬mandrakes.' (Bereshit 30:14) ‫ = וש יי כמצהא‬and found = 147 As we spoke about in Parsha Vayetzei the Dudaim I suggest are related to the Monarchy. Reuvain was the 1st born, and like the older Charedi world could have been the natural one to lead. Reuvain however was willing to sell this opportunity and willingly allowed the mother of Yoseph to lead. After the fact, this bothered him and he was resentful. ‫ כה הבנות נב הנ כתי‬,‫ כי נע הקב‬-‫ מג כו כי כען הל הבן כוי הא המר האל‬43 And Laban answered and said unto Jacob: 'The ‫ כא התה‬-‫ נו הכל נא השר‬,‫ נו כה הב ינים הב כני נו כהצ האן צ הא יני‬daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all ‫ הא בע השה‬-‫המה‬ ‫נו יל נב הנ כתי‬ ;‫הוא‬-‫ילי‬ that thou seest is mine; and what can I do this day ‫יל כב ןני תהן‬,‫הל יא הלה‬ ,‫הר האה‬ ‫ נא השר הי הלדו‬, ‫ או‬,‫כהיום‬ for these my daughters, or for their children whom they have borne? (Bereshit 30:14) ‫ = יל כב ןני תהן‬their children = 147 Laban made a pact with Yacov not to harm his children. Of course Yacov would guard his children in 217

fact they would be much safer and loved dearly. What was Lavan really saying? Maybe here is another connection with the word scorn ( ‫) ינ מאצו‬. Lavan lived outside of Israel and enjoyed the blessing that Yacov brought him. Yacov had a calling that Lavan did not share. The name Yacov gives to the place where they made their pact is a Hebrew name Galeed. Lavan calles it by its Aramaic name Jegar- sahadutha. The gematria of Jegar-sahadutha 929 has the same gematria as the word 'abhor'. ‫ נו הה ייי הת יח הרם‬,‫ יבי התך‬-‫ הת יביא תו יע הבה האל‬-‫ כו נול הא‬26 And thou shalt not bring an abomination into thy house, and be accursed like unto it; thou shalt ‫כת שת מע תבנו‬-‫ יכי‬, ‫נו כת יעב‬ ‫נת כש נק הצנו‬ ‫הכ המהו; כש יקץ‬ ‫יח הרם הוא‬ utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a devoted thing. (Devarim 7:26) ;‫ כי שגר הש מהדו התא‬,‫לו הל הבן‬-‫ מז כו יי נק הרא‬47 And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha; but ‫ הק הרא לו כג נל יעד‬,‫ נו כי נע הקב‬Jacob called it Galeed. ‫ = כת שת מע תבנו‬abhor = 928+1 = 929 ‫ = כי שגר הש מהדו התא‬Jegar-sahadutha = 929 I suggest that maybe there is a hint of the quarrel of modern day Zionism and the traditional religious leadership in these passages. The 'pact' that was made at the beginning of the State with Ben Gurion was to preserve the Bnei Torah with a stipend that allowed them to defer army duties and receive benefits for their Torah study. For many years it was quite a successful arrangement giving the secular State of Israel the great zchut (merit) of being the greatest benefactor of Torah study that there ever has been. Although this pact was established beneath the surface there has been great animosity on both sides. One side calls this pact by a Hebrew name, while some may see it from the other side as an arrangement made with idol worshipers that they abhor. The concern for our children is a noble concern, however the concern for Hashems commandments is of a higher order as was demonstrated by Avraham with Itzchak. We also learn that one must honor their mother or father, however if they command you to break the Shabbat, the Shabbat takes precedence. In the chapter of the Meraglim the pretext for the concern for the children became a punishment. The children were blessed and made aliyah, while their parents were cursed for failing to trust in Hashem's protection. Rabbi Nacham Kahane writes in his book 'With All Your Might' how he personally lived through the miracles of the six day war. He also noted how each day in the weeks preceding the war, he saw Yeshiva students from chul being whisked away in airport taxis to their concerned parents arms demonstrating that faith is not always represented by the religious. 'These men have despised the Lord' says Hashem to a group of men who would not dare see a woman's uncovered hair. (See Midrash regarding On son of Peleth whose wife protected him by sitting with her hair uncovered outside his tent) 218

‫ נבתוך‬,‫ ז נו יה ינה נא כנ נחנו נמ כא נל ימים נא מל ימים‬7 for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the ‫;ינ הצ הבה‬ field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood -‫ נו כגם‬,‫ נו יה ינה הק המה נא מל המ יתי‬,‫כה הש הדה‬ round ‫ כו ית נש כת נח הויןה‬,‫נו יה ינה נת מס הבי הנה נא מל המ יתי הכם‬ upright; and, behold, your sheaves came ‫כל נא מל המ יתי‬ about, and bowed down to my sheaf.' (Bereshit 37:7) ‫ = ינ הצ הבה‬upright = 147 Yoseph had a dream and saw that his sheaf stood upright and the other sheaves bowed to his. Korach also saw the future and knew prophetically that from his progeny would come prophets and leaders. His vision was correct but it would not unfold in the way that he thought. In our own time, the heads of Jewish leadership were always pious and learned Rabbi's. That changed in the turn of the century when Jewish Nationalism arose and the head of the Jewish people became a Prime Minister. In the end Korach's vision and the Torah vision will coincide, however not in the way they had assumed. The hated and the object of hatred will both be transformed. ‫שו שי יצ ןלהו‬,‫ימ הי הדם; כוי הא המר‬ ,‫כא וכ יישנמכע רנאובין‬ 21 And Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of ‫ל הא כנ הכנו הנ הפש‬ their hand; and said: 'Let us not take his life.' (Bereshit 37:21) ‫ = ושיש יצלןהו‬delivered him = 147 ‫ = ינ מאצו‬they have despised = 147 We spoke above regarding the pact of Lavan and Yacov. Although there may have been animosity between Lavan and Yacov, the pact itself contained the cure. If part of Am Israel wanted to destroy Yoseph there was a Reuben that had second thoughts and diminished the hatred. Although there has been a divide between the Torah world and the secular world we cannot say that they did not influence each other. The cries of the Torah world have prevented many catastrophes from going too far. The Charedi world has saved Israel from destruction not only by Torah and mitzvoth but by its political cries that prevented many destructive decisions by the government. However on the other hand much more could have been done. Note: The mistake of Aarons son's is wanting to be too spiritual when Hahsem wants us below to elevate the world. The mistake of Korach was to remake Hashems kingdom in the desert which demonstrates an indifference to the Promised Land. Israel is a place in between. By conquering the Land we thereby circumcise the entire world and elevate it. The Land can save us ‫ שו שי יצ ןלהו‬or destroy us because we despise it ‫ ינאמצו‬. The generation of the Shoa said it had become too unholy. The reformists today say it is too holy and must be degenerated. Salvation and disaster is measured by the degree to which we redeem our Land. The Land is feminine. It is a Jewish woman that makes a Jewish soul. Even a non-observant Jewish woman makes a Jewish soul. A convert can also make a Jewish soul however it is a difficult process. The more we redeem our Land and throw out our enemies the easier redemption will come. (2022) 219

‫ כו יי נשאו יעי יני ההם‬,‫ הל החם‬-‫ הל בא הכל‬,‫ כה כו יי נשבו‬25 And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted ‫ נו יה ינה הא נר כחת יי נש נמ יעא ילים הב האה‬,‫ כו יי נראו‬up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead, with their ‫ ננכ האת ו נצ יריימ יג כל העד‬,‫; ו נג כמ ילי ההם הנ נש יאים‬ camels bearing spicery and balm and ladanum, ‫ נלהו יריד ימ נצ הר ני המה‬,‫הו נל יכים‬--‫הולט‬ going to carry it down to Egypt. Bereshit 37:25) ‫ = ימ יג כל העד‬Gilead = 147 This seems to me to be a hint of the pact at Galeed that we wrote about above. Yoseph went down to Egypt in a caravan of sweet smelling spices. Although Reuvain softened the blow and in this passage added a sweet scent to the exile, it was and continues to be an exile. All of our modern Torah may have softened the blow and perfumed the pain of the exile but it has not prevented Yoseph from being sold into slavery. Within the hatred the ‫ ינ מאצו‬there is a pact that ties us together from the destruction of the Shoa until today. We are united by the fact that we are persecuted together however within our persecution the solution will be found from repairing this hatred. The tikun will grow naturally from the influence we have on each other. The revelation of Yoseph the king and Korach's descendants will certainly occur. The sooner we no longer despise Hashem by despising his Torah or despising His Statehood then real faith will be expressed by the religious and Torah will be studied by statesmen. I showed these gematrias to my friend Yacov BenChaim who is an expert of gematria. He immediately pointed out that 147 = Zman Hageula (the time of redemption) as well as Pesach with the kollel. I told him that this is exactly the point. If one is standing in the time of redemption and he is indifferent not only will he lose the blessing, the blessing will turn into a curse. Pesach was a time of redemption yet at the same time a great portion of out people died in the darkness. Preceding this event. The Mathematics of Provocation (2016) It is interesting to note that if you add two zero's to the gematria of provocation (147) you can see that this provocation resulted in 14,700 deaths. The zman geula can be hurried or delayed depending on our own vision. Either we lack faith and see ourselves as 'too small', or we are blinded by Gevura and see ourselves as 'too important'. This anger at Zionism misrepresents the Chesed that Hashem demonstrates as the Land blossoms and welcomes its people regardless of their level of observance. 220

The Curse that is Called Blessing (2017) The Torah relates that the splitting of the waters introduced divisiveness into creation and as a result in the following days of creation the fruit trees failed to oblige G-d’s command to produce bark and wood tasting like its fruit, and the moon which originally had its own illumination complained about the sun and thus lost its internal light. Because of the dispute that came about from separating two equally great bodies of water the upper waters and the lower ones we see the word 'tov' (good) is not written on the second day of Creation. The story of Korach warns us of the danger of machloket (dispute). Just as there was no 'good' in the dispute on the second day of Creation; there was no good in the dispute of Korach and it brought a great destruction and a plague upon its followers that even swallowed innocent children. There is an opinion* that Korachs dispute in fact is connected to the dispute of the waters. Just as Hashem had caused a separation of the water so did He command in last week's Parsha that the generation of the meraglim would be separated from the Land. Korach's dispute in a way was opposite to Nadav and Avihu who were criticized for being too spiritual so that their souls left their body. Korach on the other hand misunderstood the physical. He accepted the physical punishment of Hashem and concluded that it is His desire for Israel to perform Torah and Mitzvot in the desert. The desire to uplift the world and alter its course was something only Hashem could decree while our job was to continue with Torah and Mitzvot in the place that was decreed for us. In the dispute of the water we see that the third day water was also mentioned however there it says it was 'good'. The dispute between equals that brings destruction eventual leads to a better world once we understand the nature of the dispute and resolve it. Although dispute is bad a better good was being created through this dispute. We also see this hinted at with Korach's progeny Shmuel that we read about in our Haftorah. The dispute we have discussed above we can see in our own times. One might say that the Korach attitude that we have discussed relating to the Shoa is also demonstrated in the response to today's looming disasters. There are many devout Bnei Torah that live in galut and have no desire to come to Israel neither for 'love' of the Land or 'fear' of potential disaster. Galut is not a 'punishment' but a desirable place. Their feeling is that if Hashem has placed us in this 'desirable' place He will decide when to bring Moshiach and return us to Eretz Israel. The desire for the Land, whether from love or even fear is not felt. If it is felt somewhat, other considerations outweigh it. I always felt uneasy with this attitude when I lived in the Galut. People would ask me why I don't move to the Jewish neighborhood and settle down. I would answer that this is not my place to settle down. One day I will build my home and garden in Israel. I was reminded of this recently when I visited a cousin in Binyamina. She made aliyah from the USA and married an Israeli who did very well in business. I visited her in her new home that looked like a castle with three floors, a basement , elevator and swimming pool. In addition there was a large study room with Torah books and a picture of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. She said to me she felt embarrassed and that its not really her. Her and her husband were hippies once and now that he has done well plus they have a large family they decided to built a beautiful home. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Sicha from the Lubavitcher Rebbe on Korach 221

I explained to her about what people used to tell me in the Galut and how I would answer. If she was building a mansion in Galut to settle down to raise generations in the exile I would agree with her that I too would feel embarrassed. It would not feel right. Building in Israel, however, I replied, is a completely different story. Here in Israel the 'physical' is spiritual. In fact it is the 'most' spiritual. Look at how the UN gets up in arms almost every day because a Jew built another home. A Jew added a porch or made an extension and the United Nations condemns it. Why is this? Because building and settling in the Land of Israel is the most spiritual activity today. It is a Kiddush Hashem. How the nations tried to destroy us, and look how Hashem rewards us! This made her feel better about her beautiful home. On the third day water is mentioned and it was 'good.' The dispute was rectified. All of the tragedies of the Shoa and the tragedies looming today are caused by our apathy and misguided desire for an exile that Hashem is bringing to an end. Another Korach manifestation we see today is the anger and rebellion of the reformists who were not able to change the Halachic status of the Kotel. Even though they have no intention of moving to Israel they want Israel to accommodate their assimilated condition. Before the Shoa many religious factions were forbidden to make aliyah because the state was too irreligious. Today the reformists refuse to make aliyah because Israel has become too religious. Whatever the rebellion the cure is found in the Land of Israel and the curse will become even more so as there is strife between the waters and anger at the rock of Israel which is our salvation. Just like transforming the Land is not easy transforming oneself is also not easy. It is difficult to make the movie. However the more that one desires the Land or even recognizes the danger that exists, the more doors will open and solutions will be found. It begins by understanding where blessing lies and remembering the old saying ' When the Jews stop making Havdalah, the nations start making it'. Its time to come home. The Last Supper (2019) Shabbat Kiddish A week after my sixteenth birthday in Israel my Shabbat home, the Chabbad Bet Knesset of Nachalat Binyamin was about to disappear like Korach, never to be seen again. The eighty year old history of this tiny 50-60 square meters of space has filled volumes of books of great spiritual leaders and emissaries that built Chabbad all over Israel. It was now about to vanish. A few remnants of this ancient history are the old wooden table that serves as the alter for our shabbat kiddish and the wooden bench that I always sit on. This bench to me was always a living symbol of how the spiritual world infuses and defies the physical world. The bench had long ago worn out its physical properties but like the dust of Adam this physical remnant carried a much greater spiritual purpose. The property owners were tearing down the building and promising a new renovated space in a year or two or three while the congregation would move temporarily a few blocks away to the Yavne Bet Knesset. Rav Manke Lipskur (one of the old timers) said a L'Chaim and proclaimed that instead of being imprisoned in a tiny space like Egypt (Mitzrayim from Meytzar – narrow), we should return and 222

be a spacious and prominent landmark. Rav Butman (the 85 year old founding father) said a L'Chaim. He along with Manke had been praying there for fifty years. Sitting next to Rav Butman was a guest who came for the last supper. He was a contemporary of Rav Butman and the Rabbi remembered a story that the guests father had told him as a young boy. He said to the young Rav Butman 'we know that a small drop of water over time can make a hole in a stone, but what is the difference of that drop of water falling on a stone and the same drop falling on a horse? Will it make hole in a horse too?' The Rav understood he was referring to him. The man continued and explained that after a million drops of water an impression starts to be formed in the stone. The difference is when one drop falls on a horse, the horse shakes it away, so there is never more than one drop. I also said a L'Chaim and thanked everyone for giving me a Shabbat home for sixteen years and being a tiny part of this great history. Although I have sat among the leaders of Chabbad I have always been a Chassid of Rav Kahane and this was always reflected in my questions at the kiddish table. I said that it is not by coincidence that the move was taking place during the Parshas of Shlach (last week) and Korach (this week). As a consequence of the evil report said by the spies we had a duty now to create a minyan of ten each time we pray. The people of Korach were part of a similar rebellion that called 'Egypt' the land of Milk and Honey and distorted the Torah. As an antidote, the mitzvah of gathering Jews for minyan (as was done daily here) has great power. I have always believed that decrees made or annulled by kings unbeknown to them were influenced by the kiddish tables of Jewish kings in holy Bet Knessets. Personally, it was the merit of the Minyan that gave me a home in Israel. For years in chul I went out in the street looking for Jews for a minyan. When I arrived in Israel with no money and prayed to find a way to stay and make aliyah, measure for measure, I was approached on the street by a Rabbi asking me to join a minyan. Later he asked me to help him build his yeshiva and offered me a place to stay there if I made aliyah, which of course I did. So I can understand the feelings of the Meraglim who found it difficult to leave their home and and go into the unknown as Hashem commands us. The proof of Korachs mistake is the staff that blossoms in an unnatural yet natural way. He may have seen the prophet Shmuel Hanavi coming from him in the future however his conclusion was incorrect. To me the Torah is not a history book with moral lessons but rather a book of truth that explains our current situations as well. So how do I understand the story of Korach today? What are these blossoms that grow miraculously and how does the miraculous exist within the order of nature? I know a number of great chassidim who are settlers in Yehuda and Shomron. They build on every hilltop. Their structures are then torn down by the army and they are thrown in prison. They return and they build again. Over and over again they are persecuted and over and over again they return and build. An interesting point about some of these particular individuals and leaders (some of whom I know personally) is that some of them have grandparents and great grandparents that were great Torah leaders in Europe who forbade their congregations to go to Israel. Israel was considered a non-kosher place due to the Zionists and they forbade their people to go there. The same curse that fell upon Korach happened in Europe where the earth swallowed up whole communities that existed for thousands of years as if they never existed; men, women, and children. Just like Korachs vision those who said 'what do we need the extra techelet of Zionism for when we wear all techelet' may have been over zealous in their animosity. Maybe underneath the fervor was the emotional difficulty to leave behind so much history and go forth into the unknown. 223

Today we are not discussing the move from chul to Israel but rather from one location in Israel to another a few blocks away yet it is still very emotional. We know how emotional this 50-60 meters is to us. Imagine those attached to communities thousands of years old? May it be that the descendants of those who were sacrificed in the Shoa, may they continue to settle and build greater than their grandparents who refused the original physical building on principle, and greater than the Zionists who persecute them today for doing it. May it be that as a Jewish shepherd in Yehuda and Shomron sharpens his stone against Goliath the construction workers in Tel Aviv cut the stones of a more spacious Bet Knesset and may the Temple be rebuilt alongside them both speedily in our time. The Seeds of Chanukah (2021) Why should we talk about Chanukah now? Well, it’s a question I have. It seems to me that it’s not fair that the majority of Am Israel desires a right-wing government and is more or less traditional, yet they have been scammed and a radical left-wing government along with a Trojan horse Arab party right in the heart and soul of the nation has taken over through political manipulation. What happened in the USA has now happened in Israel. Although the process was different the result is very similar; the will of the people has been subverted and certainly we will suffer for this. But why? This is the question. I asked Rav Halperin was it the same in the story of the Meraglim? Did the leadership cause the people to suffer? He answered no. In that time the people were of the same mind and that is why they were also punished. I thought about this however as someone pushed in front of me in the catering line before Shabbat and it seemed to me that this is incorrect. The Torah is not a history book. It is a book that tells us about who we are, why we suffer, what is a blessing and what is a curse. If we fail to grasp these concepts, we learn the hard way like the grapes that learn how to become wine. Certainly, the Meraglim were punished more severely than the people yet the people were still punished for forty years and certainly Korach and his gang were punished more severely than the Nation yet the Nation was still punished with a great plague and thousands died. Today the Bennet’s and others who use the same methods of Korach to pretend it is their hatred of Netanyahu and some supposed injustice he did which masks their own self-interest succeed in defrauding the Nation for their personal gain. They will earn their reward but what about the people that were defrauded? Is it fair in Hashems world of truth and justice that the innocent should suffer? There is a midrash that tells us that in each generation we suffer because of the Chet HaEgel. Why is this? A minuscule portion of the sin of the Golden Calf is added to every punishment imposed upon the Jewish people, as it is stated: “On the day when I punish, I will punish their sin upon them” (Exodus 32:34), indicating that atonement for that sin is incomplete, and the Jewish people will continue to suffer for it. (Sanhedrin 102a) It was a small group that actually worshiped this calf so why do so many suffer in each generation? Chazal tells us they did not protest (Alsheich). Most did not go along but they did not protest. 'What can I do,' they probably said. 'Look what happened to Chur?' 'Who am I and who are we?' And so we come to the story of Pinchas next week who also said who am I? Pinchas is written with a small yud to indicate that the Pinchas action he took went against his humble nature. 'How can I be Pinchas when I am not Pinchas?' he must have asked himself. And so we come to Chanuka. 224

There is an illusion that the 3rd and final temple will be built or fall from Heaven (or both) on Chanuka.* It was a time where democracy ruled yet how the people suffered from this noble democracy. It seems like today just like the time of the Chashmonaim it is that very democracy, or manipulation of that democracy, that is now preparing to enslave us. How did the Chanuka story begin? In the same way that the person cut in front of me in line. Someone pushed. An ordinary person became a Pinchas and his fire lit his neighbor and he too became Pinchas. A revolution spread one candle at a time throughout the Nation right in the height of the age of Democracy. And so my question remains. Are the people cursed to suffer because of the sins of those who lead and mislead or are we paid in full from the credit we owed from the Egel Hazahav? The words 'never again' that Rav Kahane coined does not mean that never again will we not be persecuted, but 'never again' will we sit quietly like sheep and look the other way without protesting and fighting with all our soul against an evil adversary. Shifra Hoffman (z'tl) used to say the Shoa did not begin at Aushwitz, it ended there. If we have paid in full I suggest we wrap a wax candle around the receipt, light it on fire like a torch, and light the souls of our brothers, like Chanukah candles one by one until our Temple is forcibly built. Then when Hashem hears the commotion and comes down and asks 'OK who is first in line?' we all answer in one voice 'all of us!' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * R. Chanina said: On the 25th of Kislev, the work of the Mishkan was completed and it was kept rolled up until the 1st of Nisan, for Moshe set it up on the 1st of Nisan. (Pesikta Rabbati, 6) Upon his deathbed Ya’akov Avinu blessed his sons and wanted to reveal to them what would occur at the End-of-Days (Bereishis 49:1). However, the prophecy left him, (see Pesachim 56a). In spite of the reassuring answer of his sons, the prophecy never returned to Ya’akov Avinu, and we still don’t know the date of the End-of-Days. There is a hint however in Ya’akov Avinu’s response to his son’s proclamation the Zohar’s writes: Ya’akov wanted to establish the “Mystery of Unity” below, and composed the 24 letters of, “Blessed be the Name of His glorious kingdom forever.” He didn’t give it 25 letters since the Mishkan-the Tabernacle- had yet to be built. Once the Mishkan was built the first word was completed . With regard to this it says, “God spoke to him from the Appointed Tent, saying .” (Vayikra 1:1), which has 25 letters. (Zohar 2:139b) On the first day of Hanukkah the Torah reading begins with the words, “And it was, on the day on which Moses completed the work of the tabernacle.”(Numbers 7:1) Only in Parsha Miketz is the mnemonic provided for the number of words, in this case 2025. This alludes to Chanuka which usually falls in the week of Sidrah Miketz. On Chanuka we light a new ‘ner' ‘lamp’, for each of the eight nights. The numerical value of ner is 250; accordingly the eight lights of Chanuka gives a total 2000. Chanuka begins on the 25th of Kislev. Thus 2025 is an allusion to the lights and the date of Chanuka (Torah Temima).” There are also the same amount of verses (146) in Parsha Miketz as in Parsha Bereshit. Kabbalistic and Chassidic writings identify Chanukah as a time where we can glimpse the original light of Creation (Ohr Haganuz). 225

Gimel Tammuz and Korach (2021) In most years Gimel Tammuz occurs in the week of Parshat Chukat (as well as the original year). There is a hint however of a similar theme in this weeks Parsha. As I have mentioned in the past the departure of the Lubavitch Rebbe in the week of Chukat (Gimel Tammuz) I have always associated with the story of the Selah (the rock), where it is decreed that Moshe will remain in the exile with that generation. In our Parsha there is a hint of this story as well when the words Moshe says to Korach are repeated back to him by Hashem. When Moshe pleads to enter the Land (in Parsha Vaetchanan) and Hashem echo's Moshe's words to Korach 'It is too much for you' (Devarim 3:26). So what does this all mean? It seems to me, that as I once was told, what the Rebbe said when asked why he never had been to Israel - he replied he was once in the navy, and a Captain is the last one to leave a sinking ship. He makes sure everyone else is safe. I suppose there is something to that. Hopefully the flame that is being kindled will have an effect internally and will grow and will encourage aliyah. My friend Yehuda told me an amazing thing this week that pertains to Reuvain and his fervor for his mother that may be related to this idea. Reuvain was jealous of Rachel because of his mother and as soon as Rachel died he quickly moved her bed to his mothers tent. He was concerned that it might have been moved to one of the other concubines further insulting his mother. What was the character of Reuvain that made him so impetuous and loyal? Now I have always said that the modern State of Israel I consider to be like Leah. Yacov wanted Rachel but he got Leah - this is what we have today. It was not our first choice. The Rabbis tell us that on the night of conception it is very important to have pure thoughts because this will determine the nature of the child. Imagine that on Yacov's wedding night he was thinking that he was impregnating Rachel. How does that affect who Reuvain became? It seems in a way what occurred here was measure for measure. Itzchak wanted to give Esav his spiritual blessings but they were diverted to Yacov. Here Yacov wanted to impart his spiritual essence to Rachel but it was diverted to Leah and Reuvain was born. In the morning Yacov said to Leah you tricked me and you are just like your father she replied you are the original manipulator not me. According to the mekubal Rabbi Menachem Azariah, when Rivka gave Yacov the clothes of Esav she gave Yacov more than just clothes but Esavs spiritual essence in addition to his Yacov nature. Leah answers Yacov 'now that you have taken Esavs essence as well as your own, you must also take the wife that was designated for Esav.' This story is a little complicated however we see that even though we got Leah (the State of Israel) though we wanted Rachel there are many tikkunim not only on the surface (the hands of Esav but the voice of Yacov), but deep in the soul there are many holy aspects that may seem quite the opposite and are going through transformations. As a new political chapter is being written this week through the sudden Bennet takeover. With symmetrical timing to our Parsha we see a similar Korach process under the guise of concern for the community and hatred for the former leader, self interest and destructive forces have now taken over the government undermining its very foundation. It is a time where the essence of Yacov through its various manifestations must rise up to counter balance an impending new plague. The Torah is not a history book and the punishments of Korach are ever present. There are two times in recent history that I have learned out this Parsha by reverse engineering the results. There was a time of machloket not too long ago where one side wanted Hashem but did not want the Land because it had been contaminated, and another side that wanted the Land but did not want Hashem. The result was 226

that whole communities disappeared alive as if they never had existed. This was called the Shoa The second time more recently was a machloket between one side that wanted Hashem and His Land and another side that did not want the Land nor Hashem - the result was an entire community that was erased as if it had never been. This was called Gush Katif. On a positive note this same week as dark clouds hover over the calm between the next storm I visited the Hurva Bet Knesset in the Old City. It was a synagogue that had been built and destroyed 2-3 times over the last 500 years and today stands in all its glory huge and monumental. This magnificent and stunning edifice is a symbol of the resolve and determination of the Jewish soul and I was impressed by the friendly students of the Gaon of Vilna that I met there whose studies have continued uninterrupted. The group that hated Moshe the most in the Korach story were those who wanted Israel and didn't want Israel. They did not have the faith to conquer the land but they had the chutzpah to blame Moshe for the curse which they brought upon themselves; to die in a desert while longing for an exile they cynically referred to as the land of milk and honey. The bitter machloket we read about in today's Parsha and today's newspaper I suggest has a hidden cure in next weeks Parsha where that which is contaminated in the evening becomes pure in the day. Just like the past those who hold the foundations on their shoulders as the earth crumbles, are looked at as lepers to be banned and silenced. Real leaders like Itamar Ben Gvir or Bentzi Gopstein and other Kahane Chassids who bear the brunt of the hysteria of the complacent mob, determined to have a milk and honey made in their own exile image, will tomorrow be known as those who held the elixir of life. ‫ הימות‬-‫ כה הנ יג כע נב ימת נב הנ הפש הה הא הדם נא השר‬-‫ יג הכל‬13 Whoever touches the dead body of a human --‫ ימ נש ככן ניה הוה יט ימא‬-‫ האת‬,‫ נול הא יי נת כח הטא‬being who will have died, and will not have purified himself – if he shall have contaminated ‫ יכי ןמי‬:‫ימ יי נש הר יאל‬ ,‫כה יהוא‬ ‫כה הנ הפש‬ ‫נו ינ נכ נר התה‬ the Tabernacle of Hashem, that person shall be cut ,‫עוד‬--‫ הט ימא יי נה היה‬,‫ הז שרק הע הליו‬-‫ ינ הדה ל הא‬off from Israel; because the water of sprinkling has not been thrown upon him, he shall remain ‫מט נמ האתו בו‬ contaminated; his contamination is still upon him. (Bamidbar 19:13) Read: One is cut off from Israel if the government has not been thrown upon him and spat upon him - then he is pure. ‫ הז שרק הע הליו‬-‫יכי ןמ הדי ינה ל הא‬ The people of Gush Katif are also pure and hold the elixir of life. They who appear contaminated today are paying the price to give life and purity to those contaminated by the exile mentality, 'by associating with those who have been cut off and will have died and not purified themselves'. We learned from the Miraglim that punishments concerning maligning or abandoning the land of Israel are severe and the more we continue to escape our destiny and manipulate it with revisionist concepts of milk and honey the more the land escapes us and the exile imprisons us It's Gimel Tammuz. The captain remains on the ship making sure that all are brought to safety and in the land of milk and honey where the bees multiply and the milk sours the essence of Yacov will rise to become Israel whether through the hands of Esav or the emotionally challenged hands of Reuvain or the new State of Yehuda which may gather all these sparks together to unite us as a complete body where each part has an integral function and all ten fingers will lift the Torah scroll up together for all to see and for our enemies to be scattered once and for all. 227

The Secret Garden (2023) I learned an important lesson from Chabbad and it’s called Shlichut. Often Chassidim of Kahane complain about what should have been and the impossible situation we find ourselves in with the dictatorship of the left-wing judicial system and I agree. They protest which is good, and sometimes they say what is the use of protesting which I also understand. I took a lesson from Chabbad however, and keep moving forward despite the situation and planting seeds just like a farmer. I would like to share one particular result which is also related to our Parsha. The last two Parshiot deal with harsh judgments and are very concerning especially today. The Meraglim saw the light of Israel and called it darkness, Korach saw the holiness of Moshe and also called it darkness and today as the Nation of Israel voted for a more Jewish State there are those who protest every week and call this darkness as well. In the USA the only thing standing in the way of a Woke dictatorship that may even surpass Stalin and Mao and other Fascist regimes is the conservative movement and its representative Trump who is now at the mercy of a weaponized legal system with hardly any accountability left. We are entering dangerous times and similar to the last few Parshiot, Hashem is being provoked to an unprecedented level. What happens in Israel reflexively happens in the world. If the woke mob succeed their end goal will be to uproot every vestige of tradition and law and order that the Torah and Israel have represented throughout history. Within this ominous backdrop and the terrible judgments in the last two Parshiot we read about the staff of Aaron that is proven to be the chosen staff of Hashem and produces fruit quickly and miraculously. The question might be asked shouldn’t Hashem have made this miracle previously and therefore saved the lives of all those who died in the plague? The answer is, that it would not have helped. If the ten plagues of Egypt and the splitting of the sea and the receiving of the Torah and the manna coming from Heaven did not convince our Nation neither would this. If today we haven’t learned anything from the Shoa and from Gush Katif, the persecution of Rav Kahane and all the Peace Plans that took another piece and another piece and caused thousands of innocent Jews to rest in peace, we will continue to learn the hard way. Unfortunately, only after the damage is done, that could have been prevented, do the next generation slowly piece things together. The lesson of the miraculous staff however is like a secret garden that grows within this darkness and I saw its fruits. A year ago, I dropped off the Parsha of Rav Kahane at a Bet Knesset and the gabbai yelled at me. He said he will only throw them in the garbage. Nobody is interested and Rabbi Kahane died thirty years ago and is no longer relevant. I told him that I will leave one and maybe someone might be interested to read it. Six months later when I stopped by to make my weekly delivery, he took me aside and told me he voted for Ben Gvir. This week as he was leaving the Bet Knesset, I passed him and said I will put them by the window. He adamantly refused and said to me you do not put Rabbi Kahane outside on a window. He went back and opened the Bet Knesset so he could put the Parshiot inside. He told me Rabbi Kahane was the only Rabbi who speaks the truth. The same man who saw no relevance now saw the Rabbi as if her were alive and well. I was truly amazed and witnessed how quickly fruit grows to those who are thirsty for words of truth and how it spreads underneath this shadow of darkness. My nephew said at his Bar Mitzvah last week that the reason Yehoshua is called Bin Nun and not Ben Nun is because two dots under the Ben were placed under the Yud of Sarah making it Yehoshua Bin Nun. I said to him that we learn an important lesson from this. Hashem will help us in miraculous ways similar to adding the Yud of Sarah to the name of Hoshea. However, we need to have at least those two dots of our own. To those who call light darkness there is not much you can do except keep planting the seeds. To some their sentence has already been sealed but to others that have at least these two dots miraculous things can happen. If we only keep planting seeds and tilling the ground maybe we will be fortunate to see the beautiful fruits that grow so quickly from this secret garden. 228

Kahane in the Parsha Chukat 229

Chukat – The Shoa – and The Birth of Israel It appears to me that there is a connection between Parsha Chukat, the Shoa and the birth of modern day Israel. The apparent illogical process of the Para Aduma which purifies while causing impurity in the process is not so illogical when one stands at our viewpoint of history and looks backward. The sin of the snakes, which punishes as well as cures, is also a similar concept. The Shoa too was a punishment that contains within it the cure that we must come to understand. We learn another difficult idea in this Parsha that the death of the spiritual leaders of the generation, atone for the generation by their death. Let us examine for a moment the mistakes of the people and the spiritual leadership that resulted in tragedies and the consequences of these tragedies that resulted eventually in purity coming from impurity, and new life coming from death. In the Haftorah we see the rectification of histories mistakes that lead to the conquest of Biblical Israel and also guide us today with the answers that we still are searching for; answers that have taken a devastating toll on the Nation to discover. There is a Midrash that tells us that the Para Aduma is a symbol of Nation of Israel. Each part of the cow represents a different part of the Nation, from Torah scholars, to those who support the scholars, even the dung of the cow which represents the lowliest parts of the Nation. All are placed together and burned on the Alter, and from this sacrifice comes the elixir that purifies the Nation. What were the faults of the Nation that led to the national tragedy? It is through understanding the difficult questions of our time, which was similar to their time that we can come to understand these ideas and produce the elixir that purifies. The Rebirth of the Nation Why were the greatest leaders of the generation denied entrance to the Land? What were their mistakes and the mistakes of the generation? The Midrash tells us that the generation of the dessert were not only condemned to die in the dessert but were also commanded to dig their own graves (a familiar image). How could a people on the verge of such glory as they left Egypt end up in such tragic circumstances? How could it be that after praying thousands of years for the rebirth of Israel that our own generation failed to see its doors opening even to save their lives? And what gave birth to the new generation that conquered the Land if not for the tragic mistakes of their fathers? The Rock One of the keys to understanding this catastrophe lies within understanding why Moshe was punished for hitting the rock. Chazal tells us many reasons, some of the more famous ones are: Moshe hit the rock instead of speaking to the rock. He got angry when Hashem wasn’t angry. He and Aaron were being punished for the previous sins of the golden calf and the spies. Moshe had an opportunity to raise the consciousness of the nation which he failed to do. If we think back to the generation that entered Israel in our own times before the Shoa and the response of the spiritual leadership then which still echoes in our own time, we might understand these ideas clearer. 230

Was Hashem really angry at the Zionists for their complaints? If the religious leaders spoke to the nation and showed them that water was coming from the rocks of the land of Israel and that the re-birth of the Nation was a clear sign of Hashem’s blessings, maybe millions of Jews might have gone to Israel when they could have. Instead there was a war between the lovers of the Land and the guardians of the religion. It’s interesting to note that the rock that Moshe hit, according to the Midrash, was the same rock that gave water to Hagar. This seems to indicate that there is connection between the rock that sustained Ishmael and that which sustains Israel. The punishments inflicted on the Nation of Israel in the past and in our own time seem to be due to our rejection of the desirable land. Ishmael on the other hand is sustained by the very rock that is rejected by the Israelite Nation. The Cure In Parsha Pinchas Hashem says a second time that the reason the leadership is being denied entry into the Land is because they failed to sanctify His name. In the same Parsha Yehoshua and Calev are distinguished for doing the opposite. It seems that the general rule is that leadership that appeases the people as Aaron did with the golden calf, or Moshe did, in the episode of the spies, will eventually lead to the long road of redemption, while those who stood against the mob like Calev, Yehoshua, and Pinchas, were rewarded by bringing the people into the land. In Parsha Devarim which often falls during Tisha Bav the sins that lead to National catastrophe are further explained. The Meraglim who were great leaders of stature, we are told, slandered the good Land and had a powerfully negative influence on the Nation. In the Haftorah of Chukat Hashem tells us what He despises most - Mendacity amidst assemblage; piety that masks lack of faith. ‘He shall make war for you, like everything He did for you in Egypt, before your eyes. And in the Wilderness, as you have seen, that Hashem your G-d, bore you, as a man carries his son, on the entire way that you traveled, until you arrived at this place. Yet in this matter you do not believe in Hashem your G-d, Who goes before you on the way…(Devarim 29-33). One can be a very pious Jew, but still it is in this way that we lacked faith then, and today. We are told that Calev and Yehoshua believed in Hashem fully!. We didn’t believe fully that Hashem would walk in front of us and lead us into the Land. Instead we slandered the Land and because we were afraid to forge our destiny as we were commanded to do, we exchanged it instead for a set of rituals called Judaism. This piety that lacks faith has resulted in terrible tragedy. Chukat describes the inevitable punishments of running away from our destiny and the mistakes of leadership. The rectification which begins with the new leadership of Yehoshua and Calev and the zealous acts of Pinchas affected the cure that was finally resolved in the end of history by the Haftorah of Parshat Chukat. Former Jewish enemies resolved their differences in order to repel an enemy of the newly formed Jewish Nation. The enemy of the Jews at that time offered a peace treaty in exchange for land, the same claim as today. They bargain with the Jewish conquerors, that they wont make war, if only these conquerors would give them back Land that they felt was theirs previously. But the Jewish leadership and people had changed. They no longer saw these enemies as giants and themselves small, but rather as Calev and Yehoshua saw them – Goliaths who’s time of retribution had 231

come. In the end, the answer they received was the same answer we will give one day to both villains and imposters of piety. ‘All that your god gives to you he has given you, all he has given us he gives to us (Shoftim 11:24).' End of story. Chukat 2012 Secrets of the Para Aduma Spiritual mistakes lead to physical death – Physical death leads to spiritual re-birth. To me this encapsulates the concept of the Para Aduma. I heard from Rabbi Glazerson that according to the Kabbala the Para Aduma represents the people of Israel, from the head to the dung, they are all burned. Like the Shoa which did not distinguish between religious or political beliefs, all were taken together and burned, so the Para Aduma from the head to its dung are burned. From these ashes comes a remedy from the defilement of death. Two Cows The Midrash tells us that the Para Aduma is connected to the Chet Haegel. It is as if the mother cow is coming to clean up after her baby. The spiritual sins that began with the Chet Ha Egel climax with the maligners of Israel the Maraglim, which seal the physical fate of the whole desert generation. The spiritual mistakes from the leadership down to the Erev Rav affect the physical well being of the whole generation. Outside the Camp The spiritual leadership that brings life from these ashes become defiled in the process. The whole ritual is done from outside the camp. The blood of the Para is sprinkled towards the Temple and the ashes are collected far from the Temple itself. There are spiritual leaders that try to save the Nation from itself and become martyred in the process. They bring light from these ashes. Rabbi Teichtel who wrote Em Habonim Somecha was one of these leaders who saw the remedy when it was too late for him and the Nation, but the remedy was preserved for future generations to study and understand. Chur was also a spiritual leader that tried to prevent the Chet HaEgel and became a martyr. His life of self- sacrifice was rewarded in his grandson Betzalel, the architect of the Mishkan. Many who inspire the Nation and try to lead it forward in the direction that is demanded from Hashem often suffer persecution by our own people. Leaders like Hur of the past who was murdered by wild mobs. Rabbi Kahane in our own time was ostracized and persecuted by a knesset who feared his rising popularity. It is these leaders who correct our sins that are pushed outside the camp and become impure like lepers to be disassociated with. While it is they who administer the elixir of life from the ashes of our unnecessary deaths. Mistakes of the Gedolim Fixed by the Katonim The mistakes of our leadership both physical and spiritual are fixed only by those with the ability and self-sacrifice to stand alone against a sea of adversity. Moshe understood this when Jewish informers forced him to become a fugitive and wanted man for his noble acts. The man who most resembles Moshe of the past is Rabbi Kahane today, who also was beaten and imprisoned countless times for his Jewish activism. Yet this is the spirit that is required and brings redemption to the Jewish people. They must learn from their leaders what is demanded of them. David Hamelech also began with a small 232

group of followers that were considered fugitives and rebels by the State but loved by the people. Copper Snake and Two Cows The copper snake made by Moshe is a similar idea to what we have already spoken about. We need to understand that our suffering comes by our own hands. So many tragedies did not need to result in our being turned into ashes if we had acted upon what we knew instead of being willfully blind. Spiritual mistakes cause physical death. Physical death causes spiritual re-birth. We have the choice of an easy birth or one with terrible labor pains. The difference between the Tzadik who administers the antidote with the Paras Aduma and the antidote of the snake is one of proximity. In the first example the Tzadik is banished and not part of the camp. In the case of the snakes the Tzadik brings the antidote from within the camp. The difference is that the we slowly incorporate the Torah that heals as opposed to the Torah that causes our destruction. For example in Rabbi Kahane's time, if he had not been ostracized and banned and persecuted by the rulers who feared for their positions good things could have happened. The people would have been allowed to vote and elect him to power. He would have proceeded to throw out our enemies and rebuilt the Temple. He would have given us the faith and courage that we lack. Because we threw him out side the camp so that he could only throw the blood of the Paras Aduma towards us from a distance he was left in a pit like Yoseph and we continue to suffer with no solution. Chazal tells us that the death of the Tzadikim bring atonement similar to the Para Aduma. This is why the death of Miriam is recorded just after the description of the Para Aduma. How does their death bring atonement? When the leaders are no longer around to fight for us, then there is only ourselves. We must become a little bit more like those we feared to follow lest we be labeled extremists. As more people take up the mantle then one may not be considered quite as extreme as he might have been twenty years earlier, when now a few members of knesset proudly admit that Rabbi Kahane was their Rabbi. The blood that was thrown towards the Temple is now a copper snake that is erected from within the camp, to demonstrate to the people so that they will begin now to understand and internalize the Torah of healing that is needed. The Poison Antidote It is the poison that we have for each other that causes the snakes to bite. The hatred of the Charedim against the Zionists and the Zionists against the Charedim is the poison that creates a rift in the Nation and strengthens our enemies. Rabbi Kahane was one of the few leaders that had adamant followers among both the religious and non-religious. There were many charedim who secretly admired Rabbi Kahane although he was banned by their Rebbe's and many non-observant Jews who became more observant because he spoke to their hearts and demanded of them self-sacrifice. He instilled a new Jewish heart that was not fearful and guilt ridden but proud of their heritage and ready to fight for Jewish freedom. Unlike the majority of Rabbis who say the Shoa is beyond our understanding, the Rabbi explained that this explanation in itself drives people away from the religion. If we say that even the smallest thing is decreed from Heaven but this terrible tragedy we cannot explain then it makes God out to be cruel and we are simply lambs led to His arbitrary slaughter. When we understand the Shoa as a punishment or consequence of our actions in addition to the many mystical views, then it affirms the many admonitions in our Torah and reaffirms the redemptive passages as well. When Moshe went running through the camp and erected the copper snake within the camp, those who looked up were cured. Instead of the remedy coming from outside the camp (Para Aduma), now it was coming from inside the camp. I suggest the difference alludes to the evolution of the Tzadiks Torah. There are those 233

who bring the relevant Torah of their times into being but pay the ultimate sacrifice for this. Rabbi Teichtal was such a man and so was Rabbi Kahane in his time. Sometimes it takes many years for this relevant Torah to be internalized within the Nation. When I go to Har Hamenucha for the Rabbis Haskara there are always bus loads of Breslovers going to visit Israel Berodesa who has the same Hascara. Rebbe Nachman died before he reached thirty with a handful of followers and today there are many thousands of Breslover Chassidim around the world. A Tzadik lives long after his years. The most relevant Torah of our times is the explanation of the Shoa of the past and learning the lesson of the future. Rabbi Kahane's famous slogan 'Never Again' does not mean that never again can it not happen, but rather never again will we be complacent. The 400 soldiers outside the camp ‫כנ שחשנכ החשת‬-‫ כו ני יש ימהו כעל‬,‫ת‬ ‫ט כו כי כעש המ השה‬ 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon the pole; and it came to pass, that if a serpent --‫ יאיש‬-‫ הנ כשך כה הנ החש האת‬-‫ יאם‬,‫כה ינס; נו הה היה‬ had bitten any man, when he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived. ‫ הו החי‬,‫ ננ כחש כה ננ הח השת‬-‫נו יה יביט האל‬ (Bamidbar 21:9) One can see within the letters that the poison that kills and the poison that cures are one and the same. The serpent reflected upon above cures the serpent that physically kills below. The word for 'snake' and 'copper' are the exact same letters except for the addition of the letter 'Taf'. I submit that the 'Taf'' alludes to the Torah. The more that one understands the 'authentic' or 'living' Torah, the more one is cured. It is important to differentiate between 'authentic' and 'living' because the same Torah can be used to separate and cause 'controversy' among Israel and become the very poison that kills. Copper is also known for its healing qualities but can also rust and be poisonous. ‫ כה ינס;ת‬-‫ כו ני יש ימהו כעל‬, ‫ט כו כי כעש המ השה ננ כחש ננ הח הש‬ 9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon the pole; and it came to pass, that if a serpent -‫ נו יה יביט האל‬--‫ יאיש‬-‫ הנ כשך כה הנ החש האת‬-‫ יאם‬,‫נו הה היה‬ had bitten any man, when he looked unto the ‫ הו החי‬,‫ננ כחש כה ננ הח השת‬ serpent of brass, he lived. (Bamidbar 21:9) The 'Taf' also is the gematria Four Hundred. This number is written about in a number of places in the Torah. The first time we see it, it is in regard to Esav and his Four Hundred men that are coming to potentially attack Israel. ‫ הבאנו‬:‫ ילא המר‬,‫ כי נע הקב‬-‫ האל‬,‫ כה כמ נל הא יכים‬,‫ ז כו הי משבו‬7 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: ,‫ נו כגם הה ילך יל נק הרא נתך‬,‫ יע השו‬-‫ האל‬,‫ הא יחיך‬-‫' האל‬We came to thy brother Esau, and moreover he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with ‫ ןמאות‬-‫יאיש יעמושא כר שבע‬ ‫נו‬ him.' (Bereshit 32:7) It was from this threat that Yaacov divided his camp into three. One camp would try to bribe Esav, one could escape and the third camp do battle. The first two camps have been the status quo for two thousand years of exile. The third camp that is prepared for battle is the camp we are in today with the re-birth of the Modern State of Israel. The other place that the number four hundred appears is referring to David HaMelech, the King of Israel. Before he became king he led a revolution that began with four hundred men who would have 234

been considered in their time as outcasts and extremists. ;‫ נמ הע כרת נע מד הלם‬-‫ כו יי המ ילט האל‬,‫ א כו יי הלך הד יוד ימ השם‬1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to ‫ כו יי נרדו יא הליו‬,‫ יבית הא יביו‬-‫ כו יי נש נמעו הא החיו נו הכל‬the cave of Adullam; and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down ‫השמהה‬ thither to him. ‫המצוק‬ ‫ יאיש‬-‫ב שו יי כת שק כבצו ןא הליו הכל‬ 2 And every one that was in distress, and every -‫כו הכל‬ ,‫לו הנ תשא‬-‫ יאיש מא תשר‬-‫כו הכל‬ one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and ;‫ נל השר‬,‫ כו ני יהי נע ילי ההם‬,‫ תנ תפש‬-‫יאיש שמר‬ he became captain over them; and there were with ‫ נכ שא כר שבע ןמאות אייש‬,‫כו יי נהיו יעמו‬ him about four hundred men. -‫ ימ נצ יפה מו האב; כוי הא המר האל‬,‫ ג כו יי הלך הד יוד ימ השם‬3 And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab; and ‫ כעד‬,‫ הנא הא יבי נו יא ימי יא נת הכם‬-‫ יי יצא‬,‫ המ הלך מו האב‬he said unto the king of Moab: 'Let my father and ‫ ילי באל יהים‬-‫ כי נע השה‬-‫ כמה‬,‫נא השר יא כדע‬ my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.' (Shmuel 1/ 22:1-3) This ragged force of outcasts that manages to be victorious over the well trained armies of Esav as well as the backstabbing from his own countrymen is not unprecedented. It is most always like this. Itzchak Shamir who passed away this week was on Winston Churchill's 'most wanted' list. Shamir was the leader of Lechi which was considered a terrorist group in its time. Israel did not come into being from a United Nations vote, but from a grass roots revolution that carried out enough 'price tag' actions that the British decided eventually to leave Palestine. As Shamir writes: \"It is permitted to liberate a people even against its will, or against the will of the majority,\" he said, explaining Lehi's decision to eject the British from the Jewish homeland against the expressed desire of the community's leaders. \"When we fought for freedom, the establishment of a Jewish state, we didn't send a questionnaire to the Jewish nation asking if it wanted a Jewish state.\" Indeed, he said \"Zionism is a revolutionary process. And in a revolution you must be ready not to think too much about sentiments or human weaknesses...\" (The Jerusalem Post July 3rd, 2012) History is not made by the majority but by a handful of determined, courageous and righteous individuals who's love for their Nation inspires them to take a stand and sacrifice for a higher cause. People often criticized those who followed the Rav as being unstable and unbalanced. As we see throughout history from the time of David Hamelech to our own times Zionism is a revolution and revolutions don't always attract those who are well respected and powerful. Almost every citizen of Israel sacrifices by either being in the army or being part of a population that is constantly targeted by bombs and missiles. I am sure that because of this Hashem spreads His protective wings around us. Those who are guided by an even higher authority and fight for the direction of our National identity and to this end may be ostracized, beaten, or imprisoned have to be of a certain type that can bear this additional weight. It is not easy to stand alone and their sacrifice, may be viewed from the outside as the men of David Hamelech were viewed in their time. In the future however these same men would become Prime Ministers and leaders of the Nation like Itzchak Shamir. Again in our Haftorah we are reminded of the type of people that bring redemption and conquest; the 235

very ones whose lives we had embittered and persecuted. ;‫ כו יי השב נב הא הרץ טוב‬,‫ ג כו יי נב כרח יי נפ התח ימ נפ יני הא החיו‬3 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt ‫מא הנ ישים ןרי יקים‬, in the land of Tob; empty handed men gathered ‫ יי נפ התח‬-‫כו יי נת כל נקטו האל‬ about Jephthah, and they went out with him. ‫ כו יי נצאו יעמו‬. (Judges 11:3) It is these very men that we must thank for sparking change and creating history. This is the symbol of the Chanuka Menorah whose pure light spread throughout the Nation as it does throughout Chanuka increasing the light each day from the original holy spark. ‫ ו ימ האה ימ הכם‬,‫ ח נו הר נדפו ימ הכם נח ימ השה ימ האה‬8 And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a ‫ הל הח הרב‬,‫ נר הב הבה יי נר הדפו; נו הנ נפלו הא ני יבי הכם יל נפ יני הכם‬hundred of you shall chase ten thousand; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. (Vayikra 26:8) Just as Israel is tiny compared to the Nations yet they are the active ingredient that propels civilization, so too within this light is an inner light that is the root and motivating factor that ignites change within Israel and are the essential sparks of history. This pure vile of oil that remains when the rest of the oil has been contaminated may seem on the surface to be rough, extreme and of no significance. It is however this purity of purpose that ignites the rest of the Nation and puts into motion the equation above where five will chase a hundred and one hundred will chase ten thousand. I am not a mathematics major but four hundred would not only chase forty thousand but based on the first ratio probably much more. Remember how only thirty three evil men destroyed America on September 11th. Imagine how much evil four hundred men of David or Yiftach could destroy and consequently how much light would fill the space that evil had overshadowed with their cruelty. Another metaphor for this purity is the Kiddish wine. Once this wine has been blessed one need only add a drop into other cups and spread this wine endlessly to those that shared the same intention to bless and be blessed. There is a classic debate between Rabbi Kahane and Rabbi Dershowitz. Rabbi Dershowitz assures the crowd not to worry because (so-called) extremists like Rabbi Kahane are a tiny, tiny, tiny, minority. Rabbi Kahane using the same mocking gesture and responds 'is this really the way to measure the truth? If so, there are billions of Muslims and Christians around the world, so who are we to proclaim the truth of Israel when we are a tiny, tiny, tiny minority?' Our greatness has never been in numbers but rather in our purity. Purity comes from the willingness to sacrifice for a cause. The less sediment, the better the oil and the better the wine. ‫ נמ ישי יבים‬-‫ יאם‬,‫ יז נק יני יג נל העד‬-‫ ט כוי הא המר יי נפ התח האל‬9 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead: 'If ‫ נו הנ כתן ניה הוה‬,‫ כא התם או יתי נל יה הל יחם יב נב יני כעמון‬ye bring me back home to fight with the children ‫ הא נה היה הל הכם נלר האש‬,‫ הא הנ יכי‬--‫ נל הפ הני‬,‫או התם‬ of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, I will be your head.' ‫ יי נה היה‬,‫ ניה הוה‬:‫ יי נפ התח‬-‫ האל‬,‫ יג נל העד‬-‫ י כוי הא נמרו יז נק יני‬10 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah: ‫ יכן כנ נע השה‬,‫ל הא יכ נד הב נרך‬-‫ יאם‬--‫' הש ימ כע יבינו יתינו‬The LORD shall be witness between us; surely according to thy word so will we do.' 236

‫ כו הי ישימו הה העם‬,‫ יז נק יני יג נל העד‬-‫ יא כו יי הלך יי נפ התח יעם‬11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, ‫ אותו נע ילי ההם נלר האש ו נל הק יצין; כו ני כד יבר יי נפ התח‬and the people made him head and chief over ‫ כב ימ כצ הפה‬,‫ נד הב הריו יל נפ יני ניה הוה‬-‫ הכל‬-‫האת‬ them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD in Mizpah. (Judges 11:9,10,11) There is something parallel in both stories of Daavid and Yiftach. Both of them have a small group of outcasts that follow them and it is these outcasts that change the day and write the pages of history and bring glory to G-ds Name. They both begin to lead their band of freedom fighters to take up Israels cause from Mitzpah (gematria 215). There must be some significance to this name and so below are a few ideas related to Mitzpah. ‫ = מי כצפהה‬Mitzpah = 215 -‫או ירי הבן‬-‫ נב כצ נל יאל הבן‬,‫ הק הרא יתי נב ישם‬,‫ ב נר יאה‬2 'See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of ‫ נל כמ יטה ניהו הדהחור‬, Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; (Shmot 31:2) ‫ = חור‬Chur = 214+1 (kollel) = 215 Chur stood alone against the rebels of the Golden Calf and he was murdered by the rabble. He led a life of sacrifice and gave the ultimate sacrifice in the end. Hashem does not overlook the sacrifice of those who are close to Him. From the seed of Chur comes Betzalel who is endowed with the understanding of the deepest secrets of the Temple. His talent is connected to his grandfather Chur and this is why it Chur's name is mentioned in association with Betzalel. ,‫ יתי נראון‬-‫ כת כע נרצון נול הא‬-‫ ל הא‬:‫ נא יל הכם‬,‫ כט הו הא כמר‬29 Then I said unto you: 'Dread not, neither be ‫ ימ ההם‬. afraid of them. ‫ הוא יי הל יחם‬,‫ ל ניה הוה באל יהי הכם כה הה ילך יל נפ יני הכם‬30 The LORD your God who goeth before you, --‫ נב ימ נצ כר יים‬,‫ נכ הכל נא השר הע השה יא נת הכם‬:‫ הל הכם‬He shall fight for you, according to all that He did ‫ נל יעי יני הכם‬for you in Egypt before your eyes; ‫ נא השר ננ הש נאך ניה הוה‬,‫ נא השר הר יאי הת‬,‫ ו כב ימ נד הבר‬31 and in the wilderness, where thou hast seen -‫ נב הכל‬--‫ נבנו‬-‫ יאיש האת‬-‫ ככ נא השר יי השא‬,‫ באל ההיך‬how that the LORD thy God bore thee, as a man ‫ כה המקום‬-‫כעד‬ ‫ הב נא הכם‬-‫כעד‬ ,‫נה כל נכ התם‬ ‫נא השר‬ ‫כה הד הרך‬ doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ‫ כה הזה‬. ye came unto this place. ,‫כמ נא ימי ינם‬ ,‫ יאי ננ הכם‬--‫ כה הזה‬,‫לב ו שב הד הבר‬ 32 Yet in this thing ye do not believe the LORD your God, ‫ באל יהי הכם‬,‫כביה הוה‬ (Devarim 1:29-32) ‫( = ו שב הד הבר‬Yet in this) thing = 214+1 (kollel) = 215 237

From Kesser.org Our Sages taught: [Berachos 34b] \"There will be no difference between the current age and the Era of Moshiach except [our emancipation from] subjugation to the [gentile] kingdoms.\" The simple meaning of the words of the prophets appears to imply that the war of Gog and Magog [Yechezkal ch. 38] will take place at the beginning of the Messianic age. Before the war of Gog and Magog, a prophet will arise to rectify Israel's conduct and prepare their hearts [for the Redemption], as it is written: [Malachi 3:23] \"Behold, I am sending you Eliyah(u) before the advent of the great and awesome Day of G-d].\" He will not come [in order] to declare the pure, impure, nor to declare the impure, pure; nor [will he come in order] to disqualify the lineage of those presumed to be of flawless descent, nor to validate lineage which is presumed to be blemished. Rather, [he will come in order] to establish peace in the world; as [the above prophecy] continues [Malachi 3:24], \"He will bring back the hearts of the fathers to the children.\" The only difference between our time and the time of Moshiach is how we relate to the non-Jewish nations and how we relate to our G-d. Do we really believe G-d is stronger than Washington? Rabbi Kahane came to teach us about the ingredient that was missing in our souls, from the secular to the Charedi world. With all our religion do we really believe that our G-d is stronger than America and the United Nations? Like Eliyahu the Rabbi prepared our souls and like David and Yiftach who began their battles in Mitzpeh; they both corrected this eternal flaw by their actions. Rabbi Kahane gave birth to a new Jew who isn't overly concerned about pleasing our allies. 'In this way' his students are separated from other Torah students as they really believe G-d is fighting with them when they go to war. In addition they do not base their survival on compromising their beliefs in order to please their so-called friends. If the measure of ones actions is 'what will they say?' then one lacks faith. Even one who labors each day in Torah lacks faith in G-d 'in this thing'. It is 'this thing' that is essential in understanding who our G-d really is and what He really demands of us. --‫צ האן יי נתרו הח נתנו‬-‫ הה היה הר העה האת‬,‫ א ו המ השה‬1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his ,‫ כהצ האן כא כחר כה ימ נד הבר‬-‫ הכ יהן ימ נד הין; כו יי ננ כהג האת‬father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the ‫ הח ןר הבה‬flock to the farthest end of the wilderness, and ‫ כהר הה באל יהים‬-‫ כו היב הא האל‬came to the mountain of God, unto Horeb. (Shmot 3:1) ‫ = הח ןר הבה‬Horeb = 215 Some of the definitions for Mitzpe (215) are - lookout, observation point, watchtower, pre-settlement. From Mitzpe Yiftach began to clarify the false claims of 'Land for Peace' with his band of outcasts. From Mitzpe David formed his group of freedom fighters that were also outcasts and men of 'embittered spirit'. It was similar men that escaped the Shoa and built the pre-settlements of Israel and continue to build the pre-settlements of Yehuda and Shomron. The temperament of those who fought under Begin and Jabotinsky and Kahane today, that stand up to the Pharaohs of the past and create revolution. Horeb was also a symbol of revolution that inspired the masses to stand up and leave their oppressive 238

exile. It is the place where the vision of one man became a reality that a whole people understood having experienced the oppression, the desire to be a free people and the miraculous divine intervention that each one felt personally having been pulled out of the fire where most of the Nation perished. From Horeb one could look back and see the G-d of Israel directing history 'in this way' where politics and spirituality become one thing. How many rabbis would disregard Kahane as 'politics' that should not interfere with 'Torah study'. They are two separate things. How many secular politicians attacked and banned Kahane for his 'Messianic' views that are politically 'incorrect' and labeled 'racist'. Authentic Judaism is both spiritual and political. The Torah is not a 'religious book' to be studied only in yeshivot; it is a constitution of the Holy Nation of Israel. The State of Israel will never be a 'secular' state of Jews because the soul of the Nation cannot be exchanged. Since the inception of the State the Torah viewpoint is often brought into political problem solving. The political process which is a spiritual process has been the active ingredient in the building of the modern State of Israel just as it was in the Mitzpeh of David and Yiftach and the inspiration that Horeb brought to the Jews of Egypt. From Jabotinsky to Begin to the settlers that anger the Pharoahs today both gentile and Jewish; it is the spirit of those in the wilderness, at the edge of society that arrive at the mountain of G-d. If we are lucky we also arrive their later as a Nation inspired by these pioneers. The desire of many Charedim to be part of the Israeli society and desire of many secular Israeli's to increase their spiritual connections is a process that is continually blossoming. Rabbi Nachum Kahane writes: The agony of the secular Jew in Eretz Yisrael stems from his inability to realize the great dream of secular Zionism – to finally be able to live like a goy. In the lands of our dispersion, despite our huge efforts to be like the Gentile – to talk like him, to dress like him, to sit in his parliaments, and even be anti-Semitic like him for the singular purpose of being accepted in the hollowed halls of his countries and fraternities – we did not succeed. So the last hope of the secular Zionist was to create his own goyishe society in our historic homeland. However, despite all his efforts, he is not permitted to forget the unhappy fact of his Jewish birth, because all around him are the inescapable signs of Torah and mitzvot. The food he eats has not one hechsher, but at least two – the badatz and that of the chief Rabbinate. He has difficulty finding chametz on Pesach, and frequently is forced to enter some Arab village to get a succulent piece of pita. He cannot escape the announcement on the radio when Shabbat begins. He would climb the walls in his madness, but then the chances of being treated by a doctor with a kippa returns him to his unhappy state of sanity. ..he cannot escape his failure to be a Hebrew-speaking Gentile, because before his very eyes a generation of youth is growing up, the likes of which the Jewish nation has not seen since the days of the Macabees. (With All Your Might – Rabbi Nachum Kahana pg748-749) --‫ נה ינ נמ הצא הכ הזה‬:‫ נע הב הדיו‬-‫ האל‬,‫ לח כוי הא המר כפ נר העה‬38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants: 'Can we find such a ‫באל יהים בורוחש‬ one as this, a man in whom the spirit of God is?' ‫ נא השר‬,‫יאיש‬ (Bereshit 41:38) 239

‫רו שח‬,‫ הדן‬-‫ נל כפ נעמו נב כמ נח ינה‬,‫ניה הוה‬ ‫ כה כו הת החל‬25 And the spirit of the LORD began to move him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. ‫ ו יבין הא נש הת האל‬,‫יבין הצ נר העה‬ (Shoftim 13:25) ‫ = רו שח‬spirit = 215 There is a different 'spirit' among those who sacrifice for our Nation and return it to its source. This same 'ruach' is also used to describe David and Shaul and Betzalel and the heroic leadership of Otniel ben Kenaz in the period of the Shoftim (Judges). The Copper Snake and Moshiach Returning once again to the copper snake which contains the same letters (‫נחשת‬, ‫ ) נחש‬we learn that our national suffering is reflective of our actions. We are bitten by our own poison.When we reach the Mitzpeh, the place where we begin to see the cause and effects that brought about our tragedies and glories we can make wiser choices. The word for snake is also related to Moshiach. Moshiach is the one who destroys evil and brings a new age of redemption. Once we begin to see clearly and act accordingly then instead of being part of the poison we are part of the cure and already are living or at least 'viewing' the times of Moshiach. ‫ = נחש‬snake = 358 ‫ = המשחה‬anointing = 358 Even Gedolim Make Mistakes ,‫ ימ יל נפ יני ניה הוה‬,‫ כה כמ הטה‬-‫ ט כו יי כקח המ השה האת‬9 And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, ‫ יצ הוהו‬,‫ ככ נא השר‬as He commanded him. ‫ נפ יני‬-‫ האל‬--‫ כה הק ההל‬-‫ האת‬,‫ י כו כי נק יהלו המ השה נו כא נה הרן‬10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly --‫ הנא כה המ ירים‬-‫ יש נמעו‬,‫ כה הס כלע; כוי הא המר הל ההם‬together before the rock, and he said unto them: ‫ נו יציא הל הכם המ יים‬,‫ כה הס כלע כה הזה‬-‫נה ימן‬ 'Hear now, ye rebels; are we to bring you forth water out of this rock?' ‫ כה הס כלע‬-‫ כו כיך האת‬,‫ הידו‬-‫ יא כו הי הרם המ השה האת‬11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and smote the ‫ כו ית נש נת‬,‫ כפ נע המ יים; כו יי נצאו כמ יים כר יבים‬--‫ נב כמ יטהו‬rock with his rod twice; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their ‫הה יע הדה ו נב יעי הרם‬ cattle ‫ כי כען‬,‫ כא נה הרן‬-‫ המ השה נו האל‬-‫ האל‬,‫ יב כוי הא המר ניה הוה‬12 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron: ‫ נל כה נק ידי יש יני נל יעי יני נב יני‬,‫ הה בא כמ ננ התם יבי‬-‫' ל הא‬Because ye believed not in Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye ,‫כה הזה‬ ‫ כה הק ההל‬-‫ ל הא הת יביאו האת‬,‫ הל יכן‬--‫יי נש הר יאל‬ shall not bring this assembly into the land which I ‫ הנ כת יתי הל ההם‬-‫ נא השר‬,‫ הה הא הרץ‬-‫האל‬ have given them.' 240

‫ יי כש הר ןאל‬-‫ הרבו כב ןני‬-‫ נא השר‬,‫ יג יה המה ימי נמ ירי הבה‬13 These are the waters of Meribah, where the ‫ הבם‬,‫ כיה הוה; שו יי הק ןדש‬-‫ תאת‬children of Israel contended with Hashem, and He was sanctified through them. (Bamidbar 20:9-13) This passage is very interesting. What is described above is the sin of Moshe and Aaron yet the conclusion in the end can be read that 'the Children of Israel sinned and Hashem was sanctified through them'. According to Chazal the them is not clear. Rashi says it refers to Moshe and Aaron, while Rambam say it refers to the 'waters of strife'. I suggest that the them are the Children of Israel. Let me explain with a story. A woman came up to Rabbi Nachum Kahane and told this story. She was a little girl in Poland and her father asked the local Rebbe one day for a blessing because he wanted to take his family and make aliya to Israel. The Rebbe forbid him and told him that Israel is not a good place to go to because of the Zionists. It is not a 'kosher' environment and its best to stay here in a Torah environment. It was the only time her father didn't follow the Rebbe's advise and he made aliya despite his warnings. Because of this she and her family survived but their whole town was murdered, every last one of them. Why did the Rebbe give such advise she wondered all her life. It seems to me that this story answers the above question of Moshe. Hashem was sanctified through them not through Moshe. His mistaken anger caused their deaths. ‫ נפ יני‬-‫ האל‬--‫ כה הק ההל‬-‫ האת‬,‫ י כו כי נק יהלו המ השה נו כא נה הרן‬And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said unto them: ‫המ ירים‬-- ‫ הנא כה‬-‫ יש נמעו‬,‫כה הס כלע; כוי הא המר הל ההם‬ 'Hear now, ye rebels; are we to bring you forth ‫ נו יציא הל הכם המ יים‬,‫ כה הס כלע כה הזה‬-‫נה ימן‬ water out of this rock?' (Bamidbar 20:10) ‫ = המ ירים‬Rebels ‫ = ימ כר הים‬Miriam Miriam was the source of water, yet after she passed away this source became the focus of dissension. She had gone into the sea singing with her tambourine and now the new singers are called rebels. In other words, the source of our inspiration has always been returning to Israel. The Torah was the water that quenched our thirst. Even those who didn't observe the Torah like David Ben Gurion proclaimed that this was our deed and right to settle the Land. It was this rock that had provided for Hagar the mother of Ishmael that was now being struck by Moshe. In speaking to the rock Moshe could have sanctified Hashem but instead he caused a rift that led to destruction. In our times if the Gedolim had said 'Look at Israel, it is becoming green. The Land is speaking and welcoming its sons and daughters. We should learn from our brothers and sisters that are running to sacrifice for the Land of Israel. See how Israel is responding? If it responds to them who are not observant how much more so will it respond to us. Let us join this new National movement so we can influence it in the ways of Hashem.' If these were spoken instead of 'hear ye rebels' how many millions would have been saved from the Shoa? 241

Healing Waters What I have written about above may be encapsulated in one phrase. Hidden inside the letters of the 'healing waters' is both 'The Laws' as well as 'The State'. The laws of the Torah without a State are insufficient and lead to wandering and destruction. The State without the Laws of Torah are also insufficient and lead to constant wars. When both are mixed together then there is life and a cure from the animosity that separated us. When we begin to understand the past then we can create a healing for the future. There is a relationship between the animosity we may have for each other and our external enemies. When we begin to heal the rift between brothers then we will be increasingly victorious against our external enemies. ‫ נו יה יני כח‬,‫ יאת יא הפר כה הפ הרה‬,‫ ט נו הא כסף יאיש הטהור‬9 And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes ‫ נב המקום הטהור; נו הה ני התה כל נע כדת‬,‫ ימחוץ כל כמ נח הנה‬of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the ‫ כח הטאתןמי ינ הדה‬-- ‫נל‬ ,‫נל ימ נש המ הרת‬ ‫ יי נש הר יאל‬-‫נב יני‬ congregation of the children of Israel for a water ‫ יהוא‬. of sprinkling; it is a purification from sin. (Bamidbar 19:9) The Laws = ‫( ןמי ינ הדה = ה הד יני ןמ‬water of sprinkling) State, Land, Country = ‫( ןמי ינ הדה = ןמ הדי ינה‬water of sprinkling) The Rock The Cow and The Future They say Hashem always creates a cure before sending a plague. The Rock is the Plague; the Cow is the cure; and Iftach is the future. Iftach means open Mitzrayim closed - the problem of Geula is vision. It is easier to take the Jew out of the Galut then take the Galut out of the Jew As we mentioned before the cow represents the Shoa's of the past and present . All of Israel was burned and from these ashes comes a cure. We mentioned that one of the reasons for Hashems anger is our own anger. The rock represents a mistake in spiritual leadership which has physical ramifications. Moshe 'misrepresented' Hashem by being angry when Hashem Himself was not. In our own time sometimes the animosity against the Zionists in the past and today sometimes does not accurately reflect Hashems anger. In the Talmud (Kedushin 41) they say it's easier for a man to live without a woman than a woman without a man. A woman will take a lesser man rather than to be alone. When I learned this page it seemed to me to be speaking also about the Land of Israel. Even if the Zionists were coming home lacking Torah and mitzvot and rebellious she was happy not to be alone and the desert turned green. What then is the sum total of the anger of those who refused to come to the wedding and the groom who lacks faith? We see the sum total in the following passages after the rock. The Nation of Israel will plead and grovel before the nations to enter this way or that way and pay any price as they do today to Turkish terrorists to appease the nations. In the end various nations attack anyway and we destroy them in battle. We are ‘reluctant’ conquerors. The sum total of too much anger and too little faith is a partial Geula; a reluctant one. It is the Geula of Mitzraim the short sighted Geula and not the 242

Geula of Iftach which is the future Geula when our eyes are open and our heart is circumcised. Binyamin brings down the essential lesson that we learn from Iftach who answered in his time the demand of land for peace. All that the god of Chemosh gave to Amon is there's and all that the God of Israel gives to us is ours (Shoftim 11:24). You don't like this? You want to make war? Go ahead. It is clearly understood however, to all of Israel and to the world that this is not about our security needs or any other political reason. This is a war against our God and we will prevail. How does an Iftach appear and from where? How is the vision transformed from Mitzrayim to Iftach? Only here in the Land of Israel. The ashes of the Shoa are mixed with the water of the Torah in a place where the pure become defiled and the defiled become pure. Through the sprinkling of this water the death of exile is removed and there is life. The secret of the Para Aduma is hidden within the letters of this strange mixture called Mai Niddah. Shlomo was perplexed about the secrets of the Parah Aduma however Shlomo did not live in our time. If one looks closely at the letters of the Mai Nidah one can see the secret clearly. The same place where the pure are made impure and the impure are made pure the place where together they influence each other and must solve their collective problems is here in the Mai Nidah. On closer inspection the very same letters spell Medina. The Rebbe and the Rock (2017) What is the connection between this Parsha and the passing of the Rebbe of Lubavitch? If you ask a Chassid of the Rebbe he will say the Rebbe is still here and may tell the story of the previous Rebbe who was miraculously relased from prison into a short exile at this time; an analogy of his Torah being released into the world. I understand their feelings as I also see the Torah of Rav Kahane continuing to grow and flourish and shape the Nation of Israel. Nothing happens without reason and there must be lessons to be learned from his departure at this time. I also wrote about Rav Kahane and his passing at the funeral of Sarah who was the first to acquire the Land. So what might be the connection here? I have written above about Moshe and Aaron and the sin of the rock being connected to anger that misrepresented Hashem. This anger I suggest can be seen reflected in our times with the animosity against the rebellious nature of Zionism towards the Torah. Chabbad which comes from the Charedi camp still has much of this sentiment on one hand but on the other hand does more than any other group in terms of outreach to a non Charedi world. It has greatly sweetened the bitter waters between brothers. They have made a great tikkun from the Torah of the rock yet it still waits for Moshiach to return and does it's work mostly on the pnemiut; the internal development and rekindling of each Jewish soul. There have been some political incursions in a subtle manner for example in the six day war encouraging the Israeli government to continue to Damascus or creating a national education day in the USA. Controversial issues like building the Temple and throwing out our enemies however, are left to a future messianic time. These very mitzvot Rabbi Kahane wrote about in detail as these mitzvot are sorely lacking in our time and hold within them the cure for our suffering as well as the key to our redemption. Rabbi Kahane 243

writes about the willingness of many Orthodox Rabbis to give up Land for the sake of Pekuach Nephesh, which completely negates the Torah mitzvah of Milchemet Mitzvah. Hashem commands us to conquer our Land and drive out our enemies. This obligatory war, like all wars is inherently dangerous yet is a command which we cannot undo as the ten spies attempted to do. They said it was a good Land but the people are giants and we are but grasshoppers. The Rabbi writes: It is not a simple thing, this total faith. But without it, we have nothing. Without it, Judaism degenerates into a sham, a collection of rituals and social mores. That which lifts the Jew, elevating him to sanctity and holiness, is his ability to sacrifice and give totally of himself – his complete belief in the Omnipotence and uniqueness of his G-d. We do not really believe. We are little more than deceitful practitioners of Jewish folklore, and we echo the words of the nationally known Orthodox Jewish leader who said to me: “Of course faith is important, but let us be practical...” There, right there, lie the tragedy and the cancer. A faith that is a luxury, to be patted and embraced and endorsed when times are good and the living is easy and it is never needed. But the moment that truth is called into play; when crisis strikes; when danger looms; when faith becomes a meaningful thing – that is precisely the time when we recoil from the danger, when we drop the pretense, when we betray faith in the All Mighty for “practical” fear of flesh and blood. There is NO Judaism without true faith. It is a corpse, dead and cold. No amount of ritual can resurrect it; no posturing and prayers and study can ever be more than a requiem for it. “And the righteous one shall live through his faith,” said the prophet Habakkuk (2:4), and our Rabbis declare that all the 613 commandments stand on that one (Makkot 24). “The exiles will be gathered only through the merit of faith,”say the Rabbis (Mechilta, B'shalach, Vayehi 6), and the redemption will ONLY come in that way. We have no faith. We play games with our faith. We substitute some twisted kind of “frumkeit” for it, that sees sheitels and chandeliers and glatt kosher Puerto Rican gambling trips emerge as some many-headed evil Hydra of “Judaism.” We have no faith and betray our Judaism at every turn of the gentile screw. (Rabbi Kahane: Beyuond Wotrds Vol 2 Pg. 564) Returning to Chabbad, this time is often commemorated by relating the story of the miraculous release of the previous Rebbe from prison to a short exile. This (it seems to me) may accurately portray the strength of this chassidut; to release us from prison into a short period of exile (that is sweetened) until Moshiach arrives. It seems that Hashem may have chosen this Pasha as a bookmark to understand the Torah of the Rebbe that remains in the exile along with Moshe. The Torah of chassidut is also a bridge that repairs the rift between brothers and repairs Moshes own sin that may have added to this rift and consequent suffering of the Jewish people. The rock that was struck was the rock of Israel which sustained even Hagar and Ishmael. This rock which is the Land of Israel, is essential to join Heaven and Earth. Sarah understood this and threw out Ishmael and elevated and acquired the Land. By doing so this also preserved the pnimiut and purity of the continuity of the family of Israel. I suggest that both Chassidut are working towards the same goal - one from the desert of exile and another by removing the exile mentality from the Land. 244

Forty Two Journeys (Chukat, 2019) There were forty two encampments in the desert generation. A pillar of cloud was always seen resting above the mishkan. When the pillar of cloud began to move, after a few months or a few years, the people understood it was time to pack their things and journey once again into the unknown. Personally I encamped for sixteen years at the Bet Knesset down the street and this Shabbat I felt the pillar of cloud beckoning me to go forth into a new journey. Living among the tribes of Israel one becomes more sensitive to these types of things and one looks forward to every the new adventure. The eighty year old congregation I had frequented had relocated temporarily due to construction and I was not sure I wanted to follow. Then the phone rang with an invitation out of the blue. To my surprise I discovered that ten minutes from my house the historic Bet Knesset of Rav Cook stands and its walls were beckoning to be saved from the wrecking ball. A pillar of fire led me to a place where souls had been collected from the heartland of the country, Jerusalem, Bat Ayin and Gush Katif. Only ten minutes from my house a new world was forming and a wonderful new adventure. I reflected on the good fortune I have had to have always been in places of creativity and spirituality in the formative stages from after-hours clubs where musicians met to abandoned Bet Knessets that became a lighthouse to Jewish sailors. Before these places became established and tourists began coming, the pillar already took me on to the next adventure. Rav Shemesh who led the makeshift congregation was the gabbai of Shlomo Carlbach’s Bet Knesset for many years and his confidant. Although I was escaping the Chabbad Bet Knesset I had frequented much of the discussion was about the Rebbe as it was his yortzeit - Parsha Chukat. It seems the Rebbe follows me even when I try and leave him. Being a loyal chassid of Rav Kahane however just as I brought his ideas into the discussion at Chabbad, I also brought a little of him here. Rav Shemesh reminded me of the story of Shlomo Carlbach who when paying Rav Kahane back $100 that he had borrowed he said he was giving him only $90 because all of Israel owed Rabbi Kahane and he always wanted to remember to feel this debt we all owe to the Rabbi. Another story he told me is how he saw the great love these tzadikkim had for each other. He was with Rev Shlomo when they bumped into Rav Kahane in Jerusalem and he saw how they hugged each other. He overheard one of Rav Kahanes student say ‘but Rabbi he touches women,’ the Rabbi shrugged as if to say, you don’t know anything, you have no idea who this Tzadik is.’ Imagine the scene. An abandoned Bet Knesset and sitting around the Shabbat table where simple servants of great leaders and hovering above us were Rav Cook, Rav Carlbach, Rav Kahane and the Rebbe. Rav Shemesh spoke about prophetic times of long haired Rabbis on bicycles and I felt a new doorway opening among this holy rag tag group that travelled miles to an SOS call emanating from a building ten minutes from my door. I heard also that the Bat Ayin music festival was being revived this week after being dormant for many years. I had in fact performed there in one of my previous adventures. Something was happening up in Heaven and the angels were being assembled below. The pillar of cloud was moving people from different directions to a new project that had been designed by the Great Architect. The chukim and mysteries belong to Hashem, why and where times are born and depart or renew are part of the unknown things that we can only encounter and participate in. All that is asked of us is the sensitivity to hear the call and to bring what each can bring. Hashem has ordained times above and 245

below beyond our understanding. However standing inside the groove that we create by following our footsteps and letting our actions make an impression on our hearts, as Rav Shemesh pointed out, this is where the deeper understand lies. It is within this journey of following that pillar of cloud that one encounters magical things, and sometimes understands things beyond our understanding. The souls we encounter along the way and discussions and adventures actually build the world in a spiritual way long before the construction arrives and the physical world is established. The seeds of these great rabbis have been sown for many years and now there are very sweet fruits that you can taste and beautiful new blossoms on the trees. It seems to me that this new journey can only follow previous ones as the solid roads that were constructed and adhered to can now meet in one place and benefit from the multitude of differences that unite us and make our light shine that much brighter. The Elixir (Chukat, 2020) How is it that the alchemists of purity become impure through their actions? May I suggest that not only in the preparation of the Para Aduma thousands of years ago, but in 'every' generation this principle stands. In Rambams time his books were burned as impure however the dispensation of these texts over time brought purity and life to the people of Israel. The early Chassidik leaders were labeled, informed on and imprisoned by fellow Jews who thought they were impure and yet these texts over time brought purity and life to the people of Israel. In our own time Rabbi Kahane was ostrasized beaten, persecuted and murdered and yet his texts over time have brought and will bring purity and life to the people of Israel. The elixir that these holy people prepare bring life to those who are in contact with death. Those who are not truly living are not aware that they are in contact with death. To be reborn into a new life in Israel there is only one way to enter this reality. One is admitted only after they have been sprinkled by this elixir. ‫ הימות‬-‫ כה הנ יג כע נב ימת נב הנ הפש הה הא הדם נא השר‬-‫ יג הכל‬13 Whoever touches the dead body of a human --‫ ימ נש ככן ניה הוה יט ימא‬-‫ האת‬,‫ נול הא יי נת כח הטא‬being who will have died, and will not have purified himself-if he shall have contaminated the ‫יכי מןי‬ :‫ ימ יי נש הר יאל‬,‫נו ינ נכ נר התה כה הנ הפש כה יהוא‬ Tabernacle of Hashem, that person shall be cut off ,‫עוד‬--‫ הט ימא יי נה היה‬,‫ הז שרק הע הליו‬-‫ ינ הדה ל הא‬from Israel; because the water of sprinkling ‫ מט נמ האתו בו‬has not been thrown upon him, he shall remain contaminated; his contamination is still upon him. (Bamidbar 19:13) The State = ‫( ןמי ינ הדה = ןמ הדי ינה‬water of sprinkling) I often say that if you have not been thrown into the State and the State has not been thrown on you, you are not alive and you are contaminated. You are in contact with the dead. Even those who say the State itself contaminates, this is also true, however it brings to life at the same time. 246

There is a contamination from being in contact with the dead and there is a contamination by those who are creating the elixir of tomorrow and are banned duirng the process. Today the rag tag group of 400 or so of David Hamlechs revolution are being formed in the hilltops of Yehuda and Shomron to protect their fellow Jews who are in the process of being abandoned. Just as the Palmach persecuted and informed on the Irgunists of the past, this rag tag group will also be called impure and the full force of the law will fall upon them. The full force of the 'Medina' will fall on the 'Mai Nida.' The elixir of the past which was the Medina that could have saved millions will now be the force of impurity against the new Mei Nida until such time as we understand that what seems to be impure is truly our salvation. Today the Chuk in the Torah seems clearer. It's not that these chukim are not able to be understood by human intellect, it is simply that they 'do not want' to be understood. It is a maddness and blindness in every generation that forces us in our hysteria to dig our own graves in the desert while our children will live on to tell the story of our mistakes and their corrections. Their are only a few choices; to dissipate the elixr and be called impure today and pure tomorrow or to ban the pure and be a wonder to future generations who will ask 'but did they not know?' 'why did they not escape?' We are a light within darkness, a beacon of truth within maddness; a Holy nation in which some have been sprinkled, some mixing the elixir and some refusing the whole process. Hashem created a world and created a sieve in which to sift each generation so that the fine flour would pass thorugh and the best of the olive oil would be pressed and from grapes that were crushed the finests wine would be sipped over time when we look back unified and pure and far from dead things and say l'chaim. Temporary Impurity (Farbrengen - 2022) I would like to say a l'chaim to all the holy people in every generation who mixed up the 'Mei Niddah' and threw it on us. All those involved in this effort were temporarily considered impure and in each case the 'Medina' was thrown on them in return. This began with Avraham who was thrown into the fire and Moshe who became a fugitive of the law from Egypt and the books of the Rambam that were burned and all the Chassidic Rebbes who were persecuted, as we even recall today on Gimel Tamuz. It continues in our time with Rabbi Kahane and all those who settle and rebuild our Nation and are labeled and vilified. In every generation we have a choice of three groups of people to belong to. We can be with the ones mixing the 'Mei Niddah' and be called names and persecuted. We may be with those being sprinkled upon and be grateful that the association of death is removed from us. Or we may be among the 'Medina' that persecutes. Those are our choices. If we desire redemption and would like to tear up the Cheshbon, or conquer the Cheshbon who constantly attacks us. If we are among the Medina followers and wake up and see that our Lashon Hora against those who are sprinkling the Mei Niddah is causing all our problems this is already the solution. If we transform the nachash within to the healing nachoshet above we will understand that whatever test of faith those who are sprinkling the Mei Niddah require from us is the road to a speedy redemption. To the degree that we transform and aid instead of hinder is the degree to which Hashem will participate. Even a small degree below will cause a much greater mercy from above. May we choose well, to transform, to receive holiness and to be willing to drive a little death away even if we may be temporarily called impure. 247

Who is the Rabbi? (2023) There are two important ideas in our Parsha, namely the ‘waters of strife’ and the ‘water of sprinkling.’ If you change the letters around something interesting appears within the strife and within the waters of sprinkling. The letters of strife can be rearranged to spell ‘who is the rabbi?’ (‫ )מי הרב‬and the waters of sprinkling rearranged spell nation state ‘medina’ (‫)מדינה‬. Chazal tells us that if Moshe spoke to the rock it would have uplifted the Nation, for if a rock that has no mitzvot to do or parnassah to earn obeys Hashem’s words then kal vchomer, certainly we should. Imagine for a moment in the generation before the Shoa if the Charedi world had spoken like Shmuel Hanavai and said to the Zionists ‘We understand you would like a king and to have a nation like all other nations. Hashem is also happy that you desire this and will help you to win wars and to prosper and thrive as a nation once again. If you put Hashem in front of you then you will succeed in everything you do, however if you just want to be a nation like all others and erase Hashem, this will be a great sin, and you will fail and bring devastation upon yourself. Even with a massive army you will lose wars and be captured by your enemies. Imagine if that Charedi world, then turned to their students and said ‘Look at how the desert became green for Jews who do the mitzva of settling the Land of Israel but do not want Hashem and His mitzvot. If the Land turned green for them, imagine kal vchomer, what will happen if we all come and help to strengthen them with faith in Hashem? Imagine what would have happened? Instead, there was strife and like Parsha Korach we read last week a whole people and history disappeared as if they never had existed. From these ashes the Medina is sprinkled on us. The same strife continues however we are mixed together more. Some who are pure come to Israel and become impure. Some who are impure come and become pure. Galut on the other hand is like being in contact with a corpse while here in Israel we are pure even as we struggle with impurity. We are alive even though there are too many needless sacrifices. In the end faith will grow within the Nation of Israel that we and the whole world will be in awe of. The aging leftists continue to protest like a new found religion against religion, while their children, a new generation of heroes with better values than their parents are maturing rapidly. The Haftorah gives us a glimpse of that future led by Iftach. Our Nation was born in Mitzrayim which symbolizes Metzarim (being closed) while Iftach means the opposite - ‘to open.’ That future leader of 'faith' will open our hearts and will most likely also be a soldier. When our enemies demand ‘Land for Peace’ we will answer them ‘All that your gods gave to you they gave to you, and all that Our God gave to us He gave to us, so get lost’. That simple faith will come from a Nation mixed with ashes and tears. The lack of faith among the faithful and courage and self-sacrifice of the unfaithful will mix together. Our greatest king, David Hamelech was a broken-hearted man who was also considered a Mamzer like Iftach, and lived in the stables. The strife between the Torah leaders and the Zionist leaders will continue and they are important battles. Even to those who say the hitting of the rock was intended and that there should be a divide similar to Avraham and Lot and there may be some truth to this as well. In the end I believe there will be an answer to the question Who is the Rav? It will be the mamzer we never considered important. The broken-hearted man whose faith in Hashem from his battles against our enemies and his battles within himself will inspire us. When we stand up to our enemies with the same simple faith Moshiach will already be here. May those days speedily arrive. 248

. Kahane in the Parsha Balak 249

Balak 2012 The 400 and the Atom Bomb They say that Moshe's power was of the light, while Bilaam's power was of darkness. Moshe sailed like an eagle in the sky, while Bilaam was like a bat who could navigate the night. Atom bombs come from refining and separating atoms. The destruction caused by an atom bomb is too terrible to imagine. There is an opposite atom bomb however, that gathers separate parts and joins them together. Walk into any large yeshiva in Jerusalem and you will feel the energy of Jews who have come from around the world, learning out loud in all their various languages. The energy of this learning is like a tremendous force field equal to a positive nuclear energy. Imagine the destruction that 33 Arabs caused when they practically destroyed America on September 11th. We still live in the after shocks. Imagine what the 400 men of David or Yiftach could bring to the world in a positive effect. While Iran, the home of Bilaam's descendents build their atom bomb, we are building our forces of creation. Our light will destroy their darkness with the flick of a switch, like turning on a light bulb in a dark room. Moshe knew about the light while Bilaam was expert about the dark. More on what we wrote about the 400. The refined 400, although they appear as rabble those 400 with the right intention can destroy much evil and bring a new reality as Lechi did in 1948. Atom bombs come from refining and separating atoms to such a point that they can cause this huge explosion – Iran is learning this refinement for evil, while we learn this refinement for good. To Curse or Not to Curse My brother Gavri told me a cute story on the Parsha. Recently Rabbi Ovadia Yoseph launched a verbal attack against Rabbi Stav a candidate for the Ashkenazie chief rabbinate. Rabbi Ovadia Yoseph called him 'an evil man'. This was in the news this week during Parsha Balak. Shai Agnon, the Israeli writer who won the Nobel Peace prize for literature commented on the above story and related it to the Parsha. He said that in Bilaams time, he was paid to curse but he blessed for free. In our day its upside done. Our Rabbis get paid to bless but they curse for free. There is something to this joke. There is a passage in this weeks Parsha that always jumps out at me. ‫ ל הא‬,‫ ל הא כק הבה יאל; ו המה הא נז העם‬,‫ ח המה הא הקב‬8 How can I curse? - God has not cursed. How ‫ הז כעם ניה הוה‬. can I anger? - Hashem is not angry. (Bamidbar -26:27,28) How is it that a Gentile that wants to curse us cannot, because of God. Yet we read last week that Moshe superseded God to be angry at Israel when Hashem, Himself wasn't angry? ‫ נפ יני‬-‫ האל‬--‫ כה הק ההל‬-‫ האת‬,‫ י כו כי נק יהלו המ השה נו כא נה הרן‬10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly --‫ הנא כה המ ירים‬-‫ יש נמעו‬,‫ כה הס כלע; כוי הא המר הל ההם‬together before the rock, and he said unto them: ‫ נו יציא הל הכם המ יים‬,‫ כה הס כלע כה הזה‬-‫ נה ימן‬. 'Hear now, ye rebels; are we to bring you forth water out of this rock?' 250