PARSHAT ZACHOR

B"H


On the Shabbat preceding Purim, which is this coming Shabbat, after the opening of the Ark immediately following Shacharit prayers, two Sifrei Torah are removed; in the first one, we read the weekly Parasha and in the second one we read the portion of “Zachor Et Asher Asa Lecha Amalek” (“Remember what Amalek has done to you”). This Torah portion is referred to as“Parashat Zachor”. (Parashat Zachor can be found at the end of Parashat Ki Tetzeh in the Book of Devarim.)

According to most Poskim, the reading of Parashat Zachor is a Torah obligation. Since the Halacha is well-known that “Mitzvot require intention” (Shulchan Aruch, Chapter 60, Section 4), one must take care while listening to Parashat Zachor to have in mind to fulfill the Torah obligation of remembering the actions of Amalek and obligation to annihilate them. Similarly, the individual reading from the Torah must have in mind that the entire congregation will be fulfilling their obligation by listening to his reading. (Read more)

There are those who have separated Hashem into a G-d of good, love, and life (represented by xianity/Esav) and a G-d of evil, hate and death (Islam/Yishmael). They determine for themselves what is good and what is evil. They say love and mercy, even to your enemy, is “good” and hate and war are “evil”.

A real Jew knows that Hashem is one. He is the G-d of everything and everything has a “good” purpose and an “evil” purpose. The Torah tells us there is a time for hate and war just as there is a time for love and mercy. We, as Jews, are the servants of Hashem and He tells us, through the Torah, what is “good” and what is “evil”. We don’t determine this for ourselves. We do as he commands not as we like or as we feel. Parshat Amalek reminds us of this.

We are commanded not only to hate Amalek but to utterly destroy him. We read in the maftir Devarim 25:17;

Remember what Amalek did to you, on the way when you were leaving Egypt, that he happened upon you on the way, and he struck those of you who were hindmost, all the weaklings at your rear, when you were faint and exhausted, and he did not fear G-d.

What made Amalek worse than all the other enemies of our people?

And he did not fear G-d—This phrase explains why Amalek is more despised than any of the many other nations that waged war against Israel. Had Amalek made a brave frontal attack like the others, defying both G-d and their intended human victims, the crime would not have been so heinous. But Amalek did fear people—that is why it chose to ambush the Jews who straggled at the rear of the nation, the people who were faint and exhausted, and least able to defend themselves. By doing so, Amalek showed special contempt for G-d (R. Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik) (Artscroll Chumash)

The Haftarah begins (I Samuel 15:1-3);

1. And Samuel said to Saul, "The Lord sent me to anoint you to be king over His people, over Israel; and now hearken to the voice of the words of the Lord.
2. So said the Lord of Hosts, 'I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he laid (wait) for him on the way, when he came up out of Egypt.
3. Now, go, and you shall smite Amalek, and you shall utterly destroy all that is his, and you shall not have pity on him: and you shall slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.'

 9. And Saul and the people had pity on Agag, and on the best of the sheep and the cattle, and the fatlings, and on the fattened sheep, and on all that was good; and they did not want to destroy them; but everything which was vile and feeble, that they utterly destroyed. 

What happened here? Shaul and the people had pity “on all that was good” but “everything which was vile and feeble” they destroyed. Shaul and the people determined what was “good” and what was “evil” rather than trusting Hashem and obeying Hashem. They determined who deserved mercy and who should be destroyed rather than trusting and obeying Hashem.

22. And Samuel said, "Has the Lord (as much) desire in burnt offerings and peace-offerings, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than a peace-offering; to hearken (is better) than the fat of rams.

Hashem demands obedience. Obedience to the Torah is the trait of fear of Hashem.

23. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Since you rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you from being a king."

Redak explains the parallel between rebellion and divination, thus. Just as one who divines, commits a grave sin because he removes his trust from the Almighty and seeks other sources to determine his future, so, one who rebels against the L-rd’s command, removes his belief in the L-rd’s power to reward and punish. Similarly, just as an idolator denies the L-rd’s rule over the Universe, so, one who is stubborn and disobedient also denies G-d’s authority.

24. And Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I transgressed the Lord's command, and your words, for I feared the people, and I hearkened to their voice. 

Shaul didn’t fear Hashem but did fear the people, so he couldn’t destroy Amalek, who didn’t fear Hashem but feared the people. This led to the birth of Haman and the decree of destruction of our people at Purim. According to the commentary;

G-d informed Israel that there would be an eternal state of war between Him and Amalek, because Amalek’s battle was primarily against the cause of holiness, not against the nation that God chose to be its standard bearer. And G-d commanded Israel to remember what that renegade nation did, and to destroy the Amalekites so completely that they would not even be remembered.

If Amalek is at war with Hashem, why must we battle against them? Why doesn’t Hashem wipe them out like he did the Egyptians in the sea? If Amalek represents fear of man over fear of Hashem, then only fear of Hashem over man can defeat it and only we, Am Yisrael, are capable of complete trust and fear of Hashem over fear of man.

So, in a sense, the command to remember Amalek is to remember to fear Hashem and obey Hashem. Only fear of Hashem through obeying his commandments will save us from our enemies. When we fear the nations and not Hashem, Amalek comes against us.

Eventually there will come a final battle between Hashem (and those who fear and obey him), and Amalek (and those who fear and trust in man). Which side will you be on?

The gematriah of Amalek seems to reinforce these ideas as we see in the book, What's In A Name by Rabbi Matityahu Glazerson;

The gematriah of עמלק (70+40+30+100), plus the four letters of the word, is 244, which is equal to that of Hitler, הטלר (5+9+30+200), may his name be blotted out.

The number 244 is the value, too, of two other important concepts: מרד , rebelliousness, whose source is to be found in Amalek’s evil, and רדם, apathy. Amalek’s strategy is to cause apathy within Israel regarding Torah observance, which he will then flaunt to justify their destruction. It was precisely this way in which behaved a famous descendant of Amalek, Haman. He came before King Ahasuerus and said, “There exists a nation, divided and spread out among your peoples…” (Esther 3:8); the first word, ישנו , can also be understood as a derivation of the root meaning “old”, as in, “a people who have allowed mitzvah-observance to become old and outdated” (Megilla 13b). He thereby hoped to lower Israel’s stock in G-d’s eyes, allowing himself free rein for his destructive scheming.

The Torah recounts Amalek’s devious attack on Israel during the time of the Exodus from Egypt: “And Amalek came, and warred with Israel in Refidim” (Ex. 17,8). The Mechilta to this verse explains that the name רפידים implies רפיון ידים , debility; Amalek sought to bring about weakness in Israel’s dedication to learning Torah, thereby facilitating a victory over them.

The value of the word רפידים is 344 (200+80+10 +4+10+40), the same as the word sh’mad, שמד (300+40+4), meaning spiritual destruction. A weakening of our resolve to grow spiritually, as caused by the vicious evil of Amalek, leads to our disintegration on all planes. This, unfortunately, was distinctly noticeable during the period prior to the Holocaust, when the growing strength on the Reform and Haskalah movements weakened Torah resolve and commitment among European Jewry.

The circle is completed when we note the closeness of the word שמד to the words מרד and רדם; the letter ש is replaced by its preceding letter in the alphabet, ר. Amalek’s appeal to the evil inclination brings about apathy and coldness regarding Torah and mitzvoth, which leads to his physical conquest of the Land and the People.

The Rebbi of Lublin states this clearly in his work Zichron Zot, on Parashat Zachor, “…the evil inclination which brings about laziness and coldness is called Amalek: עם, as in עוממות גחלים, dying out coals, which strives to לק, lick our blood as a dog.

ISRAELS TRIBULATIONS AS PREPARATION FOR REDEMPTION

B"H

Foreseeing the tremendous suffering the Jewish people would undergo during the era immediately preceding Moshiach’s arrival, the sages cried out, “Let [Moshiach] come, but let me not see him” (Sanhedrin 98b).  In other words please spare me from witnessing the terrible travails of the Jewish people at that time.

The pains accompanying the arrival of Moshiach are compared to labor pains.  The Vilna Gaon describes the period as follows:

The redemption is termed “morning,” as it is written, “Morning has come, as well as night” (Yeshaya 21:12). Likewise, it is termed “birth,” as it is written, “For Zion has had contractions and has even given birth” (Yeshaya 66:8)

The darkest time of night is that which precedes the dawn, and the strongest labor pains are those immediately preceding the moment of birth.  So it will be before the redemption.  The exile then will be the most intense of all the exiles (Even Sheleima, ch.11).

In a comment there, the Gaon writes:

Just as in Egypt the oppression increased prior to the redemption, as it says, “Let the work be heavier upon the men” (Shemos 5:9), so will it be in the period of the birth pangs of Moshiach.  The seventy words in Psalm 20 parallel the seventy years of the birth pangs of Moshiach from which [the Jewish people] will be redeemed.

The Chofetz Chaim elaborates on this point:

Before the coming of Moshiach, Hashem will act in a hurried manner so wondrous that even all who are wise of heart will be unable to fathom it.  The troubles and persecutions [of the Jewish people] will follow each other so closely that there will be no space between them.  Just as for an expectant woman who is about to give birth, the closer she comes to the moment of birth, the more intense her contractions and her pain, and this is her most reliable indication that the birth is nearing, so too, the wheels of the era will turn faster at the time of the birth pangs of Moshiach.

The Chofetz Chaim submits an additional explanation for the intensification of Israel’s troubles at the End of Days.  Toward the end of the sixth millennium, the heavenly tribunal will wish to settle all accounts opened since the world’s creation.  G-d will want to prepare His world for its new state, the state of redemption.

This is an indication that the Holy One, blessed is He, wishes to rectify all the old world’s flaws, and to speed up the world’s transformation to birth  of a new world, to the days of Moshiach, in which only those elements of sanctity designated for His name will exist.

Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman also highlights this point:

Since the World will be in a perfected, flawless state during the time of Moshiach, it is necessary for all old accounts to be settled in the period that precedes it.  For piles of accounts have accumulated in heaven from the time of Creation to the present [that is , sins that man has not yet rectified], and they must be put in order before Moshiach comes.  It is therefore the duty of every individual to pay what he still owes to heaven (Ikvesa diMeshicha 18)

The Chessed LeAvraham writes that the intensification of Israel’s oppression constitutes a wonderful process of purification in preparation for the redemption:

Israel’s troubles will become as grave as can be, and they will suffer intense pain.  They will say, of the mountains, “They have covered us,” and of the hills, “They have fallen upon us,” because of the tremendous troubles that will surround them on all sides.  The reason for this is that the Divine presence will judge its household, and G-d will bring them back to the established covenant so as to purify them for the redemption and for the goodness promised to us by His prophets.

That goodness is something the intellect cannot comprehend.  The redemption from Egypt and its accompanying miracles will pale in comparison with the miracles and wonders that will happen to us during the redemption of Israel at the End of Days.  As it says, “They will no longer say, ‘By the life of Hashem Who brought the Children of Israel up from the land of Egypt,’ but instead, ‘By the life of Hashem Who brought up and brought back the descendants of the House of Israel from the northern land and from all the lands to which He dispersed them…’” (Yirmiyahu 23:7-8)

There will then be miracles and revelation of the divine presence to Israel in an amazingly wondrous fashion.  All who merit those times will say, “Behold, this is our G-d in Whom we placed our hopes” (Yeshaya 25;9), literally pointing a finger at the revelation of the Divine presence.  Who will be worthy of this? (Chessed LeAvraham 1:17).

The Chessed Le Avraham goes on to say:

All those who are stubborn and do not repent will perish.  But anyone who bears the yoke of repentance and accepts the troubles without complaint, putting his shoulder to the task, will be purified and become worthy.  The Holy One, blessed is He, is an honest and perfectly just Judge, and there is no injustice.  Therefore, He will refine the person time and time again until he is pure and clean silver. This process will be carried out by the strictest standards of judgment.  In those days, one nation will pulverize another.  Israel will be among them in great suffering.  Each nation will want to shear this sheep [the Jewish people] and eat its meat.  But the Holy One, blessed is He, will have mercy

on G-d’s people through the merit of the there holy Patriarchs, and they will become purified and cleansed as a result of these troubles and this judgment.

(The Ishmaelite Exile, Rabbi Yechiel Weitzman)

LOVE, HATE AND INDIFFERENCE ARE ALL COMMANDED IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES

B"H

The second reason is that all Israel constitute one lofty portion chosen from mankind to be G-d's unique and holy nation.  Being this way, they were marked by G-d for special affection.  They alone are called "adam," because they took the place of Adam, the first man, as standard-bearers of G-d's mission here on earth.  Since all Israel constitute "adam," ans were created in G-d's image and chosen to be His firstborn, it is a special mitzvah to love every Jew, assuming he shares our commitment to mitzvot and to serving G-d.
Surely man's having been created in G-d's image is the most important factor here.  Whoever was created in the image of the King bears on his person the glory of the King, Himself.  whoever ridicules him is ridiculing G-d, as it were, and who would dare to do such a thing?  Nonetheless, there is no need here for a positive act of love and respect.  All that is required is a prohibition against degrading, cursing or otherwise harming anyone created in G-d's image, as long as he has not become an enemy of G-d.
Nonetheless, from the moment Israel was born as G-d;s holy elect, the mitzvah of loving and respecting every single Jew was born as well.  Every Jew, besides having been created in G-d's image, was also chosen to be part of G-d's special people.
It follows that there are three types of human beings, and each must be related to differently.
The first is the Jew who shares our commitment to mitzvot.  It is he we are required to love and respect via G-d's command to "love your neighbor."
The second is the non-Jew who was created in G-d's image, yet who is not dear and special to G-d and not classed as "adam." After all, Adam's mission in the world passed on to Israel.  Although we are forbidden to hate or denigrate such a non-Jew as long as he does not become an enemy of G-d and as long as he keeps the seven Noahide laws, there is no mitzvah to love and respect him.
The third is the person, even a Jew, who becomes an enemy of the Jewish People.  It is permissible, and even a mitzvah, to hate and degrade him.
All the same, as long as a Jew remains on good terms with G-d, His mitzvot and His teachings, it is a supreme mitzvah to love and respect him with all our heart and to make great sacrifices for his sake in order to save him and help him.  (Rabbi Kahane, Ohr HaRa'ayon on Love and Respect for One's Fellow Jew pp.225,226)

We were slaves in Egypt, redeemed by Hashem to be slaves unto him.  We don't  have the right to hate or love whomever we choose. We must control our emotions and follow the halachah.  There is an appropriate time for hate, love and indifference.

HASBARA IS NOT THE SOLUTION TO ANTI-SEMITISM

B"H

People don't seem to understand anti-semitism.  They think it is just another form of racism but it isn't.  Racism is based on the physical, primarily with the body and the characteristics of the body but anti-semitism is based on the spiritual. It was created as a tool by Hashem to guide us back to the right path. 

Hashem sent us into the galut for a purpose and a mission but when that mission is over we don't have the choice to stay, we must return to Hashem and our homeland.  Hashem causes the goyim to favor us in order to help us fulfill the mission.  But inevitably we get too comfortable in the galut and mingle with the goyim.  When our mission is finished and it is time for us to leave we don't want to so Hashem turns their hearts against us so that we will separate and leave. 

And it was, when Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Grant me leave that I may go to my place and to my land.(Beresheit 30:25)

We understand from parshat Vayeitzei that when Yaakov had finished his fourteen years of working for Lavan and Yoseph was born, which made it safe(from Esav) to return home, he wanted to leave.  However, Lavan convinced him to stay for another seven years.

Later in the parsha, we read;

Then he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken all that belonged to our father, and from that which belonged to our father he amassed all this wealth."  Jacob also noticed Laban's disposition that, behold, it was not toward him as in earlier days. And Hashem said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your native land, and I will be with you."(Bereishit 31:1-4)

On a subconscious level the goyim know that the state of the world depends upon Jews keeping Torah.  So when Jews aren't keeping Torah and they try to be just like the goyim, the whole world suffers from it and it eventually leads to anti-semitism.

G-d thus made the rectification and elevation of all creation totally dependent on the Jews.  To the extent that this can be expressed, we can thus say that He subjugated His Providence to them. Through their deeds, they can cause [His light] to shine forth and have influence, or, on the other hand, hold it back and conceal it.
The deeds of the other nations, on the other hand, do not add to or subtract from the state of creation, nor do they cause G-d to reveal Himself or withdraw.  All they can do is bring about their own gain or loss, and strengthen or weaken their own directing angel. (Derech Hashem, Israel and the Nations, Ramchal)

Anti-semitism can only be fought by returning to Hashem and returning to Eretz Yisrael.  Trying to fight it with hasbara is not only a waste of time but it is actually trying to fight Hashem rather than doing teshuva.

LIGHT TO THE NATIONS SERIES PART 1

B"H

The phrase “light to the nations” has been distorted along with most of the Torah by the Hellenizers of our day, the Erev Rav.

Before us we have a recommendation for one world and one people, and why should Israel remain alone, a nation that dwells apart?

Likewise, regarding the verse, "Return, return, O Shulammite.  Return, return, that we may look upon you.  What will you see in the Shulammite?  As it were a dance of two companies" (Song of Songs 7:1), our sages offered the following description (Shir HaShirim Rabbah, 7:[1]2):

The nations of the world say to Israel, "How long shall you die for your G-d and pay Him... How long shall you be killed for His sake... How long shall you show G-d kindness when He shows you misfortune?  Come to us and we shall appoint you governors, prefects and commanders.  'Let us look [nechezeh] upon you--You will be the admiration [machazit] of the whole world"  As it says, "You shall be seen [techezeh] of all the people" (Ex. 18:21). 

The admiration of the whole world, a "light unto the nations"... Here is their basic enticement, adopted also by the Hellenists and falsifiers of Israel.  They have distorted the concept of Israel being a "covenant of the people, a light unto the nations" (Isaiah 42:6).  In their hands, this has turned into a demand that we depart the Land of our isolation and cling to the nations in the exile, living there with them in order to serve as their beacon.  To achieve this, we are supposed to abandon unpleasant, "unacceptable" concepts and laws, lest these make the nations hate us, and all this in the name of unity.  That is, we are supposed to assimilate for the sake of unity. (Or HaRa'ayon, Havdallah, Rabbi Kahane)

Being a "light to the nations" isn't a commandment or an action we perform nor our mission. It is the affect we have on the world by serving Hashem and following his Torah.

The 613 mitzvoth are called pillars of light.  When a Jew fulfills one of the 613 mitzvoth he/she brings down light from above (heaven) to below (earth), as we learn from the Tanya:

And this is what the Yenuka meant when he said that "The Supernal light that is kindled on one's head, namely, the Shechinah, requires oil," that is, to be clothed in wisdom, which is called "oil from the holy anointing," as is explained in the Zohar, that "these are the good deeds," namely, the 613 commandments, which derive from His blessed wisdom. Thereby the light of the Shechinah can cling to the wick, i.e. the vivifying soul in the body, which is metaphorically called a "wick." For just as in the case of a material candle, the light shines by virtue of the annihilation and burning of the wick turning to fire, so does the light of the Shechinah rest on the divine soul as a result of the annihilation of the animal soul and its transformation "From darkness to light and from bitterness to sweetness" in the case of the righteous, or at least through the destruction of its garments, which are thought, speech and action, and their transformation from the darkness of the kelipot to the Divine light of the blessed En Sof, which is clothed and united in the thought, speech and action of the 613 commandments of the Torah, in the case of benonim. For as a result of the transformation of the animal soul, originating from the kelipat nogah, [a transformation] from darkness to light, and so forth, there is brought about the so-called "ascent of the feminine waters" to draw the light of the Shechinah, i.e. the category of the "revealed" light of the blessed En Sof— over one's divine soul [principally dwelling] in the brain of the head. Thereby will also be clearly understood the text "For the Lord Thy G-d is a consuming fire" as is explained elsewhere.

The Greeks forbid Jews from keeping mitzvoth, which brings down the supernal light.  They also desired to eliminate the uniqueness of the Jewish people by destroying the separation between Jew and non-Jew.  Only when Am Yisrael is separated from impurity and the impure nations and fulfilling mitzvoth are we able to bring down the supernal light and then we will be "a light unto the nations".    The lighting of the oil which was lit in the Beit HaMikdash represented the intention of the Jews led by the Maccabees to be separate from the Greeks and the Hellenists and to return to mitzvot. (still trying to locate the source for this)

There is no commandment “to be a light to the nations” in the 613 mitzvot.  This is because “being a light to the nations” is a result of the actions of Am Yisrael doing all of the mitzvot. So if you want to be a "light to the nations" or even better you want to bring down the light of Hashem to illuminate the world, DO MITZVOT!!!! 

We are COMMANDED to LOVE good and to HATE evil

B"H

From here emerges the fundamental contrast between the thinking of G-d and the alien culture of the nations and the assimilationists among our own people.  In G-d's Torah, tolerance toward evil is inappropriate and impossible.  There does not exist any concept of coexistence between good and evil.  Quite the contrary, an oft repeated decree and command is this: "Destroy evil from your midst! Destroy evil from Israel!"  (Deut. 13:6; 17:7,12; 19:19; 21:21-22,24; 24:7).  Time and time again, G-d commands us regarding the need to separate between good and evil, so as to eradicate the evil from our midst.

 Evil is the thing G-d most hates.  It contradicts the purpose of Creation of the world, which is wholly good.  It is an unseemly black mark, marring the beauty and radiance of G-d's perfect, holy, entirely good world.  Evil threatens G-d's kingdom, as it were, and even threatens G-d's presence in that world.  Evil threatens G-d's kingdom, as it were, and even threaten's G-d's presence in that world. It threatens the continued existence of the world, created only for the sake of goodness.

 As King David said (Psalms 119:104),  "From Your precepts I get understanding.  Therefore I hate every false way"; and "I hate them that are of a double mind, but Your law do I love" (Ibid., v. 113); and "I hate and abhor falsehood" (Ibid., v. 163).

Furthermore, Amos said, "Seek good and not evil... Hate the evil and love the good" (Amos 5;14-15). And King Solomon said, "The fear of the L-rd is to hate evil"  (Prov. 8:13).

King David also said (Psalms 5:5), "You are not a G-d Who has pleasure in wickedness.  Evil shall not sojourn with You."  If G-d hates evil, He is also an enemy of evildoers.  As King David continues in the following verse, "The boasters shall not stand in Your sight.  You hate all workers of iniquity." In other words, if "evil shall not sojourn" with G-d, then it is clear that He "hates all workers of iniquity."  He also said, "The face of the L-rd is against them that do evil"  (Ibid., 34:17).

Therefore, wherever the Torah says, "Destroy evil from your midst," Onkelos renders it as, "Destroy evildoers from your midst." Evil, per se, is only an inanimate concept.  Only with the advent of evildoers, who translate evil into the language of reality, bringing it to life, does evil actually enter the world.  Therefore, despite their being His own handiwork, G-d hates them and commands that they be removed from the world.

Just as G-d loves good, so too, man, whose task is to emulate G-d, is obligated to love good and to cling to it and to ensure its spread throughout the world.  Since G-d hates evil and evildoers, it is man's task as well to hate evil and to destroy it.  As King David said (Psalms 97:10), "Ye that love the L-rd, hate evil!"  That is, the duty of those who love G-d is to hate evil and eradicate it from the world.

    Clearly, just as G-d hates evildoers, so must a Jew hate them and frustrate their designs.  As King David said, "I beheld them that were faithless and strove with them, because they observed not Your word" (Psalms 119;158); and "Do I not hate them, O L-rd, those who hate You?  Do I not strive with them that rise up against You?  I hate them with the utmost hatred.  I count them my enemies"  (Ibid., v. 139:21-22).  Redak comments on the phrase "utmost hatred":  "Hatred so great he could not hate them any more."

We also find, "They that forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them: (Prov.  28:4).  Metzudat David comments: "Contend with them:  They take issue with their wickedness, and even if the evildoers are great in number, they do not flatter them."  Ibn Ezra suggest a remarkable new idea when he comments, "'Contend with them': with those who forsake the law." Our sages said (Yevamot 103a-b):

Everything that is good when done by the righteous, is evil when done by the wicked:  [G-d told Laban]  "Take heed that you speak not to Jacob either good or bad" (Gen.  31:24).  I might understand his being forbidden to speak evil to him.  Fine!  But why good as well?  The point is that good deeds done by the wicked for the righteous are bad for them.

Moreover, as noted above, Or HaChaim comments on the verse, "You shall consume all the peoples that the L-rd your G-d delivers unto you.  Your eye shall not pity them"  (Deut.  7:16):  This conforms with , "Taking pity on the wicked is cruel' (Prov. 12:10).  In other words, such behavior is not good but evil."

King Solomon said (Prov. 21:12), "The righteous man who brings the evildoer success [such that the evildoer then attributes his success not to G-d but to himself-- Metzudat David] leads him astray to greater evil," and in Shemot Rabbah 9:2 we find:

Say unto Aaron:  "Take your rod"  (Ex. 7;():  This conforms with, "The rod of your strength G-d will send forth out of Zion.  Rule in the midst of your enemies"  (Psalms 110:2).  G-d dominates the wicked only with a rod.  Why?  Because they are likened to dogs.  As it says, "They return at evening.  They howl like a dog"  (Ibid., 59:7).  Just as dogs are commonly smitten with a rod, so are the wicked smitten.  It therefore mentions, "the rod of your strength"... G-d said to them, "Pharaoh is an evildoer.  If he asks you for a miracle, smite him with a rod."

Some agree that we are duty-bound to fight for good and to praise goodness and good people, yet they hold that we should not wage war against evil, and certainly should not provoke or curse the evildoer, yet they are in grave error:

Whoever mentions an evildoer without cursing him misses out on a Torah commandment-- "The name of the wicked shall rot" (Prov.  10:7).  Whenever Rav mentioned Haman on Purim he would say, "Cursed be Haman and cursed be his sons," to fulfill the verse from Proverbs.  (Bereshit Rabbah 49:1)

Here it would be fitting to interpret our sages' words from Megillah 7b:  "A man is required to become so intoxicated on Purim that he does not know the difference between 'Cursed be Haman' and 'Blessed be Mordechai,'" brought down as law in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chim 695:2.  Many fine people have difficulty understanding this utterance.  I believe our sages established here a powerful and remarkable principle: the point is not that one should drink until he becomes confused and says, "Cursed be Mordechai,"  G-d forbid.  Rather, he should understand that there is no difference between blessing Mordechai and cursing Haman, between blessing the righteous man and cursing the evil one.  Both are mitzvot.  It is a mitzvah to fight and curse the evildoer precisely the way it is a mitzvah to bless the righteous man.  On Purim one should not hesitate to curse and hate Haman, because this is a mitzvah exactly like blessing a righteous man.  The two are equal.  

(Rabbi Meir Kahane, Or HaRa'ayon,pp.126-129)

SEPARATING AND REMOVING THE EREV RAV

In the past few years I have wondered why Hashem would allow this growing alliance between Jews and xians. Why would he allow xians to attach themselves to our government, our land, our customs and our people. Why would He let rabbis teach them Torah, which they then use for their own agenda? Why would Hashem let "judeo-xianity" develop and spread? Well finally I think I know the answer. Before we were given a Torah and a land, Moshe Rabbeinu accepted the Erev Rav into Am Yisrael. Before we can be completely redeemed, the Erev Rav has to be separated and removed from within Am Yisrael. Those Jews who have attached themselves to the goyim by making alliances and building relationships with them are the Erev Rav. Once the separation is completed, the evil will be removed. Of course this is only one part of the separation but it is the part that most affects my "community".

RABBI MEIR KAHANE ON THE EREV RAV

B"H

The erev rav is that part of the Jewish People intent on war against G-d and against the truth and credibility of His Torah.  With them we face an uncompromising battle to the finish, and the Gra emphasized this in his call to holy war against them.  When he says that whoever does not actively fight the erev rav becomes their partner and is better off never having been born, he means to warn against the distorted tolerance and groundless love which are the main impediments in this war. Rather, says the Gra, our task is to assist our Messiahs in their task, and the task of Mashiach ben Yosef is once more emphasized there (Chapter 1:6):  "The general purpose of Mashiach ben Yosef is in three things: uncovering the Torah's secrets, the ingathering of the exiles, and eradicating the spirit of impurity from the Land."  Whoever does not take part in this, strengthens the hand of those who block the way to redemption "in haste," thereby bringing upon us tragedies, grief and destruction, Heaven help us! Whoever refuses to fight them sheds blood. (Or HaRa'ayon, p.922)

THE EREV RAV

In his book EVEN SHELOMO, the Vilna Gaon, ztk’l wrote that the selection and purification of Israel will not be complete until the Erev Rav separates from Israel completely, because they (Erev Rav) are very attached to the Jews and the Jews learn from their actions.

In the Tikkune Zohar (97a) it is written: “All the exile and the destruction of the Beit ha Mikdash and all the suffering, all of it came through Moshe’s acceptance of the Erev Rav, and all wicked people and evildoers in each generation come from them, meaning from their souls, for they are reincarnations of those who left Egypt and this is what the Gemara (Beitza 32) refers to: “They come from the Erev Rav”.

THE MAIN DRIVE OF THE EREV RAV IS TO UNIFY EISAV AND YISHMAEL AND TO SEPARATE THE TWO MOSHIACHS.

THEREFORE, OUR MAIN SERVICE AND BATTLE IS TO BREAK AND TO REMOVE THE STRENGTH OF THE EREV RAV, THE K'LIPAH OF ARMELIUS THE EVIL, FROM ISRAEL; THE EREV RAV IS OUR GREATEST ENEMY, THE ONE WHO SEPARATES THE TWO MOSHIACHS.

The purpose in our bringing about the ingathering of the exiles is to set up faithful people for the sake of the unification of the two moshiachs (i.e., Moshiach Ben Yosef and Moshiach Ben Dovid) in the gates of Jerusalem. This is in order to return the Divine Presence to bring about the redemption, the true redemption and sanctification of God's Name. According to our teacher, the Vilna Gaon, z"l, we can bring about, with the help of God and through these strong people, these two moshiachs, and to learn well all the levels and their purposes in practical terms. The general purpose of the two moshiachs, Moshiach Ben Yosef and Moshiach Ben Dovid, throughout all the generations has been to protect and fight against the three 'heads' of the K'lipos, Eisav, Yishmael, and the Erev Rav. The specific role of Moshiach Ben Yosef is against Eisav who is the k'lipah of the left, the main purpose of Moshiach Ben Dovid is against Yishmael, the k'lipah of the right, and together they go against Eisav and Yishmael who are the ox and the donkey from the side of impurity. The joining of Eisav and Yishmael is the result of Armelius, the sar of the Erev Rav, who are able to destroy Israel and the entire world, may God have mercy. The main drive of the Erev Rav is to unify Eisav and Yishmael and to separate the two moshiachs. Therefore, our main service and battle is to break and to remove the strength of the Erev Rav, the k'lipah of Armelius the Evil, from Israel; the Erev Rav is our greatest enemy, the one who separates the two moshiachs. The k'lipah of the Erev Rav works only through deception and roundabout ways. Therefore, the war against the Erev Rav is the most difficult and bitterest of all. We must strengthen ourselves for this war, and anyone who does not participate in the battle against the Erev Rav becomes, de facto, a partner with the k'lipah of the Erev Rav, and was better off not being born in the first place.
(Kol HaTor, Chapter 2, Section 2, Letter 'bais')

Separation is the Key to Redemption

(from the Zohar on Parshat Lech Lecha)

20. "And there was a strife between the herdsmen of Avram's cattle"

When Avraham discovered that Lot, his nephew, was engaged in Idol Worshipping, Avraham knew immediately that he had to disconnect himself completely from Lot. The spiritual principle of this story concerns the influence that our immediate environment exerts upon us. It is incumbent upon all of us to associate with people who are sincere in their desire for spiritual growth. Although our own intentions may be pure, the influences that surround us inevitably affect our way of life.

The Relevance of this Passage

The Kabbalistic definition of Idol Worshipping includes much more than simply praying to statues or other false gods. Whenever we allow an external object or situation to control our behavior, our thoughts, or our emotions, we are worshipping an idol. Many people, for example, worship the idol of money. They are disciples and servants to their own businesses. Others are ruled by appearances and the perceptions of those around them. The moment we allow the external world to control our hearts and minds, we are committing the sin of Idol Worshipping. In this portion, freedom from external negative forces and influences is bestowed upon the reader.

174. Rabbi Shimon said, Come and behold, It is written: "And there was strife (Heb. riv) between the herdsmen of Avram's cattle." The word riv is spelled Resh Bet without the letter Yud, which means that Lot wanted to return to idol worshipping, which was the custom of the natives. Thus, at the end of the verse, it is written: "and the Cnaani and the Perizi dwelt then in the land." THIS TEACHES US THAT LOT WANTED TO WORSHIP IDOLS AS THEY DID. AND THE REASON WHY IT GIVES RIV WITHOUT A YUD IS TO POINT TOWARD IDOL WORSHIP. IT FOLLOWS THE SECRET FOUND IN THE VERSE, "AND THE ELDER (HEB. RAV) SHALL SERVE THE YOUNGER" (BERESHEET 25:23). ESAV SAID TO YA'AKOV, "I HAVE ENOUGH (HEB. RAV - RESH BET)" (BERESHEET 33:9), BUT YA'AKOV SAID TO HIM, "AND BECAUSE I HAVE ALL (HEB. KOL)" (BERESHEET 25:11). THIS IS ALSO THE SECRET OF THE VERSE, "AND A MIXED MULTITUDE (HEB. EREV RAV) WENT UP ALSO WITH THEM" (SHEMOT 12:38).


175. How do we know that Lot reverted to his evil ways of idolatry? We know is from the verse: "and Lot journeyed from the east (i.e. from yore)" (Beresheet 13:11). And what is the meaning of "yore?" It means from Him-He who is more ancient than the world. And thus it is written: "and Lot journeyed from the east," and "it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east" (Beresheet 11:1). So, because there they journeyed away from Him-He who is more ancient than the world, it means the same thing here!


176. As soon as Avraham realized that Lot reverted TO IDOLATRY, he spoke to him: "And Avram said to Lot, separate yourself, I pray you, from me" (Beresheet 13:8-9)--you are not worthy of associating with me. So Avraham separated from him and did not want to travel with or deal him any more, because whoever accompanies a wicked person shall eventually follow in his steps and be punished because of him.


177. How do we know this? We know this from Yehoshafat, who associated with Achav. And had it not been for the merit of his ancestors, Yehoshafat would have been punished because of Achav. As it is written: "but Yehoshafat cried out..." (II Divrei Hayamim 18:31). Then he was saved, as it is written: "and Elohim moved them to depart from him" (Ibid.)

We must separate ourselves from Esav, from Yishmael and from the Erev Rav, this is our mission.

PARSHAT PIKUDEI

B”H

And if the cloud did not lift up, they would not travel until the day which it would be lifted (Shemot 40:37)

This is praise for Bnei Yisroel who despite having waited some time, would not move unless directed to by Hashem.  Bnei Yisroel understood that Hashem was directing them according to a deeper spiritual plan and that everything was for their own good.  They therefore made no attempt to travel further unless directed by Hashem. (Ramchal on the Parsha, Kisvei Ramad Vali (606)

Sometimes we don’t have all of the information. Sometimes things look hopeless.   It is natural to want to take action to do something, anything to change the situation. It is much harder to trust that Hashem is the one in ultimate control and to wait patiently for his will to be revealed. This is the time that really tests our emunah.

Shabbat Shalom

CHODESH ADAR BET TOV

B"H

“May this month be the final end of all our travails, a start and beginning for the redemption of our soul.  For You have chosen Your people Israel from all the nations, and You have set forth the decrees of the New Moons for them.  Blessed are You Hashem, Who sanctifies Israel and the New Moons.” (Mussaf for Rosh Chodesh)

OUR WORDS DEFINE US

B"H

When we examine the workings of our words, we come to see that they, more than any other human capacity, define us.  What we say and how we say it is who we are.  Angry, hurtful words define a angry, hurtful person. Kind, considerate words define an kind, considerate person.

This can be seen by considering the unique nature of the tongue: it is partially hidden and partly revealed.  It is usually not seen but it is heard.  Maharal concludes that Hashem designed the tongue to reflect its function, which is to reveal the hidden self-one's thoughts, ideas and personality.  The tongue takes these hidden elements from within the person and, through words, brings them into the open.

The laws of proper speech are Hashem's specific practical directives for how to use this defining capacity. They teach us how to look at people and speak about people.  They reflect the Torah's wisdom which sees the impact and ripple effect of every negative interaction.  The Torah understands that at the core of virtually every broken friendship, shattered career or divorce is a seed of hatred, a seed usually planted by a hurtful word.

The Torah's laws reflect Hashem's knowledge that much ovfthe pain and anguish of life can be averted by restraining ourselves from sowing these seeds.

It is actually a simple principle: If one removes negativity, gossip, slander and divisiveness from one's vocabulary, one automatically and dramatically improves one's own life and the lives of everyone in one's environment.

Chofetz Chaim, A Lesson A Day

Artscroll Series

Rabbi Shimon Finkelman

Rabbi Yitzchak Berkowitz

RECTIFYING THE FIRST SIN:EATING

The first entry of evil into humanity was through this act of unholy eating.  Until that fateful moment evil existed outside themselves embodied as the serpent.  When Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil they brought an intermingling of good and evil into themselves, into the very substance of their being.

Whenever we eat without proper kavanna we repeat this original sin.  The primary fixing of human civilization is to learn to eat in holiness.  Adam and Eve contained the souls of all humanity, of all the people who would ever live.

We were all present as a part of their consciousness and participated in their decision to eat.  Consequently we also suffered the damaging effects of their sin.

All neuroses, personality imbalances, and existential disatisfactions, teaches Torah, have their root in this sin of unholy eating.  Its impurity lives inside each of us as a fact of the human condition.  Every person has an eating disorder, for “eating” is a much broader activity than simply taking food into one’s mouth.

Eating, as an archetype, is the experience of lack and the taking inside oneself of something from outside to fill that lack.  Something that was not you, becomes a piece of you.  Literal eating, material acquisition, sexuality, honor-seeking, addiction to power,  praise, drugs, or even attention are all forms of eating.  They start with an experience of lack, and in an effort to assuage that lack one pulls something from the outside in.

The act of eating itself is neutral.  It has no intrinsic holiness, but neither is it shameful or destructive.  Creation does move forward simply by traveling up its food chain, but the truth of G-d as one and good and omnipresent is not automatically revealed.  The holy expression of “eating” has two criteria:

     1.  The “food” must be kosher.  Literal food must not mix meat and milk, nor be of an animal type forbidden by Torah; sexuality must not be adulterous, money must not be acquired by theft, etc.  In a more general sense, kosher also means healthy.  The Torah forbids us from doing anything that damages our bodies.  This includes eating amounts of types of food that are literally kosher but nevertheless unhealthy.

     2. One’s intentions must be pure and selfless.  One must consciously undertake to serve G-d and bring pleasure to his or her Creator with one’s newly acquired resource, be it food or possessions, etc.

Every person struggles with some form of eating disorder.  Our taking from the world is never perfectly conscious and selfless.  This was the first sin and it remains the root of all impurities in the personality.  Our literal eating is always a microcosm of the way we take from the world.  Every imbalance of psyche has some corresponding (and casual) expression in the way we ingest food.  Neuroses and psychoses are only symptoms of our unholy eating which is always the first cause.

(Eating as Tikun, Susan Schneider)

CHODESH TOV!

B"H

Wednesday evening is Rosh Chodesh Kislev. Here is a wonderful video from Rabbi Alon Anava on Rosh Chodesh, Women and Tehillim.

May Hashem accept the prayers of Am Yisrael this Rosh Chodesh and send us Mashiach and the Geulah Shleimah!

YOM KIPPUR KATAN

B"H

Wednesday evening begins the two days of Rosh Chodesh for the month of Kislev.  The day before Rosh Chodesh is Yom Kippur Katan.  What is Yom Kippur Katan and how can we make the most of it?

The day before each Rosh Chodesh (beginning of the month) is referred to as 'Yom Kippur Katan," the "Little Yom Kippur." R' Gedalya Schorr, in explaining why this is the case, first discusses the purpose of Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur, simply stated, is a day for one to take an accounting of what he or she has accomplished or failed to do. It is time for people to inspire themselves, to arouse within their heart and soul a desire to accomplish more, to strive for greatness.

There are two approaches that can be taken when it comes to self-motivation. One approach is to focus on that which we are lacking. "Why can't I control my anger, why can't I control my evil inclination, etc.?" By accenting our faults, we realize how far we have fallen, and how great the need is to get back on the right track. Another approach is to focus on our aspirations and goals. Our Sages wrote that everyone is required to ask themselves "When will my deeds reach the (level of the) deeds of my forefathers?" A person must realize that he has it within himself to achieve greatness, and that greatness is indeed within reach. Read More

Rosh Chodesh reminds us of what man could and should have been.  It is a time of atonement because its message of renewal summons Israel to renew itself, to return to its roots and shed the blandishments of the material world.  Because of this, the nation’s spiritual leaders ordained that the day before Rosh Chodesh should be a day of repentance and atonement – a miniature Yom Kippur.  In earlier times, when Jews were closer to God, one Yom Kippur a year was enough, perhaps, but as the years went by and the exile chipped away at our spiritual awareness, the genius of our religious leaders asserted itself and they prefaced the monthly day of renewal with a day of reflection, prayer, and repentance.  This is Yom Kippur Katan, a day when we can help bring the moon back to its original state by becoming worthy of Redemption and God’s Presence. (Rabbi Nosson Scherman, The Arstscroll Yom Kippur Katan Service)

Tehilla Diamond writes about participating in her first Yom Kippur Katan service in Bnei Brak in a blog post entitled  Yom Kippur Katan, No Small Endeavor. 

For a more in depth look at Yom Kippur Katan.

TESHUVAH

We all know that we need to do Teshuva but what exactly is teshuva? How do we do it and how do we know when we have done it?  Rabbi Alon Anava answers these questions in this rather long, but fascinating and extremely important shiur.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

May all Am Yisrael do complete teshuva and merit the Mashiach and the geulah, speedily in our days!

Parshat Chayei Sarah

Camel Commotion: Parshat Chayei Sarah

Based on a Naaleh.com class by Mrs, Shira Smiles

The Torah relates the initial meeting of Yitzchak and Rivka in inverse parallel structure. Rivka was coming from her father's home in Charan. Yitzchak was coming from Be'er Lachai Roee. Both were on the road. Neither was in a defined place. The Torah states that Yitzchak went out towards evening to talk to God in the field. He raised his eyes and noticed camels coming. Rivka also raised her eyes, beheld Yitzchak, and fell from her camel. She asked Eliezer, "Who is this man walking in the field towards us?"  Eliezer answered, "He is my master." She then took the veil and covered herself. The commentators explain these verses as the preparations our ancestors made for finding their match and for beginning to forge the life of a Jewish family.

Yitzchak was forty years old. He knew he was ready for marriage.Vayovenu Bamikrah interprets his journey as his personal effort in the quest for a wife. He knew he could not marry a girl from Canaan and that he was prohibited from leaving the holy land. These two elements made it impossible for him to search for a bride. Even though Avraham had sent Eliezer back to the old country to find a match, there was no guarantee of success. So Yitzchak was involving himself in the mitzvah of making matches in the hopes that he too would merit his own mate. He went to Be'er Lachai Roee to bring Hagar, who had done teshuva, back to Avraham.

Yitzchak established the Mincha afternoon prayer. It is in the afternoon, says Rav Reiss, when we are heavily enmeshed in the concerns of daily work that we may easily forget that everything is dependent on the will of Hashem. Certainly, finding an appropriate spouse is subject to His will. But there is a much deeper mystical connection. Rav Avigdor Parness in Lev Tahor takes us back to the time of creation again. He references each hour of the sixth day and how Hashem created Adam and Chava. By the ninth hour, they were already complete and were commanded not to eat from the eitz hadaat. In the tenth hour, Chava and Adam transgressed that one commandment and ate of the fruit. That hour when the Creator went out into the field symbolically searching for Adam and asking him rhetorically "Ayekah, where are you," was the same hour of the day that Yitzchak went out into the field to reconnect with his Maker and rectify the sin of Adam. But to do so completely, he also needed his ezer kenegdo to represent Chava.

Rav Moshe Bick notes that when Yitzchak davened Mincha, he not only davened for his ezer kenegdo (helpmate), but for all of Klal Yisroel. He saw all of Jewish history before his eyes till the time of Moshiach. He knew that one of the signs that Moshiach is thatchutzpah (impudence) will increase. He also knew that it would be a time fraught with death and destruction. Yitzchak  used his self -nullification in prayer to counter this arrogance and try to prevent the massive destruction. When he saw the gemalim, the camels, he saw it as a sign of redemption, for it echoes Hashem's promise that although his descendants will go down to Egypt, "Gam aloh aaleh, I will also bring them up again." 

Chessed will also play a critical role in ushering in the redemption. When Yitzchak saw Rivka on the gemalim, especially after Eliezer related how Rivka gave him and all the camels enough water to drink, he knew that Hashem had sent him his destined mate to complete his mission. When Rivka saw Yitzchak approaching, she was overwhelmed by the aura surrounding him, and she either fell off her camel in awe or slid off in respect. Perhaps, as Meor Vashemesh suggests, she fell figuratively. She must have known she was on a higher spiritual level than her father and brothers. But now she was witnessing true greatness. She reassessed her own worth and her stature fell in her own eyes. But she decided to grow and do teshuvah, and so she took her veil and covered herself in modesty and determination.

The Belzer Rebbe explains that Rivka understood that her contribution to the household would be the attribute of chesed, kindness. But the aura of Yitzchak's gevurah was so strong, that Rivka worried it would overwhelm her chessed and she would not be an appropriate helpmate. To this Eliezer answered, "He is my master," he has grown up in the home of my master Avraham whose defining characteristic was also chessed and he carries some of this within himself as well. As Rabbi Dovid Cohen points out, Eliezer reassured Rivka that they would balance each other out. In the same vein, we too must strive to achieve equilibrium between the attributes of chessed and gevurah within us.

Although Yitzchak and Rivka were extremely different, they shared a common goal. Their differences served to complement each other and teach us how we can be inspired to grow and use each of our middot to build the world Hashem meant us to build.   

MASHIACH WILL FREE US FROM OUR ENSLAVEMENT

Let us examine the situation that prevailed then, when the world began.  At the time of Creation, Man and Woman were in a position unique in human history.  They were given an opportunity that was never again to be available.  Had they allowed Hashem to rule them, they could have crowned Him sovereign ruler of the world for all eternity.  But they chose otherwise.

Why?  What was the alternative which they sought?  In some way, the first man and woman were asserting their “independence.”  But this independence, to which so many of us aspire, is of course, nothing but an illusion which becomes transparent when closely examined.  “Free” of God’s mastery, we submit instead to enslavement by values internal—ego, passions, and desires—and external—unattainable financial and social goals and the like.  Indeed, we may even subjugate ourselves  to political "leaders" whose credentials to rule us are often dubious.

In the end, our submission to the control of external factors has brought us to the state of multifaceted dependence in which we find ourselves today.

Mashiach—the ultimate messianic king—is the leader who will release us from this enslavement.  After thousands of years during which man has been experimenting with every possible way of avoiding God, Mashiach will raise and liberate the consciousness of man.  He will end our search, and bring us under the yoke of God’s dominion. 

(More Precious than Pearls, by Rebbetzin Tziporah Heller)

WHAT IS TESHUVA?

The word Teshuvah is usually translated as repentance. In fact, there is a well known prayer recited on the High Holy Days that Teshuvah, Tefillah, andTzedakah, translated as “Repentance,” “Prayer,” and “Charity” can avert the evil decree.

This translation is not entirely accurate. Teshuvah is better translated as “return” and signifies a return to the original state.

Classically, Teshuvah is comprised of three ingredients: regret of misdeed, decision to change, and verbal expression of one’s sins. Technically, whenever one sins, one is mandated to do Teshuvah. However, the Ten Days ofTeshuvah between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are specifically designated for Teshuvah, when the gates of prayer and repentance are more open than at any other time during the cyclical Jewish year.

Kabbalistically, Teshuvah takes on more of a cosmic dynamic.

The word Teshuvah in Hebrew may be read “tashuv hey,” literally “returning the letter Hey.” The last letter Hey of the Tetragrammeton refers to Malchut.Malchut is synonymous with Shechinah, which is how G-d manifests Himself as a sovereign within the creation.

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