Kahane Codes - Bereshit Shmot

foreign gods, is parallel to the jealousy that the brothers had towards Yoseph. They were moved to an act of violence because they felt their very essence and power was threatened. Hashem is moved to acts of violence when His essence is threatened; which is our knowledge and recognition of Him. The special love that Israel had towards Yoseph is the same love that Hashem has towards His Tzadikim. Hashem may be lenient when we violate laws toward Him, however when His special love is violated, this brings out jealousy and retribution. As we saw with Yacov, as long as Yoseph was suffering in exile the divine presence left him. His light was extinguished for twenty two years as he mourned his favorite son. The Ner in each Generation In every generation there is a Yoseph. In every generation there is a Nun that represents ‘Notzer’. In every generation there are forces that seek to uproot this ‘Notzer’ because his essence represents the true divine command and ideal. His ‘Notzer’ can destroy their ‘Acher’ and so they must destroy him first. It is this interplay that orchestrates destiny. Yoseph understood this interplay and was able to orchestrate destiny himself as he manipulated his brothers in the chapters that follow. The Tzadik is able to orchestrate destiny because he is Hashem’s favored pupil. Just as Yoseph was Israel’s favorite pupil, the Tzadik is able to fulfill the truest intention of Hashem. Through the suffering of the Tzadik as well as the through the persecution of the Tzadik the original light of creation continues and is renewed. Whether the Tzadik survives, whether he is imprisoned, or whether he is assassinated, his purpose is to cling to the truest light and through him this light continues. The Ner in our Parsha It seems to me the struggle of Acher and Notzer is seen in our Parsha and alludes to the Moshiach Ben Yoseph of our day and our future (b’h). In the same way that the Israelite Nation is elected as a signpost to the world, Tzadikim are also selected as examples. There is a famous answer that Napoleon once gave when someone questioned him if there was a G-d or not. How can you prove there is a G-d he was asked. The answer is simple he said ‘The Jews’. Simply naming our Nation was enough to recognize the true light of Hashem. Now one might say there are many kinds of Jews and they all have many opinions. Who among them demonstrates the truest light of Hashem? Hashem answers us in His Torah. The thirteen attributes that delay and diffuse Hashems anger where brought down into the world by Moshe. The basis of these attributes is the large (Nun) of 'Notzer'. It is the Tzaddik who acts like a pendulum, giving freedom and flexibility to others while he bears the strain and pressure as the pivotal role that 'preserves' a world built upon true justice. Yehoshua Ben Nun alludes to this idea. He was like a son of the (Nun/Notzer) which was his teacher Moshe. He continued to wear the mantle of Torah, like the coat of Yoseph, that ensures the continuity and authenticity of what Hashem truly demands. He was the son of 'Nun' which also alludes to him being a disciple of Moshe who was the great 'Nun' of 'Notzer'. Yehoshua continued to wage the war of conquest of the Land of Israel and his self-sacrifice allowed for the greater freedom of generations to come. The 'Notzer' battling the 'Resh' of 'Rasha' or 'Acher' is the friction that creates light or 'Ner'. It is the 'Ner' of sacrifice, as well as the 'Ner' of remembrance for those who have been sacrificed as well as the fire that inspires us to continue to enlighten the world through sacrifice. 351

Ki Sissa and Rabbi Green Ki sissa is one of the deepest and most profound Parshiot in the Torah. We read it three times a year; once in its time, and twice on Shabbat Chol Hamoed Pesach, and Shabbat Chol Hamoed Succot. In addition we read sections every morning in our prayers. What is so essential about this Parsha? First of all it contains the 13 attributes with which Hashem judges His people. On Chol Hamoed we also read the background of how these 13 attributes were extracted from heaven. They are a secret that Moshe revealed to us and that describes the extent of G-ds patience to the rebelliousness of our nation. Hashem revealed this knowledge when Moshe realized that this was a time of 'favor' from Hashem and so he used this special time to get a commitment from G-d so to speak and explain to the Nation the nature of G-ds benevolence. This knowledge of G-ds patience and this special formula only became known to us through the unique efforts of the Tzadik - Moshe. In 2004 just after I had made Aliya I was in the old city of Jerusalem on Shabbat Chol Hamoed Succot. I had a simple question about this Parsha but I could not find a satisfactory answer. I went to 3-4 yeshivas and asked both students and Rosh Yeshivas and was not able to find an answer to the simple question I had until I arrived at Rabbi Greens Yeshiva. They say that most people use only 7% of their mental capacity if this is so then rabbi green uses 10%. I saw his super-computer mind spinning and in 5 minutes he gave me a simple answer to my question that I didn't find in the previous few hours visiting various other yeshivas. So what was the question? Moshe says in the above passage 'you told me - you have known me by name and I have found grace in your eyes' But if you search through all of the book of Shmot this quote is not found. My question was very simple Moshe wants to verify what he meant when he said 'x' yet no where do we see that in fact he said 'x' to complicate things further, the only place we do see that Hashem says this is a few lines after this passage. How do we explain this? ‫מר‬,‫םא ת‬, ‫אה מא נתה‬,‫ ֹקר ת‬,‫ קֹיה נוה‬-‫אל‬-‫לשה ל‬- ‫מ‬,‫למר ם‬- ‫םא‬, ‫ יב מוי‬12 Moshe said to Hashem, “See you say to me, ,‫א הו מד קֹע מת יני‬,‫ קֹו מא נתה ל ם‬,‫לזה‬- ‫ נה נעם מה‬-‫את‬-‫א מלי מה מעל ל‬,‫' ת‬Take this people onward,' but you did not inform me whom You will send with me; and You had ‫ ית קֹש מלח יע ימי; ֹקו מא נתה נא ממ ֹקר נת‬-‫לשר‬- ‫את נא‬,‫ ת‬said, 'I shall know you by name, and you have ‫ אמ אצא את לחן‬-‫ רו תגם‬,‫ רי תד רע שתיך רב לשם‬also found favor in My eyes.' ‫רב לעי אני‬ ‫תע יני‬, ‫ הו יד‬,‫לניך‬- ‫עי‬,‫תחן ֹקב ת‬, ‫ ננא נמ נצא יתי‬-‫ יג ֹקו מע נתה יאם‬13 And now, if I have indeed found favor in Your ‫תחן‬, -‫לא ֹקמ נצא‬- ‫ קֹל ממ מען‬,‫א נד נעך‬,‫ ֹקו ת‬,‫כך‬-‫ קֹד נר ל‬-‫את‬-‫ ננא ל‬eyes, make Your ways known to me, so that I may ‫זה‬-‫ יכי מע ֹקמך מהגוי מה ל‬,‫אה‬,‫לניך; ו ֹקר ת‬- ‫תעי‬, ‫ֹקב‬ comprehend Your 'you have found favor in My eyes.' But see that this nation is Your people. . (Shmot 33:12-13) 352

‫ניך‬-‫תעי ל‬, ‫חן ֹקב‬,‫ נמ נצא יתי ת‬-‫ יכי‬,‫תאפוא‬, ‫מה יי נו מדע‬-‫ טז ו מב ל‬16 How, then will it be known that I have found ‫ נא יני‬,‫ל קֹכ ֹקתך יע נמנו; קֹו ינ קֹפ ילינו‬-‫ ֹקב ל‬,‫ נהלוא‬--‫מך‬-‫ נא יני ֹקו מע ל‬favor in Your eyes – I and Your people – unless ‫ני נה נא נד נמה‬,‫ ֹקפ ת‬-‫שר מעל‬-‫ נא ל‬,‫ נה נעם‬-‫ ימ נכל‬,‫ ֹקו מע קֹמך‬. You accompany us, and I and Your people will be made distinct from every people on the face of the earth!' ‫לזה‬- ‫ מה נד נבר מה‬-‫לאת‬- ‫ מגם‬,‫לשה‬- ‫םמ‬, -‫לאל‬- ‫מר ֹקיה נוה‬-‫םא ל‬, ‫ יז מוי‬17 Hashem said to Moshe: “Even this thing of ‫ אמ אצא את לחן‬-‫ שכי‬:‫לשה‬- ‫א לע‬-‫ל‬ which you spoke I shall do, for you have found ‫יד מב ֹקר נת‬ ‫שר‬-‫נא ל‬ favor in My eyes, and I have known you by ‫ או לא אד נִעך רב לשם‬,‫ רב לעי תני‬name.” (Shmot 33:16-17) I asked one Rosh Yeshiva and he said to me that not everything is recorded in the Torah at the time it happens. For example maybe Hashem said this to Moshe when he was on the mountain and only now is he putting these passages into the text of the Torah. This answer to me seemed too abstract and ambiguous. First of all there is no such Midrash that I am aware of and secondly this is not a clarification or addition to something said earlier which is often the case, this is something that comes out of nowhere. Another Rosh Yeshiva showed me the Rashi which says that this line refers to when Moshe was standing on Har Sinai when the ten commandments were given and the whole Nation heard his voice amplified as he spoke to G-d and he was 'great' in their eyes. Well this is very nice, but it still does not answer my simple question. Moshe says 'What did You mean when You said 'x' but He didn't say 'x'. The only time He does say 'x' is a paragraph afterward in the 'present' tense. So what was Rabbi Greens answer? From what I remember he said something like this. The Torah is interpreted in three basic ways, like a court case. Sometimes the case is clear, like the district attorney, the law is the law, the judgment is strict. Sometimes like the defense attorney, we must take into consideration the background of the individual, other motivating factors and find room for leniency to stretch the law in such cases. Then there is a third way that is employed most regularly and that is 'deduction'. For example if case 'A' ruled thus, and case 'B' ruled thus, then should we not set a new precedent with case 'C' which doesn't completely fit 'A' or 'B'? This is what Moshe was doing and this explains the Rashi. Moshe was twisting Hashems arms, so to speak. Read the passage as follows: When I was standing on Har Sinai and you made me great in front of the Nation, what was the purpose? What were trying to achieve? Did you not want the Nation to know that I found grace in Your eyes and that You have known me by name? I will not go on unless you clarify this to me and if this is indeed so, then I insist that You, Yourself guide us and not an Angel. You must distinguish us from all other nations with Your direct supervision, if indeed I have found grace in Your eyes. Now the quote that confuses us by appearing in the future when it should have appeared in the past makes perfect sense on a simple (Pshat) level. Hashem answers, 'Yes' 'You win', I will admit and clarify that I have known you by name, and that you have found grace in my eyes, and because of this I will also commit myself to your request of my direct supervision. And now at this point when Moshe sees it is a time of favor he asks further to see G-ds glory and this is when Hashem reveals the secret of the 13 attributes. In our prayers, after making an accounting of our sins, we remind Him of the commitment He made to 353

Moshe and of His patience towards sinners that He revealed to us. It is interesting to note that I have 'known you by name' is the same gematria of Moshe ‫ = רב לשם‬by name = 342 + 3 for each letter = 345 ‫ = משה‬Moshe = 345 Read: You Moshe, have I known by name and you have found grace in my eyes. It is also interesting to note that Rav Kahane in the fullest sense of the gematria also finds grace in Hashem's eyes. ‫ אמ אצא את לחן רב לעי תני‬-‫ = שכי‬because you have found grace in my eyes = 761 ‫ = כהנא‬Kahane = 76 x 10 = 760 +1 (kollel) = 761 This seems to imply that Rav Kahane was the Moshe of our generation. I have known you by 'name', the name of Moshe. For those who say this was not the 'Jewish' way, Hashem seems to differ and on the contrary says he was the 'apple of My eye'. Then why did Hashem allow him to be assassinated? One could ask why was Moshe not allowed to enter the Land of Israel which no one more than he desired. It is the job of the Moshes of each generation to demonstrate the way for us, despite the Jewish people who cause him to be a fugitive (Shmot 2:14-15), or Jewish leadership that condemns him (Shmot 5:21). Even alone as Moshe went into the Palace of Pharoah and was laughed at and mocked, he continues unbroken. Eventually this man who began a one man revolution led a whole Nation out of darkness. It is the job of the Moshe of each generation to 'clarify' what is demanded of us, to show what is possible and to awaken us to the 'time' so that we read the signs and escape and come home. The 40 year trek could have been a three day journey, but this has to do not with the shortcomings of Moshe but with the sins and maturity of the Jewish people. Absence and Presence It is interesting to note that the Parsha in which Moshe is absent, usually occurs around the time of the anniversary of his death. In addition this time occurs every year around Purim. There is also a noticeable absence in the Megilla of Hashem Himself. The Midrash tells us that at this time Bnei Israel willingly accepted the Torah without the duress that occurred in the first giving of the Torah. How do we understand this willingness to accept the Torah at this time when both the Rebbe and the Creator seem to be absent? What was the motivation? One of the ways to understand the spiritual renewal that occurred at this time is with an anecdote of the Rav's father. He used to explain that the meaning of the prayer in our prayer book 'Sh Lo Asani Goy' (Blessing that I was not born a Gentile), has a few different meanings. He explained that it should be read not ' that I was not made a Gentile', but rather 'that a Gentile didn't make me'. In other words one should be Jewish not because of anti-semitsm but because of the beauty of Judaism. 354

Although Jewishness as a response to anti-semitism is a lower level, compared to choosing to be Jewish from love and desire, it is still a very significant action. Israel came into being largely due to a response to anti-semitism, from the time of Hertzel to the time of the Shoa. Returning to the Purim story, there was a great victory in the time of Purim against our arch enemy Amalek who tried to annihilate our Nation. This unifying force that united our Nation through adversity brought about a re-acceptance of our Torah and our belief in God which was dissipating with the onslaught of the exile. Chanuka and Purim There is a dispute in the Talmud between Hillel and Shamai regarding the order of lighting the Menora. According to Shamai we should light eight candles on the first night and diminish the candles each night so that the last night there is only one candle. According to Hillel we should begin with one candle and add another candle each day until we have eight candles on the last night. This is the rule we currently follow. One Chanuka I heard a mystical interpretation of the above mentioned dispute. The lecturer explained that the candles represented Hashems open miracles. As we move through history the open miracles are diminished and more responsibility is expected of us based on our experience and understanding of events. For example a father stands close to his young child as he learns to walk. As he begins to walk by himself the father steps back. In a similar fashion Hashem expects us to draw proper conclusions based on our national history and Torah constitution. Accordingly then Shamai was focusing on the receding of Divine intervention while Hillel was focusing on our growth and maturity. Purim and Chanuka are both rabbinic holidays which reflect our maturity as a Nation. The sudden turn of events from imminent disaster to victory and crushing blow to our arch-enemy Amalek (Haman), gave a new found hope to our nation. We understood that Hashem is still with us. The period preceding Purim there were great doubts that Hashem had disengaged Himself from our Nation. The month of Adar is joined to the month of Nissan; the month of redemption and birth of our Nation. The seeds of the first redemption bore the fruits of the latter ones. Disillusionment, lack of merit, imminent destruction and then a sudden reversal of events; these are similar themes throughout our history. We had little merit in Egypt and also in Shushan. The actions we took, by crossing the sea, the fast in Shushan and the war against Amalek were not only merits but National experiences that made us more spiritually mature. The child learns to walk by himself knowing that the father is nearby yet being forced to walk on his own. At that point the child is not the same child he was when he was crawling on his knees. The Rebbe that lifted us on his shoulders was Moshe. Hashem, Himself went down to Mitzrayim to personally carry us out and divide the sea. As we reach the climax of our historical experience our fathers are less present as we are occupied with our new ability to walk on our own. We recognize that it was on their merit but we are too overwhelmed by the full eight candles of our national glory or the one candle that we can light on our own. 355

A Jewish Leader (2018) My friend Yacov pointed out an unusual response by Moshe. After requesting that Hashem’s presence will stay among the Nation of Israel Hashem answers Moshe ‘My presence will go and provide you rest (Shmot 33:14). Moshe responds with ‘ If your presence does not go along, do not bring us forward from here (Shmot 33:14). Why does he respond this way when Hashem has already told him that He will go with him? My friend Yacov suggested that Moshe was essentially saying ‘We want Moshiach now!’ He wanted to see it now not in some future time. Rav Lipsker added that Moshe was not interested in his own benefit. If this special relationship was not actualized towards ‘Israel’ he did not want to continue. Both of these ideas are contained within what I have written previously (see KiSissa and Rabi Green). If Hashem admits to Moshe that indeed he found favor in His eyes, Moshes requests that this favor be used to benefit Israel and not for his own personal glory. It's fascinating to read Rav Kahane in Perush HaMaccabee describing Moshes encounters with Hashem. He writes that a prerequisite for a prophet or Jewish leader is their tremendous concern for Israel. Hashem turns to Moshe measure for measure as Moshe turns from his sheltered and affluent life in Pharaoh’s palace to protest the suffering of his people. Only one who is overcome with concern for his people to such a degree that he becomes a target and must flee for safety merits that Hashem will turn to him. One who lives the uncomfortable life of a fugitive because of his love of truth and justice is in a position to alter Heavenly judgements that supersede the human court. It is no coincidence that Ki Motze Chen b’Enai alludes to the gematria of Kahane. ‫ אמ אצא את לחן רב לעי תני‬-‫ = שכי‬because you have found grace in my eyes = 761 ‫ = כהנא‬Kahane = 76 x 10 = 760 +1 (kollel) = 761 Rav Kahane also had this prerequisite of every great Jewish leader. I wonder sometimes how much judgement was transformed into mercy on his account. From the example that he set, from the suffering imprisonment and torment he went through, from his prayers and his pleading for Am Israel, I wonder how often an angry God was appeased and how often judgement was delayed and patience extended. God is Good I asked Menachem Gottlieb, one of the teachers in Rav Kahane's Yeshiva to tell me a story as we drove back from the Rabbi's kever on his Haskara in 2017. He told me once he was driving in a car with the rabbi and noticed something peculiar. The Rabbi kept repeating to himself 'God is Good, Good is Good.' He asked why. The rabbi said that 'after the rally he agreed to check in to the police station where he will be incarcerated for a few months. The beds are full of lice there.' Menachem had them stop along the way to his place where he gave the rabbi some clean sheets to take with him. Imagine the self-sacrifice that the Moshe of our generation went through so that we could sleep comfortably at night. 356

Hashems Na'aseh V'nishma (2019) Rashi explains that the verse in our Parsha (I shall know you...) is directly related to Parsha Yitro. ‫תא מלי‬, ‫מר‬,‫םא ת‬, ‫תאה מא נתה‬, ‫ ֹקר‬,‫ ֹקיה נוה‬-‫לאל‬- ‫שה‬-‫םמ ל‬, ‫למר‬- ‫םא‬, ‫ יב מוי‬12 And Moshe said to Hashem: 'See, you say to ‫את‬,‫ ת‬,‫םא הו מד ֹקע מת יני‬, ‫ ֹקו מא נתה ל‬,‫לזה‬- ‫ נה נעם מה‬-‫לאת‬- ‫ מה מעל‬me: Take this people onward but you did not ‫ ית קֹש מלח יע ימי; ֹקו מא נתה אא תמ רר את רי תד רע שתיך‬-‫לשר‬- ‫נא‬ inform me whom you will send with me. And you ‫ אמ אצא את לחן רב לעי אני‬-‫ רו תגם‬,‫ רב לשם‬. had said 'I shall know you by name , and you have also found favor in My eyes. (Shmot 33:12-13) ‫לליך‬- ‫א‬,‫םנ יכי נבא ת‬, ‫תנה נא‬, ‫ יה‬,‫שה‬-‫מ ל‬,‫ ם‬-‫לאל‬- ‫מר קֹיה נוה‬-‫םא ל‬, ‫ ט מוי‬9 And Hashem said to Moshe: 'Behold, I come to ‫אה אעם רב תד רב שרי‬ ‫ תב נִעבור שי רש תמע‬,‫לה נעננן‬- ‫קבֹ מעב‬ you in the thickness of the cloud, so that the ‫תגד‬, ‫רלעו אלם; מו מי‬ ‫ רבך תי ִנא שמינו‬-‫ רו תגם‬,‫שע אמך‬ people will hear as I speak to you, and they will also believe in you for ever.' Moshe related the ‫ ֹקיה נוה‬-‫לאל‬- ,‫תרי נה נעם‬, ‫ יד קֹב‬-‫לאת‬- ‫שה‬-‫מ ל‬,‫ ם‬. words of the people to Hashem. (Shmot 19:9) If we examine this then it appears that: 'I shall know you by name' - corresponds to - 'so that the people will hear as I speak to you' 'you have also found favor in My eyes' - corresponds to - 'and they will also believe in you for ever ' It seems to me that their Naaseh V-Nishma – 'we will do and obey' (Shmot 24:7) is based on this. They heard Hashem speaking to Moshe and because of this they believed in him. When Moshe would later show them the laws they would accept them without having to understand because this was the proof that they saw and heard. In other words at this point it was Nishma V'naase, we will see and then do. Because of this it became Naase V'Nishma – we will do and obey without having to understand. With this in mind I asked myself why did Hashem answer Moshe by reversing his words? Why is 'finding favor' first and 'knowing by name' second? ‫לזה‬- ‫ מה נד נבר מה‬-‫לאת‬- ‫ מגם‬,‫לשה‬- ‫מ‬,‫ ם‬-‫לאל‬- ‫למר ֹקיה נוה‬- ‫םא‬, ‫ יז מוי‬17 And Hashem said to Moshe: 'Even this thing of ,‫רב לעי תני‬ ‫לחן‬ ‫ אמ אצא את‬-‫ שכי‬:‫שה‬-‫א לע ל‬-‫לשר יד מב ֹקר נת ל‬- ‫נא‬ which you spoke, I shall do, for you have found ‫וא לאדאעִנך רב לשם‬ favor in My eyes, and I have known you by name.' (Shmot 33:17) Could it be a type of Naase V'Nishma from Hashem? As if Hashem was saying 'Because you have found favor in My eyes I will do what you say and give the people a greater distinction than ever before. As the people accepted without having to understand I will also accept your request without demanding accountabiliy. The result of this greater distinction I give to them in the end will make them great but only because I have known you by name. 357

Corona Virus and the Elections (2020) Adversity comes to the world only for the sake of Israel (Yevamot 63a). The Talmud teaches us that we must learn from events around us. The name Corona Virus comes from the Latin word meaning crown. What could this virus possibly have to do with kingship and coronation? If we look at another unusual occurrence we see that three times we have had elections in Israel and three times we cannot form a government. Why? Because there is a virus that has taken hold of Israel and it is extremely dangerous. It is a virus that Rabbi Kahane warned about 20 years ago and instead of heeding his warning they killed the messenger. The Rabbi warned that the Arabs can peacefully make love not war and the children they give birth to can simply vote Israel out of existence. Today we see this happening. Half the country voted for a Jewish state and the other has been infected with a virus and wants a secular Israeli State and together with the growing Arab bloc has impeded the formation of a government. We are suffering an identity crisis and it is very dangerous. Not only did the Rabbi warn us of this, his solution to transfer the Arabs back to any of their twenty two Muslim countries and rebuild our Temple was met with violent opposition. Even many religious Jews were opposed to the Rav's ideas because if implemented, they shouted the whole world would be against us and we would be completely alone and isolated. The Rabbi replied that Israel isolated and alone is not a curse, this is a great blessing “lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.” ( Bamidbar 23:9) And so today as we were reluctant to crown our King or give him Kavod (honor) [similar to the English name of Corona (Covid 19)] we see the cure for this disease is precisely this – isolation. Maybe after this disease passes we will see that we can indeed live alone and be a blessing to the world with our unique laws that are not 'reckoned among the nations.' The plague intensified on the Shabat of Ki Sissa. When you lift up the heads of the children of Israel to count them (in a census), let each one give an atonement offering for his soul when they are counted, so that there not be a plague in the counting of them”(Exodus 30:12) King David made the mistake of counting Israelites individually and this caused a great plague. King David prays to Hashem and says; “Behold, I have sinned and I have transgressed, but these sheep (i.e. the Nation of Israel) – what have they done?” (verse 17) The prophet Gad then tells him what must be done to stop the plague: David must build a mizbeyach (altar) on Har Ha’Bayit (the Temple mount)! What exactly is the problem of counting Jews and how could this bring such destruction? The prophet Hosea (chapter 2),declares: “The number of the children of Israel shall be as the sands of the sea, which cannot be numbered and cannot be counted…” Rabbi Bachya ben Asher explains that we do not count separate individuals, since we do not want to single them out and bring judgment upon them. An individual may not have enough merit to pass that judgment. However, when counting as a community, even if judgment is brought upon us, there are sure to be enough good deeds in the community to ensure that they pass the judgment and are found worthy of G-d’s mercy. Some add that when Jews are united, blessings are abundant, but when we divide the nation into individuals, there will be individual scrutiny. It seems to me that all of the above apply today. There is a war between the 'ani' (I) and the 'anachnu' (the collective). If one considers himself a half shekel of something greater than himself, if he feels 358

connected to the body of Israel, he is blessed without measure and is an invaluable half shekel like each letter of the Sefer Torah that is unique and yet part of a whole. In addition, Reish Lakish says that the Machatzit HaShekel counters the shekalim that Haman paid Achashverosh to be able to annihilate the Jews. There is both safety in numbers and protection from disease when one's number is a half shekel of the collective body of Israel. If however one sees himself as one free of the community of Israel and the yoke of Heaven and wants to be the 'I' with only rights and no obligations he undermines the Jewish State and dissolves it from the unique people that worship the One God to the individual who worships Democracy to the point of self destruction. We also read Parsha Para Aduma that tell us that when one becomes contaminated by touching a dead body they must be sprinkled with the water of purification. The word touch (nogea) and plague (noga) are the same letters. What is this dead body that we have come in contact with that we must wash our hands from? The letters that spell water of purification (Mei Nida) also spell Medina (State, which I have suggested before alludes to the State of Israel). The destructive spiritual influence from the exile has distanced Jews in America from Jews in Israel. The Jewish people have been infected with a virus that has worsened over the year and now has exploded into Corona. This Pesach we must do what Hashem commanded David Hamelech in order to stop the plague. He told David to build Me a Temple. We must do whatever we can to build this Temple. Rav Shmuel Sackett made a tremendous suggestion to stop this plague that is now upon us and the whole world. We must bring the Korban Pesach even if there is no Bet HaMigdash. It is permissible and we are still obligated even without the Temple and most importantly it will restore our bond with Hashem and may turn these days of judgment into days of Mercy. We learn an interesting thing from the story of Gideon (Judges 6-7). God encourages war against Midian, Gideon assembles 32,000 soldiers, and God says they are too many for Him to place Midian in their hands. Too many? He puts them through various spiritual tests of character until he is only left with 300 against an enemy that far outnumbered his original 32,000. They ambush the army of Midian in the night and they are victorious. What is the message? Our victory is not in numbers but in quality and our connection to our Father in Heaven. May we restore the Bet Hamigdash soon and by bringing the Korban Pesach may it save us from destruction and transform our fear and grief into tears of Joy. 359

Corona and the Heavenly Court 2021 said at Farbrengen My friends we stand today before a Bet Mishpat (a judgment). Similar to Noah who sent forth the dove to see if the time was now or if he had to wait further we stand again in the same place as we did last year. Have we learned anything this year? Will it be different, will it be better or worse? A year ago Corrona had just arrived to Israel and it was Parsha Ki Sisa and we searched inside for clues. We see here a story of a plague as punishment for the Egel (golden calf) and we read about another plague concerning the counting that took place in the time of King David. In both cases the appeasement came through building a Temple. I mentioned a year ago that Coronna did not come from China. The virus began a year ago in Israel and because we were unable to fix the problem it escalated and the China virus visited us. The year 2019 was the first year that our State and our elections no longer functioned properly. Three failed elections resulted from a spiritual virus that had affected our Nation. What happened in 2019 was predicted many years earlier by Rabbi Kahane. The constitution that reads a 'Democratic' 'Zionist' State said Rav Kahane is a contradiction. [I will add that a Torah Scholar is on a higher level than a prophet. A prophet receives visions that overtake him however a Torah scholar can look at the world clearly using intelligence and wisdom see the future and take action, as the Rav did.] Rav Kahane posed the question whether the Arabs have the right to democratically become the majority and vote to change Israel into Palestine. Everyone avoided the question because to say 'no' you were Rabbi Kahane (and considered racist) and to say 'yes' you were anti Zionist. For years everyone could avoid the question until 2019. The reason we cannot have proper elections is because half the country wants to be a Jewish State and the other half want to be a Hebrew speaking Scandinavia. The Arabs who according to our Parsha* are to be transferred to any of their twenty two other countries have become the growing king makers in Israel who are increasingly able to determine the direction of this confused Democratic and Zionist State. The Arabs read Rav Kahane's book* and understood it very well. The vote is a much better weapon than rocks or missiles and there is no iron dome defense for it. There are Arab judges today in Israel who vote to indict rabbinic authors and acquit Arabs of charges of incitement. The desire to be Israeli's and erase our Jewish identity versus the desire to be God's Chosen People again stands in the balance in a new election one year after Corona. The judgment in Heaven awaits our decision. Will we vote for Ben Gvir and the Temple or will what happened to the USA happen now to us. My brother asked me what is the gematria of 19 regarding Covid-19? I answered achi (my brother) and goy (gentile). This is what hangs in the balance. Our loss of identity is a spreading virus. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Rav Kahane believed the Arabs in Israel have the same status as Canaanites. In his last article he writes: (Exodus 34:11-12). The Abarbanel writes: “Since the Almighty drives out His enemies, it is unseemly that we should make a covenant with them because this would desecration of His honor. [Furthermore,] a treaty with them not succeed since there is no doubt that they will always seek evil for Israel considering that the Israelites took their land from them. this is the meaning of the words 'the land to which you come 'i.e., since you, Israel, went into that land and took it from its inhabitants, and since they feel oppressed and robbed of it, how will preserve a treaty of friendship? Rather it will be the opposite; they will be 'a snare in your midst – i.e., when war breaks out they will join your enemies and fight you.” What a stupendously true and incisive comment by the great Abarbanel and how much it understands the reality of human nature. And how different from that of the sad Moderdox of our time, who not only prattle about equal rights for the inhabitants of the land under the Jews who took the land from them but who ignore - because they lack the courage to face up to it – the reality of human feelings and the unwillingness to accept crumbs rather than the sovereignty that was. * Revolution or Referendum – Rabbi Kahane 360

Studying the Virus Religiously Now one may be a Torah observant Jew and think that this is a problem that the Zionists created and he has always opposed them. If we study our Parsha however, we may discover that his hands are not as clean as he thinks. Lets look at the ingredients of our Parsha as the China virus entered Israel a year ago at this time. Let us examine the school of Aaron, the school of Chur and Moshes defense of 'what will the nations say? There is a discussion in Talmud regarding arbitration The wicked one exults in his personal desire and the robber [bozea'] praises himself that he has blasphemed Hashem (Tehillim 10:3) The root meaning of the word botzea is to cut – which is related to arbitration when the difference between two claims is split. Says R. Elizer: R. Eliezer the son of R. Jose the Galilean says: It is forbidden to arbitrate in a settlement, and he who arbitrates thus offends, and whoever praises such an arbitrator [bozea'] contemneth the Lord, for it is written, He that blesses an arbiter [bozea'] contemneth the Lord. (Sanhedrin 6b) R. Tanhum b. Hanilai says the verse quoted (Tehillim 10:3) refers only to the story of the golden calf as it is written: 32:5 And Aaron saw, and he built an altar before it. And Aaron called out and said: A festival for the L-rd tomorrow! And Aaron saw - What did he see? R. Binyamin b. Yefeth said: He saw Chur slaughtered before him, and he said: If I do not accede to them, they will do to me what they did to Chur and bring to pass (Eichah 2:20): “Shall there be slain in the sanctuary of the L-rd, priest and prophet!” - and they will never be able to amend it. Better that they serve the golden calf; perhaps they can amend it with repentance (Sanhedrin 7a). We all have heard Hillel’s famous statement in Pirkei Avot: “Be among the disciples of Aaron—a lover of peace (ohev shalom) and a pursuer of peace (rodef shalom); a lover of all people, bringing them closer to the Torah.” (Mishnah Avot 1:12) Aaron was known as a peace maker who would try and arbitrate between conflicts and settle differences without need for trials and judgments. Is there a point however where the peace maker does the opposite and angers God? Can his action be like a robber who praises himself that he has blasphemed Hashem? Was Aaron proud to be a peace maker in this instance or did he feel shame and embarrassment that through his appeasement the greatest calamity occurred? We have heard Aarons defense above however could it be that this was partially an excuse that Aaron told himself but inside he was afraid to meet the same fate as Chur and this is the real reason why he compromised? Don't we see this today? Look at how the Torah world abandoned Rav Kahane for fear of being labeled and losing their stipends and positions. That silence however, has ramifications. When the Torah is compromised terrible things happen and when it is not also terrible things happen; like what happened to Chur and Rav Kahane and many of those who stand against the mob. But let me ask you, who builds the temple? Not Aaron. He serves in it but the only one who can build it comes from Chur, just like today the ones who will build it and demand it come from a different spirit that is found in the students of Rabbi Kahane. As we read in the Haftorah Parah: 361

So shall the destroyed cities be filled by sheep-men – and they shall know I am Hashem (Yecheskel 36:38) Have we learned anything this year as we stand before a new election? Is the virus getting any better or with all our vaccines will it get much worse? The cure is within the State of Israel and if you are opposed the the State of Israel read the Parsha Parah again. There are two very important points to understand. One may discuss the merits or demerits of Zionism and the merits or demerits of those opposed to Zionism however the modern State of Israel came into being with both and without both. As we read in today's Haftorah: Therefore say to the house of Israel: Thus says my Lord/Hashem: Not for your sake do I act, O house of Israel, but for My holy Name that you have desecrated among the nations to which you came. (Yecheskel 36:22) The fact that Israel may have come into being through the labor and self sacrifice of non religious or anti religious Jews is not the point. The point is Hashem decided to end the desecration of His name by ending the Galut even though we do not merit it. Another point to those who fear losing their purity and being contaminated by Zionist Israel. We read in Parsha Parah today: ‫ ֹקו ינ קֹכ קֹר נתה‬,‫םא יי ֹקת מח נטא‬, ‫ יי קֹט נמא קֹול‬-‫לשר‬- ‫ כ ֹקו יאיש נא‬20 But a man who becomes contaminated, and ‫ ימ ֹקק מדש‬-‫לאת‬- ‫ יכי‬:‫לפש מה יהוא ימתוך מה נק נהל‬- ‫לנ‬- ‫ מה‬does not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the congregation, because he ‫מא‬,‫ נט ת‬--‫נע נליו‬ ‫םז מרק‬, -‫םא‬, ‫ל‬ ‫ינ נדה‬ ‫מי‬,‫ת‬ ,‫מא‬,‫יט ת‬ ‫ֹקיה נוה‬ has contaminated the sanctuary of Hashem; ‫הוא‬ because the water of sprinkling has not been thrown upon him: he is contaminated. (Bamidbar 19:20) ‫םז מרק נע נליו‬, -‫םא‬, ‫תמי ינ נדה ל‬, - The water of Sprinkling has not been thrown upon him Read: ‫תמי ינ נדה‬, – ‫תמ נדי ינה‬, - Medina (State) If the State has not been thrown upon you, consider yourself contaminated and cut off. Within these letters one can also read ‫ לירוק‬- to spit. That's correct. If the State has not been thrown upon you and did not spit on you, consider yourself unclean and cut off from the congregation. And who has been kicked around and spat upon more than the builders of Yehuda and Shomron? These are the tzadikim of Chur who will build the Temple which will appease an angry God who has no need for a world or a Jewish people if they refuse the gift he gives them. This is why Moshe's defense to Hashem is 'what will the nations say? Although this people fails and is inadequate and rebels, and strives to be a goy instead of a Jew, if you destroy them completely you destroy Your own Name so to speak. Will the nations say there is no God of Israel? And so Hashem accepts Moshe's prayers but sends a plague. When we accept the treasure that Hashem wishes to give us and fight for it by standing up like Chur we will not only bring glory to the Nation of Israel but also peace and prosperity for the whole world. There will also be an end to this disease that began from our inability to fight the germs that attack the Laws of Heaven. Compromise with evil from the time of Aaron to modern history has only brought about the worst destruction. Standing against evil like Chur has a price to pay however a Jealous God can only be appeased by a people who are equally jealous for Him. 362

The Egel (2022) I went up north for Shabbat to my brothers small yishuv. The rabbi said it was good to see me and I answered that I really feel the Parsha in this place, in fact I feel like Aaron the Cohen. He asked ' How so?' I answered 'well if I was to enter the Bet Knesset without my 'Egel Hamasecha' the congregation would kill me. It is not by chance that what is normally translated as 'the Golden or Molten Calf' can also be read the 'idol of masks'. It really is an idol because it is nothing but a symbol of control by those who mandated it, and foolishness by the sheep who accept it. Hardly anyone wears a mask in my Chabbad Bet Knesset in Tel Aviv so I was a bit startled at the compliance and acceptance I saw. Sadly, my little eleven year old nephew thinks nothing of it as he wears it over his face all day at school and has willingly put a poison vaccine into his healthy body along with all of his innocent religious friends misled by parents who are misled by news narratives and experts and just like in our Parsha are believers who study Torah but need this intermediary for their 'real' security. When I first arrived in Israel nineteen years ago, I was shocked at all the tattoo parlors and reasoned to myself that this must be the generation of Moshiach for we cannot go any lower than this. How could Holy Jews look at their God given body and scar it as they choose without embarrassment? The allure of strange worship from outside forces they adore cause them even to harm their bodies and celebrate their desecration. This must be the last generation I thought because one cannot go deeper than the skin and even the teshuva of one who removes a self-inflicted scar has great merit for it is very painful to do. I watched a loved one go through that process and rationalized to myself that even though one painfully put a colored scar on their body that took an hour to do, the weeks of pain to take the scar off maybe a type of teshuva that only that person could do. Even in the negative things we do there is always salvation and a greater reward that we sometimes painfully earn. I was wrong however to think that we could not go deeper than the skin. We have. We now have come to the point where we think not only does our body belong to us, to do whatever we wish to it, but today we can scar even the very DNA that Hashem created us with. The very protection that Hashem gave us to battle disease we have damaged and are celebrating this damage. To those who say that this is just like Polio I say this is just the opposite. The Polio vaccine saved healthy people from getting sick or crippled or dying. This takes healthy people and makes many sick or crippled or kills them for a virus that has a 99% recovery rate. If only we waited for Moshe to come down from the mountain but in a panic, we have put our trust in everything that comes along with the Egel Hamasecha. I remember reading a quote from Avraham Heschel that went something like this. Hashem placed Adam in the Garden and told him he could enjoy everything just don't eat from that tree or else he will be banished from the garden. So what did Adam do? He made his own garden and banished Hashem. Unfortunately our unquestioning trust in 'the experts' have led us to redesign our immune system. May Hashem protect us from our man made garden. The Egel Endgame Rav Grossman tells a story about the future, he heard as a little boy regarding two roosters that fought each other. Suddenly a third rooster came and defeated both of them. He was told that the first two roosters were Russia and America and the third rooster was China. I realized this on the day the USA elections were stolen by China two years ago and nobody understood or wanted to understand. They still complain that Biden is incompetent or that Trudeau mismanaged a peaceful demonstration in 363

Canada for political gain. This is hardly the work of incompetent people, but rather the work of infiltrators and traitors with another agenda. Amalek still has plans to conquer the world and has hatched an ingenious plan to have the world destroy itself willingly, and what Nation must lead the way so that others will certainly comply? Why of course the Nation that represents the moral code and stability and equilibrium of the planet, namely, Israel. While these ideologues collaborate to remake a depopulated world where feudal barons reap multi- billion dollar profits in medical experiments, 'we the people' are oblivious. The frog is being boiled slowly so that he does not realize he is being boiled, until one day, as planned there is no longer any basic human rights but a world dictatorship that can control whether your bank account will be frozen or not, whether you can live or die. The traitors handsomely rewarded by China, in the end, will also be eaten by China. Now although all this sounds very depressing, and it appears that darker days are coming, the Parsha also gives us hope. In the center of the Parsha are the Thirteen attributes of mercy and in the center of this, is the large 'Nun' of the word 'Notzer' (preserver). This large 'Nun' is book-ended later in the Parsha by a large 'Resh' in the word 'Acher' (other/strange) which is almost 'Echad' which means unity, but it is unity of Reshayim against Hashem. The 'Nun' of 'Nozer' stands between two words – truth and kindness (or leniency) [Emet Nozer Chessed]. Inside the word 'Notzer' is the Tzadik who joins both the large Nun and large Resh. The fire of Emet (truth) can destroy Am Israel if we are false, and hence we see the struggle between Moshe and the angels. Moshe is almost eliminated for bringing truth into a world of falsehood. His battle between truth and falsehood turns the raging fire into ' Ner' (which is Nun plus Resh). This is the light of the Tzadik that transforms a broken Torah beyond our reach into the Torah of Teshuva that we strive for. Meam Loez brings down that five angels tried to destroy Moshe. Three of them were subdued on the merit of Avraham, Itzchak and Yaacov, and Hashem in his mercy subdued the angel Af. Moshe alone struggled with the last angel called 'Chaimah' (‫)חימה‬. Herein lies our struggle. The Tzadik stands between truth that will destroy the world of falsehood, and leniency that will also destroy because there is no accountability and therefore no reason for a world to exist. Who is this last angel that Moshe battles? His name is similar to chema or butter which fattens our hearts and leads us away to 'Acher'. There is also an equal combination of 'yud, hey' which is Hashems name and Cham (Chet, Mem), the father Mitzrayim that destroyed most of our Nation while refining the one fifth that escaped. Moshes battle or the Tzadik's battle is similar to the Nation where the forces of good and evil are equal and we must decide the direction we will go. We too stand between truth/accountability and leniency. At a time like this where so much of the Nation has been affected those decisions are very difficult to make. One might question how so many of Israel participated in the Egel and why the Levites alone took vengeance on the main instigators. If we look around today however, we see how the multitudes have gone along with this intermediary to save them from a disease which is actually a punishment due to increasingly undermining the laws and equilibrium of the world as commanded by Hashem in His Torah. The disease can be easily subdued with a healthy body and immune system which is not unrelated to a healthy moral immune system. How could we have come to the decision to undermine our DNA unless our moral DNA had already become corrupted and affected our choices? Every generation pays a price for this Egel and our generation as well will not be immune to the effects of collaborating with this intermediary that leads us to panic and acts of violence in the name of health and security. If we are motivated not by faith in 364

Hashem but panic it causes us to be divisive and cruel and we seek to destroy and label those who will not go along. Just as Chur was killed in a panic there is no reasoning with the unreasonable. We have reached a low that is lower than I had thought we could reach, however, still there is a solution and we find it in the Parsha. The solution to our complacency that allowed us to slip like butter into this abyss is actually more complacency, but complacency of a higher order. The tikkun of the Nation that occurred with the Egel was a tikkun of complacency. Just as their complacency allowed them to be affected to such a degree that only a very few had the moral stamina to uproot this subversive evil, the very same complacency and non-interference when the Levites took charge was their vindication. How do we see this today? We have always been a Nation of the few against the many and the pure against the multitudes of the impure. The few that are left with a proper immune system, who stand against the entire world and the Jewish government to build and settle the land and remove enemies from within can alter our entire destiny. If we continue in a panic to beat them with clubs and distort and corrupt justice in order to destroy this pure vile, then our fate is sealed. If, however we support or are simply complacent and allow them to save our Nation and do nothing, then even we in our lowly state can beg forgiveness and find redemption. The thirteen attributes of mercy will hopefully shelter us from disaster, but only if we regret and are as complacent towards good as we had been in our panic towards idolatrous forces of evil that have misled our Holy Nation. When the forces of Moshiach come and you lack the stability to join at least do not go against these forces. Be complacent and let the forces of good redeem Israel and the world. 365

366

Kahane in the Parsha Vayechel/Pekudei 367

Vayechel/Pekudei and Parsha Para (2011/12) Most years when Yayechel/Pekudei coincides with Parsh Para we read the Maftir which explains the details of Para Aduma that Moshe gave Israel then we read the haftorah from yechezkel. The Maftir explains the details of the strange ceremony of the Para Aduma. The Kohen Gadol takes the bull that is pure red and never pulled a yoke and slaughters it outside the camp. The Cohen Gadol becomes impure as well as the slaughterer and he goes to a mikva and also must immerse his clothes in the mikva. Then another clean man can take these ashes and sprinkle them. The Maftir explains the ritual from ancient times and the Haftorah explains its significance in modern times. I was told once by Rabbi Matisyahu Glazerson that the Para Aduma is Israel from the dung to the head it is completely burned; the lowest and highest places. On one hand the cow is pure and on the other hand it has never pulled a yoke. Israel is compared to a bull that must be harnessed to the yoke of Hashem. It seems on one hand the bull seems to be alluding to a sinner who is disconnected to Hashem and on the other it is a very unique cow with not even one discolored hair. The Rav was one of the few who dared to explain the Holocaust and more than that criticized those who do not explain it for adding to the Chilul Hashem. Every Jewish soul is holy because this is their essence regardless whether they pull the yoke or not. The sages with long beards and the Jew married to a gentile all suffered the same fate. It is the Cohen Gadol who leads the bull out to be slaughtered and becomes contaminated. I suggest that this may allude our own Jewish leadership that has misled us and been contaminated as well. Then comes a pure man that sprinkles these ashes and and administers the solution while again becoming contaminated. I suggest that this second man alludes to the passage from the Haftorah which tells us Hashem will be sanctified again in the eyes of the world and will bring us a new heart. The leader who went down with the cow cannot be the same leader who explains the new Torah, which is the original Torah. In order to do this he makes himself a target by saying things that are politically incorrect. He becomes persecuted and chased away like something unclean. The Cohen who sprinkles the cleanliness becomes unclean, as the contemporary sage who is sacrificed in order to revive the Torah. He becomes unclean and eventually sacrificed because of our sins. However it is only through him that Hashem is glorified and we learn to feel with a new heart. The Torah of Yoseph was closer to his father than any of the other Rosh Yeshivas. Instead of learning from the Rav he was despised like Yoseph because he was like a mirror that reflected our inaction and apathy. The elixir of Torah that the Rav sprinkled us with is the faith that we can and must do things that seem impossible. Judaism is not just a practice of rituals done in the privacy of ones home but is a National expression of Hashems will. He single-handedly expressed that will and by repetition made it part of a dialogue that eventually became a new reality. This reality is still evolving from his footsteps. When I see his name in this weeks Parsha this is how I understand it. (see below) ‫ יצ נוה קֹיה נוה‬-‫שר‬-‫ נא ל‬,‫את כח מקת מהתו נרה‬,‫ ב ז ם‬2 This is the statute of the law which the LORD ‫לליך‬- ‫תא‬, ‫ קֹו יי ֹקקחו‬,‫אל‬,‫תני יי ֹקש נר ת‬, ‫ ֹקב‬-‫אל‬-‫בר ל‬,‫ מד ת‬:‫ר‬,‫תאמם‬,‫ ל‬hath commanded, saying: Speak unto the children ‫שר‬-‫נא ל‬ ,‫מום‬ ‫ נבה‬-‫תאין‬, ‫שר‬-‫נא ל‬ ‫נפ נרה נא כד נמה ֹקת ימי נמה‬ of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer, .‫על‬,‫ ם‬,‫לי נה‬-‫ נע נלה נע ל‬-‫א‬,‫לם‬ faultless, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke. 368

‫הן; קֹוהו יציא‬,‫םכ ת‬, ‫א ֹקל נע נזר מה‬-‫ ל‬-‫ל‬-‫ לא‬,‫אתנה‬,‫תלם ם‬- ‫ ג ונקֹ מת‬3 And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, .‫םא נתה ֹקל נפ נניו‬, ‫ קֹו נש מחט‬,‫נה‬-‫ ימחוץ מל ממ נח ל‬-‫ל‬-‫םתנה לא‬,‫ א‬and she shall be brought forth without the camp, and she shall be slain before his face. ;‫לא ֹקצ נבעו‬- ‫ ֹקב‬--‫ מי נד נמה‬,‫הן‬,‫םכ ת‬, ‫לא ֹקל נע נזר מה‬- ‫ ד קֹו נל מקח‬4 And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood ‫במע‬-‫של‬--‫ ימ נד נמה‬,‫תעד‬, ‫מו‬-‫הל‬-‫םא ל‬, ‫תני‬, ‫נ מכח קֹפ‬,‫ ם‬-‫לאל‬- ‫ ֹקו יה נזה‬with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood toward .‫ פֹקענ ימים‬the front of the tent of meeting seven times. -‫ת‬-‫םרנה קֹו לא‬,‫ע‬-‫את‬-‫ ל‬:‫תעי נניו‬, ‫ ֹקל‬,‫ מה נפ נרה‬-‫את‬-‫ ה ֹקו נש מרף ל‬5 And the heifer shall be burnt in his sight; her .‫רף‬,‫ יפ ֹקר נשה יי קֹש ם‬-‫ מעל‬,‫ נדמנה‬-‫לאת‬- ‫ קֹב נש נרה קֹו‬skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall be burnt. ;‫ו ֹקש יני תו נל מעת‬--‫אזוב‬,‫רז ֹקו ת‬-‫לא ל‬- ‫עץ‬,‫ ת‬,‫תהן‬, ‫םכ‬, ‫ ו ֹקו נל מקח מה‬6 And the priest shall take cedar-wood, and .‫ר מפת מה נפ נרה‬,‫תוך ֹקש ת‬-‫אל‬-‫ ל‬,‫ ֹקו יה קֹש יליך‬hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer. ,‫ ֹקו נר מחץ קֹב נשרו מב ממ יים‬,‫תהן‬, ‫כ‬,‫לבס קֹב נג נדיו מה ם‬- ‫ ז ֹקו יכ‬7 Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he -‫ מעד‬,‫תהן‬, ‫כ‬,‫תמא מה ם‬, ‫נה; ֹקו נט‬-‫ מה ממ נח ל‬-‫לאל‬- ‫םא‬, ‫ ניב‬,‫ קֹו מא מחר‬shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he .‫ב‬-‫נהענרל‬ may come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even. ‫ קֹו נר מחץ‬,‫תבס קֹב נג נדיו מב ממ יים‬, ‫ קֹי מכ‬--‫םא נתה‬, ‫תרף‬, ‫ש‬,‫ ח ֹקו מה ם‬8 And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in .‫רב‬-‫ נה נע ל‬-‫ עמד‬,‫מתא‬, ‫ קֹב נשרו מב נמ יים; קֹו נט‬water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even. ‫ ֹקו יה יני מח‬,‫פר מה נפ נרה‬-‫תא ל‬, ‫את‬,‫ ת‬,‫ ט קֹו נא מסף יאיש נטהור‬9 And a man that is clean shall gather up the ‫ ֹקב נמקום נטהור; ֹקו נה ֹקי נתה מל נע מדת‬,‫נה‬-‫ ימחוץ מל ממ נח ל‬ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the ‫ מח נטאת‬--‫ינ נדה‬ ‫תמי‬, ‫קֹל‬ ,‫לרת‬- ‫למ‬- ‫קֹל ימ ֹקש‬ ‫תאל‬, ‫ יי ֹקש נר‬-‫תני‬, ֹ‫קב‬ camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the .‫יהוא‬ congregation of the children of Israel for a water of sprinkling; it is a purification from sin. ,‫ קֹבגנדניו‬-‫לת‬-‫ א‬,‫פר מה נפ נרה‬-‫תא ל‬, -‫לאת‬- ‫תסף‬, ‫םא‬, ‫לבס נה‬- ‫ י ֹקו יכ‬10 And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer ‫תגר‬, ‫ ֹוק מל‬,‫תאל‬, ‫תני יי ֹקש נר‬, ‫רלב; ֹקו נה ֹקי נתה יל קֹב‬- ‫ נהענ‬-‫ מעד‬,‫מא‬,‫ קֹו נט ת‬shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the .‫עו נלם‬ ‫ ֹקל כח מקת‬--‫ֹקבתו נכם‬ ‫מה נגר‬ even; and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever. Bamidbar (19:2-10) When Parsha Parah coincides with Vayechel/Pekudei the regular Maftir is replaced by the passages above. When Parsha Parah coincides with Vayechel/Pekudei the regular Haftorah is replaced by a section from Yeheskel. Below I have highlighted some of these passages. 369

‫םד נני‬, ‫כה נא ממר נא‬,‫ ם‬,‫אל‬,‫ יי קֹש נר ת‬-‫תבית‬, ‫םמר ֹקל‬, ‫תכן לא‬, ‫ כב נל‬22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel: Thus :‫תל‬,‫תית יי ֹקש נרא‬,‫ ב‬,‫לשה‬- ‫ע‬,‫לכם נא יני ם‬- ‫םא ֹקל ממ מע קֹנ‬, ‫ ל‬,‫ קֹיה יוה‬saith the Lord GOD: I do not this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which ye ‫מבגויים‬ ,‫לתם‬- ‫יח מל קֹל‬ ‫לשר‬- ‫נא‬ ‫ נק ֹקד ישי‬-‫תשם‬, ‫ קֹל‬-‫יכי יאם‬ have profaned among the nations, whither ye .‫לתם נשם‬- ‫ נבא‬-‫לשר‬- ‫נא‬ came. ,‫ מה קֹמ כח נלל מבגו יים‬,‫שקֹ ימי המ נגדול‬-‫את‬-‫ כג ֹקו יק מד קֹש יתי ל‬23 And I will sanctify My great name, which hath ‫ישכ ִנא שנ‬ been profaned among the nations, which ye have -‫י‬ ‫מהגו יים‬ ‫ֹקו ני קֹדעו‬ ;‫ֹקבתו נכם‬ ,‫תם‬-‫יח מל ֹקל ל‬ ‫לשר‬- ‫נא‬ profaned in the midst of them; and the nations ‫ה‬,‫לכם‬- ‫ ֹקב יה נק ֹקד ישי נב‬,‫ד נני קֹיה יוה‬,‫ ֹקנ כאם נא ם‬,‫ יֹק נוה‬shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord .‫הם‬-‫ני ל‬,‫תעי ת‬, ‫קֹל‬ GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. ‫ ֹקו יק מב ֹקצ יתי‬,‫ מהגו יים‬-‫כם ימן‬-‫א קֹת ל‬-‫ כד קֹו נל מק קֹח יתי ל‬24 For I will take you from among the nations, -‫לאל‬- ,‫לכם‬- ‫לא קֹת‬- ‫בא יתי‬,‫ה ת‬,‫ נה נא נרצות; קֹו ת‬-‫לכם ימ נכל‬- ‫לא ֹקת‬- and gather you out of all the countries, and will .‫לכם‬- ‫ מא קֹד ממ ֹקת‬bring you into your own land. :‫תם‬-‫ ו ֹקט מה ֹקר ל‬,‫כם ממ יים קֹטהו ירים‬-‫לי ל‬,‫ כה קֹו נז מר ֹקק יתי נע ת‬25 And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ‫תהר‬, ‫ נא מט‬,‫כם‬-‫תלי ל‬, ‫ יגלו‬-‫כם ו ימ נכל‬-‫תתי ל‬, ‫םכל כט קֹמאו‬, ‫ ימ‬ye shall be clean; from all your uncleannesses, and .‫לכם‬- ‫א קֹת‬-‫ ל‬from all your idols, will I cleanse you. ‫תן‬,‫א ת‬-‫ קֹורו מח נח נד נשה ל‬,‫לב נח נדש‬,‫לכם ת‬- ‫ כו קֹו ננ מת יתי נל‬26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new ,‫לכם‬- ‫ ימ ֹקב מש ֹקר‬,‫לבן‬- ‫לא‬- ‫לב נה‬,‫ ת‬-‫את‬-‫םר יתי ל‬, ‫כם; מו נה יס‬-‫ קֹב יק קֹר קֹב ל‬spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give .‫נב נשר‬ ‫לב‬,‫ת‬ ,‫לכם‬- ‫נל‬ ‫ֹקו ננ מת יתי‬ you a heart of flesh. When I see the letters Kahane hidden inside 'I am the Lord' (Ki Ani Hashem) it means to me that through Hashems disciples He is sanctified. How is God sanctified before our eyes? When the Rav was on radio talk shows there were often non-Jews who called in and said 'Why aren't there more Jews like you?' By daring to stand against the majority to do Hashems will and fight for Jewish causes the Rav sanctified God before the eyes of the world and the Jewish people. It was Mordechai who refused to bow to idolatry that started the whole Purim story rolling. It was Moshe who brought more suffering on the Jews by his defiance to Pharaoh that eventually led to our liberation. And in our time it is Meir Kahane who rocked the boat and refused to bow to world pressure or Israeli pressure and wake up comfortable Jews with uncomfortable questions. He and his son suffered countless imprisonments for the Jewish people. It is now the Jewish people who are imprisoned and his Torah is the key that will set us free. These keys are now in the hands of leaders like Dr. Michael Ben Ari and Moshe Feiglin. Rabbi Kahane and his son Binyamin paid the price with constant harassment and martyrdom so that now a new generation of Moshe Feiglin's and Ben Ari's even Leiberman's can be given positions to influence without the same hatred. The reason is that by forging Hashem's path and paying the ultimate 370

price, the Rav gave us a new heart. He demonstrated for us how to be a real Jew. He gave us a heart less doubtful and less fearful and showed us the path to freedom. He was the freest person ever to be in a jail. His courage inspired thousands of Jews to be a little bit like him. The Kohen who sprinkles the life giving mixture becomes contaminated himself as he gives life to others. He becomes unclean and abandoned and then sacrificed. But through him Hashem is glorified and we learn to feel with a new heart. (see also Parsha Chukat) Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Chur (Shmot 38:22) Bezalel as a young boy understood the deepest secrets of how to craft the utensils in the Mishkan. Rashi explains to us that the unusual addition of the grandfathers name (Chur) indicates that Betzalels divine spiritual gift was the special reward for the self-sacrifice of Chur . I often ask the question why is Chur given such a small remez (hint) in the Torah? During the Chet Haegel Aaron fearing that soon he will be stoned, tries to manipulate the people to buy time for Moshes return. Aaron is criticized for this by Moshe. 'What did this people do to you that that you brought a grievous sin upon it? (Shmot 32:21). Chur on the other hand did not play games. He told the people straight that they were sinning and must stop. He was stoned. This story, however is not written in the Torah. You will only find this in the Midrash. I once asked Yekutiel, one of the leaders of the movement, how this works. How does a grandson inherit Torah secrets because the grandfather died a martyrs death? He said to me that if I am alluding to the Rav's death I should understand that it is not simply the way he died a martyrs death that was important but that his whole life was one of self- sacrifice. He did not seek a martyrs death yet every day he went out to do and say what had to be done and said without fear knowing that one day he may pay the ultimate price for his actions, but he could not stand idly by. This is the definition of a Tzadik. Why is Chur not mentioned but his grandson Betzalel shows us the details of the inner Temple? One might ask why there is so much written about Avraham and Yacov but less about Itzchak who was the perfect sacrifice. One might ask why the secrets of the Zohar was received by a student of Rabbi Akiva who also died a martyrs death. He continued to follow in the path of his Rav and because of this became a fugitive. In his isolation he wrote the Zohar. I will remain with the question. It seems to me, however that those who sacrifice every day for the Jewish people like a Rabbi Kahane are on a different level that than the rest of us, even though they demonstrate to the rest of us what is humanely possible. The later generations that attach themselves to these great leaders attach themselves to the greatness and are rewarded in their way for continuing the work of Creation. Better to be the tail of a lion than the head of a fox. 371

Chuk Parah and Chuk Pesach (2018) Why does Chuk Parah come before Chuk Pesach? Is Chuk Parah more important than Chuk Pesach or is Chuk Parah a prerequisite for Chuk Pesach? On a simple level one who is sprinkled by the ashes of the Parah Aduma becomes ritually pure so that he may approach the Bet Hamigdash and partake of the Pesach sacrifice. On a more mystical level we need first our body and our life breath before we can attain higher spiritual levels. What however do these ashes really do? Our Maftir reads: ‫ נימות‬-‫לשר‬- ‫פש נה נא נדם נא‬-‫לנ ל‬- ‫תמת ֹקב‬, ‫ג מע ֹקב‬,‫נ ת‬,‫ מה ם‬-‫ יג נכל‬13 Whoever touches the dead, even the body of --‫תמא‬, ‫ ימ קֹש מכן ֹקיה נוה יט‬-‫את‬-‫ ל‬,‫םא יי קֹת מח נטא‬, ‫ קֹול‬any man that is dead, and does not purify himself- he has defiled the tabernacle of the LORD--that ‫ שכי למי‬:‫אל‬,‫ימ יי ֹקש נר ת‬ ,‫מה יהוא‬ ‫פש‬-‫לנ ל‬- ‫מה‬ ‫ֹקו ינ ֹקכ קֹר נתה‬ soul shall be cut off from Israel; because the ‫ אט למא‬,‫ לז תרק אע אליו‬-‫ שנ אדה ל לא‬water of sprinkling was not been thrown upon him, he shall remain contaminated; his ‫ הט רמ אאתו בו‬,‫עוד‬--‫שי רה היה‬ contamination is still upon him. (Bamidbar 19:13) How do we understand our impurity and purity that is thrown upon us from the blood and ashes of this cow? Many years ago I asked Rabbi Glazerson about the meaning of the Parah Aduma. He explained that it represents all of Israel - from the head to the dung - that is all burned on the altar. This seems to be reminiscent of the Shoa. In the Shoa all of the Jewish people went up in smoke regardless of their physical position or spiritual level. On the other hand the passage says this cow is a temima (without blemish) alluding to Israel as also being all temumim. How can we be both as low as dung and also without blemish? In addition how do we understand this impurity (caused by being in contact with death) and purity that is thrown upon us from the blood and ashes of this cow ? If the Parah Aduma alludes to the Shoa and the Shoa was instrumental in bringing about the Modern State of Israel then I suggest there is another way of understanding the connection between Chuk Parah and Chuk Pesach. Pesach is the time of the birth of our Nation. It is a time of Malchut (Kingship). Does Malchut appear out of nowhere or is it a transformation? I suggest that Kingship is something that evolves from a nation state. First we need our own country and Prime Minister. Eventually that Prime Minister makes way for a King. That first king may be a shepherd grazing his sheep today in Yehuda or Shomron. The Mai Nida (water of sprinkling) is 'thrown' upon us. I suggest that in the same way the State of Israel is thrown upon us. Within this State you have tremendous growth and beautiful things along with ugly things; from the head to the dung, just like the Parah. On the other hand there is something without blemish. The very fact of being part of an independent nation state is a purifying factor. A Jew living in the Land of Israel is less contaminated, even though there is every level of contamination within it. The word Mai Nida is in fact the same letters that spell Medina (nation state). It seems to me that just as the Mai Nida and Chuk Parah prepares one for the Chuk Pesach so does the Medina prepare us for Kingship and Malchut. Now that the Nation has prospered and grown physically its time to arrive at the next stage with the addition of a Sanhedrin and Jewish King. The Medina was thrown upon us and it has purified us, and now it’s time to ascend to the Har Habayit with our King and Cohenim. 372

The Temple and the Eved The Art Scroll Chumas writes: “The Torah's frequent repetition of the parts of the Tabernacle and mention of the nation’s role in its construction indicates Gods love of Israel and His regard for its activities to serve Him. Similarly God's respect for such loyalty is indicated by the attention the Torah lavishes on Eliezer's diligent search for a wife for Isaac (Or Hachaim; see Rashi to Genesis 24:12).” 1 What is the connection between Eliezer and the manner in which we donated our belongings to build the Temple? Eliezer selflessly served Avraham and did his bidding without question. Despite his secret desire that Itzchak would marry his own daughter he swallowed his pride and sought the wife that Avraham had requested. In the same manner, the Israelites who were not Cohanim and would not be serving in the Temple accepted their role and secondary position knowing full well that this acceptance would in fact bring them blessing, as it did Eliezer. Eventually the world will also wish to serve Israel for the blessing that it brings. But first Israel must serve God. Serving God does not just mean keeping Jewish rituals, it means a Jewish response in every level. The greatest leaders of Israel were true servants. They served a higher authority despite the consequences. They taught us how to lead by how to serve. Moshe walked out one day and saw a Jew being beaten to death by an Egyptian and asked how this can be? He slew the Egyptian. The Jewish leadership instead of thanking him denounced him to the authorities. David saw Goliath and asked how can this be? He got up and slew Goliath. He also became an outcast and fugitive from the Jewish government. And in our own time Rabbi Kahane. “As editor of the Jewish Press, the Rabbi began receiving numerous letters from American Jews lamenting the often unbearable levels of antisemitism, and the lack of any official help or even acknowledgment of the problem. The Rabbi heard many “horror stories” of beatings, muggings, extortion, threats and vandalism, and was appalled at the lack of any response by the relevant authorities. He turned to the major Jewish organizations to inform them of these incidents, and found to his chagrin that they were “aware of the problem,” but preferred to either react “quietly,” or – more often than not – deny the problem altogether. The answer he was given – that “we know about it,” but “it's better not to react” - brought him to the conclusion that a new Jewish organization must be formed – a grassroots organization, which would really engage with the problem in a way that the “respectables” were too afraid to.” (from 'The Wit and Wisdom of Rabbi Meir Kahane.' Lenny Goldberg) [The JDL was born.] 'In 1969, the JDL received its first major publicity when a black militant named James Forman began demanding compensation from churches and synagogues, for the slavery and other injustices committed against the black people (of course, it didn't matter to Forman that the Jews had historically suffered similar oppression and discrimination, and had nothing whatsoever to do with the slave trade). Foreman contacted Temple Emmanuel, a reform synagogue, and announced that he would be arriving on Friday night to highlight his grievances, and demand compensation (read “extortion”). The reform “rabbis” took these demands seriously and reluctantly prepared for 373

his arrival. Rabbi Kahane, however, realized that Temple Emmanuel was only the beginning, and soon other less wealthy synagogues would be forced to pay up to Forman thugs. The JDL announced that if Forman showed up, they would “break both his legs.” Jewish Defense League members stood in front of Temple Emmanuel with sticks and chains to await Forman's arrival. He never showed up. The media (along with the rest of America) were stunned at such an “un-Jewish” response from a Jewish organization; but although this reputation garnered them much hatred from Jewish Establishment groups, it also gained them the admiration and respect of the Jewish public in general.' (Ibid) Rabbi Kahane was not just another Tzadik who did good deeds and charity. He was not another great scholar who came out with chidushim. I see his name in the Torah associated with Hashem in many places because, like a prophet he fulfilled Gods desire by fixing that which is broken and leading the way for others. Not only did he correct Jewish leadership locally but globally with Russian Jews and most importantly in Israel where his Torah is still alive and continuing the battle for Jewish survival and National redemption. When he arrived in Israel in the 1970's he was persecuted not only by the American authorities, Jewish Leaderships in the USA, but also the Government of Israel. He was put on trial behind closed doors and the Rabbi now began to wake up the entire Nation of Israel. “ In reaction to the denial of his basic democratic right of freedom of expression [The Rav] announced that he would not take part in the trial. His supporters distributed mimeographed sheets in Hebrew and English to the press and to the public headed, 'Rabbi Meir Kahane's Statement to the Court Explaining His Refusal to Participative Further in the Proceedings of his trial.”His statement to the court read: I love and respect the Jewish State of which I am a proud citizen and I would like, too, to respect its laws and courts. But any law and any government must earn the respect of citizens by respecting the rights of those citizens, and a state is not a ruthless master, but rather the servant of its citizens. This unfortunately is not true in Israel today, and my case is a flagrant and frightening example of this tragic fact. I was arrested by the Jewish State and kept in isolation for a month for attempting to fight for Soviet and Iraqi Jewry who both faced physical extermination – as the Israeli government suddenly became Brezhnev's keeper. I attempted to do that which I have done for years, that which the Israeli government both refused to do and also fought, damaged and harmed – the fight for Soviet Jewish freedom to emigrate to Israel. I willingly admitted this and looked forward to a free and open trial in which I could explain the entire background of the Soviet Jewry issue – and the totalitarians demanded that I be silenced and barred from speaking. It is vital that this entire story be told – in order to show that the real motivation of the Israeli government in bringing me to trial was to curry favor with the Nixon administration and not anger the Russians...and – above all – in order not to have the glare of publicity force change in the policy of the leaders of the government. In a free society, A TRULY FREE SOCIETY, this right would have been unquestioned, respected, and I would have been allowed to present my testimony and call my witnesses. If the State differs with those witnesses or that testimony it has the right to challenge, cross-examine and call its own witnesses. This is what is done in a free society. 374

Instead, the prosecutor – a functionary who is at the beck and call of the few, totalitarian-minded who have run Israel for so long that it has become, for them, a private domain – brings into court a pathetic document signed by the prime minister herself, ordering me not to give testimony based on facts, dates, and people; not allowing Soviet Jewish immigrants to testify and commanding the court not to hear all this. ...If there is a problem of security here, it stems only from the threat to it by an arrogant, power-intoxicated clique that has run the government and the people of this country not for 25 years, but for 50 years, and which – thanks to a people that is so apathetic and indifferent to its own fate – believes that there is nothing that it can do which will cause it to lose power. ...I want the Jewish world to remember what happened during the Holocaust period of Kastner and what is happening today with Soviet Jewry, as the Israeli Labor leaders bow to Nixon pressure and attempt to weaken the Jackson amendment...and refuse to aid Soviet Jewish activists. I want the whole world to know this, NOT BECAUSE I WANT TO HURT ISRAEL – I STAND SECOND TO NONE IN MY LOVE FOR THE COUNTRY TO WHICH I CAME TO LIVE FROM A LAND OF COMFORT. I want rather to do this because the State of Israel is being corrupted and destroyed by the signers of totalitarian orders and the destroyers of individual liberties of those who defy them. The totalitarians are not used to genuine opposition in this country. In general, people here are docile, cowed, frightened or bought, and the opposition itself is a pale caricature of the term. Let it be known that there are some who are different. I therefore am respectfully refusing to participate in the proceedings in which I cannot present my case to the world and which, for me, became a mockery and a 'lynch.' I fully expect the government and the court to punish me stiffly and savagely - this is the way of the people who run the State. So be it. But the Jews of Israel and the world must know the truth... [Later at a press conference the Rav's supporters] distributed a three-page 'Declaration to the Court' in Hebrew and English, which he had written in June 1973 while in Jerusalem Central Prison. A moving expression of his beliefs, it began: I am a Jew, and I consider that to be the most important thing in the world. I do not say this out of some kind of foolish secular nationalism or chauvinism; I do not repeat what a Bulgarian or a Pakistani or a Frenchman would say about his own nationality; there is nothing sacred about nationalism at all. But to be a Jew is not the same as being a member of any other nation, and it has nothing to do with nationalism. To be a Jew has a special; unique meaning ONLY because there is a G-d and He has chosen us as His special, unique and particular people – over and above, separate from all the others. ..And from this concept comes a sacred commandment, a holy obligation...“Thou shalt not stand idly by they brother's blood.” This is not a request or a call for charity – it is a demand, an obligation. I am charged with writing letters urging the commission of violent acts against the 375

Soviets and Iraqis in an effort to save the Jews of those countries. I admit without hesitation to writing those letters and I have left it to my learned attorneys to argue the legal question of whether letters which never reached their parties for whom they were intended, or even the country to which they were sent, can constitute a crime. What I wish to discuss here is the far more important question of why I wrote those letters, so the world will understand what is at stake here and what must be done in the future so that we not stand someday as those Jews of 30 years ago – the generation of the Holocaust – and be found guilty with them of treason to the Jewish people. [The Rav] spelled out the logic behind JDL acts for Soviet Jewry and the logic behind his actions, and then summed up: I am not a criminal and I believe that there is not one Jew in the street who thinks that I am. I am, however, a Jew who believes in the Divine mission of the Jewish people – the Chosen of G-d – and in the obligation, from which there is no escape, to love and hear the cry of a fellow Jew in distress... ...I do not want to go to jail and I do not seek to be a martyr. Yet I rejoice that I have had the opportunity to love my people even at the risk of jail and I have not proven faithless to the task. (Meir Kahane: His Life and Thought by Libby Kahane p.400-p.401) These are the actions and words of a true Jewish leader who is a true servant of G-d. There was no other leader to compare the Rav to. He stood on one side and the whole world was on the other side. Just like Avraham who angered the authorities for unmasking its idols or Moshe who demanded freedom not only from the masters but the servants as well. Their example would cause others to live up to a higher standard. Rabbi Aryeh Julius was arrested for bringing an ad about the [above mentioned] trial to the offices of Ma'Ariv. Incensed at this totalitarian tactic, [the Rav] announced that he would read the 'criminal' ad at the press conference. The arrest of Rabbi Julius aroused [the Rav] to issue an emotional 'Statement to the Press:” I weep for Israel, the people of Israel, and the Jewish people. This is a State that was a dream and is turning to ashes. The leaders who allowed hundreds of boys to fall last Yom Kippur because of their fear of offending the gentile...followed in the footsteps of the totalitarian Soviets...How many crimes have been committed in the name of security!...They arrested our people for placing ads in the newspaper and for handing out leaflets to protest their policies ....I intend to violate the Soviet-type law of Golda Meir in every way. I have handed out literature, I will hand it out. I have told people what the Israeli government has done against Soviet Jews and will do so. A law is not holy simply because it is there. A law can smack of tyranny and this one stinks to high heaven. ...It is a tragedy of Israel that the press is a pale caricature of what a press in a free country should be. There is no initiative, no courage, no drive to expose. All these create the elements of a totalitarian state... [The Rav] feared the worst: ...They can silence me with a bullet (and how many others have gone that way) but short of that, let them know that I am continuing to speak to people here and give them the 376

facts. (Meir Kahane: His Life and Thought by Libby Kahane p.403) [A few moments before he was assassinated in November 1990] in this last lecture, the Rabbi (rather eerily) practically eulogizes himself – uncharacteristically summing up his accomplishments, unwittingly hinting to his being shot. Here are some excerpts from his last speech: “..and indeed my whole life has been ideas which were eventually adopted by other people and succeeded. For example, today, Jewish defense is an accepted thing. The concept of a patrol in neighborhoods is an accepted thing today. But if you were around in 1968 when I came out with this revolutionary concept of 'Jewish defense” - the attacks against me and the venom... Eventually, it was accepted and it was adopted.” “And of course, Soviet Jews today – it's a pleasure to see how everyone takes credit for it. I saw that big ad of the UJA, 'We Did It'. Today, everybody talks about the Soviet Jewish issue and how they were helped; and that’s fine. But it was only because we came up with the idea at a time when no one wanted it and they attacked us and we never backed off from it. We never backed away. The ADL handed names of JDL members to the FBI. It didn't stop me.” “ And if today the concept of transferring Arabs is accepted today, it's only because from 1971 when I first said it and kept saying it, and there was wall to wall hatred from Left to Right...You keep saying it, you keep saying it, you keep saying it and eventually more and more people start to “get” it...We really have won the war. The idea has won. Now it's our hope to implement it, and in a sense, that's probably easier than having to convince them to accept the idea.” ...Now [ed:back to the subject of emergency aliyah] it has to be spoken about and people will be upset and angry and fight and so on because they don't want to hear it. I remember once speaking in Roslyn, Long Island, and I said that “it” could happen here too, and suddenly someone jumped up and shouted, “It's not true, you're a liar.” He had a thick Jewish accent, and I saw he was a survivor, and then I understood what he was really saying: “I went through that; don't tell me it could happen here. I don't want to hear it”. That's what he was telling me. That's the tragedy. So you shoot the messenger...If you love Jews enough, you say the painful things which will save them. No concern what they will do to you, that's not relevant..” ('The Wit and Wisdom of Rabbi Meir Kahane.' Lenny Goldberg p.226-227) 377

The Cornerstone of the Temple 2020 It seems to me that the cornerstone of the Temple is vindication. What do I mean by that? Rav Kahane describes the family background of Betzalel. His great-grandfather Calev stood against an angry mob and was almost lynched. Bezalele's grandfather Hur also stood against the mob and was killed by them. He came from a family that had a different spirit. ,‫לרת יעמו‬- ‫לח‬- ‫קב נה קֹי נתה רו מח מא‬-‫ע ל‬,‫ ת‬,‫תלב‬, ‫ כד ֹקו מע ֹקב ידי נכ‬24 But My servant Caleb, because he had another -‫לשר‬- ‫רץ נא‬-‫ נה נא ל‬-‫אל‬-‫ ל‬,‫םא יתיו‬, ‫ מו נה יבי‬--‫ מא נח נרי‬,‫תלא‬, ‫ מו קֹי ממ‬spirit with him, and has followed Me fully, him will I bring into the land where he went; and his ‫לש ננה‬- ‫ יו יר‬,‫ קֹו מז קֹרעו‬,‫נבא נש נמה‬ seed shall possess it. (Bamidbar 14:24) There are very few people that can stand against an angry mob and proclaim the truth of Hashem's Torah. The Kahane family in our own time also has this 'different spirit.' The family of Betzalel must have been considered extremists who stood on the opposite side of the whole Nation and yet by doing so sustained them all. The fact that Bezalel was chosen and clearly displayed the rare gifts needed to build the Temple was a great vindication for this family. It also points out a valuable lesson regarding quality versus quantity. I commented last week regardind Rav Shmuel Sackett's suggestion to bring the Pesach Sacrifice to stop the corona and the reference to Gideon as well that discusses reducing his army to a refined few. It seems that those who truly wish to see the Temple rebuilt to the extent of going up to the Mount and facing angry mobs are of a different spirit. They do not reflect the majority or even the minority, they are of a different spirit. It is precisely this spirit that is needed. When this spirit will be accepted and allowed to fulfill the Korban Pesach, by this allowance in itself it will not only be a vindication for those who stood at the forefront and cried out for years in warning to come home before its to late, and to expell our enemies, it will also bring a vindication for all of Israel for the King to return to us and for His anger to be appeased. In their desire to restore true law and order which begins on the Mount, this small remnant and a small allowance from the masses will provide a type of vindication. From upon the shoulders of those who carried the authentic Torah of the past will come a great blessing to our Nation and their dedication which appeared as fire and brimstone in the past will be understood as tremendous love that stood in the shadows of Hashems wings. Those who see the future by understaning the ramifications of our actions and our inactions will be transformed on that day into artists and artisans that can interpret the authentic Torah just as Betzalel who stood with Moshe. This different spirit is the cornerstone and the father and son that were despised will be that cornerstone 'The stone ('even'/Av&Ben) that the builders despised has become the cornerstone' (Hallel). Only a handful are needed to do the Korban Pesach. If they are allowed to, however, this will be a great vindication for those who fought for years on the front lines to bring our people home physically and spiritually and will result in a tremndous blessing for Israel. If only it were so. 378

The Rebbe's Correction and the Ukraine 2022 ,‫תטה ֹקיהו נדה‬, ‫ קֹל ממ‬,‫חור‬-‫לבן‬- ‫או ירי‬-‫בן‬-‫תאל ל‬, ‫ כב ו ֹקב מצ קֹל‬22 And Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of ‫שה‬-‫םמ ל‬, -‫את‬-‫ יצ נוה קֹיה נוה ל‬-‫לשר‬- ‫ נא‬-‫תאת נכל‬, ,‫ נע נשה‬the tribe of Judah, made all that Hashem commanded Moshe. (Shmot 38:22) Should this not have read that he did everything 'Moshe' commanded him? Chazal tells us that Moshe told him to create the vessels and Bezalalel said 'forgive me Rebbe, but should not the house be built before the furniture?' Moshe responded that he was correct. In fact this is what Hashem had told him. He must have been standing in the shadows hence the name BeZalel (in the shadow). Now if Betzalel knew the deepest secrets of the Bet Hamigdash, why is this particular story told to express this idea? Why does the Torah also draw attention to his grandfather Hur? Are these two points related? I believe they are. Bezallel's grandfather was an unusual Tzaddik who stood against the maddening crowd and opposed the majority to do what was correct and was murdered for his righteousness. His father, Bezalel's great-grandfather was Calev who the Torah describes as having 'a different spirit' than the rest of the Nation. Bezallel understood that it was not proper to focus on the interior things, the pnimiut, the secret esoteric things within, while the main house remains unbuilt. I suggest that one can see the descendants of Betzalel and Moshe today as they stand on one side of the scale, while on the other side are the huge giants of Russia, China, and the USA which was quietly conquered two years ago by China and Darth Shwab with his Woke Minyans from Davos. In contrast to Russia entering the Ukraine this week, a hundred and fifty good Jews entered the Shimon HaTzaddik neighborhood. They protested they waved Israeli flags and they danced, singing that this Land belongs to the Jewish people. While a huge evil empire conquered another nation a handful of Holy Jews reclaimed Jerusalem and their Fathers House. This handful, like Betzalel who descended from a family with a different spirit, is equal and greater than all of the evil empires that are leading the world into mass destruction. While these empires along with Iran and North Korea are free to destroy the world and take their aim at Israel, the solution is to quickly build Hashem's house and let these evil forces be hung on the very gallows they build for Mordechai and those who do not bow to the Haman's of the world. To stand and not to bow but to reclaim and build, this is the purity needed to counteract disease and destruction that is in many ways a result of our moral decay that we invited. Once we begin building our fathers house, then the vessels of the Torah of the Pnimuit will truly shine in the one hundred and twenty seven provinces around the world where Chabbad emissaries reside and will counteract these days of darkness by increasing the light. The Rebbe Moshe stood corrected by Bezalel, if we do not begin with the house what good is all of the Pnemuit? First the House and then the deep secrets that are placed within. This in fact is the biggest secret of them all. Begin with Hashem's House. (P.S. For those who say that this will fall from Heaven, I have news for you. It already did. The year was 1967 and we did not want it. Let's start to demand it now) 379

380

Notes 381

Notes: Prologue 1. Rabbi Meir Kahane : His Life and Thought Volume One: 1932-1975 by Libby Kahane ( p. 209) 2. Ibid (p.210) 3. Ibid (p. 76) 4. With All Your Might – Rabbi Nachum Kahana – (p. 37) 5. For more details see: The Stone Edition Chumash (ArtScroll) – Numbers (p. 903) 6. AHASHVEROSH, ISRAEL AND THE \"RULE OF LAW\"; THE MOSSAD'S MISTAKE; HOW SHOULD THE JEWISH STATE DEAL WITH THE IRANIAN THREAT? Posted by Moshe Feiglin, February 25, 2010. 7. Binyamin Hagaddah Pg 114 8. Binyamin Hagaddah Pg 114 Bereshit 1. 9 Remember the former things of old: that I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me; 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done; saying: 'My counsel shall stand, and all My pleasure will I do'; (Isaiah 46:9/10) 2. Parashat Noach raises the following question: Why did G-d wipe out all of the beasts, birds, and crawling things in the flood? If man sinned, why should the animals suffer? Rashi explains: \"The entire creation is for man, and when man is wiped out, who needs all these?\" That is, the purpose of the creation is not simply to exist, but rather to actualize the destiny of the Creation. The moment there is no purpose (which is the case after G-d wiped out man, for whom the world was created), then the animals must perish since there is no longer a reason for their existence. (See: Binyamin Kahane commentary on the Chumash – Parsha Noach) 3. The letters of this word can be rearranged to spell (B'Avraham) meaning that God created the world for the sake of Avraham, (Midrash) because he was the epitome of kindness, one of the pillars of the world (Zohar). 4. The Stone Edition Chumash (ArtScroll) – Bereshit (p. 29) 5. Ibid - Miketz (p. 249). See also Ner – Parsha Ki Sissa – Kahane Codes – Volume 1 (p. 207) 6. The Midrash Says – Devarim – (p.258) 7. Rabbi Meir Kahane : His Life and Thought Volume One: 1932-1975 by Libby Kahane Chaia Sarah 1. Shla – Shnei Luchot HaBrit 382

Vayetze 1. With All Your Might – Rav N.Kahana (p. 151) Miketz 1. The Shala – Shnei Luchot Habrit (Parsha Miketz) Vayigash 1. The Shala – Shnei Luchot Habrit (Parsha Miketz) Pg. 315 2. The Shala – Shnei Luchot Habrit (Parsha Miketz) Pg. 317 3. The Shala – Shnei Luchot Habrit (Parsha Miketz) Pg. 323-324 Tezaveh 1. The Wit and Wisdom of Rabbi Meir Kahane – by Lenny Goldberg (p.250) * See Below Vayekel 1. The Stone Edition Chumash (ArtScroll) (pg 516) 2. The Wit and Wisdom of Rabbi Meir Kahane (Lenny Goldberg) Pg. 205 3. The Shala – Shnei Luchot Habrit (Parsha Miketz) Pg. 323-324 * “What was most disappointing to the Rabbi was not the ban (he was proud that he stuck to the truth without compromising his ideals), but the abandonment of his movement by so many. Donators suddenly viewed him as a 'loser'. From their perspective, without the Knesset, there was no “agenda,” and funds dried up quickly. In a touching article called “On Victory and Defeat,” the Rabbi described his feelings through a parable. Here are some excerpts: “A tale is told about a Hassidic tzadik, righteous man. As was the custom in the early days of Hassidim, this man chose a life of wandering and poverty so as to experience a life of want and need and thus, understand the suffering of the unfortunate. One Friday the anonymous tzadik happened to be in a small town, and as the Sabbath approached, he came to the home of the towns wealthy Jew,. When the rich man came to the door, the tzadik – who appeared as a typical pauper – asked if he could be granted lodging for the Sabbath. The wealthy Jew 383

scornfully said there was no room and turned the tzadik away.”. “Years passed and the tzadik was now a famous rabbi and teacher, beloved by thousands and famed throughout the land. And once again on a Friday, the eve of the Sabbath he arrived in the same town. This time, however, his presence was heralded with much fanfare, as he arrived in a magnificent coach pulled by six white horses. The wealthy Jew – the same one who had driven away the “pauper” years ago – hurried to the hotel where the tzadik was staying and begged to honor him by offering the hospitality of his home for the Sabbath. The tzadik replied that he would give his answer within the hour and after the rich man left, the tzadik turned to his aide and said: “take the carriage and horses and bring it to the home of the wealthy man.” The rich man, looking through his window, saw the carriage and horses coming and was overjoyed. The tzadik was honoring him by staying at his home! But when he rushed out to greet the tzadik, to his chagrin, he found the carriage empty. Rushing back to the hotel he asked the tzadik in dismay: “Rebbe, why did you send me an empty carriage and horses? I asked you to come for t he Sabbath.” And the tzxadik replied: “I sent what you really wanted. Some years ago I came to your house to stay for the Sabbath and you turned me away. Now, you say you wish to have me. I asked myself: Am I not the same man I was then? What has changed today, what do I have now that I didn't have then? A Carriage and horses. Apparently, that is what you really wanted..” “I must confess to being surprised. And a bit disturbed. Surprised to see so many good Jews depressed and despairing, asking: 'What now? Kach as been banned from the Knesset; what is going to be?' Upset to see that so many have turned the means into the end, they have made the Knesset – which was always only a tool – into the goal. Is the banning of Kach from the Knesset the end of the world? More, has it made Kahane a different person and my teachings any less true? Was the support of Kahane meant for me, or for my carriage and horses – the Knesset...” The Wit and Wisdom of Rabbi Meir Kahane – by Lenny Goldberg (p.250) More Info: [email protected] kahanecodes.com 384

The Banned Torah of Binyamin Kahane (H'YD) 385

386

Bereshit 387

The \"Idea\" Preceded the Creation of the World (1992) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg Chazal say that \"Torah\" preceded the creation of the world, as Rav Yehoshua Ben Levy says: Torah preceded the creation of the world by 2,000 years.\" The same Midrash then compares the creation of the world to the building of a palace, and says: Just as a king of flesh and blood consults with an architect when constructing a palace, Ha Kadosh Baruch Hu, too, looked at the Torah and created the world. What is the idea behind these Midrashim? Being immersed in the mundane matters of our physical and materialistic world, it is easy to forget one of the fundamental principles of Judaism: The entire array of rituals were given to us by G-d as external expressions which symbolize very special inner concepts. If this internal idea is distorted by the Jew, then his act, the \"mitzvah\", loses its significance, for it no longer manifests its true meaning. This is precisely the Jewish problem of today. Our two thousand years of exile amongst the gentiles has turned us from a nation to a \"religion\". We have become practitioners of Jewish ritual without grasping the inner concept,and worst of all: Our Judaism has become rote and nothing but lip service. We have become the type of people who declare in synagogue how G-d is omnipotent, and immediately afterwards ask how can we survive if America won't give us money. This is the tragedy - that the religious world believes in \"mitzvot\" instead of G-d. For this reason the Sages point out to us that the \"idea\" - that is, the Torah, actually preceeded the act of creation. For the \"mitzvot\" are the external, material deeds, and without an understanding of their inner significance, the mitzvot are left sterile, like a body without a soul. As a result, the Jew fulfilling the mitzvot becomes a mere robot and practitioner of ritual. We see this idea again in the building of the Tabernacle, which is also compared to a small \"world\". G-d first commands Bezalel to build the ark, for it is the symbol of the Torah, and only afterwards does G-d command him to build the altar, the symbol of the act or \"mitzvah\", once again proving that if one does not start from the basics, from the Torah, his sacrifices have no significance. For this reason Rabbi Kahane, ZT\"L, HY\"D, chose the name \"The Jewish Idea\" for the special yeshiva he began. He wanted a Yeshiva which did not only learn \"religion\", so to speak, like \"gemara\" and \"halacha\", but one that connected the ritual to the deeper concepts which stand behind the dry halacha. Thus, in addition to the \"regular\" subjects, the Yeshiva also stresses learning Tanach and Midrash, the sources from which the Jew draws authentic Jewish ideas and concepts. Not for nothing did the sages set down for us the following rule: \"Five years old, learn Tanach\". Before a Jew learns the ritual, he must first learn how to think like a Jew. Only then does the Torah he observes become an authentic one. 388

\"Bereshit - Creation or Annihilation\" (1999) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg IN A GIVEN GENERATION, THE ENTIRE CREATION AND EXISTENCE OF THE WORLD MAY BE FOR THE BENEFIT OF A FEW INDIVIDUALS ONLY. WHILE MILLIONS OF OTHERS MAKE ALL THE NOISE AND GRAB ALL THE ATTENTION, THEY ARE IN REALITY INSIGNIFICANT RUBBLE. We begin the book of Bereishit, and we could hope that, at least in the beginning, things would run smoothly. But no: In Parashat Bereishit, we meet one disaster after another - the snake, the murder of Abel, the complaint of Lemech; from the very first day of the world's existence, God's plan of a perfect creation goes awry. Then, to top things off, we conclude the parasha with G-d's decision to destroy the entire world. Evil dominates to such an extent that the Almighty regrets that He created man, and decrees upon the world total wipeout. One must wonder: We had just read about the creation of the world and of man, evoking within us feelings of optimism and great promise. And then, behold, before even finishing the very first parasha of the Torah, everything is doomed! There is a Goal When God created the world, He created it for a purpose, a specific destiny. Man has free choice to fulfill this destiny or not to, and in any particular generation, there may be many who cling to its destiny, or there may be few. Therefore, the moment God reached the conclusion that this evil generation has no chance of fulfilling its purpose in the world, He has no other choice, so to speak, than to destroy it (after giving several grace periods to do \"t'shuva\"). We see a similar idea in our answer to the following question: Why did G-d wipe out all of the beasts, birds, and crawling things? If man sinned, why should the animals suffer? Rashi explains: \"The entire creation is for man, and when man is wiped out, who needs all these?\" That is, the purpose of the creation is not simply to exist, but rather to actualize the destiny of the Creation. The moment there is no purpose (which is the case after G-d wiped out man, for whom the world was created), then the animals must perish since there is no longer a reason for their existence. Here, too, the moment the deeds of man prove that there is no longer a possibility for him to fulfill his destiny, his existence is no necessary, and he perishes. Noach: The Reason for the World But we are still left wondering: All that creation, just for annihilation? All those generations before the flood (a span of 1,654 years) were for nothing? Do the verses at the end of Parshat Bereishit not convey to us a bleak message of destruction and high hopes that have gone up in smoke? The answer is no. Harsh though these verses may be, a verse appears at the very end which turns everything around: \"But Noach found grace in the eyes of the Lord\". In contrast to all the previous verses which give the impression that the creation had been in vain, this verse proves otherwise. And while this lonely verse may appear to be only a small comfort to a world gone astray, the truth is that this one verse is everything. Even if we are speaking about one individual - he is the one who counts. Noach is the justification for the world's continued existence. To understand this deeper, we will bring down what the \"Meshech Chochma\" (Rabbi Meir Simcha from Dvinsk) says regarding another matter entirely. It is written in Tractate Sanhedrin (111 a): \"Rabbi Sima'i says: The exodus from Egypt is comparable to the entry into Israel - just as two out of six hundred thousand entered the land [since out of all the 600,000 who left Egypt, only Yehoshua and 389

Kalev entered the Land of Israel] so, too, did two out of six hundred thousand leave Egypt\". All That Just For Two People?! And the question that begs to be asked is: What does the gemara mean when it says that only two out of six hundred thousand left Egypt. Did not all 600,000 leave?! The Meshech Chochma answers as follows: \"This means that all the signs and miracles wrought against Egypt, the ten plagues, the splitting of the sea - all was worthwhile so that two out of six hundred thousand would be able to fulfill the Divine purpose. And just as everything which was done in the desert was done for the benefit of two people (out of six hundred thousand), similarly, G-d has no qualms about changing nature and exercising His Power and Providence for His children and the world at large - even if they are not worthy of Divine Providence - for the benefit of a few. And hundreds of thousands of evil people will perish for the benefit of a few righteous individuals who believe in the Blessed One's Providence.\" In other words, since the goal of the exodus from Egypt was entry into the land of Israel, and only two people actually entered, it is as if only two people really left Egypt. All the miracles were for them only! This is what we stated earlier. G-d created the world for the sake of those who will eventually fulfill the world's destiny, and He is not deterred by the possibility that there may be just a very few out there who are willing. All the rest are considered a \"klipa\" (extraneous residue), and sad as it may sound (and we see from the verses that God is, indeed, sorry about it), they can, and will, perish. Ray of Light And so we see that though it may appear that the significant people in our world are those who make all the noise and attract all the attention, it is not they who are the focus of the creation and our reality. What really counts is that small ray of light that sometimes is not paid much attention to, but illuminates the world with the light of the world's true destiny. That same \"But Noach found grace in the eyes of the Lord\" is the ray of light which repels the darkness of his generation. He proves that despite the destruction, the Creation was not labor in vain. 390

Noach 391

PARSHAT NOACH SLOW TO ANGER OR ZEALOUS? Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg At such an early stage in the Torah and the history of mankind, the flood pours down and destroys the entire world. One must ask: How does such devastating global annihilation jibe with Hashem's attributes of mercy, slow to anger, and His desire to bestow good upon His creation? Is there not a contradiction here? It is interesting that while many people have \"problems\" with the commandments of wiping out Amalek and cities of idol worship, war and vengeance, no one gets upset when G-d Himself personally obliterates the entire world. Is this not food for thought? THE FATE OF THE WORLD WHICH LOSES ITS WAY There is no doubt that the terrible flood which wiped out the world so early in the history of mankind should send a message home to all those who believe in G-d and His Supervision over the world. And the message is the following: There is a purpose to the world, and without this purpose, there is no reason for man's existence. The world was created for a reason - the crowning of G-d as King by all mankind and observance of His commandments. When mankind strays from this intended path, they in effect forfeit very existence. At such a point, physical annihilation is not very far off. For after the people stray from their intended path, what possible reason is there for the continuation of their physical existence? It is true that after the flood, G-d swore He would not bring complete destruction to the world ever again. Nevertheless, the lesson of the flood remains with us for future generations: An entire world, bursting with vitality and vigor, was completely destroyed because it failed to serve it's purpose in service to it's Creator. It is a lesson taught to us from virtually the very outset of the Torah, for it is so basic. WHAT PATIENCE! Should one who studies the incident of the flood come away with the impression that Hashem is an angry and zealous G-d? Is this the message of the flood? In order to answer these questions, further investigation is necessary. Our sages teach us that G-d blessed the generation of the flood with awesome physical abundance, the likes we have never seen since. G-d wished to provide His new creations with a bounty of sustenance, and bestowed good upon them for 1,500 years. (Let us remember that the flood occurred 1,500 years after the creation of the world.) However, the sad rule, \"And he became fat and rebelled\" became a reality in a most extreme fashion. Precisely because of their great strength, wealth and feeling of indestructibility, the generation of the flood grew arrogant, committing every sin imaginable. In spite of all this, G-d waited and waited, hoping all the while that His children would do \"tsheuva\". But the situation only got worse. 392

So G-d turned to Noach, the only righteous person at the time and informed him that He is bringing an end to it all. Well, not exactly yet. What He did was tell Noach to warn mankind that if they don't do \"tsheuva\", He will bring down a flood to destroy the world in...120 years! That's a long time! What patience! Only when this, too, didn't help did it \"grieve Him in His heart\", and He destroyed the world. And so, what do we have here? \"A G-d of vengeance\", or \"abundant mercy\"? The answer is clear: At the beginning, G-d reveals Himself as a G-d of compassion and slow to anger. Only after all lines have been crossed, does He reveal Himself as an \"angry and jealous G-d\". Is there a contradiction here? Not at all! G-d is merciful, and there is nothing that remotely compares to His level of mercy. But he isn't a \"friar\" (sucker)! That is what our sages in Trachtate Baba Batra (50) tell us: \"He who says that G-d forgoes, shall forego his life\". There is a limit to how much G-d is willing to take, so to speak. G-d bestows upon us an abundance of good, shows us the right way, and is slow to anger. And then His creations rebel against Him? At that point, G-d says: Sorry, (and it grieved Him in his heart - Breishit 6:6), but there is a limit. Flood! While G-d may have \"unending patience\", we must realize that even \"unending patience\" ends. If we insist on rebelling against Him, He will exact punishment. And his \"chesbon\" is precise to the letter - he forgoes nothing, provided we do not do \"tsheuva\". TWO LESSONS FROM THE FLOOD 1. G-d desires only to bestow good for his creations, and even turns a blind eye to sinners for long periods of time, pushing aside His attribute of Judgment which would call for the immediate destruction of the sinner. Indeed, as the verse goes, \"slow to anger and abundant in mercy\"! 2. There is a purpose for man in this world, and without this purpose, there is no reason for man's existence. When man strays from the intended path beyond the point of no return, the mercy runs out. A \"G-d of Zealousness\"! This is what the prophet Nachum spoke of (1:2): \"The Lord is a jealous and avenging G-d; The Lord revenges, and is full of wrath; the Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries, and He keeps wrath for His enemies. The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will by no means acquit the wicked\". The Nations United - A Danger to Humanity (1991) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg And the Lord said: Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language and this is what they begin to do, and now there will not bewithholden from them anything which they they purpose to do.\" (Bereshit 11- 6) What is G-d \"worried about\" here? Is not the unity of mankind a good thing? Today there is no shortage of people who spend their entire lives attempting to bring international peace and unity to the world. And here in our parsha we are witness to the achievement of this lofty goal - and behold, G-d does not see the situation in a positive light to say the least. The answer to this question is expressed in the words of our sages in the following Mishnah (Sanhedrin, Ch. 8): \"The coming together of the wicked is bad for them and bad for the world\". When 393

the goyim get together with peace, harmony and understanding prevailing amongst them; when they share common goals and aspirations - precisely at such a moment it is bad for them and for the world. For the wicked only gather together for the sake of carrying out evil goals, and unity amongst them can only help their diabolical schemes to succeed. Naturally, the maliciousness of their intentions is not always obvious for all to see. After all, what did the generation of the Tower of Bavel in all their unity want, other than to settle the world (\"and they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there\"), bring progress and advanced technology (\"Come let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly, and they had brick for stone and slime had they for mortar\"), and provide urban planning and development (\"Come let us build a city and a tower...\")? What is so bad about these things? Only in the continuation of the verse do we get our answer: \"... and let us make us a name\" (Chapter 11, verses 3 and 4). Behind all their deeds and their unity was the brazen arrogance in their thinking that mankind is omnipotent, as well as a narcissistic aspiration to leave their mark in the annals of history. Such egoism represents a rebellion against The Master of the Universe, and thus He annulled their evil council. This idea was what Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was expressing when he heard Rabbi Yehuda praising the evil Roman Empire for their construction of the marketplaces, bridges and public bathhouses: \"Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai answered him: 'Everything that they rebuilt, they rebuilt for their own needs'\". (Trachtate Shabbat 33) The very essence of the Jewish People is the antithesis to that of the goyim. While the goyim aspire to make a name for themselves in the world, the Nation of Israel aspires to make a name for G-d in the world. Therefore, what the gentile considers to be evil and destructive, the Jew sees as positive and progressive, and vice versa. \"The scattering of the wicked is good for them and good for the world, (the scattering) of the righteous is bad for them and bad for the world\". (Mishnah Sanhedrin, Ch. 8) The scattering of the gentiles is considered a \"tikun\" for the entire world, and thus the generation of the Tower of Bavel was punished. In contrast, the scattering or exile of the People of Israel causes damage to the world, and only their reunification and establishment of sovereignty on their soil can rectify this flawed situation. And so, while unity of the gentiles brings about destruction to the world, the unification of the Jews brings about salvation to the world, for the salvation of the world can only be attained through the Jewish People, because only through us can G-d's Name be sanctified. Therefore, if we want to know when the unification of the gentile will be a positive thing, let us understand that this is only when their unity is derived from their subservience and connection to the People of Israel, and their recognition that \"The G-d of Israel is King and His Kingdom Rules All\". In recent years we have been witness to the breaking down of barriers between nations. The east and west have united, Germany has united, and a united world front stands mobilized at the fingertips of the U.N. Former foes America and Russia have ceased hostilities, and the entire world is uniting under the umbrella of democracy. Let us never live in the sweet illusion that this unity is something that works to our advantage. In an instant this combined front can come and demand from us impossible concessions. This is not some far out vision of doom, for our prophets already spoke about Gog coming upon us - and how can one ignore it! But the fact is that inherent in the unity of the goyim is also the awesome potential for us to bring redemption gloriously and swiftly - if only we have no fear, trust in G-d, and willingly become a \"nation that dwells alone\". By doing so we will merit to see the bursting of the bubble of Gog in our gates, and a redemption without needless suffering. 394

\"They Shall Know That There Has Been a Prophet Amongst Them\" (1997) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg For 120 years, Noach fulfilled G-d's commandment and built the ark, all the while warning the people in his generation about the impending flood. When people would pass by his house and ask what he was doing, he would reply, \"The Almighty said that He is bringing a flood upon the world\". The people reacted with vicious mockery.(see Breishit Raba, 30:7) The question that can be asked is the following: For 120 years, Noach warned of the flood. And what came out of it? At first glance, absolutely nothing! In the end, the flood wiped out the entire world, except for whom? Except for Noach and his family. Not even one person was convinced to do \"tsheuva\". Not even one! Noach's \"life endeavor\" of 120 years was a waste of time. Or was it? The story of Noach provides us with a concrete illustration as to what the true role of the chastising prophet is. Certainly, the major goal of the warnings and admonishment are to direct the people onto the proper path, in the hope that they will do \"tsheuva\" immediately . But in contrast as to what one might think, if the prophet does not succeed in bringing the people to \"tsheuva\", this does not necessarily mean that he failed! A deeper look will reveal that the rebuke in itself has value. If we look at the prophets of Israel, we will notice an amazing fact: Generally speaking, they were a dismal failure. It seemed as if they influenced no one. The people were not interested in hearing them, and did not change their evil ways. Does this mean that there was no value in the warnings of the prophets? Of course not. After all, the words of the prophets are inscribed forever in our Holy Bible. The answer to this question can be found in G-d's words to Ezekhiel when He appoints him as prophet (chapter 2): And He said to me, Son of man, I sent thee to the children of Israel ... that have rebelled against me... and you shall say to them, Thus says the Lord G-d. And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will refuse to hear, (for they are a rebellious house,) so they shall know that there has been a prophet amongst them\". And afterwards (3:7): \"But the house of Israel will not hearken to you...\" Can this be? If G-d knows that they won't listen, why send Ezekhiel out and put him through such humiliation and abuse? And so a new concept is learned here. The saying of truth has value, even if it has no apparent influence at that particular moment. What is the value? \"So that they will know that a prophet was amongst them.\" Even if immediate results are not seen, the value of the warnings are that they manifest the bringing in of G-d's word into the world. The prophet who expresses G-d's truth is giving expression to G-d's actual presence in this world. It is showing us that the world is not \"hefker\" (chaos). There is justice in the world. By so doing, the prophet, in essence, sanctifies G-d's Name. We must realize: Even when it seems that the people are not listening, it is still an obligation to say the truth. Firstly, for the reason given in the Gemorah: \"If before You (before G-d) it is known (that they won't listen) - for them (the righteous who are supposed to rebuke), who says it is known?! (Shabbat, 58 - see in greater detail). In other words, we can never be sure whether or not our words will have an influence, and therefore, we must say them. But even more than this, we must realize that the words may have an impact tens or even hundreds of years down the road, as is written about the prophets whose influence upon the people they spoke to was not apparent, yet: \"Prophecy which is needed for future generations is written down\". Our teacher Rabbi Meir Kahane, HY\"D, saw his major role as one of a\"prophet\" who must warn and rebuke the people. That is, to say the truth of G-d; the same truth which no one else dares to express, 395

thanks to 101different excuses (\"it's not practical\", \"it's not realistic\"). And while at a specific point in time it may appear that all efforts are in vain, such is not the case in the long run. For in the long run, it is going with the truth all the way which makes the real impact on the nation and on the course of history. 396

Lech Lecha 397

PARSHAT LECH-LECHA A Fearless Leader - Six Years Since the Murder Rabbi Kahane, HY\"D (1996) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg The following article was written for the 6th year's Yohrzeit for Rabbi Kahane. When people think of Rabbi Kahane, ZT\"L, HY\"D, they remember a daring and courageous leader who did not know the meaning of fear. His many years of standing in the front lines for Jewish causes in Israel and abroad, confronting empires and well-oiled establishment bodies and enduring along the way constant hatred and antagonism which endangered his very life, inspired admiration in the eyes of most Jews (even if more often than not their admiration was kept in the closet!) For good reason the Rabbi was perceived in such a way. More than anything else, the Rabbi warned us about the illness of our generation - FEAR OF THE GENTILE. It wasn't so difficult for the Rabbi to come up with such a diagnosis. After all, whenever he spoke to Jews (\"religious\" ones as well), he was always confronted with the same line: \"You're right, but what will America say?...\" And thus, there was the need to stress in a big way the subject of trust (\"Bitachon\") in G-d and the prohibition of fearing mortal man. It is fear that has caused us to constantly give in and surrender, to the point where fear of going to war has become a legitimate component in our political thinking. But one who studies the Torah outlook on war (parshat Shoftim) will reveal that the central theme concerning war is the prohibition of being afraid! The midrash (Tanchuma, Shoftim) even says: \"Your forefathers did not fear them - and they were victorious!\" In other words, the key to victory is lack of fear, and faith that \"Your G-d is with you!\" As an example, the midrash brings down the war in our parsha between Avraham against the four kings: \"Do not fear Avraham, I will protect you\" (and this is the source for the blessing in the silent prayer, \"The shield of Avraham\"). And so, when Avraham went out to war to sanctify the Name of G-d and save Lot who represented at the time the side of Avraham and G-d, he fearlessly went out with only 318 men against four powerful kings, and was ready to die in the process - \"I will go out and fall on Kiddush Hashem\". (Midrash Raba, Lech Lecha) This concept is also the \"halacha\", as the Rambam brings down in Hilchot Milachim (7:15) \"And when entering into war, one must lean on the Saver of Israel in time of stress... and one must not fear or be intimidated, nor should one think of his wife and children...and he who starts to ponder these things at war time and frightens himself - has transgressed a negative commandment!..\" The Rambam continues: \"And if he did not win and did not perform in the war with all his heart and soul, than he is like one who spills everyone's blood!\" These shocking words apply to the collective no less than they apply to the individual Jew. If an individual who cannot overcome his natural fears is considered a sinner who has spilled the blood of all Jews, what can one say about leaders whose very mindset and national policy is based on fear of war, fear of the gentile, and tie the hands of the soldiers while they are being shot at!? And so, before Succot last year we saw our soldiers lay bleeding to death before the very eyes of their comrades in battle who sat helplessly by screaming for help, and the help never arrived, because it would have meant having to kill mobs of Arab rioters and murderers - this is all because of the fear of the gentile reaction! If an individual is considered a spiller of blood, what can one say about LEADERS, other than they are 398

downright murderers!! On the other hand: \"And he who fights with all his heart and all his soul without being afraid, and all his intention is to sanctify G-d's Name, it is guaranteed that he will not suffer damage nor will bad come unto him...\" Thus is the case for the collective as well. If we fight under the headline of \"Kiddush Hashem\", \"Emunah\", and a willingness to wipe out the enemy who is desecrating the Jewish G-d and nation, we are guaranteed to win, and the gentile won't dare open his mouth! Rabbi Kahane, HY\"D, predicted all the events that are happening now. One who reads the things he wrote 15-20 years ago could think he was reading words of prophecy. But no. Rabbi Kahane simply dared to open his eyes and see, refusing to be blind like so many others who were afraid to open their eyes, lest they come to conclusions which would make life uncomfortable for them. While others were afraid, Rabbi Kahane was not. He fought - and in the end fell upon the altar of the Jewish Nation, with the confidence that his words were not wasted, and in the end the truth will win out. And if the majority of Jews still don't dare to open their eyes and understand, we the few, the students of Rabbi Kahane will continue to cling to his way, and to carry the torch of truth until we bring the revolution and the Messiah. 399

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