Kahane Codes - Bereshit Shmot

Vayera 451

PARSHAT VA'EYRA Once We Were Slaves, and We Still Are! (1993) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg In this week's parsha, Moses comes to the Israelite Nation with a message of redemption from the Almighty. Moses informed the people that after years of enslavement and oppression, G-d had promised to free them and return them to the land of their fathers. One would expect the people to be overjoyed. This is what they had been waiting for! Yet the response of the people was disappointing: \"And they didn't listen to Moses because of lack of spirit and hard work\" (Shmot 6:9). Why were they so non-plussed at Moses' prophecy? The answer lies in Pharo's command, \"Burden the people with work...that they shouldn't pay heed to false words\" (Shmot 5:). Here is the strategy of all dictators and oppressive regimes. When a person is subjected to oppression, in the beginning he generally attempts to fight it. When this fails he usually sinks into depression and afterwards comes acceptance and apathy. In order for him to be able to dream of freedom and plan a rebellion, he must be able to think, he must have time. The solution of Pharo and his imitators is to burden him with work. Keep him busy. One who toils from sunrise to sunset simply does not have the strength for deep thought when he gets home. Constant work that wearies the body and soul prevents one from contemplating the past or planning for the future. He is condemned to writhe in the mire of the present, living from one day to the next. It is therefore not surprising that when Moses reveals God's promise of the coming redemption, the people hardly bat an eyelid. They cannot even begin to comprehend the vision. Redemption? Freedom? These concepts could not have been further from their minds. Keep your nutty prophecies to yourself! We have to complete the daily quota of bricks! The only thing you're accomplishing is to stir up Pharo against us! This tried and tested method of preventing people from thinking is alive and well today whether it be in democracies or pseudo-democracies such as Israel. But today, with the help of modern technology, the techniques are simply more sophisticated. The task-master has been replaced by the Satan-box known as television. The television thinks for him. Modern man plops himself in front of it and is drowned in a flood of lies, half-truths, and distortions without him realizing anything. He sits staring at the set in a trance as he is engulfed by its artificial, blue light. He is force-fed a recipe of fast moving pictures, arousing photographs, and advertisements amidst blaring music. He is left a confused, debiliated nebish. He is a sponge which absorbs all this. And when not watching television, he has computer games, electronic and video games, movies and disco. He time is filled with worthless activities intended to prevent him from pondering, \"Who Am I\", \"What is my purpose in life?\", \"Am I satisfied with the present situation or is there something I can do to change it?\" The first step towards redemption is realizing that we have not been redeemed yet. The present regime in Israel is oppressive, corrupt, and anti-God. The sinister cabal that rules Israel drugs the nation by way of the media, crushing its spirit with an iron heel as they forge ahead with their demonic schemes. We can overthrow them, but first we must take the time to think. 452

Bo 453

PARSHAT BO Pasqual Lamb and Kiddush Hashem (1991) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg In Parshat Bo we are introduced to the mitzvah of the Paschal Lamb. Unfortunately, like most mitzvot in the Torah, many Jews do not grasp the concept that stands behind this mitzvah. We must always remember that generally speaking, the mitzvah is a manifestation of a particular idea that G-d wants us to internalize. So let us examine this very special mitzvah so that next Passover when we partake in the eating of the \"Afikoman\" which commemorates the Paschal Lamb, we will hopefully be doing more than just practicing sterile ritual. First of all, we must comprehend that the entire purpose of the plagues was to bring the nonbelieving Pharo, who upon Moses' arrival arrogantly proclaimed, \"I do not know Hashem\", to the recognition that Hashem, is indeed, the Almighty. When the gentile states that the Jewish God does not exist and that he does not know Him, and thus he can enslave and torture the people of this seemingly non-existent G-d, this creates the greatest \"Hillul Hashem\" (desecration of God's Name) that can possibly be. The devastation of Egypt via the plagues was to show the awesome power of Hashem - to prove that the God of Israel indeed exists. The plagues were, in effect, the process by which the desecration of God's Name, which was reflected through the weakness of His People, was turned into a sanctification of G- d's Name. After the heavy pounding the Egyptians suffered, it was impossible to deny the omnipotence of the Hebrew God. This is Kiddush Hashem. But for the sanctification to be complete, something else must be done - the offering of the Paschal Lamb. This was the nail in the coffin. In Parshat Bo, chapter 12, we see that each Jewish house was commanded to take a lamb, bring it home for four days, and then slaughter it. The lamb, which was the deity of the Egyptians is taken, prepared and slaughtered before the horrified eyes of the Egyptians, who were helplessly forced to watch all this. As if this wasn't enough, the lamb had to be roasted whole - \"eat not of it raw, nor broiled in water, but roast with fire; its head with its legs and with its entrails\". The humiliation was now complete. The Hebrews, slaves for 210 years, had degraded their Egyptian masters, making a mockery out of their \"religion\". For the sanctification of God's Name to be complete, there is no room for \"tolerance\" of other deities. If Hashem is One, there can be no other! This is the Jewish idea of the Paschal Lamb. The pity of the Jew today (including the religious practitioner of ritual) is his inability to perceive the Middle East crisis as a religious war -- a battle between Judaism versus Islam. While the Arab has always understood this and thus is ready to go to great lengths in the name of his religion (and for this reason they have the upper hand today), the Jew perceives events only through secular and pragmatic considerations. He does not realize that a stone thrown at a Jew is a stone thrown at the Jewish God, and a concession of any part of the Land of Israel is a declaration to the Muslims that our God is weak, God forbid. He cannot grasp that the lack of Jewish sovereignty on the Temple Mount and the presence of Arab mosques is a \"Hillul Hashem\" of outrageous proportions. It is only when the Jewish People comprehend that the \"humiliation of Israel is a desecration of His Name\" (Ezekiel 39:7 - Rashi) and that we are in a religious struggle with the Arabs, will we begin to get real help from Hashem, since only then will He have a reason to take action to defend his Holy Name. 454

News and Commentary We watch in horror as the government of Israel puts into effect the plans which only the cruelest of enemies could ever contemplate. The heart of Israel is already cut into ribbons, and time bombs in the form of sovereign Arab rule are already ticking. The best of activists stand bewildered, without an alternative or clear direction. Therefore, we must understand: There is no way that the State of Israel can on one hand decide to abandon the territories, yet at the same time continue to rule over the Jews who live there, issuing them restriction orders, trying them for retaliating against Arabs, arresting Jews on administrative detention, etc. If they want to pull out, let them - but they should at least get off our backs! There are so many Jews who are still naive enough to think that the government has good intentions since it continues to worry, so to speak, about the security of the stopped judging evil people so favorably, which incidentally, is against the \"halacha\". We must begin to understand that it is only political considerations which prevent them from completely pulling out of Judea, Samaria, and Azza. If they at all felt that the political climate was ripe enough, they would abandon the settlers tomorrow. Therefore it is imperative upon the settlers to immediately declare: We are not interested in your solutions!! Let the settlers worry about their future and their long term needs. Let them take their destiny in their own hands, and in God's hands. Obviously we would prefer united Jewish sovereignty over all parts of the Land of Israel, but if that is not possible at the moment, then let there rise another sovereign Jewish body in the territories - one composed of Jews who have faith in God and the Jewish destiny, and deal with problems, including the Arab one, in a responsible way and in a Jewish way. Only then, will something sweet come out of all the bitterness. He'll Pay for That Grin (1996) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg Whenever an act such as last week's shooting in the Hebron market takes place, we see the question of collective punishment return to the national agenda, and of course it is promptly denounced by secular and religious Jews alike. In Parshat Bo, the subject of collective punishment also tops the agenda, as we see all the Egyptians, without distinction, being smitten by the plagues. As a comment on one of the verses in our parsha, our Sages shed light on the reason why the entire population, and not just the \"bad guys\" were smitten in Egypt. On the verse: \"And the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the first born of Paro that sat on the throne to the firstborn of the prisoner that was in the dungeon\", the Sages immediately ask: \"The prisoner, what was his sin?\" After all, they themselves were captive in Egypt. And the Sages answer: \"Because they were happy with all the decrees which Paro decreed on Israel.\" (Tanchuma, Bo) The sages are teaching us here the Jewish idea concerning a nation which as a whole enslaves or harms the Jewish People: Not only are the specific individuals who actively take part in the terrorizing of Jews punished, but the entire nation, from big to little are also punished, for they are happy about what their countrymen are doing. 455

From the Idea to the Halacha This concept is codified into Jewish halacha (see Rambam, HilchotRozeach U-Shmirat Nefesh 4:11, and Kesef Mishnah, there; Shulchan Aruch,Yore Deah, 158:1. and Shach, there, and more), which determines that in time of war, one kills anyone who is part of the enemy nation. The aforementioned midrash explains the reasoning behind the halacha: When a nation fights us, there are no \"innocent\". There are some who fight in the front, and some in the back, and they are all partners. In what way? The very fact that their hearts rejoice when Jews are killed or maimed (and let us not even discuss those who give cover) is enough for them to be halachically considered as soldiers fighting in the front lines. What are the Arabs Happy About? At first glance, it may appear harsh to punish someone just for being happy when Jews are bombed. But someone who understands the realities of today can appreciate the depth and justice of our Sages words. Here are two examples to illustrate our point: 1. The dancing and celebrations of the Arabs on the roofs of their houses while the Scud missiles of Sadaam Hussein were landing, as they prayed for the \"destruction of Tel Aviv\". 2. After every suicide bombing, spontaneous and mass rejoicing erupted amongst the Arab population, and the mass mourning that took place amongst the \"Palestinian\" people when the \"engineer\", Yiche Iyash, (may his memory be blotted out) was exterminated. Certainly this tells us where the hearts and hopes of the Arabs lie. Even the Palestinian Authority could not overcome themsevles, as they shot 21 bullets while their great hero was being eulogized. And so, do not the words of our Sages ring a bell, especially if we alter the style just a bit: \"Because they were happy with all the bombs that Arabs planted against Israel?..\" Jewish Ethics: Truth and Normalacy And so, when a terrorist attack against Jews is viewed as a patriotic act of the first order, there is no room for pity – not even on the so-called innocent ones. Such mercy will certainly lead to cruelty against the merciful, as the Sages warned us. It becomes quite evident that Jewish concepts are not only G-d's absolute truth and thus should never be questioned, but they are also so brilliantly suited to man's nature. And so it is no wonder then that these values were set down by the Creator of man Himself – and how it differs from the hypocritical man-made values of those dictated by Christian or western culture. 456

Beshallach 457

PARSHAT BESHALLACH \"Don't Cry to Me - Go Forward\" (1996) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg It was exactly five years ago when the Gulf War broke out, and scud missiles started landing in Israel. Then, too, it was Parshat BeShallach, and it became quite popular to quote the verse in our parsha: \"The Lord will fight for you, and you will remain keep silent\" (14:14). Indeed, so many religious Jews found this verse both appropriate and symbolic of the Gulf War. After all, here were Israeli cities getting bombarded by Iraqi missiles, and the official government policy was one of \"self-restraint\", or as the Hebrew term goes, \"havlaga\". Jews equipped with gas masks and cages for their small children sat crouched in their sealed rooms, as missiles rocked the country. \"Everything will be O.K.\", they proclaimed. \"Hashem will fight for us\". That is, America and its president George Bush will take out those scud launchers and all will be fine. A closer look at what the Torah and sages tell us regarding this verse reveal that those who interpreted this verse in the aforementioned manner took the words entirely out of their true context, and by doing so completely distort the awesome lesson that is to be learned regarding the splitting of the Red Sea. \"A Time To Do - Not to Pray\" Firstly, let us see what the Torah says. Immediately following the verse, \"The Lord will fight for you and you will remain silent\", is the verse, \"And the Lord said unto Moses, Why do you cry unto me? Speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward\"! Already, without even delving into any of the commentaries, we see that the picture has changed entirely. The verse is not telling us that God will fight for you and so in the meantime you can \"kick back\" and let Him \"worry about it\". What is said here is that the Lord will fight for you if you prove to Him that you truly believe in His Omnipotence, and so instead of crying to Hashem, simply obey his commandment and \"go forward\" into the stormy sea. The commentator the \"Eben Ezra\" writes the following: \"You shalt keep silent\" - to counteract the (verse) \"And the children of Israel cried (to Hashem)!\" For those whom this is not clear, the commentary on the Eben Ezra explains: \"Do not cry anymore (to Hashem) because He will fight for you. And the meaning is not that you should refrain (keep silent) from fighting\". Yes. The exact opposite of the distorted interpretation that is constantly given, where the verse \"and you shall keep silent\" means self-restraint and inaction. The Eben Ezra comes to tell us that \"and you shall keep silent\" means to stop crying to Hashem. What should you do instead? Act! -- with \"Bitachon\" in Hashem. This is in essence the idea that Rashi brings down: \"This teaches us that Moses was standing and praying. The Holy One Blessed Be He said: Now is not the time to prolong in prayer, when Israel is placed in distress.\" This is also the meaning of the Gemorah in Sota, page 37: \"Moses was engaged for a while in prayer, so the Holy One Blessed Be He said, \"My beloved ones are drowning in the sea, and thou prolongst in prayer before me? He (Moses) spoke before Him, \"Lord of the Universe, what is there in my power to do?\" He replied to him, \"Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward. And lift thou up thy rod and stretch out thy hand, etc.\" Nachshon - Faith In Action The sages tell us that the children of Israel stood trembling by the shores of the Red Sea until God commanded them that they \"go forward\". They remained paralyzed with fear and did not move. Only 458

Nachshon did not hesitate to carry out Hashem's commandment. He sprang forward into the raging waters, but nothing happened. Nachshon was not taken aback. He descended deeper into the water - up to his ankles, knees, stomach - and still nothing happened. Nachshon continued until the water reached his neck, and then he cried to Hashem, \"Oh God, save me because the water has come into my soul. I sink deep in mire where there is no standing...\" Only then did the miracle of the splitting of the sea occur. (Ibid.) The lesson is crystal clear. Together with prayer, Hashem demands maximal effort, for it is only through actual deeds where one's faith is tested. Was Nachshon's faith put to the test when he recited psalms on the seashore? No. Even jumping into the stormy waters was not sufficient, for he still had an opportunity to back out. Only by going all the way in fulfilling G-d's will did he prove he is a true believer. Nachshon understood that saying, \"I believe\" and then waiting for the salvation is not authentic faith. G-d demands of us that we prove our faith by way of our actions, and not just with our mouths. Only by being willing to fulfill difficult, and what may appear to be \"dangerous\" mitzvot, do we prove our faith is genuine. This is the mistake of those religious Jews who sanctified the self-restraint policy during the Gulf Crisis. He who saw the Chosen People scurrying like roaches into their sealed-off closets while the modern day Goliath blasphemed Hashem and His people for 40 days (and 40-1 missiles), and viewed it as a positive thing, self-righteously proclaiming that \"G-d will help\" , does not begin to grasp the Jewish concept of what faith is all about. Not only did we lose our deterrent factor and our dignity during the Gulf War, but we also proved our lack of faith. It is this same lack of faith that has prevented us from expelling the Arabs, and annexing the territories. And it is only a lack of faith that has brought us to the pathetic and desperate situation we now find ourselves in today. These national mitzvot were never \"politics\", but rather the true yardsticks for faith and redemption in this generation. News And Commentary As the trial of Yigal Amir grinds on, one can observe the obsessive hate and hysteria of the Israeli media. Unable to even feign the slightest bit of responsible objective journalism, the Israeli newspaper reporters cannot hold themselves back from viciously cursing and abusing Amir. Words like \"scum\" and \"vermin\" are some of the more commonly used terms used to describe him. Such lanugage is usually not used when dealing with political assassins. In a normal society, words like \"scum\" are generally reserved for rapists or child beaters, and not for political criminals. If this uncontrolled hate was caused by an overwhelming love and sense of loss for Yitzchak Rabin, then perhaps their attacks on Amir would be understandable. But we must understand that there is something much deeper going on here. Yigal Amir in their eyes is a symbol of all religious Jews. He is educated, and idealistic, and represents to them the Judaism that they so despise. Since it would be difficult still to defame all the religious Jews and rabbis without compunction, they find Yigal Amir an easy target for them to unleash their venom in their filthy tabloids. Unfortunately, many religous Jews don't grasp this. Instead, they try to find favor in the eyes of the left by coming up with even \"jucier\" adjectives to describe Amir. In their pathetic hope not to be viewed as \"extremists\" and to create \"unity\", they attempt to outdo the left in their condemnations. Alas, it is a pity that none of this will help. Because the hellenist left in Israel looks upon these Jews as \"scum\" as well. For them, anyone who feels that the \"halacha\" is the ultimate authority, and places it over their 459

hallowed democracy is a criminal. Therefore, let us not try and gloss over the fact that we are in the heat of a cultural war with the Hellenists, and the gap between them and us is unbridgeable. Nachson and Hashem \"Partners\" in Miracle (1998) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg The midrash relates how Nachson jumps into the stormy sea, and as the water reaches up to his neck, the sea splits. We learn here the general lesson that one must follow the path of \"hishtadlut\", human effort. That is, even though G-d explicitly says to Moshe, \"Hashem will fight for you and you shall remain silent\", G-d wants our \"participation\". This is the order of the world which G-d set down: despite the fact He is Omnipotent, He demands the \"acts of man\". And while man cannot achieve anything without heavenly assistance, G-d demands from man that he strive as much as possible by non-miraculous means. By doing so, man fulfills his role in this world. Despite this fundamental principle, something is not clear regarding Nachson's act. We can understand the concept of \"hishtadlut\" when applied to one's \"parnasa\" (livelihood), for example; that while Hashem \"provides nourishment to all flesh\", man must still get up in the morning to go to work, for without this natural effort, there will be no \"parnasa\". The same applies to the wars of Israel. Though Hashem fights for us, we must do everything that can be done by natural and non-miraculous means to fight. In contrast, what did Nachson's action contribute to the sea splitting? His act was not your typical type of hishtadlut! He basically plunged into ranging waters, an act which according to the laws of nature, does absolutely nothing to cause the sea to split! This is not natural human effort; it is more like illogical suicide! And nonetheless, this is what Hashem wanted, as He says: \"Speak to the children of Israel, that they should go forward (into the sea)!\" The explanation is that Nachson's jumping into the sea symbolized what Hashem demanded from us at that moment: not only an act of \"hishtadlut\", but also an act to express bitachon (trust) in G-d. This is certainly something we can understand today, in light of the events taking place and the tests which stand before us. More than once in this generation, we have stood before tests seemingly impossible to overcome. The Almighty has placed us in situations in which holding our ground and not surrendering appeared totally illogical, and even suicidal. Since our return to Zion, our great merit has been that we have withstood the tests, without saying: \"Let us return to Egypt\"; and without saying we must stop building Eretz Yisrael. And behold, in these very days, we have reached the critical stage, the moment of truth, where the argument countering the approach of faith and trust is: \"We have no choice. If we don't give up the territories which G-d gave us through the miracles of the 1967 war, we will be committing national suicide\", or \"fulfilling the Torah commandment to hold onto the territories and expel the Arabs is dangerous\". In essence, the Almighty has placed us in exactly the same situation which the Jews were in at the Sea of Suf. It is a situation of being between fire and fire. On one side, the Egyptian en-slavers; on the other side, the sea. On one side, giving up land and leaving the Arabs here to stay means the liquidation of Israel; on the other side, holding onto the land and expelling the Arabs endangers us by bringing the world against us. Here we need the lesson of Nachson Ben Aminadav. G-d isn't going to split the sea unless someone jumps in first. While He doesn't need Nachson in order to make the sea split, He does require that we 460

do something to express our trust in Him - an act of faith proving we believe in G-d in difficult times too. So writes the Ohr HaChaiim: It does not depend on Me ... speak to the children of Israel that they should strengthen themselves with faith with all their heart, and they should go forward in the sea before it splits, because due to their faith I will make a miracle ... because faith and \"bitachon\" are great attributes, and they tip the scales for the good...\" The Ohr HaChaim continues to explain why a strong act of faith wasn't necessary, since the Jews had just previously demonstrated lack of faith by their saying: \"Let us alone so that we may serve Egypt\". Only after Nachson proved his trust in G-d, did G-d split the sea. That's it. Of course G-d can do it all by Himself, but He \"needs\" our active participation. He wants us to actively prove, through fulfillment of the \"dangerous\" mitzvot in the national sphere, that we trust in Him and believe that He is indeed capable of fulfilling His promises, and will not abandon us. Without a doubt, many feel that holding our ground and not withdrawing is similar to jumping into raging waters. But precisely here is where the test lies - and we know that the sea will split! After all, our generation has witnessed unbelievable victories, against all odds! Only a blind man thinks that such success is due to our own strength. And so, when G-d demands from us difficult actions, and obligates to help us, we must believe Him! And if we wait for Him to do everything by Himself, we will pay a heavy price, G-d forbid. This is our test. The test of faith. Who said it was supposed to be an easy one? 461

462

Yitro 463

PARSHAT YITRO Unity for Good, Unity for Evil (1996) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg So much is heard these days on the need to be united. \"Unity\" or \"achdus\" in Hebrew, has become one of the major \"buzz\" words in the vernacular of the Jew who seeks to offer solutions to Jewish problems. If only we were united, we would overcome our enemies, we would bring the redemption, and simply put, everything would be O.K. Even from the most outspoken and uncompromising types, it is amazing to hear them talking about \"unity\" as the most important thing. And so the question that must be asked here is: Is it truly so? Is it correct that unity is the cure-all? In Parshas Yitro, we find a rare moment of unity for the Jewish People. The moment they arrived at Mount Sinai, it is written, \"And Israel encamped near the mountain\". The sages, noting how the word \"encamped\" is written in singular form (vayichan) tell us \"as one man, as one heart\". What an awesome thing! The Jewish People are standing at Mount Sinai about to receive the Torah, and the Torah reveals to us (the point is stressed in the Mechilta on the same verse) that this particular situation was unlike any other. This time there were no quarrels, no bickering. This very special happening of \"Matan Torah\" was from the point of view of \"Vayichan\" - and they encamped \"as one man\". Everyone is united for one idea and goal. The sages praise this rare moment of unification that has been attained on this momentous occasion, and without a doubt, the responsibility of all Jews to be mutual guarantors to one another is an expression of this much needed unity among Jews, who are called \"Goy Echad\" - one Nation. But there is a tremendous difference between this kind of unity and the kind of unity that the so-called leaders of today babble about. There is an essential difference between the unity of \"one man, one heart\" mentioned in our parsha, and the unity to which politicians pay lip service to. For the question isn't whether unity is good or bad, but rather what is the cause you are uniting around? For what goal and purpose? G-d dispersed the generation of the Tower of Babel because they were united on behalf of evil, and despite their unity,they were branded with the name \"Dor Haflaga\" - the Hebrew word 'haflaga' derived from the root 'pilug' which means a split or a schism. For all of their unity was based around an evil purpose. There was a unity of wicked people, 'split' or separated from G-d. In contrast to this, the unity of the Jewish people that our rabbis find praise worthy and vital is the unity of 'Matan Torah' - when everyone is united to receive Torah and fulfill it. Indeed, not only is the unity a positive thing, but it is a very necessary ingredient for the feeling of mutual bonding of every Jew to one another, and it is a critical component of 'Matan Torah'. Nonetheless, unity of the wicked is a bad thing, as the sages comment, \"The scattering of the wicked is good for them and good for the world\", and unity for the purpose of an evil goals is abhorrence. The leaders and scholars should pay heed to the words that they speak. By preaching 'Achdus' or unity in such loose terms, they are misleading the nation. Even unity has its limits - it must be for the doing of good. It is for this reason that our sages often group and pair the word 'Shalom', with 'Emes', the truth, for true unity can only be achieved when it is based around truth. 464

In these days of darkness and confusion everything is upside down. When you finally find someone who is willing to speak out and take a stand they become popular and comfortable activists. Why the Arabs and leftists don't have such activists I will never know? Modern day Jewish activists like to be 'safe activists' who don't upset anyone on the left or in the middle, whatever that means. They can't call Rabin a traitor because that may cause disunity. They can't define the problems or offer the true solutions to our critical problems because that too may alienate someone, somewhere. So they play politics and lie to themselves seeking some halachic justification for their fears and weaknesses. They forget the first golden rule of activism that it doesn't matter how unpopular we may become as a result of saying and doing that which is right. As \"One Man\" – Only When There is \"One Heart\" (1997) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg Any healthy society seeks unity, since division only serves to prevent society from achieving it's goals. If this is so for all of mankind, how much more it is true concerning the Jewish People. The Almighty chose the Jewish People for a very specific goal: To know Hashem, spread His word, and sanctify His Name in the world. Since this goal is the most lofty of all goals, then certainly unity amongst the Jewish People is a very essential ingredient. From here we learn that the concept of \"unity\" has limits. It cannot be just lip service. Any unity is achieved when there is a shared objective. On the other hand, when different parts of the society have totally different objectives, and all the more so if these objectives contradict one another, there cannot be unity. We stress this point because the concept of \"unity\" today has become some kind of buzzword or blanket statement used by all segments of the nation, where people with ulterior motives throw it around as a slogan to further their cause. \"Unity\" can be a good thing, and it can be a bad thing. On one hand, it is a powerful vehicle to actualize an idea, and to arrive at the goal. On the other hand, it can serve as the exact opposite, for it can serve as a vehicle for the blurring over of the truth, and a distancing from it. This occurs when the goal of unity becomes more important than the ideology itself! That is, instead of the unity becoming a means to achieve the goal, it itself becomes the goal at all costs, and certainly at the expense of the ideology. In such a case, the idea and the goal are conceded and blurred over. This is not \"unity\", but rather betrayal of one's ideology and a losing of one's way. This is exactly what we learn from the verse in our parsha, (19:2) \"And there Israel encamped before the mountain\". Noting how the word for encamped is used in its singular form, the sages tell us that here the Jewish people stood united. Why was this the only place where Israel was able to stand united? Because at the mountain they received Torah! And so clearly, the Jewish People can only be unified when they share the common goal of Torah, since there is no other goal for the Jewish People. Note how Rashi brings down the Mechilta on this verse: \"As one man with one heart (mind), but all the other encampments (before Sinai) were with complaints and with strife\". The Hebrew word for complaints used here is \"Tarumot\" - which is complaints against Hashem. Division amongst the Jewish People begins when its basic goal is questioned. The moment there is \"Tarumot\" (complaints) against G-d, which is a result of lack of faith, then the entire basis for unity is uprooted. The fact is, that in such a 465

situation, G-d forbid if there is NOT a split amongst the Jewish People! That would mean that the Jewish People were, G-d forbid, united around the goal of complaining against and questioning G-d! But since there will always be authentic believers amongst the Jewish people, it is guaranteed that they will \"see to it\" that there will always be such division, which in this case is a positive thing. This is the intention of Rashi saying, \"As one man, as one heart\". After all, why the redundancy? Because the \"one heart\" is vital for unity. There must be the common goal. But if there is not \"one heart\", (the goal), then there can be no unity of \"as one man\". For one cannot throw around empty slogans of \"united we stand\" in order to gloss over a common lacking of national destiny. Many like to point out the words of our sages who say that in the days of King Ahab, there were no war casualties despite the fact that they were idol worshipers, because there was no Lashon Hara amongst them. (BaMidbar Raba, 19) So many want to learn from this that unity by itself without a positive goal can be a good thing. The answer is the following: The fact that no one fell in war was reward for the fact that the Jewish People in that generation did not inform (Lashon Hara) to the wicked kingdom about the prophets who had been hidden in the cave and who Ahab wanted to kill! Again, their unity was around a positive goal. They were not rewarded because they were unified around idol worship. Let us mention here that Hashem's prophet chastised the righteous King Yehoshafat for allying himself to the same Ahab, and joining him in battle: As part of his chastisement he states: \"And Yehoshafat made peace with he king of Israel\". Yes, making peace with a fellow Jew who is wicked is brought down here as a negative thing. (Kings 1, 22:45, see Radak there) 466

Mishpatim 467

PARSHAT MISHPATIM Normal People Think Ahead (1992) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg On the verse in our parsha, \"If a thief be found breaking in, and be smitten that he die, there shall be no blood shed on his account\", Rashi brings down a gemorah that is certain to shock liberal Jews: \"If one comes to slay you, arise and slay him first. And this man (the thief) indeed came to kill you, for behold, he knows that one will not stand there and quietly watch his possessions being stolen. Therefore, the owner, having this in mind that the thief is prepared to kill him, should arise and slay him first.\" Absolutely amazing! In other words, the sages are telling us here that the rule, \"if one comes to slay you, slay him first\" does not exclusively apply to the situation where one has a knife being held to his throat. In the above Rashi we see a much more expanded application of this simple \"halacha\". We see that one is obligated to think a few steps ahead and anticipate what the likely result will be. If one sees a real potential that this person will slay him, this in itself requires one to \"arise and slay him first\". What the sages have done here is to enter the psyche of the house thief, who, knowing the likelihood of resistance, has prepared himself to kill the owner if necessary. The knowledge of the owner that the thief is ready to kill him, even if only potentially, allows him to kill the thief first. How we have distorted the concept of \"if one comes to slay you, arise and slay him first\"! The average \"moderdox\" Jew thinks that one can only rise up and slay the Arab who is caught in the \"pose\" of throwing a molotov cocktail, or one is yelling \"Allah Achbar\" as he chases his victim with a hatchet. He believes that if the danger is not this very instant but rather one hour from now or one week from now, than certainly the law does not apply. What was obvious to the sages, that one must think a few steps ahead and not \"stand there and quietly watch his possessions being stolen\", is not obvious in todays society where \"humanism\" and distorted concepts of morality run rampant. In Israel, Jews continue to passively accept being beaten and humiliated by our enemy, lacking the healthy and normal survival instinct to \"arise and slay him first\". This self-restraint is justified by the logic that the situation is not life-threatening. And so, soldiers and settlers shoot warning shots in the air after being attacked, since the danger, as they see it, is no longer imminent. According to I.D.F. guidelines, soldiers, upon seeing a terrorist must shout a warning, shoot in the air, and if the situation really gets hot, shoot at the legs. Only a Jew already dead is permitted to open fire, since one who reacts beforehand will find himself brought to trial on murder charges. In short, we have learned two important ideas. Firstly, the rule, \"if one comes to slay you, arise and slay him first\", is not limited to a situation where one is pointing a gun to your head, but rather one is permitted to anticipate potential danger to one's life. Secondly, only a nation void of any self-respect won't rise up and fight back. After all, the above Rashi deals with fighting back for one's property. Shouldn't it be all the more so when one's life is being threatened? We must cease to interpret and define the \"halacha\" according to what is comfortable to our western mentality and mind set. We must \"rise up\", as one rises early for the \"vatikin\" prayer, and think a few logical steps ahead so that we can kill the murderous trespasser before it is too late. 468

\"THEY SHALL NOT DWELL IN YOUR LAND\" (1999) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg Several months ago a group of 120 Rabbis from the \"religious-Zionist\" camp issued a statement regarding the prohibition of handing over parts of Eretz Yisrael to gentiles. The five part statement began as follows: \"Eretz Yisrael in its entirety belongs to the Jewish nation, and we are commanded by the Torah to inherit it and to dwell in it, and not to leave it in the hands of any other nation. It is forbidden to allow the gentiles to have a foothold in Israel, as it is written,'do not allow them a foothold', and it is also written, 'they shall not dwell in your land'. Therefore it is forbidden to withdraw from any part of Eretz Yisrael, thereby leaving it, G-d forbid, in the hands of gentiles\". Seemingly, there is nothing new here. Ever since the withdrawal process from Eretz Yisrael got underway under Menachem Begin, we have heard from many sources, including the chief rabbinate, about the Torah prohibition forbidding the handing over of parts of Eretz Yisrael to gentiles. But in this latest statement, there is an addition which caught our eye, and that is the inclusion of the verse from our parsha, \"they shall not dwell in your land\". The Obligation To Expel the Goyim Up until now, it was customary for such pronouncements to only mention the verse, \"do not allow them a foothold\". From here the sages learn that \"it is forbidden to give them (the gentiles) a foothold in the land\" (Trachtate Yibamot), and this is brought down as the halacha. But they would never mention the verse, \"they shall not dwell in your land\", which is a clear prohibition against allowing gentiles to live in Eretz Yisrael while under Jewish sovereignty. Indeed we find that when the Rambam brings the halacha forbidding gentiles to live in Eretz Yisrael, he sites this verse as the source of the prohibition. Here are his words from chapter ten of Hilchot Avodah Zarah (halacha 6) \"But at a time when Israel has power over them (the gentiles), it is forbidden to allow them to live amongst us. Even as temporary residents... as it is written 'they shall not dwell in your land' - even temporarily. And if they accept the seven mitzvot of Bnei Noach, then they have the status of a resident stranger. And we only accept resident strangers when the Jubilee is in effect\". Why did the religious national camp refrain from quoting the verse \"they shall not dwell in your land\" when justifying our hold onto the land? The answer is obvious. During the holy struggle by the rabbis to prevent withdrawals from Eretz Yisrael, they uncannily omitted the requirement of driving out the gentiles. This requirement is the flip side to the mitzvah of \"yishuv HaEretz\", inseparable from and essential to the mitzvah of Eretz Yisrael. There can be no inheritance of the land without a disinheritance of it's inhabitants. In order to avoid this issue, they were reluctant to bring the verse, \"they shall not dwell in your land\". [At this point we should mention that the verse, \"do not allow them a foothold\", also refers to the prohibition against allowing gentiles to remain in those parts of the land which we control, and not just to the buying, renting, or handing over of land, which is certainly forbidden as well. In any event, the rabbis preferred bringing the verse \"do not allow them a foothold\" since it usually connotes the more limited prohibition of handing over Jewish land to gentile sovereignty, and thus avoids the bigger issue of removing the Arab trespasser]. Making the \"Psak Halacha\" Complete The inclusion of the verse \"they shall not dwell in your land\" in this latest pronouncement is certainly a positive development. The problem is that after quoting this verse, and the verse, \"do not allow them a foothold,\" we are told in the very same breath that the conclusion of all this is that \"it is forbidden to 469

withdraw from any part of Eretz Yisrael and leave it G-d forbid, in the hands of gentiles\". That is the only conclusion?? Can we not deduct something more from these two verses? If they are going to take the time to finally quote \"do not allow them to dwell in your land\", should they not take the next step in pronouncing \"that we must drive the gentiles out of all parts of the land which are under our control, and no longer allow them to live in our land\", (and then afterwards they can add) \"and all the more so it is forbidden by the Torah to hand over parts of the land to the gentile\"!? Either Us or Them By now it is crystal clear to everyone that the tragic withdrawal process we find ourselves mired in is derived from the fact that we failed to drive out the gentile inhabitants after conquering the land. It is only the presence of huge and hostile Arab population centers which brings us to the decision that \"there is no choice\" other than handing over land to them. If we would have fulfilled the verse \"do not allow them to dwell in your land\", then we would have been spared the transgression of the prohibition, \"do not allow them a foothold\". These commandments are intrinsically dependent on one another. On the verse, \"do not allow them to dwell in your land\", the Sforno comments: \"On those parts of the land which you conquer and dwell in - they shall not dwell. This was not done in the time of Joshua. As it is written, 'the Canaanites lived amongst them at Gezer' (Judges chapter 2)...\" In other words, our generation made the same tragic mistake as did the generation of Joshua. Yes, they captured the land. But by not driving out the inhabitants, they failed to actualize their conquest and sovereignty, which in effect,rendered their conquest insubstantial. (see Judges, chapter 2) \"The deeds of the fathers are a sign for the sons\". JEWISH LAW VS. GENTILE LAW Rabeinu BeChayei, in his book Kad HaKemach writes: \"It is forbidden to appear before a gentile court of law, but only before Jewish ones, as the Torah says 'these are the ordinances which you shall set before them' \", and Rashi comments: 'before them, but not before the heathens'. And the sages teach us that it is forbidden to be judged before a gentile court, even if you know that regarding a certain law, they will decide it like the laws of Israel. And so, one can only go to a court of God-fearing Torah scholars, as it says \"before them\"... The major substance of the Torah are its laws, and if we do not use them, this is a Chillul Hashem, and he who does not protest against this desecrates the Name of God, and disgraces the Torah of Moshe, and gives a hand to idol-worship.... And so it is no coincidence, that the Israeli judiciary stands at the front-line of the Hellenist camp in this cultural war we find ourselves in the midst of. The recent decisions by the Israeli Supreme Court to coerce the chief rabbinate to defy the Jewish halacha regrading the laws of marriage, kashurt, and \"who is a Jew\" is a part of their overall goal to cut down their natural foe - the rabbinical courts. It is to show them again and again, who the \"boss\" is, what are the values upon which the state of Israel postulates - democratic values or Jewish ones. 470

Truma 471

PARSHAT TERUMA \"CLEANING UP THE MOUNT BEFORE BUILDING THE TEMPLE\"(2000) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg The following are excerpts from a lecture given by Binyamin Zev Kahane, H'yd, 2 years ago, for Parashat Teruma: The parasha tell us \"and you shall make Me a sanctuary, and I shall dwell amongst them\". Simply put, we should be talking about the building of the Beit HaMikdash during this class. Today, religious Jews have come up with all kinds of reasons (excuses?) why we shouldn't build the Temple: It will come from the heavens, or the Messiah will build it, we are not yet worthy, there are no Cohenim, etc.... Each camp has its own special reason. Despite this problem, I will not refute these arguments in this shiur, because as it says on the schedule, the topic of this class is: \"Cleaning up the Mount before Building the Temple\". Because I believe that with all the importance there is in building the Temple and refuting the aforementioned claims, the most BASIC and real obstacle to building the Temple today is the existence of the Arab mosques and Waqk. That is what scares people away; that is what makes the concept of building the Temple sound like some far-fetched pipe-dream. Sure, the Temple seems like a distant fantasy because its been absent for 2,000 years and the offering of sacrifices is so removed from us. But what really makes it difficult to take the building of the Temple seriously is the fact that we know how problematic that place is. The place where the Temple is supposed to stand is the most problematic place in the entire world. This is the problem we run away from. There is a concept in Judaism, \"Sur Me Ra, Ase Tov\" (Remove evil, do good). Last week, for Parashat Mishpatim, we discussed the strict prohibition of appearing before courts that carry out gentile law, and we discussed how the Supreme Court spearheads the Hellenist front. People say that the solution is a Sanhedrin. But that is not a real solution. The real solution is to first undercut the Israeli Supreme Court. After all, what are we going to do - serve a petition to the Supreme Court to establish a Sanhedrin? Of course the problem is a powerful and aggressive Israeli Supreme Court and judiciary system, which many people, including religious Jews find great favor with, unfortunately. And so, saying, \"we must establish a Sanhedrin\" is no answer. The REAL obstacle to the Sanhedrin and any Jewish content in our country is this all-powerful institution called the Supreme Court of Israel. You won't convince anyone by saying, \"establish a Sanhedrin\". It will always remain in the realm of abstract, far off - because there already exists another well-oiled judiciary mechanism, which is the utter antithesis to a Sanhedrin. All the moreso when discussing the Temple. We say, \"we must build the Temple\". But it is a fantasy when you have the very antithesis to it standing in its place. The problem is that people have difficulty dealing with the \"negative\" aspects. They like to do the \"positive\" aspects, as we have mentioned before regarding the building of settlements. People want to build settlements, but don't want to deal with the \"negative\" aspect of the mitzvah of settling the land, which is the expulsion of the goyim. In similar fashion, people like to establish Temple Institutes and to show the beauty of the Temple vessels, and to give the feeling of the splendor and importance of the Temple. Of course this should be done - but if ONLY this is done, there is no way we will make it a reality. First, you must take care of the problem. That's \"Sur Me Ra, Ase Tove\". It is like doing surgery - you have to cut. There is blood and it is messy - so people choose to skirt the issue.But we must do it - we have no choice. 472

We must deal with the desecration that takes place up there. After the \"shiur\" you will see a shocking video from \"Chai ViKayam\" which shows the shocking reality of the Temple Mount situation. It is a must see. Every rabbi should see it. Unfortunately most rabbis will say that videos and TV's are \"impure\". The problem is that we worry about the small \"impurities\", and forget about the big \"impurities\" (like on the Temple Mount) It says in the Zohar, Parashat VaYetze: \"Rebbe Zera went to meet with R. Elazar, and saw him crying. Rebbi Zera asked the shamash of R. Elazar, 'why does he sit and cry'? The \"shamash\" said: 'twice I tried to get near him to find out, but I couldn't'. They saw R. Elazar leave his place of learning and crying on his way home. Rebbe Zera heard R. Elazar say: 'The stone, the stone. The holy and loftiest stone - the nations of the world, in the future, will degrade you and put loathsome idols on top of you to defile your holy place. Oy for the world, oy for that time, oy for that generation!'\" We are talking about the \"evin hashtiya\", the foundation stone in the Temple on which the arc stood. The Zohar continues: \"R Elazar sat down, and Rebbe Zera asked his \"shamash\": 'Go ask him if I can see him'. The shamash entered and said, 'Rebbe Zera is here'. R. Elazar did not react. After a little while, he said, 'let R Zera enter, and you sit outside'. Rebbe Zera entered. He prostrated himself before him. R. Elazar kicked him and said, 'arise from your bowing and sit regular'. He sat in his usual manner. Rebbe Zera asked him: 'what were you crying about?' He said, 'On a great tragedy that will take place. I saw that the holy stone from which the world was created; the stone which Yaakov's head rested upon, and on which the Almighty built His House upon for the Divine Presence to rest - I saw that on this stone, it is destined in the future to be degraded by the nations, and upon it will be their corpses. Who won't cry? Oy to the world, oy to that time, oy to that generation. \" We are talking about the impurity (\"tooma\") on the place of our holiest site. We know that the Temple Mount today has indeed become a cemetary for the Arab corpses. Abdullah, king of Jordan is buried there. The flag of Jordan waves on the Temple Mount. In short, they have deliberately put a lot of \"tooma\" there. Throughout history, the forces of \"tooma\" have been attracted to the Temple Mount. After the Bar Cochba rebellion, Hadrian built a temple for idols; the Christians and the Muslims afterwards. Our sages didn't just cry about the \"churban\" (destruction), but they also cry about the foreign intruders and impurities which permeate the area. In Sefer HaMitzvot, the Rambam brings down that we are forbidden to plant trees on the Temple Mount, even if it is for beautifying the area. Today we know that the area is full of trees and grass, so that the Arabs can have their picnics. When David fought the wars of Israel, he conquered areas outside of Israel (Aram Zova and Aram Naharayim), but neglected the Yevusites in Jerusalem. The Sifri says: \"The area of My palace you didn't conquer, and you go and fight Aram Zova?\". But David DID conquer Jerusalem, as we see in Shmuel Bet, so why is Hashem saying he didn't conquer it? But the answer is that he left the Yevusites \"autonomy\". Despite the fact that the Yevusites were resident strangers, it was not considered conquering them, because he left them with self-rule on the Temple Mount. It is like today, where we build and build on the outskirts, but \"near My palace, you didn't conquer\". If we don't talk about the need to remove the disgrace, we arrive at absurd conclusions. Here is an article by someone who suggests building the Temple in the area of the Kotel. He says this will \"neutralize the hostility\" between the nations. All this is a symptom of the sickness of not talking about the mosques. It's not nice to talk about dismantling them, or blowing them up, or moving them. But their presence is what deters most people from thinking about building the Temple. Here is another idea written here: We needn't dismantle the mosques, but rather we can have a kind of dual-condiminium 473

concept - maybe build the Temple on the second floor of the mosque...(laughter) All this stems from the sickness that we don't want a confrontation. So we have the hugest contradiction in the world: the holiest site contains the greatest \"tooma\". So we evade the issue. If you don't settle problems and contradictions, the results are absurd and ridiculous ideas. We see this in all areas of life here. My father wrote an entire book on the subject called, \"Koo-Koo Land\", to depict the insanity. Today, the situation is much worse. As I researched through the articles on the Temple Mount, I asked myself: what happened to all that awakening which had been taking place ten years ago in regard to ascending Har HaBayit, etc. There had been the beginning of a real awakening in the subject. Chai ViKayam had been going up, breaking through. Others were going up.. What happenend to it all. Why has it faded? People go up the Mount still, but less than before. But there is no progress. When Chai ViKayam started, they had an intention to force the issue much further, but things got stuck, everything is stuck... Question: But we must go up still, it helps.. Kahane: I say that as a rule, ascending the Mount through degradation won't help us. People should go up the Temple Mount, if that's all there is, people should do it. But I think that such activities won't light the fire, won't elevate, or have any revolutionary impact. This goes for all the activities taking place on the national front. Everything is stuck. For twenty years we have had the \"Aliyot\" to the Mount, and there is no progress. Therefore, we must contemplate why. I say that we are not in the galut, and we can't act as if we are. To go up to the Temple Mount, to present our Tiudat Zehut, to be frisked, to be escorted by the Waqk - it's a degradation! We already supposedly passed the stage of degradation. We are not supposed to be a generation of degradation. Though we are, it is not supposed to be. The Almighty returned us to Eretz Yisrael in order to blot out the desecration of His Name. And the Beit HaMikdash won't be built via degradation. The State of Israel wasn't established through degradation, but through mighty heroism and self-sacrifice of Jews who fought and fell on Kiddush Hashem. Beit Mikdash can't be built through anything less. It won't be built via \"understandings\" with the Waqf, which is the plan of many mistaken Jews. It just doesn't go together. Question: What's the alternative? Kahane: That's a big question. The alternative is mighty deeds, Kiddush Hashem. I know the alternative. I'm not leveling complaints against anyone. But we must know that there is a lack of self-sacrifice today, and I know that even being one of the few who ascend the Mount under the present conditions is self-sacrifice, too. But it's not enough. The Almighty demands a great deal more of us. This is why everything that has been tried up to now has not worked - Hashem is not letting it work, because he wants greater \"msirut nefesh\". I'm not better than anyone else, but this is how I understand the realities of the situation... 474

The Grandest Mitzvah of Them All Faces Total Blackout (1994) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg It seems as if every year when Parshat Teruma rolls around, rabbis all over the world become hard- pressed for their sermons. Sermons, after all, must be \"relevant for our times\". And what could be less relevant for our times than the laws of the Temple, sacrifices, and ritual purity? One third of all the mitzvot of the Torah are dependent upon the building of the Temple, yet this mitzvah is absolutely ignored by so many religious Jews. Yes, there is such a mitzvah, and this Shabbat we read it: \"and they small make a Temple; that I may dwell among them.\" A positive commandment that is emphasized no less than laying tefilin or eating matzoh on Passover. Waiting for Messiah One of the leading arguments preventing Jews from taking this commandment seriously is that we must wait for the Messiah first. In other words, the mitzvah of building the Temple is not incumbent upon us, but rather upon Messiah. Is this really so? Let us take a look at the words of the Rambam at the very beginning of \"Hilchot Bait HaBechirah\": \"It is a positive commandment to construct a House for God, prepared for sacrifices to be offered within. We (must) celebrate there three times a year as it is written, 'and you shall make me a Temple'.\" Is the Rambam limiting this mitzvah to Messiah? No. No one in their right mind can take this mitzvah, or any other mitzvah for that matter, and claim that the Messiah has some kind of exclusivity over it. The mitzvot were given so that the Jewish People can fulfill them, and God forbid we dismiss ourselves from even one mitzvah by passing it on to someone else, no matter how great that someone might be. But at the end of \"Hilchot Milachim\", the Rambam writes: \"The Messiah will eventually arise... and build the Temple in its place and gather the dispersed of Israel\". This is an apparent contradiction to the Rambam's own words in \"Hilchot Bait Habechirah\". The fact is, there is no contradiction. In \"Hilchot Milachim\" the Rambam does not tell us that it must be that the Messiah build the Temple, but rather that if it is not already built (either because of the Jewish People's criminal negligence, or because the redemption will come so swiftly that we will not have time to build it - this being an irrelevant scenario in our times), then he will build it. Other commentators explain that Messiah will build the Temple according to the futuristic plans outlined in the Book of Ezekhiel, since the description is incomprehensible to us, and we, until then, should build the Temple according to the designs of the Second Temple. But most important are the words of the \"Kesef Mishnah\" (who is Yosef Kairo, the author of the Shulchan Aruch) who comments on the Rambam's writings in \"Hilchot Milachim\": \"This chapter and the one after (which deals with the subject of Messiah) is to strengthen the faith about the coming of Messiah, and one should not draw halachic conclusions from it.\" If one is not yet convinced, here are the words of the Rambam in \"Egeret from Yemen\": \"The mitzvot (all of them) do not depend on the coming of Messiah, but rather we are obligated to immerse ourselves in Torah and mitzvot and try to perform them to perfection, and after doing what we have been obligated to do, if God allows us, or our children, or our children's children to merit to see Messiah, all the better. And if not, we have not lost a thing, but rather we benefited by doing what we were obligated to do.\" The Temple Coming Down From the Heavens The second argument against building the Temple today dismisses even the Messiah from taking 475

action. We are taking about the argument that the Third Temple will come down from the heavens, ready and built. First of all, simply put, such an approach automatically cancels many of the 613 mitzvot given by the Torah! In addition, since when do we rely on Aggadic sources to determine halachic matters? It must be understood that when a midrash or Aggadic source mentions a Third Temple coming down from the sky, it is not teaching us the practical (\"LaMayse\") or operational aspect of the mitzvah, but rather comes to convey to us an idea that goes beyond the \"dry\" halacha. Most sages explain that the idea intended here is that once we start to build the Temple (notice how they weren't so quick to give up on such an important mitzvah), G-d will bring down His Divine Presence upon it. The \"Third Temple In the Heavens\" represents the spiritual aspect of the physical Temple down on earth. This same concept of a Temple above to coincide with the Temple below is also mentioned in Aggadic sources concerning the building of the Tabernacle by Moses, and after the construction of the first Temple by Solomon. Bringing 200 Mitzvot Back to Life Perhaps it would not be so bad if our inactivity and lack of awareness to fulfill this mitzvah caused the Temple Mount to stand empty. But that is not the case. In the absence of Jewish presence there is Muslim occupation of the site. The vacuum created by lack of sanctification of G-d's Name has been filled by a terrible desecration of God's Name. Jews go to the \"Kotel\" and ignore the Muslim domes above their heads and are oblivious to the wailing of the jackals that blare from the loudspeakers five times a day. Every generation is obligated to build the Holy Temple (see \"Ohr HaChayim\" on the verse, \"and they shall make a temple...\") and the conquest of the Temple Mount 28 years ago gives our generation an unprecedented opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah. It still is not too late. Removing the Mosques: Part One of the Mitzvah of Building the Temple (1996) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg On the verse, \"and you shall make me a sanctuary\", the Ohr HaChaim writes: \"And by saying, 'you make shall me a sanctuary' - it is a mitzvah for all times\". The Rambam writes in Chapter 1 of \"Hilchot Bet HaBicheira\": \"It is a positive commandment to construct a House for G-d, as it is written, 'and you shall make me sanctuary...\" We have discussed this subject on numerous occasions, and we will continue writing about how the mitzvah of building the Temple is an unconditional commandment, not dependent on Moshiach, and not on the nation's \"level\". Certainly we will continue to address all the other arguments and lame excuses that have enabled Jews to dismiss themselves from this vital mitzvah. But in this article, our goal is not to deal with the different arguments which oppose the building of the Temple in our days. A reason for this is that in recent years, more and more people have become aware of the Temple and the Temple Mount. The irrelevant arguments preventing Jews from building the Temple and entering the Temple Mount have been refuted in the hearts of many, as heightened awareness of the subject has caused Jews to study the subject in halachic depth. More and more people are beginning to understand that unless we are absolutely under compulsion (as was the situation for 1800 years when we did not have sovereignty in the Land of Israel), there are no excuses for canceling any mitzvah from the Torah, including the grand mitzvah of building the Temple, of which another 200 mitzvot are dependent upon. The moment the opportunity to build the Temple returned to us, then the 476

mitzvah, \"and you shall make me a sanctuary\" also returned to become an obligation, no different than laying tefilin. But before we can pick up the mortar and bricks to start fulfilling the awesome mitzvah of building the Holy Temple, there is a problem. It is on this problem we shall now concentrate, for it certainly is a precondition for building the Temple. We are talking about the terrible \"Hillul Hashem\" (Desecration of G-d's Name) that is created by the existence of the Moslem Mosques on the Temple Mount, precisely upon the place where the Holy of Holies once stood. We are speaking about the fact that while Jews are forbidden to pray or to exhibit signs of sovereignty there, the Arab jackals desecrate the site, blasting their loudspeakers five times a day, turning the place into their national and spiritual center, the hotbed for incitement and Jew-hatred. Let us not make the same tragic mistake concerning the Temple Mount that the YESHA settlement leaders made. What mistake are we referring to? Since the very beginning of the Gush Emmunim settlement movement, Rabbi Kahane, HY\"D, warned and pleaded that if we do not deal with the other (\"negative\") side of the mitzvah of \"Yishuv HaAretz\" – that is if we do not expel the gentiles, than G-d forbid, the settlements will not last, as the Torah explicitly says. But his warnings fell on deaf ears. The settlement leaders preferred dealing in the \"positive\" aspects of \"Yishuv HaAretz\", not wanting to jeopardize public support by discussing the Arab threat. The results we see today: The Arabs arose, the left labeled all the settlers as \"extremists\" anyway, etc., etc. It appears that the exact same mistake is in danger of being repeated concerning the Temple Mount. The desire to be accepted by larger segments of the public and to expand existing circles has prevented all talk about the removing of the terrible reproach that is represented by the mosques on the Temple Mount. There is a difference, though. On the subject of \"Eretz Yisrael\", the settlers were able to settle the land, and temporarily ignore (with the help of their illusions) the Arab powder keg that laid planted beneath the entire settlement enterprise. But regarding the Temple Mount, even this is impossible. What will they do? Build the Temple on the second floor of the mosque?? The removal of the mosques is an obligation that precedes the obligation of building the Temple. First, one must \"remove from evil\" (\"Sur MiRah\"), before he can \"do good\". (\"Ase Tov\") And so, we must speak about removing the mosques just as we speak about building the Temple. What are we afraid of? They will label us as fanatics? They do it anyhow! 477

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Ki-Sissa 479

PARSHAT KI-TISSA The Seven Canaanite Nations - a People Or a Concept? (1994) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg At the end of Parshat Ki-Tisa, God prepares the Jewish people for their entry into the land of Israel (which awaited them shortly if not for the subsequent sin of the spies), and we see the following commandment: \"Observe thou that which I am commanding thee this day, behold, I am driving out before thee the Amorite, and the Cananite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goes, lest they be for a snare in the midst of thee.\"(34:11,12) The children of Israel are about to set foot into the land of Israel, which is heavily populated by several different nations. God does not ignore the fact (like we do today) that there is a definite \"Canaanite problem\", and he gives the solution straight up: The Jews must give the Canaanite nations three possible options: (see Rambam, Hilchot Milachim, Chapter 6 regarding the three letters that Joshua sent) 1. To accept the fact that the Jewish people are taking over their land even before the Jews enter, and then they can remain in the land as long as they agree to the conditions of obeying the seven Noachide Laws, taxes, and servitude. 2. If this is unacceptable to them, they have the right to leave the country immediately. 3. Their final option is to stay and fight to prevent the Jews from settling the land, and the halacha regarding their entire population of men, women, and children is: \"And thou shalt not allow a soul to live.\" After being defeated in war, they are not permitted to \"regret\" or change their minds and say: Wait, we made a mistake and we are willing to give up and accept the first option. For they have already surrendered their right to remain and live in Israel. That isn't Kahane speaking, that is the Bible. A Fifth Column The great commentator the Abarbenel, on the aforementioned verse, comments on this final commandment which prohibits the making of a pact with the nations of the land after they have been defeated in war, and explains the reasoning behind it: \"Because after they (the Jewish People) took the land from them, there is no doubt that they will seek to do evil to the Jews. For this the verse says, 'the land whither you goest', meaning because you, the Jews, came to this land and took it from its inhabitants; you stole and conquered it, how can they ever make a covenant of peace and love with you?! In other words, if there is a war (with enemies from outside), they will join your enemies and fight against you.\" Here, the Abarbenel has taught us a tremendous lesson by entering the psyche of the conquered nation. The halachic prohibition of making a covenant with the inhabitants of the land who fought against you and tried to prevent you from settling the land is derived from a very logical consideration which takes into account the natural feelings of the nations from which the land was conquered. For a nation which believes with all its heart that we stole their land will never comes to terms with such a situation, and will forever wait for the day when he can take his land back. Even if today he realizes that he hasn't the opportunity to overcome the Jews and even shows signs of accepting the way things are and even smiles at us, he will join the enemy as a fifth column. How can one ignore these very troubling, but 480

very natural and normal feelings that fester in the hearts of the \"loser\" - feelings that will be carried over to the children, who become even more frustrated than the parents. For this reason the halacha comes to tell us that we must drive out those nations who refuse to accept Jewish rule and our conditions. The moment they engage in war with us and lose, they will never stop yearning and aspiring to take back the land they see as theirs. History Repeats Itself The Abarbenel pulls the rug out from all of those who babble about laws only applying to the Seven Nations. According to logic and reason, there is absolutely no difference between the Seven Nations and the Ishmaelites today. They rose up against us and tried to drive us into the sea. They wage a cruel war, and unleash vicious terror in their struggle to wipe us off of the face of the earth. In so doing, they have become the \"Eighth Nation\", joining the list of the original seven, for the same concepts hold concerning them. (Similar things can be seen in Trachtate Avoda Zara, 20, Tosfos, and in many other laws whose origin is from the Torah, yet are applied to all nations since the codifiers did not see a reason to differentiate between them and the Seven Nations.) How Should a Jewish Government Behave? Can there be the slightest doubt that the words of the Abarbenel also apply to the Ishmaelites of today in Israel, who after their defeat, \"seek to do evil to the Jews\", and will always wait for that great day when they can actualize their vision of \"slaughter the Jews\"? Can there be any value to a treaty with them, other than enabling them to buy time and get stronger until the moment arises when they are confident enough to try and massacre all of us? a true Jewish government would carry out the last part of the letter sent by Joshua to the Canaanites giving them the option of fleeing for their lives, or suffering the consequences! WHEN DO WE CARE WHAT THE GOYIM WILL THINK? (1999) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg After the sin of the golden calf, God decides upon a most severe punishment: the annihilation of the Jewish People. At that point, Moshe Rabeinu steeps himself in prayer in an effort to abolish the decree. What was the argument Moshe used in order to remove the terrifying decree? \"Why should the Egyptians speak, saying: For evil did He bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth\". In Parashat Eikev as well (Dvarim, 9:28), Moshe retells the episode: \"Lest they say...because the Lord was not able to bring them into the land (of) which He promised unto them...\" In other words, when Moshe understood that the sin was so great and ran out of statements of defense, the \"clincher argument\" he called upon to prevent the annihilation of Israel was, in essence, \"what will the goyim say\". In the sin of the spies episode, as well, God decides to wipe out Israel. There, too, interestingly enough, Moshe uses the same argument to nullify the decree: \"And the Egyptians will hear...and the nations which have heard of the fame of Thee will say: because the Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which he swore to them, therefore He has slain them in the wilderness\" (BaMidbar, 14:13-16) 481

And so the question that begs asking is: That's the reason Israel was not wiped out? Only because, \"what will the goyim say\"?? And without this, it's OK to wipe them out? In Denial From here we learn a basic tenet of Judaism regarding Am Yisrael which must be repeated a thousand times over: The Name of God and of Am Yisrael is connected to one another in a direct way. It is a connection that cannot be severed. This is why the degradation of the Jewish People is a degradation of His Holy Name, and the elevation of the Jewish People is a sanctification of His Name. Deep in the recesses of their consciousness, the goyim have always sensed since the beginning of history, that the Jewish People are tied to the true God. But it is difficult for them to come to terms with this. They have always tried to deny this, but it is precisely their hysterical denials which bear out this point. Their obsessive hate for Jews, and their attempts to replace the Jews as the chosen ones - from Esau to Pharo to Nebuchadnezer to Christianity, until the Germans and Arabs of today - all this is proof that their conscious gives them no rest. This is the deeper understanding of the saying: \"Esau hates Yaakov\", which is manifested today in a phenomenon coined \"anti-Semitism.\" This is why whenever the Jews were weak and oppressed, the goyim felt like winners. Pharo saw it that way when he oppressed \"bnei Yisrael\"; the Romans saw the destruction of the Temple as a victory of their god over the God of Israel; and in the same fashion the Christians explained from a theological standpoint why the Jews suffered in the long exile. This historical pattern is no coincidence. It is a law of nature which God set down at the very core of the creation: it is part of the eternal and uncompromising struggle of mankind - will man acknowledge the Lord of Israel or won't he. The Eternal Connection For this reason, when God informed Moshe of his intention to wipe out Israel, Moshe \"reminded\" Him that even if Israel's deeds justify such a punishment, and even if the merit of the fathers is not enough to atone for such a severe sin - Hashem \"cannot\" go through with it! For the moment Hashem, God forbid, erases Israel from the map, He simultaneously, so to speak, erases His own Name, since it is directly connected to that of Israel's. This is the meaning of, \"why should the Egyptians say\". In this case, what they have to say is critical. For their perception that the god of Egypt is strong and the God of Israel hasn't the strength to sustain His people is proof that He, himself, doesn't exist. We are talking about a \"Hillul Hashem\" (desecration of His Name) in the deepest sense. When Does God \"Live\"? In Parashat Shlach, following the sin of the spies, God says something to Moshe which is simply amazing. Immediately after God tells Moshe, \"I have pardoned, according to thy word\", (that is, I forgive them for the reason you mentioned) the verse continues, \"but truly, as I live...\" The Gemorah in Tractate Brachot says: \"Which teaches us that the Almighty told him: Moshe, you have made Me live with your words\". If the Gemorah didn't say it, we would never dare say such a thing. Hashem is saying to Moshe: By \"preventing\" Me from wiping out Israel, you have made Me come to life! Why? Because if I had destroyed Israel, then I, too, so to speak, would not have existed. This is Hillul Hashem in the literal sense of the word - Hillul (desecration) being derived from the hebrew word \"halal\", which means vacuum or empty. Hashem would have been \"emptied\" from the world! 482

This lesson should be with us when we try to understand the events taking place in this generation. God promised that even if we are not worthy, we will still be redeemed. Why? The prophet Ezekhiel says (36): \"Not for your sakes shall I do this, but for My Holy Name's sake which you have profaned among the nations\". This is precisely the idea Moshe told Hashem in Parashat Ki-Tisa and Parashat Shlach. God's Name is tied to our name, and thus, He cannot destroy us. For the same reason he must redeem us from the depths, and raise us high. 483

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Vayechel-Pekudi 485

PARSHOT VAYAKHEL – PIKUDEI A TIME TO BUILD Parshiyot Vayakhel and Pekudei are basically repetitions of the material which was previously covered in parshiyot Terumah and Tezaveh. This naturally gives rise to an often asked question: How can our Torah, which we know is never redundant, go ahead and \"waste\" so much space on all of these extra verses? Why not simply state, \"and the bnei Yisrael did as Moses commanded them\", as is frequently done in the Torah? It is also important to note that even in the description itself of the Tabernacle and its vessels, the Torah is uncharacteristically verbose. Furthermore, these portions are only an introduction to the book of Vayikra, which deals primarily with topics related to the tabernacle and offerings. And yet, despite it all, most of us feel completely detached from these portions of the Torah. We can't seem to relate to them, despite the fact that over one third of the mitzvot are connected to the subject of the Temple and sacrifices. Lost Proportions In light of these facts, it must be concluded that our sense of proportion regarding what Judaism considers truly important has been badly distorted. While this Torah sheet often expounds upon basic ideas and concepts which in this lost generation have become so foreign to us, what we see now is that even the mitzvot themselves have become foreign to us, and the Torah has been reduced to it's bear minimum. The reason that the Torah allocates such a hefty portion to the Temple and the sacrifices, is because these subjects are so central to the living of a true Jewish life. It is curious that when the Torah devotes a lot of space pertaining to the details of other mitzvot, no one sees this as strange. On the contrary, many feel that indeed, more space should be allotted to the explanations of various mitzvot. Why? Because people understand that without the mitzvot, there is no Torah. But this is precisely the problem. While everyone understands that there is no Judaism without mitzvot, many do not grasp the fact that the Temple and sacrifices are also essential to Judaism, and without them, there really is no Judaism. The Holy Temple In Our Days Only now can we begin to address the issue of our obligation to rebuild the Temple and renew the sacrifices. In general, this idea is met with immediate opposition. There are no shortage of excuses, each camp offering it's own explanation why we can't build the Temple today. Some say: \"The Temple will fall from the sky, and it is none of our business\". Others claim: \"The Temple is a project for the Messiah\". And then there is this gem: \"We are on too low a level to deal with such a lofty topic\". And there are more. A Mitzva is a Mitzva For all these excuses, there are clear and powerful answers. However, in this limited space, we cannot bring them down. But there really is no need to. Why? Because the rebuilding of the Temple is one of the 613 commandments. Case closed. Have you ever heard anyone say that eating matzoh on Passover is a job for the Messiah? Has anyone ever said: Family purity? Mikveh? What for?! Family purity will descend from the heavens! Or how about: Study Torah!? A lowly sinner like me should study the holy 486

Torah!? Of course these excuses are absurd. We do not seek ways to avoid performing mitzvot, all the moreso the mitzvah which literally causes the Divine Presence (Shechina) to dwell amongst us. (Dear friends, did G-d allow us to conquer the Temple Mount thirty years ago just so that the Arabs can continue to desecrate His Name on our holiest site, this time under Jewish sovereignty? Shouldn't we feel that this is the very last mitzvah we should choose to ignore?) Grass eaters Many say that since in the exile there were mitzvot which served as substitutes for the \"Shechina\", it is not so terrible if we suffice with these substitutes temporarily in Israel, too. But in the exile we had no choice, and Hashem will forgive us for neglecting the mitzvot pertaining to the Temple. But now, when we control our own fate, how can we possibly suffice with substitutes? This is similar to a man who eats grass instead of food. People ask him: What are you doing? He answers: Look, I was once stuck in the wilderness without food. I found some grass and I ate it to survive. They tell him: Fool! Then, you had no choice, so you were forced to eat grass. But now? You have real food, so why are you still eating grass? And we. When will we stop eating grass?... The Pitfall of Power: Arrogance (1994) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg Two years after the Jews left the suffering, slavery and humiliations of Egypt, they constructed the Tabernacle - the place where G-d's Presence prevails in the world and the pipeline for all the prayers of the Jewish People to their Father in Heaven. Precisely at such a momentous occasion, one would expect the leaders of the Jewish People to step up and set an example in the building of the Tabernacle, and to play a key role in the contributions and sacrifices that are involved in the erecting of G-d's house. But quite to the contrary, we find the following verse: \"And the princes brought the onyx stones\" (35-27) and Rashi comments: \"Rabbi Nathan said: Why did the princes contribute at the dedication of the altar at the beginning, while at the construction of the Tabernacle they did not contribute at the beginning? Instead, thus did the princes say: 'Let the community contribute what it will contribute, and we will complete whatever will be lacking. And since they were slothful at first, \"yud\" is missing from their name (the Hebrew letter \"yud\" is missing from the word prince, in Hebrew - Niseim). Rabeinu Bchai adds: \"For it is the way of the princes to look down on the rest of the nation ... and thus princes brought the stones that rested on Aharon's heart, in order to atone for the arrogance of their heart. These same princes who not long ago were lowly slaves and now were princes of Israel - immediately upon receiving their high appointment, they started to look down at their brothers, and on this the Talmud in Trachtate Pesachim says: \"Four things are intolerable ... the public appointee who looks down at the rest of the community for no reason.\" Ego Rises With Power The Torah's concern for one's high position affecting his ego is seen clearly in the laws dealing with the King. The following is written in Parshat Shoftim: \"He shall not multiply horses to himself...Neither shall he multiply to himself wives that his heart turns not away; and silver and gold will he not greatly multiply to himself...and he will write a copy of this Torah. And it shall be with him and he shall read 487

therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God...that his heart is not lifted up above his brethren.\" And the Rambam in Hilchot Tefilah adds: \"One who prays must bow five times each and every tefilah...and the King since he prostrates himself from the very beginning of his prayer, does not raise his head until he finishes the entire prayer.\" Our Mission: To Bring Down the Haughty In Our Days We can see the arrogance, corruption and egoism of the Israeli politician most overtly during an election year. Each party stomps on the fresh blood of Jewish victims to further its political advantage, though none of them possess an iota of a solution to the problem. We have observed our \"leaders\" basking in the glory of Nobel Peace Prizes and in the shadow of gentile leaders and Arab murderers, so engrossed with themselves, their speeches of \"peace\" and their place in the history books that no amount of Jewish blood can budge them from their \"vision\". May it be G-d's Will that these leaders be replaced by true Jewish leaders guided by Torah, and who know that, \"It is not high appointment I give you, but rather bondage I give you.\" May we merit leaders who go in the way of Moshe Rabeinu, who not only was not interested about his reputation in the history books, but was even willing to have his name erased from God's Holy Book itself (\"Blot me, I pray thee, out of Thy book which You have written\", Exodus, 32-32) in order to save the Jewish people from annihilation. We must have leaders who possess self-sacrifice to serve the community, and not exploit it. Turn to Me and I Will Turn to You (1998) Weekly Parsha Commentary by Binyamin Zev Kahane Translated by Lenny Goldberg This is the time of year when the weekly Torah readings deal with thesubjects of the Temple, sacrifices, and ritual purity. But alas, for thevast majority of us these parshas seem irrelevant. But what are we to do?They appear in the Torah, and therefore we must read them. They do notinspire us at all. In fact, we feel detached and are bored by them. The Red Heifer And yet, even the subject of the red heifer cannot be kept inconsequential forever. Here we are, about to read \"Parshat Para\" which deals with the laws of the red heifer, another seemingly irrelevant topic . Or is it? Surely you have heard of the red heifer which was born in Kfar Chassidim, which caused great excitement. Recently, though, it was disqualified when it grew two black hairs on its tail at the age of six months. Apparently, only a very few people were truly devastated by this. Everyone else, obviously,dismissed it with the thought: Nu, we've lived 2,000 years without this sacred cow, certainly we can wait a little more... And thus they returned to their truly important affairs.... We have not the slightest doubt that this red heifer, like so many other events taking place in our days, is a sign from heaven. Everything is ready( but we prefer to busy ourselves in the smallness of our day- to-day lives. Even the disqualifying black hairs are a sign from above: G-d may open thedoor, but it is still up to us to enter. And if not, then that door closes. In our generation, G-d has opened up many doors for us; we have had opportunity after opportunity. And us? King Solomon described this situation laconically in the Song of Songs: \"my Beloved is knocking, saying, Open tome, my sister, my bride, my undefiled..\". And us? \"I have put off my coat;how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I soil them?\" And in the meantime - \"But my Beloved has turned away\".... 488

\"The Divine Presence\" - What Is It? The real question is: Do the b'nei Torah of our time see this as irrelevant -or worse, contemptible? Do they understand that the red heifer is notmerely one more personal mitzvah, but rather the pre-condition for thehundreds of mitzvot which are dependent upon the Temple and in fact – the pre-condition for the Divine Presence in Israel! To our great sorrow, even the phrase the pre-condition for the Divine Presence in Israel does not arouse any great emotions. It is simply words. The truth is (and this is so hard to say) that the Torah world has grown accustomed to living without this. In fact, why not? As long as one occupies himself with Torah from morning till evening, is concerned with all the myriad details of halacha - what can be missing? The Temple? The Temple?! Forget that! Go learn another page of Gemorrah, and chill out. But those who think this way are cut off from authentic Judaism. Through2,000 years of exile a barrier was erected between the Torah and the HolyTemple. And this, in point of fact, is a barrier between the Torah and Hewho gave the Torah! An Intolerable Situation Indeed it is so. There is no Torah without the Giver of the Torah, and the connection to Him is through the Divine presence in the Temple. The essence of the temple is the ark in the holy of holies, where the tablets are kept. That is where the Divine Presence is found. And The Sages explained in Shemot Raba on Parshat Terumah (33:1): \"G-d said to Israel: I have given you the Torah - I cannot separate myself from it; and I cannot tell you not to take it; so wherever you may be found, build a house for me to dwell in – as it is written \"Build for me a temple\". We must understand what is written here. G-d \"could not\" separate himself from the Torah - and He therefore asked us to build for Him a house. And now, since the destruction of the Temple, the reality is that G-d has been exiled from His house, and therefore it is as if He has been separated from His Torah. Is this only His concern? Of course not! We are in a situation where although we have the Torah - G-d is nevertheless far from us. This is an intolerable situation. It is a deficiency which damages the essence of our connection to the Torah! When we were in exile, it was out of our hands. After all, what could we do? But what can we say now when as we have the ability to build the Temple, are commanded to do so (see Rambam Hilchot Beit Habichira 1:1), yet despite this we say: There is time, there are other more pressing needs,the important thing is to sit and learn? It is as if we are saying to the Almighty: See how nicely we are managing without You, with the Torah that You have given us. And You can stay where You are! This shows a lack of basic understanding in the nature of Torah and the nature of the Temple. The Temple connects us to the Giver of the Torah. In such a situation, the learning of Torah and its fulfillment are brought to an entirely different level. For this reason it is precisely the bnei Torah who are constantly immersed in Torah, who must take the lead the process of building the Temple. And this must happen, as the Yerushalmi says in Tractate Maaser Sheini,before the coming the Messiah. If not, it raises doubts as to whether to some extent we are only clinging to the surface of the Torah, and not to its essence. 489

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