Kahane Codes - Bereshit Shmot

He thanked the Rebbe profusely, backed out of the room and as soon as he closed the door took a quick glance at the name on the envelope and his heart sank; the Rebbe had made a mistake! There was clearly written ‘Shmuel HaKatan’ (Samuel the Small) an old retired woodcutter that lived with his wife in his run-down cottage in the woods!! One word was wrong; instead of Katan he should have written ‘Godol’ (The Great). The Rebbe was known to be infallible but here it was obvious…he should have written Shmuel HaGodol who was a rich, influential Jew that had close connections with all the landlords and perhaps even the Czar himself! If anyone could help it would be him! But Fival was stuck. To enter the Rebbe’s office again was out of the question. Suddenly he had an idea; the Rebbe had seven sons, he went to one of them and asked for advice. But the Rebbe’s son only assured him that as strange as it might seem, just as a Jewish prophet never errs, so also the Rebbe never makes mistakes. So with a heavy heart, Fival made his way to Shmuel HaKatan’s hut deep in the forest and knocked on the door. The old man answered, and when he heard the reason for the visit and read the Rebbe’s letter he invited Fival to be his guest for a few days and see what would happen. But a week passed and still nothing. Fival began to become depressed. What would become of him? In another two weeks he would have to vacate his home and his job. Winter was beginning; the weather outside was already cold and miserable which added to his melancholy. Where would he go? What would he do? What would be with his children and wife? Night fell, the wind and rain were pounding on the roof and the walls. He went to his room, sat on the bed, put his head in his hands and wept. Suddenly the front door rattled and thundered; someone was pounding and shouting outside. “Help! Help! Let me in!!” Shmuel ran to the door and opened it as Fival looked on through his slightly open door. It was the Poritz, the one that was evicting him, drenched to the bone, shivering blue with cold. He had been on his way home when the storm caught him unexpectedly and night fell. Now he had been wandering in the cold for almost an hour and was on the verge of death. Shmuel brought him a change of clothes some warm blankets, a glass of vodka and a bowl of hot soup, moved him near the stove and in no time the Poritz was showering him with praises and promises. “You saved my life!! I owe you my life!” He exclaimed still shivering, sipping his soup. “You are sent from G-d! Tell me how to repay you! “Listen” Shmuel answered. “If you really want to reward me then you can do me a big favor.” “Anything! I swear! I almost died!! You are my savior! Just ask!” “Well,” Shmuel gave a glance at Fival peeking from behind his door, “I have a good friend. His name is Fival, he’s the one that runs the inn on your property. I’m sure you know him. Well a few days ago you gave him a month’s notice for eviction. You told him to vacate with his wife and family. Well, I want you to let him stay.” “So it shall be!! Your friend can stay! He can stay forever if he wants! You saved my life!!” Shouted the Poritz. “It just so happens that he is here in the other room” Continued Shmuel.

“Will you put it in writing?” Fival came out of his room and the Poritz immediately shook his hand warmly, asked for pen and paper and wrote a deed giving him and his offspring sole rental rights on the inn for all generations, and for good measure gave him the next three years rent free. “But just one thing is bothering me,” Fival said as he thanked G-d, thanked the Poritz and took the deed lovingly in hand, “Why did you evict me in the first place? After all, I always paid rent and never gave you any trouble. What made you do it?” “Yes,” answered the Poritz as he sat and took another sip of his vodka,“You were the perfect tenant and I would never have even thought of it. But a very influential person came to me and demanded that I rent the inn to his son-in-law. He promised to pay more rent and even threatened to make trouble if I refused. He said he had connections with high officials and even the Czar! It was that Shmuel HaGodol! “I don’t know what got into him and made him so hard-hearted. I even asked him how he could do it to a fellow Jew and he answered he didn’t mix business with friendship. But I’ll take care of him myself. I’ll tell him that you are my personal friend. Just one thing that I would like to ask though,” he continued, “How did you happen to be here exactly on this night?” When Fival told him about how the Rebbe sent him the Poritz asked a few questions, thought for a while and finally exclaimed, “Now I know that G-d is still with the Jewish people!!”This answers our questions: why did Moses refuse to lead the Jews and why did G-d force Pharaoh to refuse. According to the Saadia Gaon, Moses feared his mission was doomed because his prophesy was incomplete; a prophet has to say what he himself heard from G-d and here, because Moses had a speech impediment and Aaron was the spokesman, no one was saying what he heard from G- d. Moses couldn’t speak and Aaron was saying what he heard from Moses, not G-d. But G-d calmed this fear by announcing, “Moses, I have made you G-d to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet” (7:1) In other words, Aaron WILL be saying what G-d tells him to say because you, Moses, are G-d! (Just as Moses spoke the entire book of Deuteronomy ‘on his own’.) G-d gave Pharaoh self-confidence and courage to overcome all doubts and totally expend all his powers of evil and selfishness to the end. His stubbornness brought another and another plague each highlighting Moses’ G-dly nature until, after the splitting of the sea, the Jews actually believed in Moses and G-d equally! (Ex. 14:31). Similarly with Pharaoh: G-ds name becomes known in the world from the likes of Pharoah to His intimate friends like Moshe. What is interesting is the catalyst in this story that brought about this revelation was Shimon HaGadol. Throughout this book I am writing about the instigators within our family that despite their bad intentions; through them the righteous are glorified and made greater than before. It is this sector most of all, that needs to be shaped and led back to Sinai.

The Month of Shvat (2015) The readings during the exodus normally coincide with the month of Shvat. Shvat is the 11th month, which is also related to the 11th son of Yacov, Yoseph. The liberation and redemption of Israel is also related to Moshiach ben Yoseph who begins the conquest of the Land of Israel and changes our political reality. It is not a coincidence that also Septemebr 11th occurred on the 11th day of the month. We have written much about this in Parsha Nitzavim. For me it was a day of my personal Exodus. I realized in that moment that the world as we had known it had changed and a new chapter had begun. Within 18 months I had made Aliya. The first plague of blood occurred in the most coveted and central symbol of Egypt’s wealth and power. The Nile was both a deity and center of commerce. I could not help thinking about this first plague as hundreds of people were offering to give blood in the days that followed the tragedy; even Yasser Arafat. The Unanswerable Question ( 2015) Rav Halperin mentioned that Shmot ends with a question from Moshe. He intended to redeem Israel but in fact he made it worse. He questions Hashem about this and he does not get an answer, rather a statement that now he will see what Hashem will do. Rav Halperin concludes that some questions regarding the manner in which Hashem brings about the redemption are left as perpetual questions. There is a passage that I contemplate each year that may shed a little light on this subject. I wondered what is the significance of the repetition of the passage below that is interrupted by a list of genealogy? -‫ני‬,‫תהן ֹקב ת‬, :‫מר‬,‫לא ם‬,‫תני קֹיה נוה ת‬, ‫ יל קֹפ‬,‫שה‬-‫םמ ל‬, ‫תבר‬, ‫ יב מו קֹי מד‬12 And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying: ,‫עה‬,‫תע יני מפ קֹר ם‬, ‫איך יי קֹש נמ‬,‫ ֹקו ת‬,‫תא מלי‬, ‫ נש קֹמעו‬-‫לםא‬, ,‫תאל‬, ‫' יי ֹקש נר‬Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened .‫ מו נא יני נע מרל קֹש נפ נת יים‬unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?' (Shmot 6:12) 'These are the heads of their fathers' houses'... Shmot 14-26. Between these two repeated passages (Shmot 6:12 and 6:30) are a listing of the genealogy that brought forth Moshe and Aaron. ;‫ נא יני ֹקיה נוה‬,‫םמר‬, ‫לא‬,‫שה ת‬-‫מ ל‬,‫ ם‬-‫לאל‬- ‫בר ֹקיה נוה‬,‫ כט מו ֹקי מד ת‬29 that the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 'I am ‫לשר‬- ‫ נא‬-‫תאת נכל‬, ,‫לך ימ ֹקצ מר יים‬-‫למ ל‬- ‫עה‬,‫ מפ קֹר ם‬-‫לאל‬- ,‫תבר‬, ‫ מד‬the LORD; speak thou unto Pharaoh king of ‫ליך‬-‫תא ל‬, ‫תבר‬, ‫םד‬, ,‫ נא יני‬Egypt all that I speak unto thee.' ‫ נע מרל‬,‫תהן נא יני‬, :‫ני קֹיה נוה‬,‫ יל ֹקפ ת‬,‫לשה‬- ‫םמ‬, ‫למר‬- ‫םא‬, ‫ ל מוי‬30 And Moses said before the LORD: 'Behold, I ‫עה‬,‫א מלי מפ ֹקר ם‬,‫ יי ֹקש ממע ת‬,‫איך‬,‫ קֹו ת‬,‫ ֹקש נפתמיים‬am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?' (Shmot 6:30) If we look closer we see in the first passage there are three problems; Israel, Pharaoh, and Moshes speech impediment. If we look at the second passage there are two problems and the order is reversed; speech impediment and Pharaoh. What was last on the list in the first passage is first on the list in this

passage and Israel no longer seems to be the issue. In between these passages is a list of the heads of the tribes including Moshe and Aaron as the leaders of the tribe of Levi. It also mentions that Aarons son married into Moshes in-laws the Yitro family. I submit that this second passage is a partial answer to Moshe of the unanswerable question. What do I mean? Moshe if we recall was a fugitive who had to run for his life and lived many years in Midian. Aaron was part of the Jewish establishment and lived in Goshen free from slavery as was the case for the tribe of Levi. In last weeks Parsha the fugitive Moshe returns to Egypt and disrupts the status quo causing the taskmasters to be furious. One can imagine them saying ' look at these adventurous people from Levi who do not have any idea of the suffering they have now caused for the people of Israel and ourselves personally'. In the list of the tribal leaders however it lists Moshe and Aaron as the leaders of Levi. When did this inexperienced revolutionary become the leader of the tribe of Levi? It seems to me that although there was a short lived time of additional suffering I suggest that the people on the whole accepted Moshe and Aaron. Of all the other leaders in Egypt no one else had the courage and faith to stand up to Pharoah and command him as Moshe did. Moshe earlier implied that it is not logical for Pharaoh to listen to him when Israel itself does not accept him. I suggest that Hashem replied some time after these events when he reminded Moshe of his position with Levi which answers an earlier question he had. Just as you thought Israel would not accept you because you made it worse for them, and yet they did accept you, now go to Pharaoh and tell him exactly what I say to you. I have made you his master. Moshe no longer mentions Israel but rather his concern of how he will represent Hashem with his speech impediment (a topic for another discussion). In addition Aaron who is one of the tribal leaders allows his son to marry into the family of Yitro which further signifies the acceptance of Moshe and his revolution within the Jewish establishment. Following Hashems commandments are not always logical from our perspective. There were many impediments along the way for Rav Kahane however he never measured his success by what was accomplished or not; by what was logical or not; but rather if he had done what was expected to be done. How Hashems plan unfolds is another matter. The Whole Torah( 2015) I heard a Chabbad Rabbi speaking at a Shabbaton. He spoke at length about the Rebbe. One person at the table asked if he had a Dvar Torah on the Parsha. 'Yes', he answered. 'And the people believed in Hashem and His servant Moshe' (Shmot 14:31). This, the Rabbi continued, is the whole Torah. Four fifths of the Torah deals with Moshe and the last book was written entirely by Moshe. One cannot understand Hashem without His servant. This is what Hashem wants. He wants us to believe in His servant. We pray to Hashem but Moshe who is human can understand our problems and tells us what Hashem desires from us. If you don't believe in the servant you cannot understand the Torah. Later I met this Rav and I told him I agree with everything he said. He smiled. I continued 'I could even add something to what you said. Someone who despises Moshe, Hashems faithful servant it is as

if he despises Hashem'. 'Correct' he agreed. 'There is only one small difference in the way I understand what you have said' I continued. 'And the people believed in Hashem and His servant Moshe'. 'When I read the word servant (eved) I see the gematria of eved which is 76. This is the same gematria of Kahane. There is a Moshe today (his grandson) that is also sitting in prison simply because of his beliefs. So one could read the same passage 'and the people despised Hashem and His servant Moshe'. 'I feel very lucky that I too understand this Torah. I feel very grateful to Hashem. He gave me a ticket to come to Israel. I saw something that thousands of others do not see, and I still see it. He opened the sea for me and I walked through. In addition he arranged for me to discover this Bet Knesset and sit here each Shabbat next to you and other Rav's who know much more Torah than I do. I am lucky that He gave me the insight to see what is Holy and to attach myself to it. In addition Hashem arranged for me to spend a Shabbat with all of the Giborim who are chassidim of Rav Kahane. I prayed in a minyan with the people of David Hamelech. The hilltop people who's friends were framed and are sitting in prison. The newlyweds from the so called Wedding of Hate in the news. This was the daughter of my Rav who's words of Torah are like honey and his family and their community are filled with people who are like gold. The hilltop people who desire a king and a temple really look like kings and queens. I was lucky to be in their minyan and get a Cohen bracha from them. How lucky am I to be friends with the men of David Hamelech long before they have been recognized; to see light inside of darkness. Imagine being Yitro's neighbor and meeting Moshe in Midian when he was public enemy #1. Imagine knowing exactly how great he was while the whole world was completely unaware and even hostile. Yes I agree with every word you said. And the people believed in Moshe and His servant. This is the whole Torah. If only people really understood that!' The Unlikely Catalyst Jan 2017 A few pages earlier we shared Rav Bolton’s Chassidic story about Shimon Katan and Shimon Gadol. Rav Bolton demonstrated through this story how the actions of the Jewish people cause the non-Jewish world to proclaim God’s existence. He related this story to our Parsha where Pharaoh is forced to accept the commandments of Hashem. Binyamin also brings down Rashi who explains the meaning of Hashem’s Yad Chazaka (strong hand), which is mentioned in our Pasha and in many other places throughout the Torah. He describes the Yad Chazaka concept as Hashem’s will being forced upon the Nation's. This is not a historic concept but one very much present today. I would like to add that the unlikely catalyst in Rav Bolton's story is Shimon Hagadol who had his own self interest in mind and was cruel and merciless to his fellow Jew. It was through his oppression of a fellow Jew that this whole story unraveled; caused the non-Jew to proclaim how great is the God of the Jew's; and finally affect the perpetrator in the very end. Throughout this book we see this similar theme from the persecution of Yoseph comes divine revelation to the world (in Egypt) and ultimately to the Jewish people (among the tribes). Today this historic catalyst is very much alive as the Jewish people in Yehuda and Shomron are persecuted by their own brothers causing a chain reaction that rallies support towards Israel from the non-Jewish world.

One might say that this unlikely catalyst began with Cain who killed Hevel. Shet was from the next generation that was able to reflect and repair the sins of the past. As we have mentioned earlier 'Nel Ka Na' can also be read Kahane derech Shet (Shmot 3:18). This is the quick three day journey that can be taken when the selfish sin of Cain is rectified. In our Parsha we see Kahane also related to the hooks that pull out evil from its root. His Torah speaks to this unlikely catalyst and brings about the ultimate redemption from within. By addressing the weakest points, asking uncomfortable questions and forcing us to look clearly and truthfully at ourselves his Torah will bring about a wholehearted redemption from the most unlikely catalyst.



Kahane in the Parsha Bo

Bo 2009 ‫כם‬-‫תלי ל‬, ‫ יי קֹש ממע נא‬-‫לא‬,‫ ם‬,‫לשה‬- ‫מ‬,‫ ם‬-‫לאל‬- ‫מר קֹיה נוה‬-‫א ל‬,‫ ט מוי ם‬9 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Pharaoh will ‫ֹקר מ בֹק ם‬. ‫רץ ימ ֹקצ נר יי‬-‫לא ל‬- not hearken unto you; that My wonders may be ,‫ו קֹפ מתי‬ ‫בות‬ ‫לקֹממ מען‬--‫עםה‬, ‫פמ קֹר‬ multiplied in the land of Egypt.' (Shmot 11:9) Above is a famous passage that conceals the name of Rambam (Maimonides) inside it. Rambam came from Egypt and extrapolated the Torah in a practical way that inspired generations of Torah scholars with his Torah revelations. A famous contradiction between Rambam and Rashi is the following. Rashi states that the 3rd temple will fall from Heaven intact, while Rambam believed it would be built from below by the people. In fact (I suggest) that it is not a contradiction at all. The fire of the offerings was lit below and then a fire from Heaven came down and consumed it. We see with our own eyes how the pioneers in modern day Israel began work below and miraculously transformed the Land swiftly with Heavenly aid. We see this process in everything we do today as well. Israel begins the action and Hashem completes it. ‫א נחד נא יביא‬-‫לנ מגע ל‬- ‫ עוד‬,‫שה‬-‫מ ל‬,‫ ם‬-‫לאל‬- ‫למר ֹקיה נוה‬- ‫םא‬, ‫ א מוי‬1 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Yet one plague ‫ ֹקי מש מלח‬,‫תן‬,‫כ‬-‫רתי‬, ‫אמחנ‬--‫ ימ ֹקצ מר יים‬-‫עה קֹו מעל‬,‫ מפ קֹר ם‬-‫ מעל‬more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; ‫תרשאכ אלה‬, ‫תרש ֹקי נג‬, ‫ נג‬, afterwards he shall send you forth from here. --‫ֹקכ מש קֹלחו‬ :‫לזה‬- ‫ימ‬ ‫כם‬-‫א קֹת ל‬-‫ל‬ When He sends forth it shall be complete – he .‫זה‬-‫לכם ימ ל‬- ‫אתֹק‬-‫ ל‬shall drive you out of here. ‫א נחד נא יביא‬-‫לנ מגע ל‬- ‫ עוד‬,‫לשה‬- ‫מ‬,‫ ם‬-‫אל‬-‫מר קֹיה נוה ל‬-‫םא ל‬, ‫ א מוי‬2 Please speak in the ears of the people, and let ‫ קֹי מש מלח‬,‫ן‬,‫ תכ‬-‫רתי‬, ‫אמחנ‬--‫ ימ קֹצ מר יים‬-‫עה קֹו מעל‬,‫ מפ קֹר ם‬-‫ מעל‬them ask every man of his neighbour, and every ‫ם‬ ‫לכ‬- ‫לא קֹת‬- ‫רש‬,‫ֹקי נג ת‬ ‫תרש‬, ‫נג‬ ,‫ נכ נלה‬--‫ֹקכ מש קֹלחו‬ :‫זה‬-‫ימ ל‬ ‫כם‬-‫לא קֹת ל‬- woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and .‫ל ה‬-‫מיז‬ jewels of gold.' ‫תני ימ קֹצ נר יים; גמם‬, ‫תעי‬, ‫ קֹב‬,‫חן נה נעם‬,‫ ת‬-‫לאת‬- ‫תן ֹקיה נוה‬,‫ ג מו יי ת‬3 And the LORD gave the people favour in the ‫ רב לעי לני‬,‫ אגדול רמ לאד רב הא הרץ שמ רצ תר שים‬,‫לשה‬- ‫מ‬,‫ נה יאיש ם‬sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight .‫אה אעם‬ ‫ו רב לעי לני‬ ,‫ תפ רר לעה‬-‫תע רב לדי‬ of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people. (Shmot 11:1-3) Like Rambam who interpreted the Torah in a practical way so that the miraculous is contingent upon the physical so does Rav Kahane's Torah today. He sought to put us in the position to be driven to glory despite our shortcomings. By showing the desire and mesirat nephesh (sacrifice) to build Hashems kingdom below, Hashem must respond according to His own rulebook with an outpouring of mercy and protection for His children and drive us to redemption. The Stone Chumash writes:

‘It shall be complete’ – the translation follows Rashi. Sforno, however, has an entirely different rendering of the verse, which has a universally relevant moral dimension. He renders ‘He shall send you’ [i.e. the Jews] as He had sent you [i.e. Moses and Aaron when he ejected you from the palace]; he shall surely thrust out all of you [calah ‫]כלה‬. (from Stone Chumash pg 346) Just like Moshe and Aaron the Rav and his son placed themselves as targets in front of the oppressors of the Nation and through their own sacrifice caused the forces of Pharaoh to crumble and the Nation to rise to it’s potential. The 1st paragraph is linked to the 2nd paragraph for on one hand he forced the oppressors to fall by destroying their grip on the Nation but with the other hand the Rav spoke to the ears of the people. Contrary to what his detractors would say, Rav Kahane did not bring the wrath of the Nations upon Israel, but rather brought respect and glory to Israel. In the previous plague of darkness the Midrash tells us that four fifths of the Nation perished because they did not want to leave. It was only one fifth of the Nation that was redeemed. This one fifth had to demonstrate some sort of sacrifice that would make them worthy of redemption and this demonstration was the Pesach sacrifice (see Pesach sacrifice – Volume II Pg 288). Rambam’s name is associated with multiplying Hashems wonders yet his Torah is not known for its mysticism but rather for its practicality. Rav Kahane’s Torah is also associated with practical steps that bring about wonders; forcing the redemption; leaving the exile; breaking the back of the oppressor while lifting the spirit of the people. The result was the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians

Bo 2011 There is a question that I have had for years that I never found a satisfying answer to. Finally I asked Lenny Goldberg who teaches Tanach at the Rav’s Yeshiva and who is a dedicated Torah scholar who in the past traveled with Binyamin on speaking tours and translated all of Binyamin’s weekly Torah Parshiot. His answer satisfied me the most. Here is the question. From the beginning of Shmot to this Parsha there is a recurring theme that I find difficult to understand. Hashem tells Moshe to tell Pharaoh that He requests that the Jewish people be relieved of their duties to go for a three day journey into the wilderness to celebrate a festival for Hashem. There are a number of difficulties in these passages. 1. This is the backdrop where the God of Israel will demonstrate for all time His mighty power and revel to the whole world that He is the Creator of the Universe. In addition He is the same God that will bring the Torah into the world and teach Israel and all of mankind His commandments that are built upon Truth and Justice. He is mightier than even Pharoah and any other mortal king. Wouldn’t this be the proper place to speak the truth? If this God is so mighty then why does it appear that He is telling a lie? 2. In addition to the Chillul Hashem that is taking place in the very moment that Kidush Hashem is being demonstrated, how does one expect Pharoah to believe this lie? If one was so all powerful he would not have to play ‘political games’, he could simply say we are leaving now for good. 3. Hashem tells Moshe that he will harden Pharaohs heart in order to demonstrate His might and bring Pharaoh to his knees. In the end Pharaoh pleads with Moshe to leave as soon as possible. For the same price of all these plagues, Hashem could have just told the truth. Why didn’t He say from the beginning we are going and not coming back? ‫תאל‬, ‫תני יי קֹש נר‬, ‫לך; ו נבא נת מא נתה ֹקו יז קֹק‬-‫ל‬,‫ לקֹקם‬,‫ יח ֹוק נש ֹמקעו‬18 And they shall hearken to thy voice. And thou ‫תהי‬, ‫תא נליו ֹקיה נוה לאל‬, ‫תם‬-‫ מו נא ממ קֹר ל‬,‫ללך מי קצֹ מריים‬- ‫מל‬- -‫ל‬-‫ לא‬shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the ‫לרך‬- ‫ד‬-‫ ננא ל‬-‫תנ ֹקל נכה‬, ‫ קֹו מע נתה‬,‫לינו‬,‫נה יע ֹקב יר ייים ינ ֹקק נרה נע ת‬ king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him: The ‫הינו‬,‫ ֹקו ינ ֹקז ֹקב נחה מליה נוה לאל ת‬,‫שת ני ימים מב ימ קֹד נבר‬-‫קֹשל ל‬ LORD, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us. And now please let us go on a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. (Shmot 3:18) ;‫לך‬,‫תנ ת‬, ‫תנינו‬, ‫תק‬, ‫תרינו ו יב קֹז‬, ‫ יב ֹקנ נע‬,‫שה‬-‫מ ל‬,‫למר ם‬- ‫םא‬, ‫ ט מוי‬9 And Moses said: 'We will go with our young and ‫כיי‬--‫תלך‬, ‫נ‬,‫ ת‬,‫רנו‬,‫תננו ו יב קֹב נק ת‬, ‫םא‬, ‫תתנו קֹבצ‬, ‫תנינו ו יב ֹקבנו‬, ‫ ֹקב נב‬with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds we ‫נלנו‬ ,‫ קֹיה נוה‬-‫חמג‬. will go; because it is a festival of Hashem for us. (Shmot 10: 9)

Now some of the answers that I have heard are the following. 1. Hashem works through natural means. He gave Pharaoh an opportunity to allow the Hebrews to take leave through a regular political process. We don’t demand miracles but opportunities within the normal framework of the political process. 2. The fact that three days was denied shows how evil Pharaoh was. It was an opportunity for him to do teshuva but he denied the request. If only three days was denied than certainly complete redemption of the Israelites was not likely to happen. None of these answers satisfied me. When I asked this question to Lenny Goldberg he told me the following: ‘if we asked Pharaoh for full liberation, it would be as if Pharaoh played a part in our exodus, in our redemption. By asking for only three days, then when it says \"Vayishlach Pharaoh\", it was only a sending of three days. In such a way, Pharaoh, though he is the one who technically must liberate us, is not part of the redemption, but rather it is HaKakosh Baruch Hu. For the fact was, after those three days, he tried to enslave us again. If we asked for Pharaoh for full liberation, we would have to thank him at the seder night on Passover that he freed us. But he didn't. He just gave us three days. ‘…When you look at our times, at the establishment of the State of Israel, then it becomes clearer. When you think of the establishment of Israel, many think that it is the U.N. which created the state of Israel. Yes, there was a U.N. vote for establishing the state. But in the end, there was a war anyway, and 10% of the Jews died fighting that war, and that's how we really got the state. In a technical sense, because things work \"derech haTeva\" (through natural means), there may have had to be a body like the U.N., or Pharaoh, to give the green light. But in the end, they are irrelevant, and it was really the Jews and G-d who gave us the redemption. If it wasn't for the war, it would be as if \"in the merit of the U.N., there is a state of Israel today\". (Some people still actually think this) Just as if Pharaoh liberated us fully, then it's as if we needed him, or in his merit, we have a state. But since it was only three days, it's like the U.N. vote - an irrelevancy to our redemption, but maybe a technical necessity.’ This answer speaks to me more than the others. In addition it makes the other explanations clearer. The gematria of United Nations is also hidden within the letters of these passages. Today we are living in the times of the ‘three days’ journey. We still believe that the United Nations gave birth to Israel. Yom Haatzmaut is a modern day Pesach but it is still ‘a festival of Hashem’ for us. Even though we have paid the price and we have witnessed many miracles, still we believe that our continued existence is dependent upon the good will of the Nations. The yardstick upon which our political leaders measure our actions is still based upon ‘what will the world say’, or ‘what will America say’. With the agreement of the nations and against the will of the nations we have embarked on our three day journey to liberation. In the end however, we will no longer have the support we had after the Shoa. We will stand alone in the war of Gog and Magog. This is when Hashem will truly bring about our freedom and it will be plain for all to see exactly who had freed us and brought about our liberation. It will be the same King that sits on the throne that we had built for Him.

;‫תלך‬, ‫תנ‬, ‫נינו‬,‫תק ת‬, ‫רינו ו יב קֹז‬,‫ יב ֹקנ נע ת‬,‫לשה‬- ‫מ‬,‫מר ם‬-‫םא ל‬, ‫ ט מוי‬9 And Moses said: 'We will go with our young and ‫ יכי‬--‫תלך‬, ‫תנ‬, with our old, with our sons and with our ,‫תרנו‬, ‫ו יב ֹקב נק‬ ‫תננו‬, ‫םא‬, ‫קֹבצ‬ ‫תנו‬,‫ו יב קֹבנו ת‬ ‫תנינו‬, ‫ֹקב נב‬ daughters, with our flocks and with our herds we ‫ נלנוחתג ריה אוה‬, - . will go; because it is a festival of Hashem for us. ' Shmot 10: 9 ‫יהוה‬-‫ או\"ם = י חג‬United Nations = 47 ‫תאל‬, ‫תני יי ֹקש נר‬, ‫ך; ו נבא נת מא נתה קֹו יז ֹקק‬-‫קם לל‬, ‫ לֹק‬,‫ יח ֹקושנ קמֹעו‬18 And they shall hearken to thy voice. And thou ‫הי‬,‫תא נליו קֹיה נוה לאל ת‬, ‫לתם‬- ‫ מו נא ממ ֹקר‬,‫לך מי קצֹ מריים‬-‫מלל‬- -‫אלל‬- shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him: The ‫רךאנא‬-‫לד ל‬- -‫נ קֹל נכה‬,‫ת‬ ‫ֹקו מע נתה‬ ,‫לינו‬,‫נע ת‬ ‫ינ קֹק נרה‬ ‫נה יע קֹב יר ייים‬ LORD, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us. ‫ ֹקו ינ קֹז ֹקב נחה מליה נוה‬,‫שת ני ימים מב ימ קֹד נבר‬-‫ ֹקשל ל‬And now please let us go on a three days' ‫תהינו‬, ‫ לאל‬. journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. (Shmot 3:18 ) ‫ = נא‬fifty one 51 +1 (kollel) = 52 = ‫( האו\"ם‬The United Nations) = 52 ‫ = נא‬Please In the future it will not be because of the 'please' or the 'benevolence' of the nations but rather direct from Hashem. The wicked will be punished for seeking the destruction of G-ds servant, His chosen son – Israel.

Beshalach/ Bo 2011 A few questions. 1. If 4/5th of the Jewish people died in the 3 days of darkness how can you say they died because they refused to leave Egypt? Where they given a chance to demonstrate their free choice? Why were the Erev Rav (gentiles) given a choice and the Jewish people were not given a choice? 2. We discussed earlier that the ‘three day journey’ was connected to the Rav as the ‘short’ route to Israel and redemption. We also discussed that it was the non-religious, man-made route, (the UN resolution) doomed to fail at the sea. How does one reconcile both ideas? Let me suggest the following. There are signs that occur that separate the Jewish people from the rest of the world. Before tragedy there are many warning signs. Before the Shoa there were many signs that the exile was ending and Israel was being populated once again and Jews were returning in numbers that they hadn’t seen for two thousand years. The country was turning from a desert into a garden. In addition antisemitism was rising sharply all across Europe. Today as well we have signs like September 11 and increasing antisemitism masked as anti-Israel sentiment warning us to come home before its too late. Just like in Egypt there is a period of signs and wonders designed to awaken us and join the club. Pharaoh was not the only one to lose his ‘free choice’. The Jewish people also are given a time limit in order to make decisions based on their sensibilities. After the deadline the choice is taken away. Millions who refused to go to Israel in the 30’s would do anything to leave in the 40’s but it was too late. Of course it was precisely this darkness that propelled those who escaped to fight for the new Nation of Israel. The self-sacrifice needed to build a Nation came from the ashes of the Shoa. It continues to be the driving force behind the patriotism of many Israeli’s. The Rav pleaded with us in every speech to hurry the redemption. He would remind us that the Talmud in Sanhedrin (98a) poses a contradiction between two phrases in Yeshaya (60:22). There, the prophet states: \"Ani Hashem b'ita achishena,\" \"I am Hashem, I will hurry it [the Redemption] in its time.\" Whereas \"in its time\" implies a predetermined, set time for redemption, \"I will hurry it\" implies an earlier salvation. The Gemara resolves this contradiction by noting that there are two possibilities for geula. If we merit, it will arrive early; if not, it will be in its time. Consequently, we can suggest that the tradition of the Ge'ula occurring in Nissan refers to the Redemption in its prescheduled time. The hurried salvation can arrive at any time, without notice. He would articulate the point that if it comes ‘in its time’ it will be preceded with tragedy, (just as it did in Egypt, and in the Shoa – my note) but it doesn’t have to. It can come gloriously if we choose it. The three day journey can split the sea and bring us to Israel or it can bring terrible destruction in the three days of darkness. Another alternative, is that the three days can turn into forty years. The three day journey from 1948 to today is upon us. To one side the United Nations are coming after us with their arrows, the other side wild Arab mobs are waiting for us. Once again we must choose to follow the light and move forward or cling to the darkness along with all those who have lost their 'free choice' along the way. Another part of the answer to these questions can be seen in the chapter on Pesach (Book of Vayikra) where leaving Egypt is connected to the Shoa and founding of Modern Israel. The Midrash tells us they died in the darkness so we could bury them with respect. It was an embarrassment that they were not leaving with us. The Midrash tells us they chose to remain. Maybe we could have done more to prevent that from happening?

Bo and Amona 2017 On the night before leaving Mitrayim the Israelites sat in comfort and enjoyed the first Pesach Seder. The next night their homes were only a memory as they slept under the stars in the open desert on their way to the Promised Land. Here in Israel today there were hundreds of people from the settlement of Amona who slept a few nights ago in the comfort of the homes they had lived in for over twenty years. Tonight their homes and community are also a memory and they sleep homeless under the cold starry night. What is the connection between the two groups? Both groups are made up of 'free' people. Those whose community was destroyed overnight and left homeless and those who left Egypt; both are free people. Those who destroyed their lives and their homes and their community and beat them were not from Pharaohs elite units. The destroyers in this modern day crime are Jews; brothers from a different tribe. They sleep in comfort tonight in their homes but unlike those they raped and pillaged, they are not free; they are enslaved. What is the mental prison that they live in and all those who support them? What is the life of any slave? It is a life of fear of the wrath of his master. And so the slave is forced to attack his brother and destroys his brothers life because he wishes to please his master. The slave is afraid to be beaten and so he beats others to gain the respect and the admiration of his master. The result however is very strange and bewildering. The more that he beats his brother the more his master begins to despise him. How can this be? Did he not do what his master requested? Did he not in his zeal do even more than his master requested by showing his master how loyal he is by removing any obstacle that his master might not have even dreamed of was an obstacle? Twenty four hours after Amona the new Moshiach President Trump came out with a bewildering statement. The new master to those enslaved who was proclaimed to be a benevolent master and one unlike his predecessor who would support Israel unconditionally said some very disconcerting remarks. The very next day in the news we read: The Trump administration has broken with longstanding US policy by saying Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory are not “an impediment to peace” but cautioned that a further expansion “may not be helpful” to ending the conflict. How is it that the more the enslaved beat their God fearing brothers and and every Kahane sympathizer and all the rebellious Jews who refuse to be enslaved the more they are undone? The bulldozing is a swift success yet the situation becomes worse? The answer my friends is that every Jew is born free and he cannot escape his fate. No matter how much he loves his master. No matter how zealous he is to kick his brother out of his home and burn it to the ground, Hashem will not allow him to be a slave. His condition will worsen until he is forced to become free despite his longing for the leeks and fish of Egypt. Binyamin writes that the important lesson from Yetziat Mitzrayim is the 'strong arm' of Hashem that forces even Pharaoh to admit there is a unique God of Israel who is the Creator of the world and cannot be defied. I believe there is another lesson even more difficult and more deeply rooted that must be corrected. The non-Jewish world are aware of the Jewish people and their God. The problem is the son

of the King who doesn't know who he is, or knows, but despises himself and his fathers Kingdom. The whole story of Yetziat Mitzrayim begins with the story of one Jew beating another Jew. The redeemer Moshe arrives but is forced to flee because of these wicked informers who are part of his own family. And so the Jews continue beating each other and arguing about their positions and measure for measure their masters become cruel and crueler until there are no positions to argue about anymore as they are taken out on trains to build the pyramids. The final solution for our happiness and joy is not only to realize that every Jew is born free and cannot escape this freedom. The solution has to do with something even deeper; our desire. Man was created in the image of Hashem and Israel is this image. If we turn our back on Hashem and grovel before whichever modern day Pharoah we look up to for salvation we will continue to be beaten while beating our brothers. By overruling the fate of our brothers we too will be overruled. Last week Moshe asks Hashem how he can stand before Pharaoh when he has uncircumcised (sealed) lips? Hashem gives a strange answer. He does not say that He will heal his lips. He tells Moshe that Pharaoh is now your servant. This is essentially the key to the mental slavery that enslaves us. Those of no faith say we must grovel before our masters, and those of little faith say we are uncircumcised and not yet at the 'level' to bring Moshiach. Hashem however, seems to say 'change your mindset'. 'You' are the master and 'Pharaoh' is your servant. If this was indeed how we felt and how we acted then last week we would have told the people of Amona to continue to build their community and prosper. Do you know what would be in the paper the next day from Washington? Absolutely nothing. We create the Pharaohs that enslave us. This is the lesson of Yetziat Mitzrayim of the past and of the present. As one congregant said to me today. The Pharoah today is the yetzer hora of the Jewish people. If we do Hashems will the nations will not oppose us. It is our fearful desire to serve foreign masters that causes them to oppress us until they are defeated. As they praise our God in their defeat, we too will reluctantly recognize who we had our back to all this time, and be ashamed. It is interesting to note that a few gematrias that demonstrate how Rav Kahane was the embodiment of this true faith that is expected of us; a faith that is not in the Heavens that we cannot reach it but within our power to do and to follow like the path that he carved. He demonstrated to us that it is possible and indeed works. We only need to overcome our nature. Then we can walk calmly through a raging see. ‫ נע מרל‬,‫הן נא יני‬,‫ ת‬:‫ני קֹיה נוה‬,‫ יל קֹפ ת‬,‫שה‬-‫מ ל‬,‫למר ם‬- ‫םא‬, ‫ ל מוי‬30 And Moses said before the LORD: 'Behold, I ‫עה‬,‫תא מלי מפ קֹר ם‬, ‫ יי ֹקש ממע‬,‫תאיך‬, ‫ ֹקו‬,‫ קֹש נפ מת יים‬am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me? ‫תאה נרתת שתיך‬, ‫ קֹר‬,‫לשה‬- ‫םמ‬, -‫אל‬-‫מר קֹיה נוה ל‬-‫םא ל‬, ‫ א מוי‬1 Hashem said to Moshe: 'See, I have made ‫יה‬-‫ יי ֹקה ל‬,‫םרן נא יחיך‬, ‫עה; ֹקו מא נה‬,‫ לאל שהים ֹקל מפ ֹקר ם‬you a master over Pharaoh; and Aaron your ‫אך‬-‫ קֹנ יבי ל‬brother shall be your spokesman. (Shmot 6:30, 7:1) ‫ = רנ תת שתיך לאל שהים‬made you a master = 966 (plus letters) = 976 ‫ = קריעת ים סוף‬Splitting of the Red Sea = 976 ‫ = מאיר אד שוד בן רי הח רז לקאל רש תר אגא‬Meir david ben yecheskel shraga= 976



Kahane in the Parsha Beshalach

Beshalach Song of the Sea ‫ מל אכה‬11 Who is like unto Thee, O LORD, among the ‫ ימי כנ‬,‫תא ילם קֹיה נוה‬, ‫םמ נכה נב‬, ‫ נכ‬-‫ יא ימי‬mighty? who is like unto Thee, glorious in ‫ הנ רא‬holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? .‫לא‬-‫פ ל‬-‫שה ל‬,‫ע ת‬,‫ ם‬,‫לדש; נו נרא קֹת יהלת‬- ‫ק‬,‫נדר מב ם‬ Read: Who is like Meir Kahane (Dar Be Kodesh) who lives in holiness? In answer to those who say Kahane is a perversion of Judaism, Hashem answers in His Torah – Who is like my Meir who lives in holiness? Also interpret: Who is the generation like you? Who will sacrifice like you, which generation will be strong enough to resist and protest and even go to prison for disregarding mans laws for Gods laws? When the generation is like you then Moshiach will arrive. The faith that he raised us to is the faith that splits oceans. For us to go against our nature and throw out our enemies and stand alone against the world obligates Hashem to protect us and alter nature for the sake of those who are obeying His will.

Beshalach 2009 ;‫תא נלי‬, ‫ ית קֹצ מעק‬-‫ ממה‬,‫שה‬-‫םמ ל‬, -‫אל‬-‫למר ֹקיה נוה ל‬- ‫א‬,‫ טו מוי ם‬15 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Wherefore .‫ ֹקו יי נסעו‬,‫אל‬,‫ יי ֹקש נר ת‬-‫תני‬, ‫ קֹב‬-‫אל‬-‫בר ל‬,‫ מד ת‬criest thou unto Me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward. The Artscroll Siddur (Pg. 371) notes three different commentators on this verse. Rav Kahane encompassed them all especially the Ohr Hachaim. Here is a synopsis. Rashi: Why do you cry out to me? Moses too was praying, and God told him, “Now when Israel is in distress, is no time for lengthy prayer.” Alternatively the verse is rendered ‫מה‬ ‫תצעק‬, Why do you cry out? [as if the plight of Israel is your responsibility]? ‫ אלי‬, To me! It is for Me to save the Nation, therefore you should instruct them to move ahead, and I will attend to their safety. (How many times do we hear Bnei Torah who say we are not worthy. There is no chance of changing our fate except by reading Tehilim and Torah study. It is in the hands of the Mekubalim who must make a spiritual war in heaven so that we may succeed below. When God desires it He will alter the plan. Rav Kahane would answer that of course we need Torah and prayer, but also 'action that comes from concern and feeling the pain of another Jew '. There are a handful of hilltop youth that build our Nation and are thrown out with their children in the cold night and less than a handful of leaders that will come out to help them and care for them. All of the Bnei Torah who supposedly love God and the Land of Israel do not associate themselves with these renegades who are the truest servants of God.) Sferno: After the leaders castigated him for taking them out of Egypt, Moses cried out because he feared that they were lacking in faith and would not obey him when he ordered them to advance into the sea. To this God replied he was misjudging the people; all he had to do was give the command. (Again our leadership misjudges the people. From the Religious leadership to the secular leadership. If the Rav was allowed to run for Knesset without being barred and banned by his vicious haters, the people would have elected him to lead them. This is preciously why he was banned. Our problems largely stem from leaders that stifle the voice of our Nation for their own personal agenda's like the spies who were all the greatest heads of the Nation). Ohr Hachaim: He deals with a fundamental problem: Isn't prayer the proper response when people are faced with danger? Why are Israel and Moses commanded not to pray at such a time? He explains that God exercises His attribute of mercy only when the victims have at at least a minimum degree of merit. At the sea, however the Attribute of Justice argued that the Jews no less than the Egyptians had worshiped idols, and that it was unjust for one nation to be saved while the other was destroyed. [This is alluded to in Verse 19, where the angel is called the angel of Elohim, the Name denoting judgment, because the Jewish people were being judged (Rashi).] Consequently prayer alone could not be efficacious; there had to be a tangible merit. Therefore God commanded that the prayers be stopped and the people demonstrate their readiness to put their lives in danger in obedience to God by plunging into the water. That

display of faith would earn them the miracle of the splitting of the sea. (The Rav used to say that Gentiles act reflexively of Israel. When you show a dog that you are afraid then they growl and bite. We create our own worst enemies, and the opposite is also true. When we stand up and act the way we are commanded to, despite all odds, that is when Hashem reflexively opens the sea for us. How the media and the government tried to ban and destroy this man for fear that if he were to ever be in a position of power to lead, he would isolate and condemn Israel by all those we try to appease. The truth is quite the opposite. The non-Jewish world that had a chance to hear this man speak were inspired and often remarked 'Why are there not more Jews like you? This is what we expect from Gods Chosen people.') This is a good place to bring an excerpt from a speech he gave at the National Press Conference a short while after receiving one seat in the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) in 1984. National Press Club 1984 In 1938 Ze'ev Jabotisnky visited Vilna and the leftist in Vilna particularly the Socialist Bundt, put out a leaflet, which they handed out to the Jews of Vilna. I want to read it to you. Ze'ev Jabotisnky of course was the greatest of the Zionist leaders of his time and in 1938 he was appealing to the Jews of Poland and Europe to escape, to run, to leave before tragedy struck them. And the Bundt issued the following leaflet, which has been translated from Yiddish into English, \"To the Jewish workers and the Jewish masses of Vilna, the spiritual father of Jewish fascism, the paper general Jabotisnky is coming to Vilna. Of late this adventurer and charlatan has become very popular with the Jewish workers and Jewish masses of Vilna; show your contempt for the Purim general and give him this command: Get out! Evacuate yourself along with your friends from Poland. Down with Fascism, down with Jabotisnky.\" When I read this particular leaflet, it reminded me of the truth that nothing ever changes. Nothing ever changes! The Jewish people learns nothing from History, repeats the same tragedies. I cannot begin to tell you, the hate, the sheer psychopathic hate, which is raging today in the state of Israel. Not against Arafat and not against the PLO, and not against Syria but against Jews! They have created a new label in Israel called \"Kahanism\", and I want you to know what Kahanism is, Kahanism is a label and an outlet for vicious hatred against Judaism. And those who march against Kahanism tomorrow will march to trample on Judaism. In Givatayim, a suburb of Tel Aviv 10,000 leftists came from all over the country. Bused in from the Kibbutzim, they came with iron bars, they came with stones, they attacked Jews, they beat Jews. The Mayor of Givatayim, a member of the Marach, stood and shouted \"laarog otam kaasher hem ktanim!\" - kill them while they are still small! This is the face of the left in Israel. And as I watched that crowd, the twisted faces, the obscenities, the curses, I said to myself, now I understand what happened in Israel 40 years ago, at the time of the \"HaSidon\" - The Season. And everyone must know what happened in those days. It is those that don't know what happened in the past that will live to see it happen again in the present and in the future. In the 1940's these same Kibbutznikim, HaShomer HaTzair, Mapai, Mapam, the same ones that today speak about democracy, and love of all the people, they speak about ethics, and morality... they kidnapped soldiers of the Irgun and the Sternists, and they turned them over

to the British, knowing that to be a member of the Irgun was a capital punishment, a death sentence. They were the ones who in 1948 fired upon the Irgun ship, the Altalena and murdered in cold blood 17 Jews because Menahem Begin was on the ship and they wanted to liquidate Begin. And know who the commander of the operation was, his name was Yitzhak Rabin. He gave the order to fire and to murder 17 Jews; And know that the next day in the Knesset, the Prime Minister at that time, Ben Gurion rose and in the minutes, he said, \"blessed be the holy canon\", blessed be the holy canon that murdered 17 Jews! They speak to us about Democracy and about love? They were the ones who murdered in cold blood in the 1920's one of the leaders of Agudat Israel, Dahan, because he was an anti-Zionist. So you can oppose and anti-Zionist, but to murder a Jew in cold blood? And know who gave the orders: Yitzhak Ben Zvi, the second President of the State of Israel. They speak about Fascism? About hooligans? They turn now to the Sephardic Jews and tell them to watch out for Kahane! They turn to Sephardic Jews? the leftists? I remember what they did, how they destroyed whole communities of Jews from Morocco, and Algeria and Libya, and Tunisia and Egypt, and Syria and Iraq and Yemen! In the 1940's as the State came into being, hundreds of thousands of Jews poured in from Arab countries. Every one of those Jews was a Zionist, a real Zionist, not the Herzl type of Zionist! They were Zionists for 2000 years, \"ve techezena enenu leTzion\" - may our eyes behold the return to Zion. That was real Zionism. They were warm Jews, religious Jews, and what happened to them! The leftists from Mapai and Mapam stood and watched as 800,000 Jews poured into the country, and they asked themselves the only question that had any meaning to them, the only thing that bothered them, the thing that meant more to them than the State, than the Jewish people, the question was: \"For whom will they vote?\" They saw they were all religious Jews, \"they will not vote for us\" they thought, so they went about purposely in cold blood, to spiritually destroy an entire people. Jews were put into \"mabarot,\" transit camps, and if there was a job, they asked you \"in what school have you registered your child?\" and if it was a religious school, there was no job! And they would say, take this paper and take it to the Histadrut school, register your child in a Histadrut school; the Principal will then stamp the paper and you will bring it to the Labor Exchange office and you will get a job. If you wanted a job they would ask, \"where is your red book of the Histadrut? You are not a member? No job!\" Fascism? I know who the Fascists were and who the Fascists are! The pity is, that we waited 37 years to put someone in the Knesset to give to them, just as they gave to us! I have arrived!! They speak of \"kfiat dati\" - religious coercion; let me speak to you about religious coercion. In 1948 10,000 Yemenite boys, children, came to Israel without their parents under the auspices of Youth Aliyah. Every Yemenite boy that came to Israel, came with his Shabbat, with his Kashrut, and with his \"Simanim\", that's what they called the \"peyott\" - the ear-locks that every Yemenite boy had. The Simanim, the sign of the Jew. For 2000 years they had the Simanim, for 2000 years they had the Shabbat, for 2000 years they suffered but remained Jewish, they came to the Holy Land to places as 'holy' as the Kibbutzim of the Shomer HaTzair. They ripped from them their Simanim, their Judaism, their Jewishness, children ages 7, 8 and 9. Shimon Peres speaks today about the tragedy that there is crime in Israel. Crime in Israel? \"Boker Tov\" - good morning! If there is crime in Israel, who created it? If there are gangs in Israel, who created them? And if there is a breakdown in every thing that is Jewish in Israel, who created that? If not Shimon Peres and his gangsters! They ripped from Jews the only values they had, their Judaism, and left them naked to pick up the

values of Dizenghoff Street, and now they complain about hoodlums and gangsters. I sat in prison in Israel; I saw the Yemenites, the Iraqis, and the Moroccans, who never knew what crime was when they lived in Morocco and Yemen and Iraq. They never tasted it, they came to Israel and were destroyed spirituality by people who cynically cared only about \"for whom will they vote?\" So when I say these things in the 'Kikar' - in the town square, of course the people listen and of course people clap, and of course people cheer because finally someone is coming and saying the truth, he is saying what they have always thought all these years. You think it's an accident that so many people are shouting 'Kahane'? It's not an accident. I touched upon the things that bother them, that trouble them, the things that no one else is saying to them. I want a Jewish State; I don't want a Hebrew speaking copy of Time Square! ….Moshe Tamam, that name virtually nobody remembers; was a 19 year-old soldier hitching a ride near Natanya. Arabs picked him up and gave him a ride. They found his body four days later. And know what they did to him so you know whom we are dealing with. They gouged out his eyes, and they cut off his sexual organs; and that is what we are dealing with. And of such people our Rabbis told us already and the Humash, told us already, \"Ishmael will be a wild man, his hand will be against everybody and everybody's hand will be against him.\" That's with whom we're dealing! This is the enemy. This is Ishmael. My son came home from the army, he came from Miluim - reserve duty; and he showed me a letter, which was given to every soldier; a letter from the Israeli Defense Forces. \"Let me see the letter, let me see pride I told him.\" Do you know what the letter said? It said, \"Hayal - soldier, be careful when hitching rides\". Soldier of Israel be careful on the roads of Israel, you might be killed by Arabs in Israel! What a tragedy, what a disgrace, what a Hilul HaShem! (desecration of God's name). But the enemy is Kahanism? (sic). …...I don't hate Arabs, I love Jews! And I hate the enemies of the Jews, not because they are Arabs but because they are enemies! You think there is a single Arab living in Israel in a place that is called the Jewish State? Liberals have immense contempt for the Arabs; they believe that they can buy them. \"We'll raise their living standards and then they'll be good Arabs\" Good Arabs? What contempt! They think that a good Arab is one that will agree to the Jews living in what he considers to be his Palestine. You think there is one Arab who enjoys living in a State where there is a law of return that applies to Jews and not to non-Jews? You think there is one Arab who enjoys living in a State, which has a National Anthem: Hatikvah with words that say, 'nefesh yehudi omia' - the soul of the Jew yearns? You can imagine how that sits with them. You think there is one Arab who enjoys living in a State, whose Independence Day celebrates his defeat? You can't buy a person by giving him an indoor toilet. \"You see, you had no toilet, now you have one.\" You can't come and say as the UJA says: \"What do you want? We came and we turned the dessert into a garden\" Let me tell you what the Arab says: \"Yes it's true, but it was my dessert and now it's your garden.\" I respect the Arab, and that is why he has to go! Because I know you can't buy him, you can't buy his national pride, know that he hates the Jews and that if we allowed them they would do to us what Arabs do to other Arabs today in Lebanon. They would do to us what they did to us yesterday. Do you know what Arabs did to us in the 1920's and 1930's? Do you know what they did to us? When there was no Kahane, no Begin and no other 'fascists'? Do you know what they did to us when there was no State of Israel? What they did in Hevron and in

Jaffa, and Yerushalaym? How they murdered over 500 Jews! They would do that to us if we let them, but I am not going to let them! I want an exchange of populations. Beginning in 1948 we took in 800,000 Jews from Arab countries. That was phase one, now I want phase two: we took Jews from Arab countries? Well now we'll give them Arabs from the Jewish country! I am ready to offer the Arabs that want to leave voluntarily compensation for his properties, which is more that what they did for the Jews they expelled from Morocco, from Egypt, from Iraq. Do you know how much money was left behind by Jews in those countries? Billions of dollars, and we were never compensated for it. And when we signed the treaty with Egypt we didn't even have the decency, the self-respect to demand compensation for the properties seized by Gamal Abdel Nasser from the Jews in Egypt. I am better than they; I will give compensation to the Arabs that are willing to leave. And those that are not willing to leave, I will throw out without monetary compensation! This is racism? My God, this is saving ourselves, this is self-preservation, I don't hate the Arabs, I wish them well, elsewhere! I wish them the very best in any of their 22 countries. I have only one, it is mine and I am not going to lose it to either Bush or Begin. I am appalled by Jews who say, \"This is what the Germans did to the Jews.\" Did the Jews of Germany ever say, \"Germany is our country and the Germans stole it from us? And when we become the majority we will take it back and call it Israel\" (sic). That is not what they said. The Jews of Germany wanted nothing more than to be the best Germans that ever lived. The Arabs don't want to be Israelis. Let everyone know that when we came out to oppose the Camp David Accords and peace treaty with Egypt, they said \"Kahane doesn't want peace\", I want peace, but I knew what kind of peace we would have with Egypt. Peace? Any country with a modicum of self-respect would have recalled their ambassador from Egypt, if Egypt would have done to them what they did to us: murdered in cold blood seven Jews. I don't know if any of you know what the real story is, I am sure that it came here to you as one crazy Arab shoots... and every time an Arab shoots he's crazy. So the story came as 'one crazy Arab soldier shot Jews and also wounded his own soldiers', well that's a lie! another Egyptian lie; a typical Arab lie. He wasn't crazy, he was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and other soldiers stood by and watched him shoot, and three of our seven soldiers did not die right away, they laid there bleeding, and the Egyptians refused to allow medical aid. And those three soldiers bled to death. And Mubarak said, \"Why should a little incident upset our relationship?\" A little incident? If I would have been Prime Minister I would have given him a little incident! I am tired. I'm tired of going to funerals, I didn't come to Israel to go to funerals; I came to Israel for 'smachot' - happy occasions, joy, and happiness. There is a growing fear in Israel and you can tell by the hysteria, the hysterical obsession with Kahanism. President Herzog is obsessed with Kahane, he goes to bed every night with 'Kahane'. Shimon Peres says Kahane is the greatest danger to Israel, I would have imagined that Syria would be, but no. The army radio station Galey Tzahal, devoted last week 18 hours, an entire day to Kahane, to attacks on Kahane; the army radio station! An army that is supposed to be above politics, being crudely used by politicians and do you know why? Because they are terrified, because they know that as much as they are against Kahane, in the streets, the people of Israel are for Kahane! …..Just as I told the people in Israel the choice in the next elections is between Kahane and Arafat; that is what the next elections will be all about. Kach or the PLO that's the choice there is no other choice! I

appeal to you, save Israel, save your brothers and sisters and save yourselves, because God forbid, I would not want to be in your shoes if there is no more Israel. I said I would end here but there is one more thing I want to tell you because it is vital. I believe that the State of Israel has to be the State for all the Jewish people and has to be the trustee of all the Jewish people. And I don't believe that there are boundaries that Israel cannot cross, when Jews are in trouble. And I want to tell you, that as anti- Semitism in this country (USA) grows, there will be a need for an Israel that will do things that you are not ready to do. And I want to tell you, that with God's help when I am Prime Minister, the State of Israel will never say that there are Israelis that are in trouble, we will always say that if there are Jews in trouble anywhere, our hand will reach out everywhere against those who hate Jews. Isolation KAHANE Magazine (Brooklyn, New York) Isolation. The Jew does not wish to be isolated. He fears being alone, without allies. He fears man, he trusts only in man and so - in the exquisitely Divine way of the Almighty - precisely that which he fears will be sent upon him. He fears to do that which the Almighty demands - to annex the territories and establish Jewish sovereignty over them, as part of the Holy Land of Israel. The Almighty repays him by turning them into burning caldrons of an intifada, with confused Israeli youth not knowing whether these Holy lands are indeed Jewish or \"occupied\". While a world that is normal and knows that if land belongs to you then you annex it, feels free to condemn a country that does not do so as an \"occupier\". He fears to throw out the cancer raging in his midst - the Arab enemy - lest the world turn on him. He is repaid measure for measure by a grim Almighty as the world,! daily, condemns him for \"oppression\" of people that would not have been there had he had faith in G-d rather than fear of the Gentile. In any event, the Jew will be isolated, and that is the greatest blessing imaginable. For so long as the Jew has even one ally, he will be convinced - in his smallness of mind - that his salvation came from that ally. It is only when he is alone - against all of his own efforts and frantic attempts - that he will, through no choice, be compelled to turn to G-d. And it is only when the Jew stands alone against a world unified in hatred against him, that the Almighty will turn, in His anger and wrath, against the nations that knew Him not, and His powerful arm that will bring salvation to the Jew will be the awesome proof to the nations that the Lord, G-d of Israel, is indeed One - the only One. That is why isolation will be. That it is why it must be. It is the greatest of blessings, and the foolish Jew of little faith sees it only as a curse. Foolish Jew, Jew of Exile, whose soul and mind has been destroyed by that Exile, who has turned from a Jew of faith into one of trembling before the man of dust Unless. Unless we become the Jews we were meant to be. The Jews of chosenness. Of might and faith. Unless we ignore both the money and the honey of the United States and their empty threats and condemnation. Condemnation? It is dandruff to be brushed away before moving on to do the will of G-d. In any event, there is no choice. The United States will turn on Israel, slowly and subtly. The difference is that if we turn from the Gentile first, we will have the Almighty as the immediate staff and our comfort. If not, we will have neither the Gentile nor, for a terrible stage, the Almighty. (May 1990) As mentioned previously (see Beshalach/Bo) not only Pharoah loses free choice, we also do.

Pesach and Yom Haatzmaut (2012) Three Days of Darkness I keep noticing more and more the direct connection between Pesach and Yom Haatzmaut. Nowhere else do we hear the midrash that 4/5ths of the Jewish people perished. This is what happened. Only one fifth of the Jewish people survived Egypt. For them it was the days of darkness and for those who were saved it was days of light. They could see what others could not see in the darkness. They saw light and they followed Moshe. Why was it ‘three days’ darkness? Maybe their darkness mirrors the ‘three days’ journey that that one fifth decided to join. Today our leaders tell us there is no ‘explanation’ to the Shoa and so G-d seems cruel and we must accept that every once in awhile he allows terrible destruction to befall us. The Rabbis in the Torah however tell us that those who died in Egypt could not be saved; they were too assimilated. As I am writing this it is Yom Hashoa in Israel and many stories are recalled about those times. Jabotinsky saw the blood coming and cried to the Jews to ‘liquidate the exile before the exile liquidates you’. He was labeled a fascist and banned from speaking in many places. Apparently in Hungary where almost all of the Jewish population was destroyed, only six percent of the Jews were Zionists. The other two halves were either Charedi (waiting for Moshiach to free them) or Nationalists. Both of these main groups despised the Zionists. The Charedi camp was waiting for Moshiach to free them and bitterly opposed nationalism and the Zionists who to them were secularists that did not keep all of the mitzvot. The Nationalists also bitterly opposed them because the Zionists were talking about ‘dual’ citizenship and they were very proud and loyal ‘Hungarians’. Of course it is easy to look back and ask ‘How could they not have seen?’ The point is, to look at the present and see the same attitude by American Jews whose loyalty is first to ‘America’. Just like the past many base their anti-Israel reactions on their loyalty to ‘America’ never thinking for a moment that ‘America’ could turn against them. In addition the Charedi community remains in the exile today because it is comfortable and Israel may be a bad influence on their children. It is harder to be a ‘kosher’ Jew in Israel than in their closed communities. There is a time limit on the ‘three day’ journey of Moshe which ends in the ‘three day’ period of darkness. I am one of those who heard the warning bells. For me it was on September 11th and a year later I uprooted myself to a foreign country called Israel. I discovered that the ‘love’ of Israel is far greater than the ‘fear’ that originally motivated me but this ‘fear’ exists for a good reason – to motivate. ‫ יכי‬:‫ יעמו‬,‫תסף‬, ‫ מע ֹקצמות יו‬-‫את‬-‫שה ל‬-‫םמ ל‬, ‫ יט מו יי מקח‬19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, ,‫תאל‬, ‫יי ֹקש נר‬ ‫יה ֹקש יבי מע‬ saying: 'God will surely remember you; and ye ‫אפ לקד שי רפ לקד‬,‫מר‬,‫לא ם‬,‫ת‬ ‫ב מע‬,‫מה ֹקש ת‬ ‫ני‬,‫ ֹקב ת‬-‫את‬-‫ל‬ ‫לתם‬- ‫ קֹו מה נע ילי‬,‫לכם‬- ‫לא קֹת‬- ‫לאל יהים‬ shall carry up my bones away hence with you.' ‫כם‬-‫לזה יא קֹת ל‬- ‫םמ מתי ימ‬, ‫ מע ֹקצ‬-‫את‬-‫ ל‬. Shmot 18:19

‫ קֹב מאף‬,‫תמ מעל מא ֹקד נמ נתם‬, ‫שם קֹיה נוה‬,‫ כז מו יי ֹקת ת‬27 and Hashem rooted them from upon their soil, ‫רב לח אמה ו רב הק הצף אגדול‬-‫אל‬-‫תכם ל‬, ‫; מו מי קֹשלי‬ with anger, with wrath, and with great fury, and ‫ו‬ He cast them into another land, as it is this day'.-- ‫לזה‬- ‫מה‬ ‫מכיום‬ ,‫לרת‬- ‫לח‬- ‫מא‬ ‫לרץ‬- ‫א‬-‫ל‬ Dvarim 30:27 Poked Yifkod = 378 Bechama vbeketzef gadol = 376+2 for the words chama and ketzef = 378 There seems to be a connection here in the gematrias. The time that Hashem is remembering us is a time for glory. If we fail to see this and act upon it the time of glory becomes a time of catastrophe. Walking Through the Sea They say that at Yum Suf even a shifcha (a maid) saw more than the greatest prophet saw. How could this be? There are stories in the Talmud of very mystic Rabbi’s who were able to make rushing rivers part with a few words of Kabbalah and walk across. If this is so then what is so special about Yum Suf parting? The uniqueness of Yum Suf is that not only Tzadikim witnessed this miracles but also many wicked people who would later worship the Golden Calf and cause other rebellions in our nation. Everyone saw this great miracle no matter what level of holiness one was at. One could say that this uniqueness was experienced again two thousand years later by the generation that escaped Europe and were part of the re-birth of the modern State of Israel. Not everyone was a Tzadik yet we have seen how those who tried to destroy us were themselves destroyed. Although they succeeded in wiping out such a large percentage of our people, they in fact were the catalyst that brought us back to life after two thousand years. There was no place to go but forward into the sea. We were alone with no support from any country and knew we faced a terrible war by claiming Nationhood. They told Ben Gurion he had a fifty percent chance of surviving. He said ‘that’s better than we have ever had’. They walked into the sea and it parted. One may ask why was Nachson the first to step in the sea? Should it not have been Moshe the leader? Should not the leader lead the way? A rabbi at Chabbad answered me that the move had to come from the people. I understand this answer. Hertzel and Jabotinsky may have inspired the people towards nationhood but it was not until those ideas became part of a critical mass that they were implemented. Rabbi Kahane in our times gave us the way, but ideas need to become internalized within the Nation before they become reality and we act upon them as Nachson did in the past, or Ben Gurion in 1948 and in our own time when we re-conquer Yehuda and Shomron from a world driving us once again into the sea. The Other Side of Yum Suf The Aliya of the crossing of the Red Sea ends with complaints on the other side. Why didn’t they end the aliyah on an up note? Why end the greatest miracle the world ever saw with something negative, especially at this festive occasion? What exactly was the complaint? The people wanted water and the water was bitter. Moshe through a tree into the water and instead of the water becoming even bitterer it became sweet. In addition the people were given the laws of the Red Heifer at this time and basic laws of Mishpatim; laws to govern the Nation.

I suggest that the aliya ends with these events because it is describing real events that were still connected to Yum Suf. If we look at Yum Suf as our first exodus in modern times (building Israel from the ashes of the Shoa), then the pieces seem to fit. Israel established basic civil laws that incorporated Jewish laws as well and the Jewish holidays. There was a framework then and today of Torah concepts that get us used to the ideas of our yearly cycle. Even if we have not yet accepted the yoke of Heaven and the complete Torah we certainly have a framework here in Israel. Every non-religious Jew in Israel knows about each Jewish holiday because they are National holidays. Assimilated Jews in America know much less. Torah is much more foreign to them. In addition to the civil laws which incorporate the Jewish holidays (by law government workers, banks, transportation are closed on most holidays), the laws of the Para Aduma were learned. This also seems to fit with our own times. The biggest impediment towards G-d in our times is the Shoa. This must have also been a question for those who left Egypt. The Red Heifer Kabalistically is a metaphor for the People of Israel who represent various parts from the tail to the head to the dung. All of the heifer and its dung are burned and from this comes an elixir that removes death and brings life. The lucky few who crossed the Red Sea were chosen from every level of society from the dung to the Rosh, they all witnessed the miracle and re-birth and new life. In addition they all lost relatives from every level in the darkness of Egypt and the darkness of the Shoa. It is fitting that this mystic unanswerable decree of the Red Heifer is contemplated along with the very practical civil laws and framework of the new Jewish Nation. Seen in this light one can understand the complaints in a different way. The Charedi Perspective Most of those who complained that Israel was not kosher enough and forbid their followers to go to this Zionist country that was labeled as anti-religious died in the Shoa. Their students continued to complain and banned themselves from participating in this new Jewish Nation. To those who did come a very interesting thing happened. Torah is compared to ‘water’ and it is also compared to a ‘tree’. At first there was the bitterness of lack of Torah. However those who uprooted themselves and planted the tree of Torah in these bitter waters created water that has never been so sweet. The Torah that flows from Israel today is greater than ever and far outshines the Torah of the exile. The passage after the complaints leads to seventy date palms with brooks running by each one. I suggest that these date palms refer to the seventy facets of Torah that are each represented here in Israel; each one with brooks of streaming fresh water. The Secular Perspective At the time that most people were coming to Israel the majority of Jews were trying to get to America and greener pastures. Those who came here found it very difficult as the Nation was in its infancy. We still here the same motto ‘Ze Mashe Yesh’ (this is what we have), learn to live with it. Today of course it is much easier however it is always relative to the nature of a person. In spite of the difficulties Israel has grown into a leader among the world in almost every field. In this environment where necessity meets ingenuity the Jewish minds have created the most sought after products from medicine, military, hi-tech, agriculture to name a few. Chazal tells us the seventy date palms alluded to the leadership of the Nation; the seventy leaders. From what seemed to be barren and bitter came life giving resources that continue to increase and spread throughout the world.

Marah the Bitter Test ‫תלך‬, ‫ מו מי ֹקש‬,‫עץ‬,‫רהו ֹקיה נוה ת‬,‫ מויו ת‬,‫ ֹקיה נוה‬-‫לאל‬- ‫ כה מו יי קֹצ מעק‬25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD ‫חק‬,‫ מו יי ֹקמ ֹקתקו מה נמ יים; נשם נשם לו ם‬,‫ מה ממ יים‬-‫אל‬-‫ ל‬showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There He made ‫ קֹו נשם ינ נסהו‬,‫ו ימ ֹקש נפט‬. for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them; He tested them to see whether they would accept and fulfill the commandments He gave them in marah; if so they would be worthy to receive the entire Torah. This was a test they passed (Sforno; Or Hachaim). (Artscroll Siddur Pg. 382) This test of bitterness has lead to sweet developments and is preparing us to fully accept the Torah when we arrive soon at Mount Sinai. ‫את‬,‫ ת‬,‫לשה‬- ‫םמ‬, ‫תן‬,‫םח ת‬, ,‫תהן ימ קֹד נין‬, ‫כ‬,‫ א מו יי ֹקש ממע יי ֹקתרו ם‬1 Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father- ‫תאל‬, ‫ ו ֹקל יי ֹקש נר‬,‫שה‬-‫מ ל‬,‫לשר נע נשה לאל יהים ֹקל ם‬- ‫ נא‬-‫ נכל‬in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel His people, how that the LORD had ,‫אל‬,‫ יי קֹש נר ת‬-‫את‬-‫ל‬ ‫קֹיה נוה‬ ‫הו יציא‬-‫ יכי‬:‫מעמו‬ brought Israel out of Egypt. ‫ ימ ימ קֹצ נר יים‬. (Shmot 18:1) Yitro...heard. He heard about the miracles at the Sea and the war against Amalek. The juxtaposition of Yitro and Amalek shows the contrast between good and evil people. Both of them had heard about the Exodus, but Yitro reacted by casting his lot with the nation of God, while Amalek became a symbol of treachery and evil by defying God and launching an unprovoked sneak attack on a weak and weary people [see Dvarim 25:17-18]. Miracles alone do not transform the beliefs of the Ameleks of the world; those who refuse to recognize the hand of God will always interpret events to suit their purposes. Yitro's coming was precipitated by his hearing of both events; one would not have been enough. The miracles of the Exodus alone could have been interpreted as punishment for Pharaoh’s obstinate refusal to obey God, but they not prove conclusively that God would also be so benevolent merely for the sake of Israel. The defeat of Amalek however, proved that He would intervene for the Jews, as well (Or Hachaim). (Artscroll Siddur Pg. 395) After Israel's great victory in the Six Day War, many Christians saw the miracle that Hashem had performed for us and it inspired them to take up the cause for Israel. Many Evangelical Christians have become very strong supporters of Israel and rally to our defense politically as well as raise large amounts of capitol to help build Yesha. There is an amazing Midrash that says the Jewish people did not fully come to believe in G-d by witnessing the miracles in Egypt or the greater miracles at the sea, even at Har Sinai when they heard his voice. So when did they fully come to believe? Only when Yitro came and said 'Now I know that G-d is greater than all the other gods.' --‫ע נלה ו קֹז נב יחים‬,‫ ם‬,‫שה‬-‫מ ל‬,‫תתן ם‬, ‫םח‬, ‫ יב מו יי מקח יי קֹתרו‬11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all ,‫תאל‬, ‫תני יי קֹש נר‬, ‫םכל יז קֹק‬, ‫רן ֹקו‬,‫םא מא נה ם‬, ‫תלאל יהים; מו ניב‬, gods; yea, for that they dealt proudly against ‫תני נה לאל יהים‬, ‫ יל ֹקפ‬--‫שה‬-‫םמ ל‬, ‫תתן‬, ‫ח‬,‫ ם‬-‫חם יעם‬-‫לל ל‬- -‫ל לא נכל‬-‫ ל‬. them.' (Shmot 18:11) I understand this Midrash on a very personal level. Currently I work at the Jerusalem Post newspaper and we speak daily to Jews as well as many Christians that are strong supporters of Israel. Between

conversations we often discuss various ideas about Israel and religion. The people that work there come from various backgrounds from religious, traditional to extreme left. One of my colleagues who is a university educated scholar mocks some of us who have simple faith and patriotism. He will say things like its all 'opium for the masses' and its all about money, or power, etc. When he speaks to a Christian client however, it is fascinating to see how he is affected. The client will bless him for being part of the Jewish Nation and tell him all about the miracles that G-d does for the Jewish people and swears that he will stand by our side even against his own country if it comes down to that. All of a sudden he stops criticizing Israel and our religion and thanks the client for their support. The root cause of his criticism which is a root cause of many others is based on fear of what the world will say and because he does not want to be disliked he finds reasons to agree with our enemies or undermine our differences so that he will be accepted and not persecuted. When all of a sudden a Gentile is telling him how wonderful he and his people are he has less reason to find fault. This is the meaning of this midrash. If we take away the impediment of 'fear' then inside of every Jew is a soul that wants to express his unique Jewish soul. Pesach and Yom Haatzmaut or so connected. They are part of the original process that is happening again in our own times. At the hardware store I asked the kippa wearing clerk if he enjoyed the chag. He said its not a 'religious' chag. I said 'certainly it is' I said Hallel according to the siddur (Rinat Zion) which I believe was compiled by Rav Cook. I explained to him what I wrote above that there were a number of Tzadikim in our Talmud that were able to make rivers part so they could walk through. Why then is the miracle at Yum Suf given so much attention? The answer is that at Yum Suf not only Taddikim were granted this power and revelation but simple people, even bad people and those who would later rebel in the desert. Even those who were against G-d saw this miracle and walked through the sea. How can you say today is not a miracle? Of course we must continue and get to Har Sinai to accept the Torah but we have left Egypt. He who does not see the miracles that occurred and continue to occur is blind. Of course it is a chag. We are a free nation again and are being healed slowly and have been reborn a Nation of heroes full of courage and self- sacrifice. How can one not see the miracle we are living in? He had to agree with me.

The Haftorah for 7th Day of Pesach 2011-04-26 It was only when one person Nachshon jumped in that the sea actually split, then the whole people could enter. This principle exists today. The Rabbi by his example showed us the way, not only by clarifying the torah command but to fulfill it and by doing so prove to others that the sea can and must split. Look how he almost singlehandedly caused a rift between two huge superpowers – Russia and USA. With a handful of people he caused the crumbling of the walls of Russia and millions were freed. He showed us the way to split the sea, and the last things he showed us was the State of Judea. Binyanmin too wrote in one of his last essays, that if the government wants to divest, then let them divest. Leave us arms and go, we will take over Yehuda and Shomron and the Arabs will run away. But the government doesn’t want to loose control. It wants a two state solution but not a 2 nd Jewish state solution that will bring peace, only an Arab state that will bring war. While we look to Hashem and say how great are your deeds, He looks down to our tzaddikim with admiration. If only we all could be a little like them. In the Haftorah David says Hashem is my light that continually saves me from such adversity. This Haftorah further adds to this explanation of the splitting of the sea. David’s salvation and the Rav’s against all odds. Maybe the small candle that inspires David is the Ner that we wrote about from above (see Ki Sissa and Ner). Hashem looks down and sees the ner that sustains His world. Nun for Notzer and Resh for those who are jealous for Him. David explains what true vengeance is – he writes in the Haftorah for Hashem to exact His vengeance so that ‘violent’ people are uprooted. The Three Days and Amalek Earlier in this commentary I asked about the apparent fabrication the 'three days', as well as the apparent injustice of disinheriting the Canaanites (see Bo 2011 and Lech Lecha and the Promise of Canaan). What do these two ideas have in common? Even if the Israelites were not planning to return Pharaoh could have granted Moshes request for three days. We are taught that this is an example of how evil Pharaoh was that even this three day excursion he would not permit. With all of the good that Israel had brought to Egypt in the past, all was forgotten now and only after ten plagues where three days begrudgingly given to the Jews. Instead of being grateful to the Jews and allowing them to leave with blessings, the whole Nation of Egypt was destroyed because of this begrudging three days. Among the seventy Nations there are those who become close to Israel like Yitro and on the other end of the scale there are the most barbaric of nations Amalek who as the Midrash describes will burn themselves in boiling water in order to cool down the love of the nations towards Israel. Amalek creates havoc wherever he goes and one would think that the other nations would be pleased that Israel is doing battle with a nation that they also despise for it's violent and belligerent nature. Their support for a nation they could do without is connected to the begrudging release of Israel. If they had let Israel go, they would have been blessed. If they didn't meddle in Israels affairs with Amalek of the past or the suicide bombers of today they also would have been blessed. The brotherhood the nations feel towards the Amaleks that hate Israel will lead to the final war of Gog and Magog. Similar to the story of Egypt these great powers will be completely destroyed and Israel reluctantly will have conquered the entire world in the name of Hashem. One that day He will be One

and His name will be One. Of course the world could have allowed Israel to come into being with no resistance rather than the three day grudge and could have been blessed by Israel destroying not only Israels enemy but an enemy that is undermining the whole world. This blessing was forfeited by a three day grudge and a love for an enemy simply because he was the enemy of Israel. The animosity toward the G-d Israel that comes from the most enlightened nations will eventually be extricated at the root by uprooting Amalek whose entire being is hatred of Israel. Through the series of plagues there will be those who become closer to Israel and those like Pharaoh and his supporters that lose their free choice and be attached like fish on a hook to Amalek. We see an allusion to this in Europe of the past where normal friendly neighbors seemed to have lost their free choice and became coldhearted monsters. We in Israel will also have no choice but to become reluctant conquerors. Pharoahs sudden madness at the edge of the sea seems to be not unconnected to Amaleks madness on the other side of the sea. What triggered Pharaoh was Israels apparent retreat; the smell of blood that eternally inspires our enemies. This apparent retreat in the past was orchestrated from above to a place called Pi-Charot (the mouth of freedom) between Migdal and the sea. Maybe there is an allusion to a future Migdal (the twin towers) and a future sea and the mouth of freedom (read:Arab Spring) that apparently has the power to unite the nations against Israel for it seems that now Israel is lost. The three day excursion granted by the United Nations has run out. Let the nations make their plans and instead of rewarding and honoring the Jewish people for their infinite contributions to the world, let these ungrateful people come led by the most cruel and tyrannical forces to do away with Israel and its G-d. We here in Israel will have a special surprise waiting – our cymbals and our drums. The Marriage of Chassidut Chabbad and Kahane (2015) I suppose there is no such thing as circumstance. The fact that for years I have spent my Shabbat at my neighborhood Chabbad and sat with some of the great leaders of this movement and heard their many discourses, must have embellished my Chassidut of Rav Kahane. As well, it seems to me that Rav Kahane is the answer that Chabad Chassidim seek. They of course do not see this, and even if they did see this could never say anything about it because it is not written anywhere in their books. Or is it? This Shabbat as usual I sat across from Rav Butman a man in his eighties steeped in wisdom and Torah with a simplicity and deep understanding of life that comes from dedication despite persecution in Russia, escaping the Shoa and being a soldier and general for Chabbad Chassidim from the time he was born. Being in fact from the royal family of Shneerson, he knew the Rebbe as a family member before he became the Rebbe. When I spoke at the farbrengen and I saw his eyes light up with a wide smile and he said to me afterward I reached my peak today, then I understood that something I was saying touched a point in the heart of Chassidut. He and I both understood the uncomfortable words I was speaking that may have gone over the heads of others. I, a commoner who can barely speak Hebrew was teaching the royal family the essence of their own Chassidut. After explaining 'the whole torah' which I wrote about in Parsha Vayera I went on to add the following. One concept that is discussed in Chabbad Chassidut regarding Parsha Beshalach is the importance of the Jewish women that are mentioned; Miriam and Devorah. The Jewish women are in the forefront of

the Geula because they are related to the physical world. Hashem wants to build a home here on earth. The women are related to the house and setting the house in order as Sarah did with Ishmael. Because of the self-sacrifice of Miriam and her mother Yoched Hashem said He would build them 'houses'. And so houses were built. The Cohanim came from this family of Levi and Miriam married Nachson from the tribe of Yehuda who caused the sea to split when he moved forward. There is another concept of Chabbad called the 'Dor Shvii', the seventh generation. Chazal tells us that originally Gan Eden was on earth but after the fist sin it was removed from earth and placed in the Heavens. As the generations continued to sin Gan Eden moved progressively higher until the 7th level of Heaven. When Avraham appeared, Gan Eden moved closer to earth. This continued progressively seven generations until the time of Moshe. When the Israelites stood by Har Sinai Gan Eden had finally returned to earth. Unfortunately soon after was the Chet HaEgel and Gan Eden departed once again. According to Chassidut the Baal Shem Tov was like Avraham in our times. The seventh generation is the current one, the 'Dor Shvii'. Now to move from one generation to the next in a Heavenly state is not the same as moving from the last Heavenly state to the earth, which is completely different from Heaven. This of course is the challenge of the Dor Shvii which we are already in. It seems to me that the Torah of the women of Parsha Beshalach which connect that Heavenly generation to earth is the Torah of Rav Kahane who is setting the house in order. For years when I studied Torah and brought up Rav Kahane people would say, 'lets not bring in politics now, we are studying Torah'. This however is the point. Changing the political reality is exactly what happened then and what has happened in our own times, and is still happening. This is the point of 'faith' and demonstration of 'faith' that Hashem desires. We now sit in the Medina of Israel. Israel is no longer an idea, but a political reality. It may not be the way everyone wants it to be however it exists and every gentile in the world knows that the Jews have come home and there is a Nation called Israel. They may despise this Nation but it is a political reality and it is Hashems political reality. This now brings us to Beshalach today. There are those who say throw out the settlers for they are bringing about world condemnation. It is because of Yehuda and Shomron that the whole world is condemning Israel. Just like those who stood at Yum Suf and said we must return to Egypt there are still a few who believe a divorce and disengagement will solve our problems. They are wrong of course and we all know that we must move forward. We have come this far. We cannot go back ever again. There is no choice. Binyamin Kahane writes '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.” (Beshalach 1998) . The essence of the Torah is faith in Hashem and His eved Moshe. The truest servants are the ones building and defending Yehuda and Shomron. The servants that are despised and persecuted and imprisoned are carrying the whole Torah on their backs. To bring Chabbad Chassidut to earth one must support those who are building the Land of Yehuda in the face of the armies of Egypt. It was Nachson from Yehuda who went forth and the Nation followed. We have no choice but to move forward into the impossible. Israel will continue to be a political reality and a spiritual reality with Yehuda. This is the faith that Hashem desires. Hashem will wage war but only if we go through. Hashem will cause the chariot wheels of our enemies to break down but we will be walking through dry land and harvesting fruit in the middle of the raging sea.

The Red Sea Today (2018) (at a farbrengen after Rav Boaz Segal spoke) Fievel say a L’Chaim they said. And so I answered. Boaz spoke today about Yud Aleph Shvat, the day the Lubavitcher Rebbe took on the leadership. It was also in the eleventh month of Shvat. The Rebbe was also born on the 11th of the month. What is significance of eleven? Kabbalistically it represents beyond nature; beyond the ten manifestations and ten utterances that Hashem used in Creation. We see also in the Torah how Hashem brought us beyond the natural order to reach Israel in eleven days. However, because of our sins it took us forty years. All of this is very nice. I would like to add now my own personal eleven. For years I wanted to go to Israel but back in chul they told me you need lots of money. I kept trying to save but not doing very well. Then the number eleven happened. It was September 11 and I realized something very dramatic. Within eleven minutes of the attack all of the airports were closed. Even if you had a billion dollars it meant nothing. No one was able to leave. All the doors were closed. So I knew I had to come home ready or not. And so I arrived without any money. I still have no money but thank God I'm rich. There is another eleven. Eleven years before Sept 11 Rav Kahane stood in Manhattan not far from 'ground zero' on his tour named Project Zero (Zionist Emergency Rescue Operation). After his speech pleading with Am Israel to come home now, he was gunned down. His whole Torah was the number eleven. He always spoke about b'ita achishena, 'in its time I will hasten it' (Isaiah 60:22). There are two roads; the 'in its time' in which the redemption comes accompanied with terrible suffering and bloodshed, and the 'hurried redemption' that comes speedily, with miracles and glory. He was always trying to push us to this preferred redemption which is our choice today. We stand again before the sea. The concept of the seventh generation (connecting the spiritual world to the physical world) and the number eleven are really the same thing. Where do we see the most physical action that is really spiritual and the most spiritual action that is physical? Where do we see heaven being brought down to earth? Today we stand before the sea again. There are the wild beasts of Amalek on one side. We cannot go back any longer to Egypt. We can sit and cry as we do, or we can continue and move forward. What does that mean? If we continue and annex Yehuda and Shomron and call it Israel and throw out our enemies; the sea will open. If we physically build and remove those who hate the God of Israel we will create a new spiritual reality. But we sit and cry and say we are not at the right level to do so. Take a look at what we just read in the parsha. Were the original generation ready? Were there not complainers then? And yet it was because of the few that entered that it happened. And in the song of Devorah were all the people united? There too some of the tribes did not participate at all. Did this stop the victory from the zealous few who did? There will never be 100% consensus among the Jewish people never. We are a small minority within the world and a small minority within our nation has always pushed us forward. As Rav Kahane used to say one can be a believer in mitzvot but lack faith in God and be unwilling to have the simple faith that He commands. Lets say l'chaim and hope that not only will we have faith in mitzvot but also have faith in God and walk forward into the sea with Nachson and Miriam with her tambourines.



Kahane in the Parsha Yitro

Yitro 2010 “…if you say that the Holy One, blessed be He, exalts Himself in the world only for Israel, this is certainly so. For Israel is the base of the shine of the candle. Yet when the other nations come forth to acknowledge Him through worship of the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, then the base of the candle increases and is strengthened.” Zohar, Parsha Yitro Parsha Yitro is the Parsha that defines the special relationship Israel has with Hashem. It is the Parsha where the Nation of Israel meets Hashem and He gives them His precious gift of Torah designating them a chosen people from all other nations in the world. It is the one Parsha where the Jewish people stood as one person, like Adam Harishon and in one voice accepted the entire Torah. One would think that such a chapter would be named after Israel, or Hashem, or the Torah. The question arises, why would such a chapter be named after a convert to Judaism? It was the Israelite Nation that suffered the bondage of Egypt and the redemption, not Yitro. Why then is the reward of Torah found in a Parsha called Yitro? There are many answers to this question. 1 – Amalek heard about this special relationship of Israel and tried to destroy it. Yitro on the other hand was inspired by these political and spiritual events to join the Israel Nation. 2 – Yitro comes from the root Yeter, ‫ יתר‬which means to ‘add on to’. He added onto the Torah. His advice to Moshe was an addition that Hashem accepted. This is alluded to in his name. The letters Torah are found within the name Yitro +5. Yitro (616) Torah (611) ‫ = תורא‬Torah (611) ‫ = יתרו‬Yitro (616) 3 – The Zohar says that even though the Israelite Nation saw the miracles and salvation it wasn’t until another event happened that they all accepted and understood that there is no other than the Holy One blessed be He. This event was Yitro arriving and making this proclamation. Yitro was the head priest of Idol Worship and his denunciation of all other idols and affirmation of the truth of Hashem was similar to the Pope in Rome today telling all the Christians we were wrong, the Jews are right, and converting to become a chassid. According to Halacha, an idol worshiper must denounce his idol worship for it to be destroyed. A jew cannot do it for him. When Yitro made this denunciation it raised the world and prepared the Nation of Israel to accept its eternal mission. In other words the force of the Gentile renouncing idol worship and accepting Hashem and His Torah raises Israel itself to a higher level. The common thread in all of these answers is the following. The Torah is not a religion to be kept by a sect of Hashem lovers that are disconnected from the outside world. The Torah is meant to change the world and bring it back in its entirety to the original cause. Moshe’s Torah stood out from our long tradition of Hashem lovers and followers. Moshe’s Torah (as explained in Parsha Shmot) challenged the authority and brought about political change. This is also Rav Kahane’s Torah, the authentic Torah that seeks to transform systems of evil and make them good. He almost singlehandedly fought against the superpowers of USA and Russia and brought millions of Russian Jews home. This was not politics, it was the Torah way. With a handful of followers he brought about the most important change which is reforming the Jewish heart and soul. He was like a

comet that appeared in the sky and gave hope to the Jewish people that they can be lions and not sheep, that they can overcome their enemies and that it all begins by overcoming their leadership and destroying the idol worship we cling to. Our leaders like mice offer other mice as sacrifices to the blood thirsty cats in the vain hope of building friendship between them. The Rabbi knew that the children of Esav and Ishmael will hate us regardless of how determined we are to sell our brothers, so better to fight our enemies and win. Let the world hate us, and respect us. Many times I have heard of radio talk shows Gentiles who would call in to Rav Kahane and say ‘Why are there not more Jews like you? Those who persecuted the Rav like in Shmot and said ‘you are making it bad for us, you have put a sword in Pharaohs hand’,(Shmot 5:21) the opposite is true. When we stand up and act as we should act and change ourselves, the world will become more receptive to us. When we transform our communities, our cities, our Nation, then some of the world will hate us and make war like Amalek, but more importantly the Yitros will come out and run to join us. Only then will the planet be in the proper state to relate once again to its Creator and evil will be no more, only the pursuit of goodness. We must act like Moshe and change our political world, then we will lead the Nations by their own free will. This is when the Lord will be One and His name One. The Origins of JDL (2019) The JDL began in the 1960's by Rabbi Kahane in response to an increasing amount of antisemitic attacks and lack of Jewish response to protecting vulnerable Jews in New York City. He organized Jewish patrols that not only protected Jewish communities but hit their attackers back and spread a psychological fear among the Gentiles not to prey on the Jewish community. In one instance a martial arts expert dressed as a Hassid was approached by an antisemitic attacker who was promptly given a good beating. As the attacker lay on the floor the Hassid showed him his Tzizit. He said 'You see this? Every Jew that wears these can do what I just did to you. Tell your friends to be careful'. In another instance an attacker was cornered by a Jewish squad that was hiding in the alley and told to give them his ID. They studied it and told him he better not come around here anymore. They know where he lives and they will come after him. By using a Jewish fist and Jewish brain they succeeded in creating a psychological effect on the antisemites. It made them think twice before picking on the Jews because they feared the JDL. In response to criticism by Jewish leaders of the JDL tactics the Rabbi brought up a Hasidic story about Har Sinai. The Gerer Rebbe asked a question. If the Midrash tells us that Har Sinai was given on a small mountain to teach humility, then why wasn't the Torah given in a valley? Wouldn't that be a more appropriate symbol? He answered that it was to teach two things. Number one: Be humble. Number two: Don't be too humble. Don't be walked over and stepped upon. “It is a disgrace to the pride of our people, our God. More important, there is a rule in the hoodlum jungle: The more the victim backs away, the more the hoodlum moves forward. So up from the valley and up to the mount. Jewish rights are not cheap and Jewish defense is not wrong. This is the lesson of the Mount.” (Jewish press 1968)

The In-Laws (2019) Its hard not to notice that every time Yitro is mentioned it says Yitro 'the father in law of Moshe'. Rabbi Kahane often spoke about the dangers of assimilation. He used to joke about interfaith marriages and say 'A Jew must obey the Laws not the In-Laws.' I wonder sometimes about the effect Yitro had on Israel. He made a suggestion to Moshe 'If you do this thing – and God will command you...' he prefaces his suggestion. Now we don't see in the written text that Moshe asks Hashem as in Parsha Shlach when Hashem responds 'Send forth men, if you please..' or with the daughters of Zelophehad ..'and Moshe brought their claim before Hashem.'(Bamidbar 27) In this instance Moshe proceeds to implement Yitro's suggestion without consulting Hashem in the written text. Now I don't particularly like jokes about the differences between Hasidim and Misnagdim that I hear often at the farbrengen table. They may have been relevant two hundred years ago but it seems to me less relevant today when the question is not about the correct 'method' of serving God but rather whether we even serve Him at all in any form. Having said that I pointed out one day at the farbrengen table that Yitro must have been a Misnagid. The ears perked up at the Shabbat Table. How so? They questioned. 'Well, I answered. Every day Moshe was handing out dollars like the Rebbe and people could see him and be blessed and then Yitro comes in the picture and no more handing out dollars.' Rabbi Reichman particularly liked my suggestion. I am sure Moshe felt a great deal of gratitude towards Yitro for harboring Moshe when he was a fugitive but look at the effect he had even on Moshes children? According to a Midrash Yitro made Moshe swear to give his first born son to Idolatry. This marriage condition was probably due to the fear for the safety of Yitro's family. Nevertheless I wonder how much influence the in-laws had to the giver of the law. Would there have been less complaints if we had been in closer contact to the Tzadik?

Kahane in the Parsha Mishpatim

Mishpatim – 2012 ‫בית‬,‫ ת‬,‫ תנ יביא‬,‫רי מא קֹד נמ ֹקתך‬,‫ יבכו ת‬,‫רא ישית‬,‫ יט ת‬19 The choicest first-fruits of thy land thou shalt ‫ תבחִנללב שאמו‬,‫ֹקג ידי‬ bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou ‫תשל‬, ‫ ֹקת מב‬-‫א‬,‫לם‬ ;‫היך‬-‫לאל ל‬ ‫ ֹקיה נוה‬. shalt not seethe a kid in its mother's milk. ‫ה אא לנ שכ‬,‫ יל ֹקש נמ קֹרך‬,‫ניך‬-‫ ֹקל נפ ל‬,‫תל מח ממ קֹל נאך‬, ‫םש‬, ‫י‬ ‫נ‬,‫כ יה ת‬ 20 Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep ;‫לרך‬- ‫ מב נד‬. thee by the way, and to bring thee into the place ‫נ יתי‬,‫שר נה יכ ם‬-‫ מה נמקום נא ל‬-‫ל‬-‫ לא‬,‫קֹו מל נה יבי נאך‬ which I have prepared. (Shmot 23: 19-20) When I look at these passages I see something different than most people. Once again I see Rav Kahane. It is explained that having an ‘angel’ leading us is a downgrade from having G-d Himself leading us. Moshe pleads with God in Parsha Ki Sissa regarding this and refuses to go on if Hashem does not go along with us. Here in the passages preceding the sin of the Egel it is not yet apparent why there is an angel being sent. After Parsha Ki Sissa we see it is a punishment. An angel is a servant of God and must obey the rules precisely and therefore is less lenient and forgiving of sins. What is the sin that takes G-ds presence away from us to the point where He can no longer walk among us? It is alluded to in the passage above. ‘Do not cook a kid in its mothers milk’. When Josephs brothers said ‘Look here comes the dreamer’ and planned to destroy him, what exactly where they destroying? Were his dreams and his intentions not for the benefit of his brothers and family? The Torah is like mothers milk that nourishes us and sustains us. Those who draft laws to persecute and condemn he who comes like a dreamer to save his people with laws are like one who takes the mother and boils her in her own milk. They destroy the one who brings them the remedy. They destroy the source of their nourishment. It is this evil that is too great for G-d to bear and so He leaves. Consistently throughout our history G-d sends messengers before the storm to warn us and to bring the remedy. Consistently we kill the messenger, and then G-d leaves and we are at the mercy of the Nations who have no mercy. The destruction of the Temple was preceded with the assassination of the prophet Zecharia who came like a mother to nurture the nation that boiled the mother in her own milk. We are judged by the way we judge others. The cruelty that comes to us is preceded with a cruelty we inflict upon ourselves. Alternatively when we follow the messenger and rise up from our apathy and go beyond our nature, then God goes beyond His nature to protect us and demonstrate His love or us. Why is the punishment alluded to here before the crime? The same reason that Tezaveh is written before Ki Sissa. In Ki Sissa Moshe pleads with Hashem to 'erase him from the book' if He will not forgive Israel's sin. In Tezaveh (the previous chapter) Moshe's name does not appear in fulfillment of this self-imposed curse.

A Blessing or Curse? :‫תמר בו‬, ‫ מת‬-‫ מאל‬,‫קלו‬,‫למר ימ נפ נניו ו ֹקש ממע ֹקב ם‬- ‫ כא יה נש‬21 Take heed of him, and hearken unto his voice; ‫ יכי קֹש ימי ֹקב יק ֹקרבו‬,‫כם‬-‫א יי נשא ֹקל יפ ֹקש נע ל‬,‫ יכי ל ם‬. be not rebellious against him; for he will not pardon your transgression; for My name is in him. ‫כל‬,‫ ם‬,‫ קֹו נע ישי נת‬,‫םקלו‬, ‫ קֹב‬,‫ נשמו מע ית קֹש ממע‬-‫ כב יכי יאם‬22 But if thou shalt indeed hearken unto his voice, ,‫ ֹקו מצ קֹר יתי‬,‫לביך‬- ‫א ֹקי‬,‫ ם‬-‫את‬-‫ ל‬,‫ קֹו נא מי ֹקב יתי‬--‫תבר‬, ‫לשר נא מד‬- ‫ נא‬and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy ‫רליך‬- ‫ם ֹרק‬,‫צ‬-‫אלת‬- . unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries. -‫לאל‬- ‫ו לה יבי נאך‬-‫ ל‬,‫לניך‬- ‫ קֹל נפ‬,‫תלך ממ ֹקל נא יכי‬, ‫תי‬, -‫ כג יכי‬23 For Mine angel shall go before thee, and bring ‫ קֹו מה קֹפ יר יזי ֹקו מה ֹקכ מנ נע יני מה יח יוי‬,‫מ ירי ֹקו מה יח יתי‬,‫ נה לא ם‬thee in unto the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the ‫ ֹקו מה ֹקיבו יסי; קֹו יה קֹכ מח קֹד יתיו‬. Jebusite; and I will cut them off. ,‫דם‬,‫םא נת נע קֹב ת‬, ‫להם ֹקול‬- ‫תהי‬, ‫תלאל‬, ‫לוה‬- ‫ ית ֹקש מת נח‬-‫םא‬, ‫ כד ל‬24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor ,‫סם‬,‫תרס קֹת נה ֹקר ת‬, ‫ יכי נה‬:‫הם‬-‫שי ל‬,‫שה קֹכ ממ נע ת‬-‫םא מת נע ל‬, ‫ קֹול‬serve them, nor do after their doings; but thou ‫להם‬- ‫תי‬,‫ב ת‬,‫תצ ם‬, ‫בר ממ‬,‫תבר ֹקת מש ת‬, ‫ ֹקו מש‬. shalt utterly overthrow them, and break in pieces their pillars. -‫את‬-‫תב מרך ל‬, ‫ ו‬,‫לכם‬- ‫תהי‬, ‫את קֹיה נוה לאל‬,‫ ת‬,‫לתם‬- ‫ כה מו נע מב ֹקד‬25 And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and ,‫ר יתי ממ נח נלה‬,‫למיך; מו נה יס ם‬- ‫תמי‬, -‫לאת‬- ‫ קֹו‬,‫ מל קֹח קֹמך‬He will bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will ‫בך‬-‫ ימ יק ֹקר ל‬. take sickness away from the midst of thee. (Shmot 23: 21-25) Although being led by an angel instead of the Almighty is a downgrade, still these passages seem very much like a blessing. Hashem will protect us, vanquish our enemies; multiply us and cause disease to be no more. It's possible that these rewards are not really rewards that we deserved but rather rewards given for the sake of the Tzadik. The Tzadik negotiated on our behalf and paid a heavy price. One may add that the glory given to Am Israel for its victories and for settling and protecting the Land are also given to us for His sake. As it is written. ‫בית‬,‫שר יח קֹל כלהו ת‬-‫ נא ל‬,‫תשם נק ֹקד ישי‬, -‫ מעל‬,‫מל‬,‫א ֹקח ם‬-‫ כא נו ל‬21 But I had pity for My holy name, which the ‫ נבאו נש נמה‬-‫שר‬-‫ מבגו יים נא ל‬,‫תאל‬, ‫ יי ֹקש נר‬. house of Israel had profaned among the nations, whither they came ‫ד נני‬,‫םכה נא ממר נא ם‬, ,‫תאל‬, ‫ יי קֹש נר‬-‫בית‬,‫מר ֹקל ת‬,‫כן לא ם‬,‫ כב נל ת‬22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel: Thus :‫אל‬,‫בית יי קֹש נר ת‬,‫ ת‬,‫שה‬-‫ע ל‬,‫לכם נא יני ם‬- ‫א ֹקל ממ מע קֹנ‬,‫ ל ם‬,‫ ֹקיה יוה‬saith the Lord GOD: I do not this for your sake, O ‫מבגו יים‬ ,‫תם‬-‫יח מל קֹל ל‬ ‫שר‬-‫נא ל‬ ‫ נק ֹקד ישי‬-‫תשם‬, ‫ ֹקל‬-‫יכי יאם‬ house of Israel, but for My holy name, which ye ‫תם נשם‬-‫ נבא ל‬-‫שר‬-‫ נא ל‬. have profaned among the nations, whither ye came. ,‫ מה ֹקמ כח נלל מבגו יים‬,‫ קֹש ימי מה נגדול‬-‫לאת‬- ‫ כג ֹקו יק מד ֹקש יתי‬23 And I will sanctify My great name, which hath ‫ נא יני‬-‫ ֹקבתו נכם; קֹו ני ֹקדעו מהגו יים יכי‬,‫לתם‬- ‫לשר יח מל ֹקל‬- ‫ נא‬been profaned among the nations, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations ,‫כם‬-‫נב ל‬ ‫קֹב יה נק קֹד ישי‬ ,‫ֹקיה יוה‬ ‫ד נני‬,‫נא ם‬ ‫ קֹנ כאם‬,‫ֹקיה נוה‬ shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord ‫הם‬-‫תני ל‬, ‫עי‬,‫ ֹקל ת‬. GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. (Yecheskel 36:21-23)

‫תםן לכה אא‬-‫ ֹקש ממ קֹע ל‬-‫םא‬, ‫תם ל‬-‫ מא ל‬,‫ ממר קֹיה נוה‬- , ‫ת‬,‫יז נלכ‬ Therefore, so says Hashem, “You did not hearken to Me to proclaim freedom, every man for his ;‫עהו‬,‫ר ת‬,‫א ֹקדרור יאיש קֹל נא יחיו קֹו יאיש ֹקל ת‬,‫ יל קֹקר ם‬,‫תא מלי‬, brother and every man for his fellow; behold! - I ‫לרב‬- ‫לח‬- ‫ מה‬-‫אל‬-‫ ל‬,‫ ֹקיה נוה‬-‫כם ֹקדרור ֹקנ כאם‬-‫תרא נל ל‬, ‫םק‬, ‫יה קֹנ יני‬ proclaim you to be free – the words of Hashem – ‫לכם לזועה‬- ‫לא קֹת‬- ‫ קֹו ננ מת יתי‬,‫ נה נר נעב‬-‫אל‬-‫בר ֹקו ל‬-‫ד ל‬-‫ מה ל‬-‫לאל‬- for the sword, for the plague, and for the famine, ‫רץ‬-‫םכל ממ קֹמ ֹקלכות נה נא ל‬, ‫ קֹל‬,(‫) ֹקל מז נע נוה‬. and I shall make you an object of trepidation for all the kingdoms of the earth. (Yermiyahu 34:17 – our Haftorah) In this passage we understand that our suffering and our exile is brought about by the way we treat each other. Why is the Rav's name associated with this passage? Early in his career the Rav founded the JDL (Jewish Defense League) as a response to rampant crime in New York City that often targeted Jews in poor neighborhoods. Many who were elderly and abandoned had no Jewish agency to help them and protect them. These Jewish activists succeeded in putting an end vandalism that visited Jewish cemeteries every Halloween. They heckled anti-Semitic speakers and protected neighborhoods that Jewish community leaders were not concerned with and had no practical solutions for. The love and concern that the Rav felt and acted upon was not only exhibited locally but globally. He called for protests against Jewish oppression by the Soviet Union. In one of his first articles about these issues in 1963 he wrote: “Silence is not always golden – sometimes its criminal. This being true, American Jewry must stand condemned for the crime of silence....While you read this two and a half million Jews in the East lie condemned to a spiritual death...They cannot train shochetim, kosher slaughterers, they cannot learn circumcision, they are harassed [for] any manifestation of Shabbath observance... And of course it will be protested: 'But what can we do? How can our protests and cries help the Jews from Russia?' To this we can only say; If a finger hurts, it may be of little benefit to cry out in pain. However if one does NOT cry out, one thing is certain: It does not hurt. If it did we would be marching at this moment around the Soviet consulate...We would cry out, boycott, protest, hold sit-ins... Let [Torah Jewry] take the lead in a campaign to re-awaken pain. Let us formulate a program of bold CONTINUOUS protest. By doing so we will give new heart to the Russian Jews who feel today that their brothers in the West have forgotten them...” (Meir Kahane : His life and thought pg.76) My brother Gavriel once pointed out a Gemora that asks a question: What do slave dream of? Although most people would answer 'freedom', the Talmud surprises us and says that a slave dreams of being 'the taskmaster.' In others words the sign of a real slave is someone who dreams of revenge, of making others suffer what he suffered, of being the 'boss' instead of the 'servant'. When this question is asked in Israel, surprisingly many Israeli's answer like the gemora. This of course indicates quite clearly that slavery is alive and well in Israel. It is the self-centered mind set of wanting to rule over others that defines one with a slave mentality. The Rav tried very hard to free us from this mind set, beginning locally in New York, then Internationally with the Russian Jews and then finally where it counts the most – in the Jewish State..

The Jewish Slave (2018) We are approaching Adar and the holiday of Purim. Rav Spero in Toronto used to say that Purim is a sad day. After all of the festivities a Jewish woman (Esther) is still left married to a Gentile. This is redemption? A similar incomplete redemption we read about in our Parsha regarding the Hebrew slave. Why is this the first commandment that we read about after the giving of the Torah? Rav Kahane writes in Perush Hamaccabee When commenting on the Haftorah (Jeremiah 34:13-20). That is to say, you did not keep the mitzvah of the Hebrew slave, in which My power and My might and My mastery over the world are symbolized, and for the sake of which I took Israel down to Egypt – and I informed Avraham of My intentions when the fire passed between the parts of the calf in the Covenant between the Parts (Bereshit 15:4-21). But you transgressed My covenant, which is a hillul Hashem, because this mitzvah is the pinnacle of Kiddush Hashem. Perush HaMaccabee (1:22) Hashem took a holy people that represented Him in all of His goodness and brought them to Egypt where they were degraded into worthless slaves, beaten and tortured including the mass murder of Hebrew boys in the Nile. Then He performed great wonders and destroyed Egypt and brought them out as a free people. The Hebrew Nation became a symbol of hope and freedom and truth for the entire world. Now after giving of the Torah the commandments begin with the Eved Ivri. In other words Hashem was reminding them that it was I who foretold this to Avraham and I who brought you out as a great Nation. Instead of serving Pharoah you will now serve Me and in doing so always be a free people and a sign of truth and freedom for the entire world. One may ask how did Hashem allow this persecution to happen? There are many answers from different aspects. From the Israelite perspective there were those in Goshen who were not affected by the decrees of slavery as they remained aloof from Egyptian society in the Goshen yeshivas. From the Egyptian side if Pharaoh had simply allowed or even forced the Israelites out of Egypt he would have been called a saint. The extreme denials on both sides caused much of the suffering. The Israelites who refused to leave died in the days of darkness and the Egyptians who denied Hashem's request and were cruel and degraded the Hebrews were themselves destroyed. In our own time Hitler originally had a plan to expel the Jews from Germany however after noting the general apathy in the world he decided on the final solution. When we look at the concept of the Jewish slave we see that the status of slave came upon the Jew because of two reasons A: He owed money and sold himself to pay his debts B: He was a thief and placed in this situation by the court to repay his debts In the case of a thief one could say he was put into this situation because of his sins. The temporary servitude that he was placed in would pay his debts and then he would leave a free and rehabilitated man. Just as our National servitude and liberation were the results of consequences which eventually led to a type of rehabilitation and brought about a new 'liberated' Jew with its own army similar to our own time, the concept of the Jewish slave alludes to this epic birth of our own Nation. There is something very peculiar about the laws of the Eved Ivri. The Jewish master is allowed to give

his Jewish slave a non-Jewish wife to make children with. These children do not leave with him after his seven years servitute. They remain the property of the Jewish owner. If they go through conversion they may of course leave with him as a Jewish family. Alternatively he may decide to remain a slave forever and stay with his slave family. When I inquired about this Rav Halperin explained that an Eved Canaani was not a typical Gentile. The eved Canaani knew all of the Jewish laws as they were servants in a Jewish home. So we have here an unusual status of one who is not a typical Gentile and yet not a Jew either. The eved Canaani knows all of the Jewish laws and would find it much easier go through conversion and accept the yoke of Torah than a Gentile that is far removed from Jewish practice yet until they do so they remain an Eved Canaani. The Jew who is free to go after his seven years of servitude may also prefer not to be free and remain forever with his Eved Canaani. It is interesting to note that there is one simple difference between the times before Moshiach and the times after Moshiach. Rav Kahane in discussing the yoke of Heaven brings down in Persuch Hamaccabee an amazing quote from Isaiah And it will be on that day, that the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer 'rely upon its attacker'. They will rely upon Hashem the Holy One of Israel in truth..And it will be on that day that He will remove [Sennacherib's] suffering from your shoulders and his yoke from upon your neck. (Isaiah 10:20-27) The only difference between the times before moshiach and after is there will no longer be oppression from the gentile nations. This oppression however comes from our decision to accept the 'yoke' of the Torah or the yoke of the nations. When we stop 'relying on our attacker' for our security and instead rely on Hashem and move forward, then we are already in the times of Moshiach. There is something similar in the concept of the Jewish slave. One may know all of the Jewish laws just like the Eved Canaani but refuse to be free as a Jew. One may prefer the sustenance of a master who has permission to beat him and who governs his decisions and allows himself to be degraded as a slave or one can look around and see that the seven years have past and his debts are paid. He no longer needs to be a slave he can go free as a Jew who relies in truth on Hashem. A free Jew does not need a Jewish daughter to bed down with a Gentile king to be saved. He is a king himself as he serves the true master Hashem and a servant to a king is like a king. It's time we stopped to rely on our attackers and became truly free by relying in truth on Hasem. One who frees himself from this slave mentality is already living in the time of Moshiach.

Kahane in the Parsha Terumah

The Crack Part I – Terumah 'There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.' – Leonard Cohen Ever since the Garden of Eden there have been two evolutions in the world. The expanding tree of knowledge and the contracting Garden. The expanding tree I call the tree of Dos and Doubt. Dos in Hebrew is knowledge and along with this knowledge is a mixture of doubt. This knowledge continues to spread and grow and evolve and create new innovations in the world. The diminishing Garden is maintained by a small group of faithful that are zealous to retain the purity and holiness of what the world was intended to be. As they go seemingly separate directions, they are traveling actually in a circle and will eventually meet. As one expands the other contracts. The circle was completed once before at Har Sinai. The Garden took on a new form with Am Israel becoming in a sense Adam HaRishon but with the Chet HaEgel the Garden was hidden once again and diminished this time within the Mishkan. There is an illusion to Haman in the Garden of Eden when Hashem says “ HaMin Haetz?...” ‫נא נתה;נִה שמן‬ ‫רם‬,‫עי ם‬,‫ת‬ ‫יכי‬ ,‫ֹקלך‬ ‫יה יגיד‬ ‫א‬ 11 And He said: 'Who told you that you are ‫ ימי‬--‫מר‬-‫א ל‬,‫מוי ם‬ from which I naked? Have you eaten of the tree, -‫שר יצ יוי יתיך קֹל יב ֹקל יתי נא נכל‬-‫ נא ל‬,‫עץ‬,‫ נה ת‬- commanded you not to eat?' ‫ נא נכ ֹקל נת‬--‫מנו‬-‫ימ ל‬ (Bereshit 3:11) Haman tried to destroy the Jewish people physically as well as spiritually which is alluded to the 50 amos gallows he erected that corresponds to the 50 levels of Kedusha. In the end he will be hung on his own tree; punished and destroyed similar to the original snake in the Garden and the Leviathan in the future. Although he brings about his own destruction he causes a bigger Garden to be revealed. The purpose of evil is the 'crack' that ultimately brings more light through his death. The Crack Part II - Tezaveh We understand the role of evil is to spread Dos/Doubt and in the end make the Garden greater. The role of the Tzadik is to preserve the 'purity' of the Garden. Moshe offered himself as a sacrifice in order to save the Jewish people from annihilation. Therefore he was erased from the Parsha Tezaveh. Although his name does not appear in the Parsha you can see it hidden in a peculiar place. There are two chains attached to the Shoham stones that rest on the shoulders of the Cohen. These chains carry the breastplate with all of the twelve tribes inscribed on it. The Shoham stones rearranged spell Moshe. We see an illusion to the Tzadik who carries the Jewish people on his shoulders. These Parshiot normally occur around the time of Purim. Purim is the last month of our National year which begins in Nissan. Our Nation was born in Nissan with the holiday of Pesach and the climax of our history is the end of the year with Purim. Purim is a time when the world turns upside down and is a very physical holiday. We have a feast, and we drink and we send mishloach manot (gifts of food).

Chanuka the other Rabbinical holiday is very spiritual. The laws of Chanuka have much to do with the purity of the oil and the spiritual joy of spreading these holy lights. Now if the goal of Creation is to return us back to the Garden would we not expect the final holiday of the year to be the most spiritual like Chanuka? To answer this question we must look at another transformation. It seems to me that there is another transformation that must take place in addition to the Dos/Doubt tree where all the good from evil is extracted and the shell discarded. One might even say that this parallel transformation is in fact the active ingredient that will extract this good from evil. What is this transformation? The tikkun of the Tzaddik. The Pach Katan; the small vile of pure Oil found in the Temple on Chanuka; the holy few that keep the light of Gan Eden shining, eventually must connect that light to the wax of the candle. As the physical becomes more spiritual the spiritual must connect the worlds together. Haman is not only seen in the Garden related to the tree of knowledge Haman is also released through the words of the giver of the Torah himself. How can this be? ‫ני‬,‫ ֹקפ ת‬-‫אל‬-‫ ל‬--‫ מה נק נהל‬-‫לאת‬- ,‫רן‬,‫שה קֹו מא נה ם‬-‫מ ל‬,‫ י מו מי ֹקק יהלו ם‬10 Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly --‫מ ירים‬,‫ ננא מה ם‬-‫ יש קֹמעו‬,‫להם‬- ‫מר נל‬-‫א ל‬,‫ מה נס מלע; מוי ם‬together before the rock, and he said to them: 'Listen now, O rebels; shall we to bring you forth ‫כם נמ ייםנִה שמן‬-‫ נו יציא נל ל‬,‫זה‬-‫לס מלע מה ל‬- ‫ מה‬- water for you from this rock? (Bamidbar 9:10) It seems to me that the root of the ultimate redemption is concealed within these words. From within these words will come the physical manifestation of a spiritual reality. The anger of the pure against the Dos/Doubt tree precisely at the time when it is needed can cause great tragedy. An opportunity so close at hand can cause the greatest divide. For example a point at which the tribes of Israel could have been united was the same point that they were completely divided. The Holy One, Blessed is He, grabbed Yeravam by his cloak and said to him, “Return, and I, you, and the son of Yishai will stroll together in Gan Aiden.” “Who will lead?” he asked. “Ben Yishai will lead.” He [G-d] answered him. “If so,” he ended, “then I don’t want it!” (Sanhedrin 102a) Now one might say David is the pure one and Yeravam was evil as Baal Haturim writes in Netzavim: Perhaps there is among you a man, woman, family, or tribe, whose heart turns away from Hashem, our G-d today to follow and to serve the gods of these nations; maybe there is among you a source that would proliferate and spread evil in your midst, [who] upon hearing the words of this curse thinks to himself, “I will be fine, even though I do as I please.” In order to add the inadvertent transgressions to the premeditated one, G-d will not be willing to forgive him. G-d will be angry and His jealousy will rage against that man, and all the curses of this book will come after him. G-d will wipe away his name from under heaven. G-d will single him out for evil from all the tribes of Israel and cause him to experience all the curses of the covenant recorded in this Book of the Law. (Devarim 29:17-20) “G-d will single him out for evil … The gematria (of the Hebrew words) is equal to ‘This is Yeravam.'” (Ba’al HaTurim) However the Talmud tells us: When Yeravam left Jerusalem he met the prophet Achiah HaShiloni along the way, who was

wearing a new garment … (I Melachim 11:29) What does this mean? Rav Nachman said: Just as a new garment has no spots, so too did the teaching of Yeravam have no error. According to others: They renewed things that no ear has ever heard. What does, “And the two of them were alone in the field” mean? All other scholars were like the plants of the field compared to them. (Sanhedrin 102a) It seems that there is a type of anger or arrogance in deciding to be stricter than the Merciful One or indifferent to his manifestations (see Bechuchotai, and Vayera). In the case of Adam in Gan Eden part of the problem between him and Eve was the additional restrictions that he placed on the tree. This caused her to err. To physically touch the tree was not forbidden however Adam told Eve it was, as a precaution. When the snake pushed her against it and she didn't die, this confused her and the rest is history. The anger of Moshe caused a rift between the Jewish people precisely when the doors of redemption were beginning to open. One can see this reflected in our own century when inaction and indifference as the doors of Israel opened gave strength to Haman/Hitler. The Haman Arabs today are again testing this indifference as they spread throughout Europe and the world. Will we get angry at the rock to placate our enemies or be indifferent yet again when the new settlers are now God fearing leaving us no excuse not to join them? It seems we can see parallels sometimes between the Charedi world and the Arabs. Just as the Arabs who were offered so much of the Land refused on principle as they wanted it all; so the Charedi world stand aloof waiting for a perfect future where Moshiach will suddenly appear and the Bet Hamigash fall from Heaven. There is no compromise between good and evil yet between the two poles the world is being built. As the century evolves more physical Jews seek spiritual understanding and connection and more spiritual Jews seek to express the Divine by physically building and settling the Land. The settler movement is correcting the flaw of the pure vile and the Dos/Doubt tree by rebuilding Gan Eden over and over again despite hatred and demolitions from outside and within. Hamin Hasela? From this rock you expect salvation? Yes, the Land itself speaks. Purim is the high point of the Jewish cycle of the year where spirituality has progressed to the point that it is now physical. One of the main mitzvot of Purim is shaloach manot where we give people at least two gifts of food that can be eaten right away without preparation. This allows that person to consume one and give another to someone else. At the high point of our year we all become Chabadniks making sure we are giving to others and enabling others to also give. In addition the Torah is something we give and then we share with others however in the end of days the Torah will manifest itself physically as we resettle our Land, reclaim our King and Father in Heaven and thereby bring true peace to the world. It's interesting to note that at the end of the year where spirituality becomes physically represented in the shaloach manot in Nissan the opposite occurs. As this climax of freely giving food items comes to an end we begin again with the pure vile. For in Nissan, we restrict our diet and are very careful what we eat. We return to the concentrated Gan Eden restricted to chametz free items. And so it goes. From Gan Eden to Har Sinai to the Mishkan there is an expanding and contracting Gan Eden. The Haman in both is crucial for our growth while he himself becomes nullified. Moshes greatest success and failure is also alluded to in Tezaveh as he is erased so that Israel will live and in Parsha Parah; the rock which leads us to the elixir of life when our ways are corrected and we resettle Gan Eden.

Kahane in the Parsha Tezaveh