Kahane Codes - Bereshit Shmot

1

2

Kahane Codes 3

4

'If your Torah hasn't been banned it’s not worth reading' (The Kalisher Rav - Tapuach) 5

6

The Revolution A Chabbad friend of mine saw me reading a Kahane book and joked. ‘Be careful what you are reading, I may have to bring you matza in prison’. I joked back ‘You have a dozen holidays of when your rabbi’s were thrown into prison or released from prison, but that was hundreds of years ago. Our rabbis are thrown in jail today and so often we don’t remember the dates. Do you know the reason that your rabbi’s are not thrown into prison anymore? It’s because when you say ‘We want Moshiach Now’ no one takes it seriously, it doesn’t threaten anyone, it’s like ‘We want Santa Clause now! Who doesn’t want G-d to appear and change the world and make it a perfect happy place? When we say ‘We want Moshiach now, the government does everything it can to stop us, because they know that their own political positions are threatened. They also know that when we succeed without a doubt we will build the Bet Hamigdash and throw out our enemies. Therefore our government assaults, imprisons and assassinates our rabbi’s. At one time Chabbad threatened the Jewish world with revolutionary thoughts but after the battle Chassidut was released into the world and accepted. Today ‘we’ are bringing the revolution; the authentic Torah of King David, of the Macabees, of Joshua who conquered the Land. It too will be accepted and studied and nourish souls thirsting for truth. But until it is accepted, you can bring me matza if it makes you feel better. 7

Prelude There are many spiritual movements within the Nation that pledge allegiance to their Rebbe's and their spiritual leaders who sacrificed themselves for the betterment of the Jewish people. Chabbad, as I mentioned in the above story, celebrates many holidays when their various leaders were imprisoned and then redeemed. The persecution of their leadership was a symbol of the persecution of their vision and interpretation of Torah that they adhered to. The release of their leadership was a sign that their Torah was also released into the world. These ideas are very noble and poetic and hold great significance to the children of these movements. Personally, I have a tremendous love of Jews and see Hashem’s reflection in many streams of Judaism, the Rav’s teachings hold the most relevance to me, because it is still forbidden. Chabbad may celebrate a prison release from 200 years ago but today they are free to practice without persecution their 'revolutionary ideas' of the past. Today their ideas do not threaten Judaism nor any major force in the world. The baton is passed on in each generation, just as evil has a new face, so does the antidote. The antidote is always met with anger and persecution just as the new face of evil is embraced by a helpless world that knows no other response. The Torah response that is needed to cure the cancers and swine flues of the present is always banned, and by this violent opposition one should get an idea of the strength of its truth, validity and importance. Torah not Politics Many people know Rav Kahane as a political leader, an MK, a radical rabbi, one who led protests and demonstrations. He was the ‘bad boy’ Jew, the Jewish Malcom X (l’havdil), but not many know him as a Torah scholar, and especially not a Gadol Ha’Dor (spiritual leader of the generation). He is not studied in the mainstream Yeshivas for his interpretation of the Tanach, though many yeshiva students secretly admired him. When I bring up Rav Kahane in the course of Torah study, invariably one hears ‘let’s not talk about politics, let’s learn Torah’. But when one opens up the Tanach and reads the stories of Yermiyahu, and David and Shaul it certainly is full of political struggles, imprisonments and assassinations. As the Rav wrote “…From the days that our father Abraham went to battle against the four kings in order to save his nephew Lot, to the moment that Moses smote an Egyptian rather than create a committee to study the root causes of Egyptian anti-Semitism; from the Maccabees…to the students of Rabbi Akiva who were sent from their studies to fight in Bar Kochba’s army…Jewish leadership has taken an active and violent part in the struggle for freedom”. 1 An editor responding to one of his article agreed and added, ‘ ..there would be no Jews alive today had we not broken the laws of Pharoah, the Philistines, Antiochus..” 2 It seems to me this dichotomy between Torah and politics is false. Israel has been reborn and Torah 8

pages are being written every day in the Land of Israel. There are simply Jews that feel the pain of others and protest and those who don’t, leaving everything to Hashem. In answer to critics of the Rav who would say, “ 'But what can we do? How can our protests and cries help the Jews of Russia?' To this we can only say: If a finger hurts, it may be of little benefit to cry out in pain. However, if one does NOT cry out, one thing is certain: It does not hurt.” 3 As a Torah scholar, the Rav not only illuminated Torah passages with his explanations, but through his example he brought many passages to life. Although most of his books were wake up calls to the Jewish people, he also found time during some of his many imprisonments to write a commentary on the Tanach. His commentary ‘Perush Hamaccabbi’ was cut short by his untimely death. His brother Nachum writes in the book “With All Your Might” “A gadol be‘Torah is not one who can turn a simple passage in the Talmud into an erudite pilpul; but rather one who can read the writing on the wall, and then instruct his people on the steps to be taken.” 4 Footnotes and Explanations This book is called The Kahane Codes, because I see the Rav and his ideas in the Parsha every week. My love for Rav Kahane is much more than the admiration of a courageous Jewish leader who fought for truth and justice and tore off the cloaks of deception and falsehood. My love for him is my love for Hashem and His Torah. Let me clarify what I mean, and what I do ‘not’ mean. I do not think of him as an intermediary between Hashem; as one I can write letters to and he will mystically answer me. I do not think of him as the son of G-d who died for our sins, although there are some similarities which will be explored in this book under the topic of Moshiach Ben Yoseph. How can I say that my love for him is my love of Hashem and His Torah? He himself said that ‘no one is indispensable’ and his son Binyamin refused a bullet proof car that his concerned aides wanted him to use. He responded by questioning whether he was more important than any other Jew traveling the roads of Yehuda and Shomron. He certainly didn’t think so. Sadly, it was on these roads that he and his wife were assassinated. Despite the modesty of the Rav and his son I see their names everywhere I look in the Torah. My obsession is not only due to my special love of his Torah, but I believe that Hashem associates His name with Kahane in many places, because of His special love for him as well. This concept is not without precedent. ;‫ מה ימ ֹקד ני ינים‬,‫אתת‬, ,‫ מת‬,‫ שנ רק תמת רב לני שי רש אר לאל‬,‫םם‬,‫ ב קֹנק‬2 'Avenge the children of Israel of the ‫למיך‬- ‫עמ‬-‫אל‬-‫תסף ל‬, ‫תתאנ‬, ,‫אמחמר‬. Midianites; afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people. ‫ה נח קֹלצו‬,‫ ת‬,‫םמר‬, ‫תלא‬, ‫ נה נעם‬-‫אל‬-‫לשה ל‬- ‫מ‬,‫בר ם‬,‫ ג מו קֹי מד ת‬3 And Moses spoke unto the people, saying: 'Arm ,‫ ימ ֹקדינן‬-‫ מעל‬,‫לכם נא ננ ישים מל נצ נבא; ֹקו יי קֹהיו‬- ‫מ יא קֹת‬,‫ ת‬ye men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute the LORD'S ‫בֹקמי קדֹ נין‬ ,‫ ריהואה‬-‫שנקרמתת‬ ‫תתת‬, ‫ נל‬. vengeance on Midian. (Numbers: Chapter 31:2, 3) 9

Chazal explains that Hashem is concerned to avenge ‘our’ honor, while we are concerned to avenge ‘His’ honor.5 If this concept exists between Hashem and Israel, then even more so does it exist between Hashem and His Tzaddikim. Another expression of this love is seen in the book of Exodus. The famous Chassidic Rebbe, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev pointed out that G-d refers to the holiday in a way that praises the Jewish people who followed Him into a desert trusting that He would provide for them (Chag Hamatzot). All they had were a couple of crackers made from dough that did not have time to rise: matzot. And yet they went. By contrast, the Jewish people refer to the holiday in a way that praises G-d for sparing them during the plague of the firstborn ( Chag HaPesach – He 'passed over'). Although the Rav is no longer in our physical world, I still learn Torah from him each week. How can this be? His refutation of the most thorny and essential issues of our day, illuminate the whole Torah and bring a wholeness to it that can only be understood by our generation that has witnessed the Shoa and the rebirth of Israel. Many of the great rabbis and prophets we study were killed when they could have chosen a more comfortable path. Because they choose the courageous path and stood up for the challenge of their day they succeeded in not only making their name great but on their back brought a new Torah light into the world. The Torah understanding that one gains from Rav Kahane is not only from his words, but from his actions and his suffering. His embodiment, his vision and execution of the commandments serves as an example and as a guide to what is expected of us and to what we are capable of. A Personal Note This book of writing is very personal. Some of the ideas that I write about here seem Kabalistic and far from the kind of Torah that the Rav wrote about. This is because I bring in also ideas that I have seen in Meam Loez, the Shla and other commentators. I am by no means a Torah scholar, but a simple Jew who sees in his Rabbi the essence and meaning of creation. Just as the Hebrew who followed Moshe into the dessert did not need to know the deepest secrets of the Torah, yet instinctively they knew that they were attaching themselves to the essence of creation. Many other Hebrews at that time saw an anarchist that was forced to flee for his life, a thug who killed an Egyptian and was making things bad for the assimilated Hebrews. Most of these Hebrews died in the days of darkness. Thankfully my ancestors came from those who could read between the lines and see the writing on the wall. Many of the concepts that I discuss are my own ideas that I believe are based on the writings of our Holy Torah. If it appears that I am a student that simply sees his Rav everywhere and stretches things to fit, this could be. I have tried to find the sources to all the quotes so that the reader can verify from the source if the concepts I am discussing are accurate. If I have made mistakes, forgive me. In addition it is time after twenty two years to record my thoughts, through the years, from the time the Rabbi was murdered until today. Yacov mourned for twenty two years for Yoseph and then witnessed a new reality. I hope that in our day we too will see the fruit of the seeds that he planted. A footnote: From Moshe Feiglin I stood with a few friends on the ruins of the home of Livnat Ozeri. Her husband Nati had been murdered by terrorists just a month before. Now, soldiers and policemen had snuck up on her home on a hilltop outside Kiryat Arba in the middle of the freezing Hebron night. They dragged 10

her five sleeping orphans - in their pajamas and with no coats or shoes - from their beds, and destroyed their home and everything in it. They dumped the widow and orphans onto a Jerusalem street - in the middle of the night. There was no great public outcry. Not even from Yesha. Nati Ozeri was a Kachnik - not \"one of ours.\" Not long after that, we got Gush Katif. 6 A footnote: From Binyamin Kahane And not by an emissary. Continuing this theme: the Rav, in Perush ha-Maccabee (Deut. P447), derives a lesson from God’s refusal to allow Moses to enter the Land of Israel; Israel’s salvation does not depend upon any physical being, not even upon the greatest leader ever, upon whom the Jews relied absolutely. Therefore, precisely when they stood before the most critical and frightening stage of all – the entry into the Land of Israel, which demanded greater faith in God than ever – precisely then, God took Moses. Then, the nation which could not imagine life without Moses, would understand that salvation comes from God. This also explains Moses’ total absence from the Haggada, precisely on this night of all nights of the year; we should never make the mistake of thinking that the Redemption is impossible without a great leader. 7 Note: In these two volumes you may see some articles with an asterisk (*) next to the date. This indicates that these were thoughts I had wanted to say and thought to say but were never asked and so I wrote them here. Probably one third of the articles that begin 'Feivel tell us about..' never actually happened but were rehearsed in my head over Shabbat expecting to have an opening to say a few words. Often the Rabbis were too immersed in their Rebbe discussions and stories to be interested in what Feivel the Kahanist had to say. 11

Index 12

Index Bereshit Kahane in Parsha Binyamin Kahane Commentary Noach Pg. 13 Pg. 385 Lech Lecha Pg. 33 Pg. 389 Vayera Pg. 43 Pg. 395 Chaye Sarah Pg. 57 Pg. 399 Tolodot Pg. 73 Pg. 403 Vayetzei Pg. 95 Pg. 409 Vayishlach Pg. 115 Pg. 416 Vayeshev Pg. 139 Pg. 421 Miketz Pg. 159 Pg. 427 Vayigash Pg. 185 (none) Vayechi Pg. 209 Pg. 429 Pg. 229 Pg. 438 Sefer Shmot Pg. 438 Pg. 451 Shemot Pg. 243 Pg. 453 Vaera Pg. 261 Pg. 455 Bo Pg. 281 Pg. 461 Beshalach Pg. 295 Pg. 465 Yitro Pg. 313 Pg. 469 Mishpatim Pg. 319 (none) Terumah Pg. 327 Pg. 477 Tetzaveh Pg. 335 Pg. 483 Ki Sisa Pg. 347 Vayekel/Pekudei Pg. 365 Notes Pg. 379 13

14

Kahane in the Parsha Bereshit 15

Bereshit (2009) From Heaven to Earth ‫ו ו‬,‫לרץ‬- ‫ת מה נש ממ יים ֹקו נה נא‬‫קֹלד‬‫לה ת‬-‫א ל‬,‫ד ת‬ 4 These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created, in the day that ‫ֹקב נב קֹר נאם‬--‫ נעשות ֹקיה נוה לאל יהים‬,‫ ֹקביום‬: ‫ יה‬the LORD God made earth and heaven. ‫רץ ֹקו נש נמ יים‬-‫א ל‬-‫ל‬ (Bereshit 2:4) The two ‘Vav’s in ‘ele toledot’ tell us a story. Hashem sees the end from the beginning. 1 The purpose of creation is to build G-ds kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. We can see this concept hidden within the letters of Hashems name. ‫היה הוה‬ The ‫ היה‬represents the Heavens the ‫ו‬t the channel and the final ‫ ה‬is Hashem’s kingdom manifested on earth below. We can also see this concept within the ‫ היה‬. The ‫ הי‬looks like a seed that is placed inside of the ‫ ה‬at the bottom. It is this creation above and transformation from the ‫ יה‬to a ‫ ה‬that must be reflected below with the participation of mankind; more accurately Israel, who represents mankind. By accepting the Torah Israel became responsible for the preservation of the world as well as its correction. This was a job formally given to Adam HaRishon and now passed on to the Nation of Israel. As we learn in Parsha Noach, the world is created to serve man and man created to serve G-d. If man ceases to serve G-d, the world is no longer needed. 2 ‫ֹקב יה נב קֹר נאם‬ The beginning of the lower ‫ ה‬is alluded to by the small ‫ ה‬that is written in the word ‫ ם‬t‫ברהא‬t ‫ הב ּבה‬. Chazal tells us that this small ‘Hey’ alludes to Avraham. 3 Indeed if you rearrange these letters we see the name Avraham. This was this ‘Hey’ that was given to Avram when he was 99 years old. With his new name Avraham he could now give birth of Itzchak and began the miraculous birth of Hashem’s Nation. ‫ו‬The ’s (in ‘these are the generations’) represent the channel through which the lower ‫ ה‬is manifested in the world. There is an interesting sequence in the way the vav’s are written. 16

Bereshit 2:4 ‫ א ה רץו ו‬t ‫ה‬t ‫ ש ימ בּים הו‬t ‫ת יה‬‫להד‬‫ת‬ ‫ד לּאל הה‬ 4 These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth (The two vav’s in Heaven) Noach (Bereshit 6:9) ‫ ת להדחַת נַחחיו‬,‫ ט אּל ה לה‬9 These are the generations of Noah. (One vav in Heaven and the 2nd not yet established on earth) Itzchak (Bereshit 25:19) ‫ו‬.:‫ם‬t‫ ר ה‬t ‫ יאבה‬-‫בה ן‬ 19 And these are the generations of Isaac, ,‫ חק‬t ‫יבּ הצ‬ ‫לה חַדת‬ ‫ת‬ ‫הו לּא ה לה‬ ‫יט‬ Abraham's son: (One vav in Heaven and the 2nd not yet established on earth) Yoseph (Bereshit 37:2) ‫ ה ע הש ּלרהו‬-‫ הש יבע‬-‫ יו ּלסף ה בן‬,‫ת יי קע חַקב‬ ‫לּא הלה חַת הלד‬ ‫ב‬ 2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, ‫נה‬t ‫ש‬t (The vav in Heaven is established on earth) The ‘Vav’ is channeled from its Heavenly abode to its earthly destination through the generation of the forefathers; from the right to the left hand side. The vav’s final resting place from above to below is in Yoseph. Once Yoseph is in the world there is an antidote to Esav and the Holiness of Israel is intact enough to be planted in the lowest place on earth - Egypt. From here it will blossom forth to receive the Torah, conquer the Land of Israel and eventually bring the Moshiach. (See more on the ‘vav’s in Chapter Mar Cheshvan ) 17

Small ‫‘ ‘ה‬Hey’ and Large ‫‘ ‘ ה‬Hey’ Contrasting the small ‘Hey’ in ‫ אם‬t ‫ב הר‬t ‫ הב ּבה‬is a larger ‘Hey’ in Haazinu. ‫אמה‬,‫ ֹקול ם‬,‫עמם ננבנל‬--‫את‬,‫ז ם‬-‫ ית ֹקג ֹקמלו‬,‫ֹקל קֹיה נוה‬ ‫ו‬ 6. Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? Is not He thy father that hath gotten .‫נך‬-‫כ קֹנ ל‬,‫הוא נע קֹשך מו ֹקי ם‬,‫לנך‬- ‫הוא נא יביך נק‬-‫ נהלוא‬:‫ נח נכם‬thee? Hath He not made thee, and established thee? A Nation of prophets and scholars continues to blame the Almighty for their suffering while failing to see the consequence of their actions or lack of action. “If only My people would heed Me, if Israel would walk in My ways. In an instant I would subdue their foes, and against their tormentors turn My hand.” (Tehillim 81) The Artscroll Chumash writes: There are 146 verses in the Sidrah, numerically corresponding to the mnemonics (Yechizkiyahu) and (Amatziah). Their names are nearly synonymous as their respective roots (Emetz) and (Chazak) both indicate power and strength. Each succeeded his father to the throne at age twenty-five; each is described with the phrase He did what was proper in the eyes of Hashem. 4 Parsha Miketz also has 146 verses implying that the two portions have common themes. In Sidrah Mikeitz, we find Pharaoh considering himself a god and Egypt worshiping the Nile as its deity. Through the devices of abundance and famine, God displayed beyond doubt that only His is the power. Pharoah and his people were forced to acknowledge that they were subservient to Joseph whose distinction was that whatever his position – slave or viceroy – he remained but a servant of God. (R’David Feinstein). Only in the Sidrah is a mnemonic provided for the number of words, in this case 2025. This alludes to Chanuka, which usually falls in the week of Sidrah Mikeitz. 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 give a total of 2000. Chanuka begins on the twenty fifth of Kislev. Thus 2025 is an allusion to the lights and the date of Chanuka (Torah Temimah).5 We see then from the origin that the purpose of Creation is for the world to recognize Israel and for Israel to recognize Hashem. Both of these concepts happen simultaneously however it is the Tzaddik that initiates and precedes these events. Once Yoseph entered Egypt the world began to learn about Hashem. Once the brothers arrived the Nation of Israel began to understand themselves, their mistakes and their correction. The small ‘Hey’ that is planted as a seed is mirrored in a large ‘Hey’ that is a husk. In the end of days, this great husk that is the hardness of the world that seeks to destroy Israel; and the hardness of Israel that seeks to destroy the latter day Yosephs; will be broken. In it’s place will be the fruition of all Creation. Then Israel will be elevated in the world and showered with wealth, while the Nation itself will search its soul and will discover a new heart as the shell of exile erodes under the National blossoming of Israel. A Chanuka spirit will increase as we begin to understand our suffering that we inflicted upon 18

ourselves by our hardness and persecution of the Yoseph Tzadikim that only sought our good, while we conspired every means to destroy . (See more on the ‘vav’s in Chapter Mar Cheshvan) The building of this internal 'Ner' is the heart of the Torah which is read on each of the Shalosh Regalim (Festivals). The excerpt that is read is taken from Parsgha Ki Sissa. In this Parsha is found a large 'Nun' and large 'Resh' which spell 'Ner' (candle) - (see Chapter Ki Sissa) Bereshit (2004) The Great Lights Rav Kahane was 58 when he was taken from us. His son was 34 when his life was taken. If we add these two ages together we get 92 which is the gematria of (‫‘ )הגדל'ם‬Hagedolim’. In this week's Parsha we read that Hashem placed in the sky two great lights – (‫‘ )הגדל'ם‬Hagedolim’ (the sun and the moon). (‫ )המאור הגדל‬Ha-Meor Ha-Gadol and (‫ )המאור הקטן‬Ha-Meor Ha-Katan (read instead of Meor- Meir Gadol and Meir Katan). The name Meir means to light up. The two great lights of our generation Meir Gadol and his son Meir Katan are primal lights because in their life and in their death they continued to carry this essential light of creation as if they carried the sun and the moon. Moshe and Yehoshua are also compared to the sun and the moon; the originator of the light and the reflection of this light. Every generation has a Moshe which is a potential Moshiach and a Yehoshua that reflects this light. Moshiach and Moshiach ben Yoseph Moshiach is a combination of forces which include Moshiach Ben David as well as Moshiach ben Yoseph. Moshe (the fugitive leader of the Nation of Israel) carried the bones of Yoseph (another prisoner/Prime Minister of the Hebrew Nation). The planting of the universal seeds of Moshiach begin by the planting of the bones of Yoseph by Yehoshua, his descendant. When his bones were returned and thereby rectified from the place where they were stolen from – the Pit of Schem, then the process of Moshiach can begin. (See Parsha Tolodot) The birth of Moshiach begins by the planting of these dry bones which reflect an earlier planting, that of the acquisition of the burial plot of Sarah (see Chaiya Sarah). When the Land is acquired below, beginning with the field of Machpela and ending with the future submission of the entire Land then eventually we can crown the King – Moshiach. This is the purpose and climax of Creation which can all be extrapolated from within the ‘Gedolim’ – The two great lights which are the nucleus and proton of Moshiach. Yehoshua continues without the great light of Moshe just as Binyamin continued without the great light of his father Meir to demonstrate that the Torah of the Rav lives on beyond the great personality. We all are commanded to be Moshe katan or Meir katan. The moon is also a symbol of Israel. Although others see darkness we see the reflection of a great light and by seeing and doing we reflect that light here on earth. 19

The Letters ‘Hey’ (‫)ה‬ These two great lights are also connected to the two letters ‘Hey’, which we find in Parsha Bereshit and at the end of the Torah, in the Parsha Haazinu. Just like the small light and the big light, the ( ‫‘ )ה‬Hey’ in Bereshit stands out as smaller than normal, while the other (‫)ה‬Hey in Haazinu, stand out because it is ‘larger’ than normal. The small (‫‘ )ה‬Hey’ is found within the following word. ‘Eleh Toldot Hashamayim Vehaaretz Behabarum..’ These are the products of the heaven and the earth when they were created (‫( ) בהבראם‬Behabarum) on the day Hashem G-d made heaven and earth’ (Bereshit 2:4) When we rearrange the letters of ‘Behabarum’ they spell ‘BeAvraham’ - ‘through Avraham’. We learn from this passage that the whole world was created for the sake of Avraham. We also learn that the small letter ‘Hey’, within this word was created at the beginning of time in order to be given at a later date to Avram, so that his name would become Avraham. The same letter was given to Sarai whose name became Sarah. What happened to the ‘Yud’ of Sarai? It was given to Yehoshua. (See Chapter Chaiya Sarah). It was through the merit of this small letter ‘Hey’ that the command of circumcision could now be given, and Yitzchak could be conceived. The world was created for the sake of Avraham, who rectifies the sin of Adam and Chava, as the forefather of our Nation. This process begins with Yitzchak, who represents the ‘ideal’ for which the world was created. Born from a holy conception and circumcised on the 8th day, he represented 'accountability' and 'judgment', the basis upon which the world stands, though not many can stand in this place. The last letter of a woman’s name became the first letter of a man's name – Yehoshua (See Midrash on Bamidbar 13:16). The large 'Hey' in the end will be defeated by the small 'Hey' in the beginning. The small 'Yud' will become the 'Yud' that conquers the land. It seems to be the intention of Creation for the small to rise beyond themselves to a higher calling. Moshe the great light himself rose to the occasion despite his speech impediment. It is interesting to note that Rav Kahane also had a stutter. 'Despite [Meir's] reluctance on account of his speech impediment, I insisted that he speak.' Recalled Jacob Birnbaum, head of SSSJ (Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry) in 1964. (From His Life and Thought by Libby Kahane Pg. 76,41) A World Built Upon Emet Just as Israel is the nucleus of the world, and gives the world purpose and justification for its continued existence, Yitzchak is the nucleus within the Nation of Israel that is able to stand against the prosecuting attorney and maintain the contract of creation. Hashem created the world with an order and system of free choice, reward, and punishment. ‘Bereshit Bara Elokim.. .’(‫ )בראשית ברא אלהים‬- ‘In the beginning ‫ אלהים‬G-d created.. .’ This name of G-d ‫ אלהים‬denotes (the G-d of strict justice). Afterwords it was determined that the world could not be sustained without mercy, for mankind is fallible. Therefore at the summary of creation we read: 20

:‫ ֹקב יה נב קרֹאנם‬,‫רץ‬-‫לה תו קֹלדות מה נש ממ יים ֹקו נה נא ל‬-‫א ל‬,‫ ד ת‬4 These are the generations of the heaven and of ‫לרץריה אוה לאל שהים‬- ‫לא‬- -- the earth when they were created, in the day that ‫ נעשות‬,‫ֹקביום‬ the LORD God made earth and heaven. ‫קֹו נש נמ יים‬ (Bereshit 2:4) The attribute of Justice was tempered with the attribute of Mercy (‫‘ ריה אוה‬Hashem’ plus ‫ לאלהשים‬G-d’). Yitzchak however represented the ‘ideal’ in that he was able to live up to Hashem’s original intention. Rav Kahane in our generation represented this quality and thereby sustained the world in our time. The Workings of the Embryo Let us return to the discussion of the two great luminaries. These luminaries also represent Israel and the Nations. Although the world was intended to serve Israel; who is the conduit through which the world is maintained and continues to receive blessing and sustenance, we often see the opposite. Israel waxes and wanes like the moon throughout history, from the light that conquers the darkness to a light that is almost extinguished. And yet, through this waxing and waning Israel remains the embryo through which the intended light of creation is evolving. The secret of the success of Israel’s mission is hidden within the small Hey and the large Hey at the end of the Torah which reads: Is it to Hashem that you do this, O vile and unwise people? (Devarim 32:6) ‫ כם‘ה‬t ‫ח‬t ‫ הולַחא‬,‫ בל‬t ‫ נ‬t ‫ יעם‬-- ‫זַחאת‬-‫ ּבת הג המלו‬,‫ ה‬t‫להיההו‬ (Ha – lElokim tigmelu zot?) Why is the Large Hey found in this passage of admonishment? First let us understand the meaning of the passage. Moshe is recalling our history to the assembled Nation before his departure. He admonished the Nation, as if to say: ‘Is it really to Hashem that you do this to? The one who exalts you above all Nations, and blesses you and ensures your success? It is to Him that you sin and revolt and show your lack of gratitude? How can you be so vile and unwise? The small Hey that gives birth to the Holy Nation at the same time gives a resting place for Hashem here on earth. That resting place will not be complete until the four legs of His throne are solid. (See the war of Yehoshua and Amalek: Shmot 17:16). The light of the moon will shine like the sun, when the Nation of Israel finally understands, that it is they who prevent it, and thereby cause their own suffering, and it is they who must bring that light from below, which is the fourth leg of the king’s throne. Growth Pangs of the Letter ‘Hey’ Rav Kahane tried to hasten that redemption by breaking the idols of appeasement towards our 21

adversaries and answering the unanswerable questions of our generation namely ‘where was G-d in the Holocaust, by answering where were we ‘then’ and where are ‘we’ now? His Torah is a Torah of rectification that helps us to understand why we suffer, and how we can put an end to our suffering. As mentioned previously the small and large letter ‘Hey’ is not only connected to the final letter of Hashem’s name: Yud, Hey, Vav, Hey but also to the brit mila. This final letter was left for us to complete, similar to the circumcision. Hashem wanted us to make man below, to complete the process of Creation with our own hands. The small ‘Hey’ that was impregnated like a seed, within Avraham must mature within the Nation that represents this ‘Hey’ so that they will activate its power from below. Hashem’s Representative Why are the deaths of Meir Gadol and Meir Katan connected to the ‘Gedolim’? They lived up to the standard that Hashem expects from all of the Nation of Israel. They single-handedly where the ‘Hey’ that upheld the throne of Hashem’s name in this world and inspired others to live up to the purpose they were created for. Not everyone can be Yitzchak who was prepared to sacrifice himself, but they demonstrated to Heaven above that there are men below who can rise to the occasion of our National calling. It was upon their shoulders that the world stood, for it was only they who upheld the essential Torah, despite their persecution from both the anti-Torah world as well as the Yeshiva world. It is they, who with their death gave life to multitudes, who now grow and mature and absorb the light that they left behind. As we have said, the light concealed within the ‘Gedolim’ (Meir Gadol and Meir Katan), is reflected within the small and large ‘Hey’. But these kabalistic ideas need not be explained to a simple Jew with simple faith, who inspired by these Gedolim, were prepared to stand up against a sea of hatred, and drive out our enemies and conquer our Land knowing that Hashem and His military legions below, would prevail. This is the secret of the perfect faith that attracted Jews both non-observant as well as Chassidim, to attach themselves to these great lights, knowing subconsciously that they were attaching themselves to the original light of creation. It was this same charisma that led one fifth of our nation out of the darkness of Egypt and into a stormy sea. *see more about the letter Hey in Parsha Miketz On Rosh Chodesh Elul (Aug 13,1980), the military trial of Rabbi Kahane ended in Ramallah. He was charged with inciting the Arabs to hatred of Israel. He Writes: Pain and incredulity that I am being charged here for demonstrating against Jew-haters and for replying to their efforts to destroy Israel by replying: “There is no Palestine; those who refuse Jewish rule over Eretz Yisrael must leave.” This is my “crime.” I am pained. Israel debases itself....I came to Ramallah and Shchem to cry out the Jewish truth – There is no Palestine! - so that three should hear it. One: the All Mighty, so that He should know that there are still Jews prepared to sanctify His name, and perhaps for this he will have pity on us. Two: Jews, so that they should remember the truth to whom this land belongs. Three: the Arabs, so they should not be misled into thinking that all Jews are fools. So that they should know that if they do not accept Jewish rule, they must leave. If this is incitement – then imprison Zionism! (Beyond Words – Vol 3 pg 455-462) 22

Hagedolim 2011 Hameor is also the gematria of Meir plus the kollel. Hameor is also the same gematria of ‘remez’ (hint) which is one of the higher levels of Torah understanding. The Rav was not a kabbalist, nor was he an advocate of mystical rabbis, yet his Torah as simple and clear as it was brought Jews to the highest level of understanding which is received through action. The people at Yam Suf (the Red Sea) saw greater things than all the latter prophets; this is because they were part of Holy action. Hameor is also the same gemaria of power (Hamora), which is written about in the very last passage of the Torah when it speak about the greatness of Moshe. ‫לשר‬- ‫ נא‬,‫שה‬-‫ ל‬,‫ קֹכמם‬,‫אל‬,‫ נקם ננ יביא עוד ֹקב יי קֹש נר ת‬-‫םא‬, ‫ י קֹול‬10 And there hath not arisen a prophet since in ‫ ֹקי נדעו‬. . Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew ‫ נפ ינים‬-‫אל‬-‫ל‬ ‫נפ ינים‬ ,‫קֹיה נוה‬ face to face; ‫שר ֹקש נלחו‬-‫ נא ל‬,‫תת קֹו מהמו קֹפ יתים‬,‫א ם‬,‫ נה ם‬-‫ יא קלֹ נכל‬11 in all the signs and the wonders, which the -‫עה ו קֹל נכל‬,‫ קֹל מפ קֹר ם‬--‫רץ ימ ֹקצ נר יים‬-‫א ל‬-‫ קֹב ל‬,‫ מלענשות‬,‫ ֹקיה נוה‬LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his ‫ מא קרֹצו‬-‫ו קֹלכנל‬ ,‫נעבנ נדיו‬ land; ‫ל‬,‫ ולקֹכם‬,‫םכל מה ניד מה נח נז נקה‬, ‫ יב ו קֹל‬12 and in all the mighty hand, and in all the great power, which Moses wrought in the sight of all -‫ני נכל‬,‫עי ת‬,‫ ֹקל ת‬,‫שה‬-‫מ ל‬,‫שר נע נשה ם‬-‫ נא ל‬,‫ תהמו ארא מה נגדול‬Israel. ‫אל‬,‫יי קֹש נר ת‬ Rav Kahane showed us the power that is in our own hands. He stood against super powers of his day, the Jewish community in America and the government of Israel, and he succeeded. This is the power that Moshe also showed the Israelites. We have it in our power to throw out our enemies and to stand against the world. By doing so, the world, contrary to our fears, will end up supporting us and it will bring Kidush Hashem. It is we who create Palestine and can un-create it. It is our ‘exile’ mentality that has turned the great victory of 1967 into retreat after retreat and compromise upon compromise so that now the whole world stands against us despite our suicidal gestures. It is only with a mentality of Rav Kahane which is the same mentality of Moshe who changed the political reality that true geula will arrive. He taught us how to ‘create’ news and change policies, and alter realities. If we had more ‘Kahane’ within the body of our Nation, our enemies would flee and those who stand against us would be put in their place. One of the best interviews of the Rav was on ‘point-counterpoint’ where he was asked by the interviewer what he would do when America refuses to give aid to Israel if he were elected. He answered that he didn’t want American aid. Furthermore America needs us more than we need America. Every Gentile is asked in the next world, what they did for Israel. If they helped Israel, then it is good for them, if they did bad things against Israel then it is bad for them. It is their choice whether to be blessed or to be cursed. If America doesn’t want to do business with the Jews we will make somebody else rich. 23

Conquest Seven generations fell from Adam HaRishon to the flood where the world was destroyed and then rebuilt through the seven generations that followed. When we arrived at Mt Sinai in the time of Moshe (the 7th generation from the flood), for a moment we were once again at the level of Adam HaRishon. At that point the Jewish people took on the role of Adam HaRishon and to this day are called 'man' in the Torah as opposed to G-ds 'creation'. It is the role of Israel to rebuild the Garden of Eden through the Torah and Israel and fulfill the intention of creation which is: ‫הם‬-‫מר נל ל‬-‫םא ל‬, ‫ מוי‬,‫ לאל יהים‬,‫םא נתם‬, ‫לרך‬- ‫ כח מו קֹי נב‬28 And God blessed them; and God said unto them: 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the ‫ו קֹרבו‬ ‫קֹפרו‬ earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the ‫שכ רב הש אה‬,‫לרץ‬- ‫ נה נא‬-‫לאת‬-‫ו ימ ֹקלאו‬ ‫לאל יהים‬ ,‫ ו ֹקבעוף מה נש ממ יים‬,‫; ו ֹקרדו יב קֹד מגת מה נים‬ ֹ‫ וק‬fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the ‫לרץ‬- ‫ נה נא‬-‫שת מעל‬-‫למ ל‬- ‫םר‬, ‫ נה‬,‫ מח ניה‬-‫ו קֹב נכל‬ earth.' (Bereshit 1:28) When Columbus discovered America it was a barren and primitive place that didn't hold much interest for the cultivated societies of Europe. No one knew then that this 'wild west' would eventually be a world super power. In a similar way the pioneers that transformed tiny Israel into a blossoming garden did not hold much interest in the world. As history evolves the light of Israel is being transmitted and being developed in the dark until such time that the world will be ready to receive this light that had been prepared from the beginning. When Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon he said the famous line: 'This is one small step for man but a giant leap for mankind'. Meir Kahane was the 'giant leap' that changed our way of thinking. After thousands of years of exile we physically are in the process of returning home but mentally still feeling that we are 'guests' and only allowed to be here by the grace of America and other allies that support us. The truth is that our existence in Israel has a greater foundation to it than any other Nation in the world, even America. We have the guarantee of the Almighty that he wants us to return and He will protect us under His wings. Those who scream and cry that Israel will be wiped off the map may be pronouncing their own demise for by their hatred of Israel and thereby the G-d of Israel they are on very shaky ground. In the famous letter 'Dear World' the Rabbi thanks the world for hosting us as guest these last few thousand years, with all of its massacres and pogroms and Shoa's. He understands how 'upset' the world is at us from the ancient Romans who changed the name Israel to 'Palestine' to the haters today who can't stand the fact that we continue to 'exist' and are 'victorious' over our savage enemies that they say we 'oppress'. He ends the letter by apologizing to the world that we have 'bothered' you so much, but think about all the times that you have 'bothered' us! 'At any rate, dear world, here is one Jew in Israel who couldn't care less!' Every Jew who reads this letter knows that he speaks the truth and it touches them. He stood up to the world with no fear and no guilt and explained clearly who we are and what our mission is here and that we are not beggars that need social assistance we are the Chosen People and we are here to stay and we are building G-ds Kingdom here on earth. It's your choice dear world if you want to 'bless us' and be 'blessed' or 'curse us' and be 'cursed'. This doesn't mean that we are declaring war on the world. On the contrary the world most likely will 24

declare war on us, and will lose (see Lech Lecha). We are however, no longer 'running away', nor 'giving away' that which belongs to us. It is a time to now to set the record straight not only to the world, but more importantly to ourselves. When we understand who we are, then the world will follow. It is interesting that this passage is 28 which spells Kach (‫ )כח‬the name of his political party which means 'thus' with strength. The mitzva of subjugating the earth that was given to Adam seems to be passed down in our times. The same gematria of 'subjugate' is Meir Kahane. ‫ = שכ רב הש אה‬subjugate = 327 ‫ = מאיר כהנא‬Meir Kahane = 327 25

The Mother Bird and The Land of Israel There is a very mysterious mitzva that is written in the Torah “You shall surely send away the mother and take the young for yourself, so that it will be good for you and you will prolong your days.” (Dvarim 22:7) The Torah Dvarim (22:7) promises long life to one who performs this mitzvah (see Kiddushin 39b). Additionally, the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, 925) states that one who performs this mitzvah will find their shidduch. Furthermore, the Midrash (Devarim Rabbah, 6:6) relates that they will merit sons. Even further, the Midrash (Devarim Rabbah, 6:6) tells us that they’ll be given the ability to acquire a new house. Lastly, the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, 930) relates that one who fulfills this mitzvah hastens the coming of Mashiach. Moshe Feiglin writes an article about Bereshit that sheds light on the first Rashi. It seems to me that this article also can be related to the mitzva of the mother bird. Let's look at Moshe Feiglins article: Approximately one thousand years after the destruction of the second temple and Israel's exile from its homeland, deep in the depths of the harsh exile and one thousand years before the beginning of the return to Zion - the great Torah commentator Rashi opens his monumental commentary on the Torah with the question of the ownership of the Land of Israel. What with all the hardships and troubles facing European Jewry at the time, with the Land of Israel but a vague and distant memory, the most pressing problem demanding Rashi's attention is what we will answer the non-Jewish world when it will claim that we are robbers in our own land, usurping its ownership from the local Canaanites. The Torah should have begun with the first commandment G-d gave to Moses, Rashi quotes his father. Why, then, does the Torah open with the story of creation? His answer may not have seemed relevant then, but it is certainly pertinent today and reads like a current events account. Rashi explains that the Torah opens with the story of creation to establish the fact that G-d created the world. \"If the nations of the world say to Israel, 'You are robbers - you have conquered the lands of other nations,' Israel can answer as follows: The entire world belongs to the Holy One, Blessed Be He. He created it and gave it to whom He pleased.\" During the Sunday Manhigut Yehudit Sukkot event in Jerusalem, Rabbi Yitzchak Brand gave me a paper with some of his Torah thoughts. \"With all due respect to Rashi,\" Rabbi Brand, head of a large faction of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Manhigut Yehudit begins his presentation, \"wouldn't it have been better if we had received the Land of Israel empty of previous residents? Why did the Creator of the world choose to bring us to a land that was already occupied? Why didn't He give us the Land of Israel first - just like he gave France to the French and England to the English? Why do we first have to conquer and then look for excuses?\" Rabbi Brand answers that if we would not have been forced to conquer the Land of Israel, nobody could have accused us of robbery. But then we would not have been able to answer with the irrefutable facts that Rashi points out in his commentary on this week's Torah portion, Genesis. And, after all, the reason for our presence in the Land of Israel is specifically so that we may give this answer. In other words, when the Nation of Israel - the nation that is a living testimony to the existence of the Creator of the world - drives out it enemies and settles the Land of Israel, it essentially declares that there is a higher authority in this world. He created the world and He determines the path that it will take. The only reason that we merit to live in Israel is so that we may proclaim that G-d is King of the World. This is the only way that we can justify our presence here in the eyes of the world. 26

When I read what Rabbi Brand had written, I remembered a short article that Manhigut member Meyer Goldmintz had sent me. The State of Israel expelled Meyer from his home in Yad Yair, destroyed it and turned the place into an Arab garbage dump. Today, Meyer lives with his family in the settlement of Haresha. In his article he asks a simple question: How is it that we, the settlers, who have taken the utmost care not to settle lands privately owned by Arabs, who searched for strictly state-owned lands to settle and were sure to distance ourselves from even the slightest hint of robbery of Arab-owned land - are nevertheless constantly accused of robbing Arab lands, while the kibbutzim of the leftist Shomer Hatzair, almost all of which were built on lands that had belonged to Arab villages that were conquered and destroyed in 1948 - are considered bastions of \"peace\"? Meyer answers that it is specifically the fact that the settlers are careful not to build on Arab land that has brought about their dismal reputation. Very simply, they (we) have betrayed our mission and cannot give the answer that Rashi gives at the beginning of the Torah. The leftist kibbutz member, who had ostensibly disassociated himself from the Torah, did not deny the fact that he was a Jew. As a Jew, he drove out the non-Jew living in his land and settled in his place. By doing so, even though he likely did not intend to - our leftist fulfilled the essence of the reason for the return of the Jews to their Land. He showed the world that there is a Creator and that He decides when non-Jews will live in His land and when His children will live in their place. Thus, the borders of Israel in the places from which the Arabs were forcibly expelled are not questioned today. But we, the settlers, who strive to fulfill G-d's commandments - have not yet fulfilled the basic reason for settlement of the Land. On the contrary, we have avoided it. We were careful not to drive the Arabs out - the complete opposite of the sanctification of G-d's Name accomplished by the leftist kibbutzim. True, it is the State of Israel that decides when and whom to expel - not private people. But we never protested and enthusiastically adopted this approach. Today, we are suffering the consequences of our actions. Shabbat Shalom, Moshe Feiglin Moshe Feiglin's explanation of Rashi may also connect to the mitzva of the Mother Bird. To fulfill the mitzvah of conquest properly we must be called robbers; a commandment that seems to be harsh and cruel, yet so many rewards attached to it. The question is: Why does one receive such great rewards for this mitzvah? The Zohar explains that the mitzva has a profound impact:Driven from its nest the mother bird flies restlessly over the hills and valleys. It cries bitterly and despairingly over the separation from its children. The angel appointed over this species of bird appears before the heavenly throne and reproaches Hashem ‘ Why are You who are compassionate in all Your ways, ordered this in Your Torah? The angel appointed over other species of birds take up the call, in turn complaining why the mother bird of their species should suffer the selfsame bitter fate. Then Hashem turns to all the Heavenly hosts and reprimands them; You witness how the angels in charge of birds speak up for their charges. Why then do none of you voice concern about My sons and the shechina, both of whom are in exile? Another Midrash adds: The angels ask why have you who are compassionate in all your ways ordered this in your torah? You who teach us to respect parents and children. Hashem answers 'The shechina is separated from its nest, the bet hamigdash in yerushalayinm, and my sons (the 27

fledgelings) dwell among gentiles. Is there none among you to arouse my compassion and defend them? The Almighty then cries out ‘For my own sake, for my own sake will I do it, for why should my name be profaned? (Yeshiyahu 48:11). 6 Cruelty Towards Heaven Rav Kahane writes: The lands that today constitute the Land of Israel, Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the Golan are parts of the Land of Israel, the sole land of the Jews….There is no Palestine or Palestinian people. There are Arabs who trespass on Jewish land. 7 What is the greater cruelty? To be concerned about the mother of a bird or the Father of Creation who’s children have been stolen and He Himself has been driven away. The Arabs that take Jewish land, it is as if they shew Hashem the mother away and eat His children. When we conquer and are called robbers and then must defend ourselves by making Hashem’s claim known in the world we begin to resolve justice and clarify the definition of cruelty. Which cruelty is really kindness and which kindness is really cruelty? When Avraham throws out Ishmael, one might compare this to the mother bird as well, but more so. Avraham threw out the mother and the son, and even more difficult ones own son. Avraham was kindhearted to all even more so his own flesh and blood. How difficult this test must have been for him to be cruel. In the end of days it seems that true kindness must come through what appears to be cruelty. Bereshit (2009) There is an idea that I have often wondered about. The root of the original sin is the addition of a Torah fence that was not explained properly. Hashem did not make this command. Adam added do not touch the tree. It was a mistake in leadership between the 1st man and woman. Through this mistake she was fooled and death entered the world. A similar same sin was made by the rock and today in the Shoa (see Chukat, Vayigash). Hashem was not angry but Moshe was. This mistake brought death to a generation and a delay in the manifestation of Hashems kingdom. The mistake was repeated in our time before the Shoa and the re-creation of Israel. It is this sin that in the end, when rectified will bring Israel back as one. When Israel returns the world will once again be in harmony. The anti-Zionists displayed anger while Hashem Himself was making deserts blossom in the Land of Israel. In Gan Eden the Midrash tells us the snake pushed Eve against the tree and said 'You see? You didn't die!' This additional strictness that Adam invented as a precaution, ended up bringing death into the world. 28

Rashi in the News (2016) In the very first Rashi he explains that the Torah does not begin with the first law but rather the history of Creation so that in the future, if we are accused of being thieves and stealing the Land of Israel from the Canaanites we can respond that Hashem created the world and He can decide to take the Land from one and give it to another. Rav Kahane explains that this Rashi is not really directed to the Gentiles but to us. If we do not understand this and act accordingly we then cause the nations to accuse us. We see this Rashi clearly played out in the newspapers today. Suddenly in the last few weeks the United Nations declares that Israel has no claim whatsoever to the Temple Mount, denies our historic claims outright, and calls the Temple Mount by its Arabic name. What caused this declaration? As Rav Kahane once wrote, the nations act 'reflexively' of our actions. In this case the nations simply need to look at our behavior towards the Temple Mount. Jews are not allowed to pray there, Arabs run the compound, Jewish historic artifacts have been destroyed for years under the Arab custodianship and we do nothing. It is clear to them that we act as if the Temple Mount does not truly belong to us. If this is the case they have every right to challenge us and to declare it their historic right. The very first Rashi is in all the newspapers today and we must respond primarily to the internal question of why we act like thieves and don't really desire what belongs to us. When we do desire it and claim it despite our fears, then we will have nothing to fear. Instead of the global war we expect precisely the opposite will happen. The world will recognize the one true God and come with their offerings to our Temple. Two Kinds of Sins (2017) I asked at kiddish what was the connection between the original sin and the sin at the rock? Rabbi Halperin related a story about Rav Zusia. A Rabbi asked Rav Zusia that if all of the generations were inside of Adam Harishon which would include you Rav Zusia, how could you have allowed him to sin? He answered that he would be the first one to take a bite of the apple to prove that sin is lethal. It seems to me that the lesson here is A: Sin Causes death. B:There is something worse than the death of the sinner. A leader that doesn't teach correctly or does not represent Hashem's Torah accurately can not only cause his own death but also the death of the entire generation. Adam did not explain that 'Do not touch' was a fence he added. Moshe confused the generation by thinking Hashem was angry when He wasn't. The mistakes of leadership can result in a much heavier toll than the individual sinner. 29

Original Sin and Original Vaccine (2021) from a Farbrengin. 'Feival what is your first question of the year?' I have two questions. Number one, it seems to me that evil by itself is nothing. It holds no sway over people with simple faith. It is only when evil uses good, despite goods intentions, that it is incredibly successful, so much so that it can change the DNA of mankind. What was formerly a force that was outside of mankind is now something intrinsically within man for all time. All of this could not have happened without the manipulation of good. and do not touch it - Chizkiah said: \"How do we know that all who add [to a command] detract [from its effectiveness]? For it is written: 'G-d said: \"Do not eat from it, and do not touch it.\"'\"[G-d had not said:\"Do not touch it.\" The serpent pushed Eve against the tree and proved to her that touching does not produce death - why, then, should eating?] (Sanhedrin 29a). The original sin was the first time our DNA was changed because of sin. Today as we stand moments before Moshiach and the final days, again we are changing our DNA. Let me explain what I mean. We are living in dangerous times where pandemics have been let loose around the world. There are vaccines available and observant Jews with simple faith do what is required in times of uncertainty; they ask their rabbi. The majority of rabbis agree that this is a life saving vaccine and we should take it to help our immune system fight against these diseases. Now any time there is uncertainty we always ask the rabbis and go with the majority opinion. Seventy years ago in Europe there were many who asked their rabbi if they thought it would be best to leave Europe and go to Israel. The majority opinion in many places was not to go to Israel for it would be even more dangerous for the soul to go to the Zionist anti-Torah entity. Therefore many Jews of simple faith listened to the majority opinion of the rabbis and stayed in Europe for better or worse. What is the point I am making? This is my second question. How is it that Adam was not as smart as the serpent? Could he not see what might occur? Why was his vision limited? Let me explain further. Thirty years ago there was a disease called AIDS. Everyone understood that this was a disease that mostly affected Homosexuals. The disease itself seemed to fit well with the moral perversion. Since the original sin we all must battle various internal choices within a certain moral playing field. Homosexuality goes so far outside that moral playing field that measure for measure a perversion of ones inability to overcome his lusts resulted in an actual physical disease that affects the immune system and ones ability to fight disease. We are constantly making moral choices just as our bodies are constantly fighting various germs and diseases. The interesting thing is that when this occurred if one were to suggest that this is a punishment and it would be best to stop this activity, they would be considered a clueless kook and unrepresentative of 'progressive' society. The concept of sin and divine intervention was not even considered for a moment and society went full steam ahead along the path of perversion and developing vaccines to counter this disease. Today what was once considered immoral and hidden from society is now well established within the new moral code of what is called 'progressive' society. Any man can legally marry another man, hold public office, become a prime minister and be so proud of their perversion that to call this perversion is considered evil. We live in a world where good is now considered evil and evil is considered good. 30

At the same time thirty years ago Rabbi Kahane spoke about another disease that needed to be confronted as soon as possible before it turned into a terrible epidemic. He spoke about the Democratic Jewish State and the contradiction that it represents. He said we must choose either a Jewish State or Democracy, but you cannot have both. He was ridiculed for this opinion yet no one dared to answer his simple question. Do the Arabs have the democratic right not to make war but to make love each night and have many babies and then vote Israel out of existence and call it Palestine? If you are a Democrat the answer must be yes, however if you are a Zionist that defines Israel as the 'Jewish State' the answer must be no, but then that would make you in agreement with Meir Kahane. Therefore the question was simply evaded. That was of course until a year before Corona. The year that preceded Corona I wrote that the contradiction that Rav Kahane spoke about for thirty years is now the question we are facing and we can no longer evade. For a year before Corona there was no government because half of the people wanted a Jewish State and half wanted to be an international Hebrew speaking state. Finally we chose. Just as we chose to ban Moshiach ben Yoseph (Meir Kahane) because of our indifference, we allowed the last remnant of a Jewish State to be overturned and Democracy has won the day, albeit through an undemocratic manipulation that does not represent the people. There are now members of Knesset, privy to sensitive government information, that are actual enemies of the Jewish State. The root of the moral immune system of the world (Israel) was infected with a disease for a year preceding Corona and finally collapsed affecting the moral order of the entire world and ushering in our new era of disease and global fascist dictates. The original sin where evil was an unsuccessful outside force that through manipulation of good became incredibly strong to such a degree that we were thrown out of the garden, death was introduced and our entire DNA was changed seems to be reminiscent of our current times. Even the last war began with an attack on Yom Yerushalyim, a celebration of the very symbol of the greatest achievement of the center of the world's moral immune system where the Temple was almost rebuilt in 1967. Instead of celebrating, we ran from Yerushalyim and a week later more foundations collapsed from Meron on Lag B'Omer to the Karlin Bet Knesset just outside of Yerushalim on Shavuot. Now I am not a doctor however it seems to me that with three simple steps we could rid ourselves of these terrible diseases within 24 hours, simply by restoring moral order. We can take a hundred vaccines and the problems will not go away and in fact death will become more and more internalized, just like the original sin. Instead of looking at the consequences of a moral order that is being dismantled is our best solution to dismantle the very God given immune system within our bodies and change our DNA? Instead of battling something outside that has no dominion over us, through the confusion of good, should death be injected into our souls and our bodies? If we change the narrative and begin to throw out our enemies, rebuild our Temple and let the Homosexuals return to the closet and not be so proud of their perversions which they call 'progressive' the moral order will return and along with it a healthy immune system. To say this however is probably the most politically incorrect thing to say because we are like the leper who is all white and considered clean because he is already beyond repair. My second question remains. How is it that Adam was not as smart as the serpent? How could he who gave the serpent his name be so unaware and unguarded towards the serpents nature? Could he not have deduced what might happen in the near future? How could he who gave Chava her name unintentionally misguide her to such a degree? It remains a mystery. 31

Navigating Desire (2022) I asked Rav Halperin two questions. Number one, how is it that Adam who had Ruach Hakodesh and could give names to each animal could not foresee the potential mistake of his rabbinical decision? By adding an additional stringency of 'do not touch' to Hashems command of 'do not eat', it was through this addition that Chava fell and consequently Adam. He who understood the essence of all creation did not notice the serpent and the potential snare that this fence could lead to? Secondly before the knowledge of good and evil was revealed in the world how is it that the serpent already knew this knowledge? He answered that we all have powers that we feel, not only forbidden desires but desires for good that we feel strongly. The nuance between G-d and man is understanding how and when to initiate these desires. 'All is in G – d’s hands excepting for the “fear of Heaven” (Massechet Berachot 33b). The serpent itself was given great powers that was originally intended for good. R. Simeon b. Manassia said: Woe for the loss of a great servant. For had not the serpent been cursed, every Israelite would have had two valuable serpents, sending one to the north and one to the south to bring him costly gems, precious stones and pearls. Moreover, one would have fastened a thong under its tail, with which it would bring forth earth for his garden and waste land. (Sanhedrin 59 b) Was it the very power of the serpent that enticed him to his undoing? Leonard Cohen writes in one of his songs 'I heard the snake was baffled by his sin' (Treaty). Ironically the 'tree of good and evil' was destined to be given to Adam if only he had waited another three hours - (Ohr HaChaim) (Bereishis 1:29). It seems that the Fear of Heaven is an attribute that evolves as we are challenged by the various powers we have been given. There is a story I heard about a poor Gabbai with worn out shoes. The congregants raised money to buy him new shoes. The Gabbai saw the bag of money in the shul one night and took it. The rabbi later reprimanded him for taking money in a forbidden manner when that same money was destined to be given him in a permissible manner. Yoseph's redemption was delayed by an additional two years in prison because he asked the butler to intercede for him. A man of Yoseph's faith and stature should not have relied on man but put his faith in G-d. There are many instances of redemption being delayed or hurried based on our actions. The original Torah which Moshe shattered we could have received if only we had waited a few more hours for Moshe to return from Mount Sinai. (Shabbat 89a) Even that generation instead of being doomed to die in the desert might have been elevated if Moshe had not misrepresented Hashem with his anger, when Hashem was not actually angry. Korach's prophetic power which revealed his descendant Shmuel Ha Navi deceived him and misled him into trying to take something that was forbidden to him even though greatness was destined in the future The refining of each generation is the refining of that nuance between G-d and man, just as the tree of knowledge of good and evil was destined to be eaten, we are also destined to return to the Garden but the question remains how and when and in which way. The restrictions from above, the added restrictions of the rabbis below or the leniency we allow ourselves based on our sense of vision or entitlement are fine nuances that challenge us. On the other hand if we feel ultimately everything is good, and will eventually be given to us, so it matters not what we do, then we miss the point completely of the tests we are put through. The nuance 32

is between our desire and Hashem's command. Navigating the forbidden and the permissible is a narrow bridge that tempers our power and vision with the Fear of Heaven so that the destined becomes permissible in the best possible way. The desire of what is outside the Garden and the desire of returning to the Garden are both individual and national challenges. Maybe if Adam had explained the difference between the command and the fence it would have made a difference. Maybe if Moshe had spoken differently it would have made a difference Redemption will occur but we determine the timing and the manner in which it will transpire. We returned to the Garden of Israel through the refining fires of the Shoa. Maybe we could we have arrived before this time without that process? The Temple that was destroyed in fire will also be rebuilt and the Garden of Israel will blossom and the thorns will be removed. Will it require another refining process of fire or will our desire for the Garden outweigh our fears and reliance's of outside forces that may sometimes feel like they are guided by the divine? Navigating our desire for knowledge and what we believe to be good and measuring this against Hashems command for possibly a 'better' good that may seem to go against our short term desire is a fine point of faith that we are tested with each day. May we choose to refine ourselves and our 'Fear of Heaven' against our trust in man, and question the intentions of each fence so that we are not misled. If we choose to refine ourselves rather than that refining being forced upon us, then Hashem in his desire to give us good, will be able to walk ahead of us like a pillar of fire burning all the snakes and scorpions that endanger us. Israel represents Adam Harishon and will return and rebuild that Garden with both strength and humility which are not contradictory. May we enter every inch of the Land of Israel and turn it into the Garden it was intended to be, and may all of mankind maximize their potential in a permissible way so that even the accuser will become our defendant. 33

34

Kahane in the Parsha Noach 35

Noach and Chen ‘ ‫ נחַח‬-‫חן‬-‫ן‬ One of the connections between Noach and it’s letters spelled backwards ‘Chen’ is that they both answer two sides of the same question. On one hand Noach was similar to a Holocaust survivor. The Midrash explains that after the flood Noach was upset with all of the destruction that Hashem had wrought. He didn’t understand how Hashem allowed such utter destruction to take place. In response to his questioning ‘where was G-d?’, Hashem answers him, ‘Where were you, Noach?’ ‘Maybe you could have done more to save people, as Avraham did later with Sodom, or Moshe did at Sinai when he said ‘blot me out, but save the Jewish people’. ‫עי הניו‬-‫ןחן הב ן‬- ‫סף‬-‫ ‘ו מי המ הצא יו ן‬ ‘And Yoseph found ‘favor’ in his eyes’ (Bereshit 39:4) Yoseph, on the other hand, who represents ‘Chen’ was the one who suffered the devastation and the question is reversed. ‘Where was Am Israel?’ How could the majority have allowed the persecution of the small minority (the Noach/Yoseph that saved them). Maybe we can say that the 'Chen' of Yoseph was on a higher level. He didn't see destruction coming and try to save himself, he went ahead like a dreamer into the pit of destruction knowing full well how much hatred his brothers had of him (Bereshit 37:13-14). He became a target for destruction because others didn’t share his dream and ostracized him. Moreover, he did not bear a grudge for this but understood that he took the flood upon himself to save the Nation of Israel. Noach 2009 Mar Chesvan - ‫ח ֹקש נון‬-‫ממ קֹר ל‬ Why is the month of Cheshvan called Mar (bitter) Chesvan? Cheshvan is the only month which has no holidays or special mitzvot. We are taught that it is \"reserved\" for the time of Mashiach, who will inaugurate the third Temple in Cheshvan. It is also bitter because of the flood that wiped out all of civilization. To me the Mar also stands for Rav Meir (mem,resh) who we lost in this month. The 'Chen' (outside letters of Chesvan) was submerged but will return and float above the troubled waters like the ark which represents the Torah. The word Chesvon is encased in the letters Chen/Noach like a boat. The gematria of Chen is 58 the years of Rav Kahanes life. 36

18 Chesvan (2015) Another connection between the Rav is the date of the flood. The waters of the flood are counted from the 17th of Cheshvan, the day before the Rav was taken from us. That dark day of the 18 th which his enemies thought would destroy him once and for all served only to destroy them and the Rav lived on in his Torah. You cannot kill the Torah. The darkness fell on the 18th and was like a mikva to cleanse the world. Close to the same time the waters of the deep were released and the Torah of the Rav that would evolve after him. Avraham knew Noach and was 58 when Noach passed away; the same age as Rav Kahane when he was martyred. Just as the Torah could not be destroyed on the 18th of chesvan, and was expanded, Avraham must have been influenced by Noach in his 58th year which is the gematria of Noach. Avraham continued Noah's legacy and expanded on it. The letters of Noach also spell Chen, which is connected to Yoseph. It seems the darkness is necessary for the Torah to incubate and expand and for the world to become a proper vessel (after the mikva), in order to receive it. Noach prepared the way for Avraham and Yoseph prepared the way for Israel; darkness precedes the dawn. Footnote (2016) There is a remez in the Torah to what we wrote above. Meam Loez writes: “although the rains began on 17 Cheshvan, it is not counted among the 40 days, since the rain did not begin until midday. One might wonder why God did not wait until the eve of the 18th of Cheshvan before beginning the flood. There was a good reason for this. The wicked people of that time said that they were not afraid of any flood. Even if a flood occurred, they would kill Noah before he boarded the ark...The flood therefore began “on that very day” – in full daylight – so that Noah could board the ark publicly. Everyone would then witness the great miracle: although there were very many people there, no one tried to hinder Noah. The Torah therefore says, “In that very day Noah boarded the ark,” [In Hebrew, the term for that “very day,” is Etzem Hayom which denotes “broad daylight.”] If Noah had boarded by night, the people could have contended that they would have killed him, had they been able to see him. Therefore the Torah writes the seventeenth rather than the eighteenth so that we should know that the Torah of the prophet cannot be destroyed. If Hashem decides to remove His prophet its not because the prophet failed. It is we who failed. Mar Cheshvan and Noach 2010 Noah and Chen seem to allude to two very different concepts. We are told that the month of Cheshvan is reserved for the inauguration of the 3rd temple. It is also the time of the greatest destruction – the flood of Noah. Yoseph who is synonymous with Chen brings unity and Moshiach to the Nation of Israel. The end of the world and the redemption of the world happen at the same time. Disaster for 37

Egypt was redemption for Israel. The darkness that came about on the 18th of Cheshvan when we lost the Rav is evolving into an ark. The forces of darkness are filling their measure while another 18th of Cheshvan in being prepared. Eighteen is also Chai (life). Chai Cheshvan is coming very soon when the flood will once again descend and the family and friends of Israel will escape to begin a new and better world. Od Yoseph Chai will be said again on the 18th of Cheshvan and all broken things will be fixed. Noah and Bavel Noah was a survivor. Like a survivor of the Shoa today he may have asked how God could have destroyed a whole world. He may have wondered whether he could have done more. And like the survivors of today who see a new flood approaching, he may have wondered how people could make the same mistakes all over again. The UN of his day The Tower of Babel tried to solve these issues and like today ended up in a confusion of languages. A Date Yet to be Observed (2017) There is a Chassidik date that is very deep and profound. So profound that even the Chasidim don't know about it. It is a day that within this day is forty days. Within this forty days is one hundred years. What is this day? It is a day that is written about in our Parsha. When 'the fountains of the great deep burst forth; and the windows of heavens were opened' (Bereshit 7:11) the Torah tells us this was the seventeenth day of Cheshvan. The rain is counted however from the eighteenth of Cheshvan. If the rain is counted from the eighteenth then why is it written the seventeenth? The Midrash tells us so that people would not have said 'we could have killed Noah but it was dark and we didn't see him.' Because of this Hashem brought the rain at midday before the eighteenth 'on this day' (Yom Ha-ze). Ha-ze (Gematria 17) alludes also to Etzem Hayom Ha-ze, the day we left Egypt (Shmot 12:41, 12:51). Just as Hashem sits on His throne Rum ve Nissa (high and exalted), so His people (His representatives) did not leave Egypt like thieves in the night but upright 'in their legions', in the 'daytime'. Those who despised Hashems servants gnashed their teeth but could not do anything to stop this. In the same way Noah’s generation stood paralyzed as he entered the Ark not in the nightime but in broad daylight. It is not by chance that the punishment that was received was in the form of a forty day flood. The Rabbis tell us that this flood was like a Mikva that cleansed the world and purified it. The Zohar states that this verse, which speaks of a deluge emanating from above and below, alludes to the potential of a great flood of spiritual growth that was destined for that year. It would have been the year that the Written and Oral Torahs were given however because the generation was at such a degraded level that potential was transformed into a destructive power. The lesson is clear. No matter how many chariots and armies are sent to extinguish the light of Hashem it cannot be extinguished. It can either be revealed or transformed into destruction which is in itself a preparation for a new generation to receive this light. Zohar adds that the same opportunity would come to the world during the sixth century of the sixth 38

millennium: the years 5500-5600 (1739-40 to 1839-40). Indeed that century saw an unusual flowering of Torah accomplishment, and also a secular explosion of thought and achievement, such as the American and French Revolutions, the Industrial Revolution and an explosion of political and economic thought. Some may think that Mar Cheshvan is a bitter (Mar) month because we read about the Mabul and there are no holidays in this month, and to the students of Rav Kahane it is a bitter time when evil forces murdered the Rabbi and destroyed the hopes of thousands of his followers. Mar Cheshvan, however has within it the power to reverse the letters that spell Mar to become Rum (exalted). The letters that spell Rum (Resh Mem) also allude to Rav Meir. He is the Tzaddik through which we can come to understand this holy day the eighteenth of Cheshvan, and its sister the seventeenth day. This day is the mother of Chassidut as it is a day of light that is so strong it appears to be darkness. The rain penetrates this darkness to bring an explosion of light from those being purified in the Mikva of our own making. Rav Kahane was very close to leading the Nation. We almost had a leader that would have built the Bet Hamikdash and thrown out our enemies. It was within our hands to do it. Instead this potential was banned and denied. The generation failed as it did in the flood and this potential was transformed into more punishments that are preperations for a new world. How many armies tried to destroy Rav Kahane and they could not. How many teenagers continue to build hilltops and are arrested and beaten and they return like the morning sun to build and to shine this eternal light once again. The message of the eighteenth of Chesvan is that the Torah that Rav Kahane protected without compromise against a sea of hatred on the seventeenth of Cheshvan was not silenced on the eighteenth. The eighteenth marks the beginning of a new world where that sea of hatred reached its limit and can no longer exist. It will completely die out. The world is being re-created to better receive this light. As the revolutions of Chassidut, as well as the American, French and Industrial revolutions rapidly altered the landscape of the world, so is the world being altered today. On the eighteenth of Cheshvan my pen began to write along with thousands of others. Nine months after Binyamin was murdered a new world was born on September 11. The Torah world and the secular world are changing rapidly to receive a new light. The bitterness of Cheshvan will become the exalted Cheshvan. The lesson of Noah is that the whole world is insignificant if the Torah is not being upheld and even if there is only one man who upholds it, the whole world will be recreated for that one man. The eighteenth of Cheshvan and its sister the seventeenth are days of Chassidut yet to be observed. 39

The Rav Who Wrote His Eulogy (Chai Cheshvon 2018) Rabbi Kahane writes in Perush Hamaccabee (2:2) After finding a God-fearing woman, dedicated to God, He chose her to be the woman from whom the good – Moses – would be born, and thus He found the good...But the Egyptians did not remember this, preferring deliberately to forget the good that Joseph had wrought. So this good Moses came to exact retribution. The gematria of the word tov (“good’) is seventeen. This, too, contains an allusion to Egypts ingratitude for the good that Joseph and Israel had rendered them: Joseph was seventeen years old when he was taken down to Egypt, and he saved Egypt as they themselves acknowledged: And they said: You have brought us to life!(Genesis 47:25). This is also the number of years that Jacob lived in Egypt: And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years (ibid 28), and throughout that time the Egyptians economy and land flourished. But in spite of that, the Egyptians rose up and enslaved the Children of Israel, denying the good of those seventeen years. And so Moses, who was good, was born to take revenge against Egypt – measure-for- measure. It also seems to me that this was the reason that God chose to bring the Flood on the world on the seventeenth day of the month: In the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the deep were split open (ibid 7:11), because the eradication of evil is good for the world. We wrote in Parsha Noach that the 17th is actually connected to the 18th. Although the flood waters came down on the 17th the flood is counted from the 18th and not the 17th. The reason it is mentioned the 17th in the Torah is because Hashem brought it before its destined time. He did this to demonstrate that even in the broad daylight of the afternoon of the 17th, no one was able to stop Noach from entering the Ark. The Israelites also left Egypt in broad daylight and not like thieves in the night to demonstrate a similar principle. When you add what Rav Kahane wrote about 17 and 'good', it seems to me that the deep inner message of Chai Cheshvon [meaning the 'heart' or 'essence' of Cheshvon] is the following. It is a time of Chasidut that is connected to the goodness that comes from the removal of evil from the world. When we add these thoughts together along with Chaye Sarah that occurs normally at the time of the Rav's Haskara [18 Cheshvan](in which Sarah removes evil from the house of Avraham) we see that it is no coincidence. It is a removal that is clear as day. How many sit in the sidelines and say if only he was more politically correct, he would have gone much further. This is precisely the point. It was because of his clarity and faith to speak the truth that touched the heart and soul of Jew and Gentile. This is what Moshe did when Pharaoh finally gave in and told him to leave. Moshe said we are not thieves that leave in the night. We will leave in the day, in front of all of Egypt and no one will stop us. This is the Chassidut of Chai Chesvan that the Rav implanted in the heart of all those thirsty for the truth. When one demonstrates his faith absolutely, it becomes a political reality that changes the world forever. This is the essence of the Torah that he brought down to us. There is a 'goodness' that is connected to the removal of evil and the retribution against it. Some people who have said to me they 40

do not like Rav Kahane because he is considered an 'extremist'. I answer that extremism is not as bad as what it sounds like. Bear in mind that one can also be 'extremely ' good! The Second Tablets (2019) Rav Butmans son in law spoke at kiddish and explained that the water of blessing in Shmini Atzeret can become water of destruction in Parsha Noah. How can this be? He answers a question with a question. Why does the Torah starts with the letter Bet and not an Alef? He explains that Alef is the king we dance with on Simchat Torah. We want to be with Him like a son wants to be with his father. If we feel this way then there is the Bet of understanding. If we don't feel this way it causes problems that eventually bring destruction. Intellectual understanding can only follow emotional attachment. If Chava saw Adam as part of herself, as the Aleph then she could never be tricked. If Adam did not add things or had explained why he added a fence, she would not have made the intellectual mistake. This sin is greater than Cain because Cain repents. In this scenario however each one blames the other and there is no change. The generations will continue to break down from above to below and below to above; the Rebbe Adam HaRishon to the student (Chava) and the student to the Rebbe. This continued until Noah's time when the world was destroyed and remade again. It is as if we live now in the world of the 2nd tablets, the broken ones. From this point we journeyed through Avraham and his children until Sinai where once again we were Adam in Gan Eden and then once again the tablets were broken. Now again we are living in a second tablet world. Moshe like Adam was angry at the rock when Hashem was not and because he misrepresented the above to below the whole generation had to be remade. The world is continually being broken and remade from the top down and the bottom up. Just as the waters of the deep and the doors of Heaven opened and could have brought about the birth of the Torah, instead it brought destruction. Throughout history there are destructions and rebuilding’s from the Temple in its time to the Shoa in our own time. Mar Cheshvan is a symbol of this. The month is bitter because it was a time of potential when the Temple could have been rebuilt. It was a time when Rav Kahane could have led us to glory but we were not ready. We did not want it and we despised the healer. And so our world is broken again. Yet there is Chai Cheshvan and a hope that it will be rebuilt again like the new world of Noach. 41

The Bitterness of Mar Cheshvan (2021) From a Farbrengen Why is Mar Cheshvan considered a bitter month? Is it because we remember the destruction of the world in the flood? Is it because there are no holidays in the month of Chesvan? In the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni to Kings, 184) it states that the final revival of our People, including the construction and dedication of the Third Temple in Messianic times, is destined to take place in the month of Cheshvan. This process began a long time ago. With the completion of construction in Cheshvan, the First Temple was locked for almost a year until its dedication the following Tishrei. Similarly, the Tabernacle in the desert was completed on the 25th of Kislev and dedicated only three months later. But the Holy One, Blessed be He, “repaid\" Kislev by giving it the re-dedication of the Second Temple on that date, commemorated by Chanukah. Cheshvan is still waiting to be \"repaid.\" The dedication of the Third Temple, may it be speedily built, will occur in the very month which seemed to spell the end of our existence (The Zodiac in Jewish Tradition - Gad Erlanger) What is the hidden power of Mar Cheshvan that holds the secrets of final Geula? The answer can be found in the center of the month - Chai Cheshvan. We read today about the 17th of Cheshvan although the rain is counted from the 18th of Cheshvan. The reason it came on the 17th according to the Midrash is so that people would not say that they could have killed Noah but they could not see him because it was dark. Because of this Hashem brought the rain early, before nightfall, in the middle of the day so that people would see they are helpless to go against Hashems will, similarly Moshe told Pharaoh we will not leave like thieves in the night. We will go out in the day and no one will stop us. the Israelite's were departing defiantly, “with upraised hand.” - this upraised hand (Rum) is the inverse of the letters that spell Mar (bitter) (Shmot 14:18) The power of Mar Cheshvan is described in the Zohar: 'on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. (Bereshit 7:11)' The Zohar states that this verse, which speaks of a deluge emanating from above and below, alludes to the potential of a great flood of spiritual growth that was destined for that year. It would have been the year when the Written and Oral Torahs were given, but mankind failed dismally and was undeserving of the opportunity. It is interesting that Rav Kahane who was murdered by a bestial Arab terrorist (may G-d avenge his blood) on Chai Cheshvan writes quite a lot about the 17th of Cheshvan when the rain began. He writes that the number 17 (gematria of Good) reminds us also of the 17 good years that Yoseph spent with his father in the beginning and at the end in Mitztrayim. He asks why would good be juxtaposed with this great destruction and he answers because the eradication of evil is good for the world. In two weeks on Chai Cheshvan we will also read about Sarah who threw out Ishmael. The inability to battle evil and even worse to defame those who do, prevents this great spiritual flood from descending. Mar Cheshvan and Chai Chesvan in particular is a time when the spiritual potential is no less than that of Matan Torah however because we do not have the proper vessel to receive this light it turns into darkness and destruction. As I stand before Chabbad Chasiddim it seems to me that both the Chassidut of Rav Kahane and 42

Chabbad share the same passage: 'sur mi ra and ose tov' (depart from evil and do good). Chabbad does a tremendous amount of tov and invites people to farbrengens and l'chaims and by feeding the physical it makes an opening for the spiritual. The Chassidut of Rav Kahane comes not from a farbrengen invitation but from a request directly to the soul - 'we need you.' Our brothers in Russia are enslaved and we are protesting 'we need you' Our brothers are being attacked by Arabs here in Israel and we are protesting 'we need you.' The chassidut of Rav Kahane focuses more on the sur mi ra (depart from evil). Now you may think that simply to light a candle darkness will disappear however if someone keeps blowing out that candle something must be done about this. The eradication of evil brings good into the world. The inverse of Noach is 'chen' which alludes to the kingdom of Yoseph who transformed darkness into light. Rav Kahane was 58 when he left us (the gematira of Noah). The inverse of 58 is 85. In 1985 the Rav was in the Knesset and could have easily thrown out our enemies and rebuilt our Temple. However, we did not have the proper vessel to receive this light and we did not protest the will of the people being taken away when he was banned. Light turned to darkness because we allowed it to. I understand the potential of Mar Chaeshvan and the bitterness. Both streams of chassidut felt moments before their Rav or their Rebbe departed that Geula was moments away. Both felt bitterness and loss when the world they were expecting was shattered. When Rav Kahane was taken away from us so abruptly his son Binyamin wrote some words of comfort. He asked why does the Hagada hardly mention Moshe? It describes that we were slaves and that not by an emissary but by Hashem Himself were we saved. Why is Moshe absent? Why was Moshe taken away just as we needed him the most as we entered Canaan? He answers that we should never make the mistake of thinking that Redemption is impossible without a great leader. Avraham was 58 when Noach passed away and he forged forward to become Avraham and raise the standards of mankind. When we witness great leaders and see how much they have accomplished and elevated the world we must not despair when they have departed but continue with whatever tools we have. I read a story in Meam Loez about a poisonous snake that was killing people in Israel. The people sought the help of a great Tzaddik. The Tzadik found the snake hole and took off his shoe. The snake bit him and died. The people celebrated the great miracle worker and he reprimanded them. 'Why do you call me a miracle worker, he said 'I have simply retained the holiness of Man that you should all have retained that separates us from the beasts. How could you have sunk so low that a snake bite would kill you? Moshiach is not an angel or miracle worker that will save us from above but one who represents the best of us who have transformed the world below. Today we live in a time similar to Bavel. In a unified voice they proclaimed that the flood did not occur because of sin but rather a scientific occurrence that we can prevent just like corona and global warming. May we be a bit more like the Tzadikim that forged great paths and brought us to the edge of our destiny to conquer our Land and build the vessels below to receive the light of Mar Cheshvan and transform it to the upraised arm (Rum) of those who eradicate evil so that good can flow from the highest heavens into the forgotten month of Mar Cheshvan that waits for us. 43

The Chassidut of Noach (2022) In the time of Noach the world was destroyed by Chamas (robbery). In our time Hamas continues to destroy the world through violence and robbery, and the Nation of Israel must wage a war against Hamas to restore that world and save it from destruction. The moral order in which Hashem created the world must be defended by Israel. It is our contractual obligation. Some commentators describe Noach as a 'Tzaddik in Peltz', a Jew who did mitzvot that were comfortable for him but did not go out of his way to change the world. Noach literally means 'comfort'. Rav Kahane was the opposite. He wrote a famous book called 'Uncomfortable Questions for Comfortable Jews'. Rabbi Kahane constantly challenged the world and exposed our dishonesty both outwardly and inwardly. He exposed the hypocrisy of the lack of faith among the faithful and the self-deception of a Jewish Democratic State which was destined to self-destruct the day it was conceived. Thirty years ago he famously challenged over and over again whether the Arabs have a democratic right not to make war, but to peacefully make love each night and make more babies and vote to change Israel to Palestine. Everyone evaded the question, even Netanyahu this week when asked in an interview by Bill Maher continued to cleverly evade this question. This 'is' the question and today what Rav Kahane saw thirty years ago has become our reality. Our upcoming election will determine whether a 'Jewish' Nation will survive or whether we will be buried by 'democracy' as the Greeks tried to do in the time of Chanuka. The bitterness and discomfort of the Tzadik Rav Kahane who was maligned and beaten and murdered in order to wake up 'comfortable Jews' to the the impending dangers that will result from their indifference, in the end must be vindicated. In order to transform Mar Cheshvan into something sweet the words of the Tzadik must penetrate or else Hamas will do to us, what we did to the Tzadik by our indifference. Vindication My friend Yacov who is a Gematria expert mentioned to me that Ben David and Kahane are the same Gematria. (76 = ‫ לבן דויד‬76 = ‫ )כהנא‬I wondered how it fit together. Then a Chabbad Chassid greeted me with Yechi Hamelech. Emotionally this greeting angers me, because it reminds me of the rejection and indifference in the religious world towards Rav Kahane who was also a king, but an abandoned one. Many times when discussing his Torah Chassidim would say, this is not Torah, this is politics. Even today, it makes me laugh to see those same people who cannot see the connection between what is written in the Torah and the political world that surrounds us, frantically coming to the Bet Knesset to encourage people to vote for the religious party. I tell them I understand that the Jewishness of Israel is at stake and therefore I am voting for Ben Gvir, a student of Rav Kahane. Ironically they give the same answer, and tell me to put politics aside, as people are forgetting about Shabbat and we need to strengthen the religion. I look at them in astonishment and reply. You are absolutely correct. The Torah is much higher than politics. But tell me please, why then are you looking for votes? In answer to the Yechi Hamelech greeting, instead of saying my usual May Hashem avenge his blood, which leaves people perplexed, this time I said something else. I will be happy to answer Yechi Hamelech on the day Moshiach ben Yoseph is vindicated. I went on to explain. Why does our Torah spend so many Parshiot not on Moshiach ben David but Moshiach ben Yoseph? Who is the Moshiach that recognized his brothers but his brothers did not recognize him? It seems to me that the only way to Moshiach ben David is through the vindication of Moshiach ben Yoseph. There is no other way. When there is a Meir Kahane Boulevard and the Meir Kahane shopping center, then I will already know Moshiach ben David is here, but not before that. This is why the Gematrias are the same. Moshiach ben David and Moshiach ben Yoseph are part of the same idea. Slowly we are beginning to see a merging of the political and spiritual but still not quite on the same page. On this day that we begin to pray for dew and rain, may Hashem have mercy on us from above and help us to restore the foundations of the deep below and overturn the bitterness of Mar Cheshvan to an exalted and sweet month of celebration. 44

Kahane in the Parsha Lech Lecha 45

Lech Lecha 2009 There is a theme that repeats itself in the next few Parshas. The beautiful wives of the Patriarchs are called sisters to protect their husbands from the possibility of being murdered by evil men for the sake of their wives. This strange scenario repeats itself in a number of episodes and ends with the rulers of the land reprimanding the forefathers for their deceit while at the same time admitting that there fear of lawlessness was not unfounded. How do we understand these passages? Let us begin by defining the wives as the innermost Torah, that which is loved and cared for and the essence of our continued existence. One may compare Sarah and Rivka to Jerusalem, the holiest place in Israel. Using Jerusalem as a metaphor we can begin to understand the bartering that went on when we are considered brothers and not husbands. Jerusalem is the seat of other powerful religions and we relate to these other forces as brothers. We allow Jerusalem to be bartered for as if we are brothers and not husbands. In this way we are protected from the jealousy of those who would destroy us. However when push comes to shove and there is talk of giving Jerusalem up, then all of a sudden we come to our senses and declare her our inseparable wife. Although we are enriched from this bartering we are rewarded even more and praised by kings when we declare her for who she is. Many gentiles would call in to radio talk shows with Rav Kahane and say 'Why are there not more Jews like you who tell it like it is? This is what we are waiting for!' The Kidush Hashem the Rav brought to the world from his honesty brought many Jews back to Judaism and many converts as well. Lech Lecha 2010 Defeating the Whole World Singlehandedly The 1st World War was won by one person – Avraham. The Torah tells us that he went against 4 kings with just 318 men; his students. There is another opinion that criticizes Avraham for taking his students to war. Lets see if we can shed some light on both of these ideas. Some say these 318 are actually one person Eliezer (Avraham’s servant) whose name in Gematria is equivalent to 318. A servant belongs to his master and so it is as if Avraham singlehandedly defeated the whole world. This is difficult to understand of course. In addition as we mentioned there is an opinion in the Torah that it was wrong for Avraham to take his students from their yeshiva learning to fight a war. Let me suggest the students of Rav Kahane are like eveds; they have no names. They simply carry on his Torah and continue to protest and fight for the Jewish people and the sanctification of God. The gematria 318 is also the same as the Omer (Lag B’Omer). The period from Pesach to Lag B’Omer is a period of spiritual correction that climaxes with the remembrance of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai who symbolizes the continuation of the scholar-warrior who the Romans thought they destroyed with Rabbi Akiva (Rabbi Shimon’s teacher). There is much to be written on this topic but I will paraphrase it. The conflict today in the Charedi world that opposes Zionism and a Jewish army is not a new opposition. This opposition began long ago, when Avraham took his yeshiva students to war. It continued when Rabbi Akiva did the same thing and almost brought Moshiach, but apparently failed. The Nation of Israel was not ready or not unified enough. 46

What was thought to be destroyed forever by the cruel Romans continued with Rabbi Shimon and these various streams of consciousness also continued. The defeat and destruction continued again in the Shoa and the military success also continued with the rebirth of Israel. There are a great number of scholars who are not warriors. There are a great number of warriors who are not scholars. There is also a large and growing group of scholar-warriors; the inheritors of Rabbi Shimon’s legacy. These are the cream of the crop. They are eveds with no great name or position, yet the world rests on their shoulders. Now let me explain how one man can defeat a whole world. When one embodies the proper balance of a Torah scroll in one hand and a sword in the other he can stand before all the cruel Esav’s and Goliath’s and defeat them. This is what Rav Kahane did, and we all witnessed it. Two huge superpowers that represented the combined might of the world wanted to make peace with each other and there was a tiny little mouse that got in their way. Each time diplomatic events were scheduled they were interrupted by the Rabbi and a handful of followers. At the Russian Ballet, cartons of mice were released sending the patrons running. There were sit ins and protests and Soviet planes raided. ‘This is not the way for Jews to behave’, our leaders apologized and ‘this is not the Jewish way’. But it 'was' the Jewish way. It was the Jewish way of Moshe that defeated the Pharoah who finally gave in and said ‘Take these people and go’. And they did go. Millions went home to Israel from Russia thanks to one man and those who served the cause. Now we can better understand these strange passages, the complaints of Chazal, and the victory that was and will be again. In the end all those who believe that they have overcome Israel will fall into the very pit they dug. All the wild men who hold the world captive and make Presidents and Diplomats nervous, in the end they will be like nothing. Those who thought they had finally buried the Torah of Rabbi Kahane will be awoken from their slumber. King David who understood what it was like being considered a fugitive and criminal among his own people. He wrote: ‫ נש מב ֹקענו בוז‬,‫ מרב‬-‫ יכי‬:‫ננו‬,‫תננו קֹיה נוה נח ת‬, ‫ ג נח‬3 Favor us, Hashem, favor us; for we are fully sated with contempt. ‫שנו‬,‫ נלה מנ ֹקפ ת‬-‫ נש קֹב נעה‬,‫ד מר מבת‬: 4 Our soul is fully sated with the mockery of ‫אי‬,‫ לגאיונים ) יל קֹג ת‬,‫ מה מל מעג מה מש נא מנ ינים; מהבוז‬those that are complacent, and with the contempt ‫ )יו ינים‬of the arrogant. (Tehillim 123) In other words; those who 'mock' are usually the 'complacent' ones. Those who have 'contempt' are often 'arrogant'. It is the humility of a servant that fights and sacrifices for his G-d they find 'contemptible' for it exposes their indifference and may affect their own comfortable positions. The Torah of Rav Kahane will only grow because it is Hashem’s authentic Torah. Just as Avraham relied solely on Hashem to build him up and to be his shield, when concerned people asked the Rav to wear a bullet proof vest, he pointed to his Tzizit and said ‘This is my bullet proof vest’. One who follows Hashem gallantly into the furnace and makes a single handed war against huge Nations for the sake of G-d’s glory will be remembered long after his years and Hashem will see to it that ‘he’ in turn is glorified. We learn this lesson from Avraham and we can see this lesson exemplified before our eyes, in our own generation, when we simply study the actions of Rav Kahane. From his example will come the generation that will bring Moshiach. 47

Lech Lecha and the Promise of Canaan What is the meaning of making a blessing over food? The simple meaning is that this apple I am about to eat does not really belong to me. Everything belongs to Hashem and I am being nourished by this apple in order to serve Him. So I thank Him for this delicious fruit that I enjoy and that He created for me. The same goes for the Motze, for bread that I labored over. Although it is my labor, what is the point of my labor if I don’t see Hashem in the process and purpose? Now if one lives in Israel he certainly makes blessings over food, but does he also bless outside of Israel? The answer of course is yes. If recognition of the Creator is required by that which sustains us anywhere in the world then maybe there are other types of recognitions that are required by the world in order to be sustained? Let me explain what I mean by looking at our Parsha. When Abram came to the Land of Canaan, Hashem said I am giving you the Land of Canaan as an inheritance. Why is Canaan called by the name Canaan? The simple answer is that it is a land where the Canaanites dwell. Why would Hashem give a land belonging to another, and called by the name of another to someone else? What is implied in this statement or prediction? Hashem gave us the book Baba Metzia that explains very carefully the laws of possessions and property. Avram himself was very careful about this when he did not allow his sheep to graze in fields belonging to another. The same man had been promised that this field would be his property one day, but this promise was not yet fulfilled. Until this time Avram was careful of property that belonged to others. If on one hand Hashem teaches us the importance of property rights and not to steal etc, how can the same G-d declare that He will take something that belongs to one and give it to another? What is the justification? To make the point clearer imagine that Hashem tells you to walk through New Jersey and Manhattan and Vermont and tells you one day He will give you these lands and call them Israel. What a difficult mitzva this would be when we get along quite well with our neighbors and are happy to be guests. The area of Cannan at that time was the center of civilization. Would it really seem fair and just to arrive as visitors to a land called by another name and be promised to us? It seems to me that what is implied in this statement is not only the land of Canaan where the Canaanite people reside, but the land of France where the French people reside, the land of Germany where the German people reside, etc, meaning the whole world that is populated and defined by the various peoples that live in different lands will eventually belong to Avram who will later be called Avraham father of a multitude of nations. The father of a multitude of nations is not only the father of all the converts of these nations but the nations themselves in the future. This idea may seem outrageous and unfounded because clearly the land of Canaan is written and not the whole world. It seems to me however that this is what is implied. If Hashem wanted to give us a special land that was unpopulated with proper ownership rights He certainly could have. If on the other hand, His design was to redefine lands already populated and defined by its people, then why stop here? Maybe the Canaan principle is the principle by which Hashem will conquer the whole world?? The proof of this theory comes in the verses that follow. Hashem is very practical and designs things to 48

happen in their appropriate time and within their appropriate measurement. If in the Torah it was written that we are to conquer the world and the whole world belongs to the Nation of Israel we would be attacked and destroyed in no time. Instead Hashem let others try and conquer the world via Christianity, and Islam, etc. all for the sake of Israel in the very end. He designed the world in a way that we don’t have to go out and conquer the world; rather the world will conquer itself and be handed to us. Let me explain the process in more detail. If this theory of conquest is correct, why begin with Canaan? Canaan had been cursed and was the lowest of the nations. In a kabalistic sense, that which appears lowest in this world has the highest spiritual source. If you chop a high ladder at the bottom it falls down from the highest place to the lowest. Israel has the geographical distinction to have within it the lowest place on earth; Yum Hamelech. It was in this area where Sodom once thrived and was the backdrop for the greatest battle on earth that Avram reluctantly took part in and single-handedly won. That which began as a rescue attempt for a Hebrew prisoner ended with world dominion. This ancient war that alludes to the future war of Gog and Magog ends with Avram the victor, who legitimately owns the spoils and peoples of all these nations, yet he returns them so that they should bless Hashem. They owe their salvation to Israel the servant of Hashem. Just as the foods we eat owe a declaration from us as to their true owner and purpose. There is a relationship between the conquest of these nations that represent the world powers and the conquest of Canaan. Canaan’s conquest and redefinition is the catalyst that will bring about the world war of Gog and Magog in the future, where the rest of the world will also be redefined. They will remain the distinct nations they are today, but will be owned in a sense by Israel. We see this future model alluded to in Parsha Vayigash were Yoseph saves Egypt but the result is that one fifth of their field now goes to Pharaoh as tribute. Cannan, as the catalyst will have a special status as the servant of the servant Israel whose local dominion brought about world dominion. Another reason why Canaan is the catalyst to this future world dominion is because they are the extreme opposite of the Nation of Israel. Everywhere that Israel wandered in our long exile we brought material, spiritual and cultural blessings to each land. We were quite happy to be guests and were the most loyal citizens of each of our respective countries. We were more French than the French, more German than the German. Contrast this with today's Canaanites; the Ishmaelites and their many cousins and followers of Islam who support them. What a contrast as they spread like a plague throughout Europe and the world draining the welfare states who pay them for their rapid birthrate and instead of gratitude they seek to alter the laws of their host countries and conquer them in the name of Islam. We who are quite happy to be guests in the end must become Kings and conquerors. Those who gained greatness only through their servitude or association with Israel in the end will be brought down by their own jealous and ungrateful rage. The seeds of this future begin ‘internally’ with Hagar who leaves her status as queen of Egypt to be a servant to Avraham. Many others have left their nations and positions of power to be absorbed into the Nation of Israel. The ‘external’ pattern of the hidden conquest of the world is first seen with Sara who is defined as a sister not a wife, in order to buy safe passage for Avram. Through her charm Avram became wealthy for he was neither a threat nor stumbling block to those who tried to attach themselves to the inner beauty of the Hebrew Nation. When Pharoah came too close however, then Avram had to reveal his true colors. 49

One can see this pattern today if we view Sarah as the beautiful city of Jerusalem. We proclaim her free for all religions and do not attempt to convert the world to our views. In this way we are rewarded and protected and are not a threat. We are a brother, not a husband. If however nations within or without seek to posses Jerusalem, then she becomes our wife and our true colors are shown. On one side there is an allure and attraction that Israel has that nations want to be part of and to benefit from. Israel is passive and does not attempt to conquer the world. Nations however learn from Israel and try to conquer the world claiming they are the ‘new’ Israel. Their efforts serve however to increase the knowledge of Israel in the world while their man-made efforts to usurp Israel eventually fail. The only place where Israel is not passive is the internal conquest of our Land. Here there is an animosity towards Israel and conflict as the people of G-d takes root in the land that is called by the name of another. It appears that the internal conquest of Canaan with all the familial details of Hagar and Ishmael, are connected to the external conquest of the world. Against the will of Israel we are in the process of conquering another nation named Canaan and redefining it as Israel. This will be the catalyst that brings the nations of the world against Israel, who in turn will be conquered and redefined as owing their allegiance to Israel. Just as we recognize what sustains us daily, so will the world realize what sustains them. Those who recognize Israel will be sustained, the price being that recognition. Those who do not recognize Israel will no longer exist. Just as a fruit we eat and the labor of our hands is defined by the purpose we give it, the world order will be defined by their relationship to Israel and their allegiance to the Almighty. Individual and national property rights will still be in effect however G-ds kingdom and His law will be the greatest influence and measurement of justice in that future world that is just around the corner. ‫ כס מכת נד יויד‬-‫לאת‬- ‫ נא יקים‬,‫ יא מביום מההוא‬11 On that day I will erect David's fallen booth; I ‫םס נתיו‬, ‫ מו נה יר‬,‫הן‬-‫תצי ל‬, ‫ יפ קֹר‬-‫לאת‬- ‫לת; ֹקו נג מד קֹר יתי‬-‫פ ל‬-‫נ ל‬,‫ מה ם‬will repair their breaches and erect his ruins, and I ‫תמי עו נלם‬, ‫ יכי‬,‫ ו ֹקב יני יתי נה‬,‫ נא יקים‬. will rebuild it as in the days of old. -‫ קֹו נכל‬,‫תא ירית לאדום‬, ‫ קֹש‬-‫לאת‬- ‫ יב קֹל ממ מען ייי קֹרשו‬12 So that they will conquer the remnant of -‫ קֹנ כאם‬:‫להם‬- ‫לי‬,‫ נע ת‬,‫ ינ קֹק נרא קֹש ימי‬-‫לשר‬- ‫ נא‬,‫ מהגו יים‬Edom, and all the nations, for My name is upon them – the words of Hashem Who brings this ‫םאת‬, ‫לשה ז‬- ‫םע‬, ,‫ קֹיה נוה‬. about. (Amos 9:11,12) Haftorah Acharei Mot 50