As Israel and the Jewish people face the horrors of October 7th, 2023, I wish to share the story of a fascinating 9-11 diary (capturing a significant theme of the weekly Torah portion&nbsp;of Shemini). This diary can shed light on the ongoing struggle between Israel, the West, and radical Islam.

September 11, 1941: The world is swimming in Adolf Hitler's bloodbath. In a few days, the Germans will capture Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, and massacre 100,000 innocent human beings in a ravine named Babi Yar.&nbsp;On this day—9/11 1941—in Arlington, Virginia, the U.S. Department of Defense starts construction on its new headquarters, the Pentagon.

On the same day,&nbsp;a middle-aged new immigrant to the shores of the United States, Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, later to become known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe, writes an entry in his private journal concerning two traits that make for a moral and productive human being: "fins" and "scales."<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn1" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref1')">[1]</a>

Nobody imagines that sixty years later, on 9/11 2001, the free world would be struck again. Radical Islamists would crash planes into the Pentagon and the Twin Towers, murdering thousands. A new era of global terror would descend on our planet.&nbsp;

The Journal

The idea the Lubavitcher Rebbe presented in his journal on this day is worth reflecting on today.

The Torah states in this week’s portion (Parshas Shmini as well as Reah): “This may you eat of all that is in the waters: everything that has fins and scales, you may eat. But anything that has no fins and scales, you may not eat.” <a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn2" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref2')">[2]</a> For a fish to be kosher, it needs both fins and scales.

The Talmud states a fascinating fact: “All [fish] that have scales also have fins [and are thus kosher]; but there are [fish] that have fins but do not have scales [and are thus unkosher].”<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn3" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref3')">[3]</a>

“If so," asks the Talmud, "the Torah could have written only 'scales,' without having to also write 'fins?’” If a fish that has scales inevitably has fins, why is there a&nbsp;need for both signs? The Talmud answers:&nbsp;"Said Rabbi Abahu, and so it was learned in the study house of Rabbi Ishmael: “This is so that the Torah should be increased and made great." This is a strange answer.&nbsp;Where is the logic in presenting fins as an identifying sign for kosher fish when it is totally irrelevant and inconsequential since scaled fish inevitably have fins as well? How does this make the Torah greater?

Also, why are fins and scales the characteristics that distinguish kosher fish? What is special about these two identifying signs to deem fish suitable for Jewish consumption?

Food’s Force

The Rabbis and Mystics teach that the physical attributes of fish, and of all animals, reflect their psychological and spiritual qualities. They further explain that the food a person consumes has a profound effect on his or her psyche. Therefore, when one eats the flesh of a particular creature, the “personality” of that creature affects the person in some way.

Fins and scales too embody two qualities embedded in the souls of these types of fish that are necessary for the healthy development of human character. When the Jew consumes the substance of such fish, he becomes a more "kosher" and refined human being. When he consumes fish lacking these characteristics, it may dampen some of these vital qualities.

Drive &amp; Direction

Scales, the "armor" that shields and protects the body of the fish, represent the quality of integrity, which protects us from falling prey to the many pitfalls that life presents. A person of integrity will not deceive his customers, despite the apparent financial profits involved. He will not tell a lie to a friend, despite the short-term comfort gained by doing so.&nbsp;He will not cheat on his spouse&nbsp;despite the tremendous temptations.

Integrity means that you have absolute standards of right and wrong and that you are committed to a morality that transcends your moods and temptations. Integrity preserves and protects your life and your soul.

Fins, the wing-like organs that propel fish forward, represent ambition. A healthy sense of ambition, knowing one’s strengths and wanting to utilize them in full, gives a person the impetus to traverse the turbulent sea of life and to maximize his or her G‑d-given potential. It propels us to fulfill our dreams and leave our unique imprint on the world.

What Is Our Priority?

Which of these two qualities is more important to cultivate in life—fins or scales? What ought to be the main function of education? Should we concentrate primarily on providing our children with the confidence and skills necessary for them to become productive and accomplished human beings? Or ought we to focus more intensely on raising children of high moral standing, concentrating more on how they will live than on how they will make a living?

The Talmud teaches that all fish that have scales also have fins. But some fish have fins but do not have scales and are thus non-kosher.&nbsp;On a deeper level, this symbolizes the idea that a human being who possesses fins may still lack scales and thus remain "non-kosher." He might swim and frolic through large seas and oceans with his talent and genius, but his achievements may be corrupt, hurting others in the process. Creating ambitious and confident children does not guarantee their moral uprightness and integrity. In our times, we have seen the result of people who had fins but no scales.

On the other hand, the Talmud tells us that all fish with scales have fins. If you teach your children to approach life with truth and honesty, with an unyielding commitment to morality and decency, this child will certainly succeed and develop "fins" as well. Regardless of his or her degree of intellectual prowess, they will find the "fins" with which to advance in their learning and their achievements to make the world a more beautiful place.

To Change the World

"If so," asks the Talmud, "the Torah could have written only 'scales,' without having to also write 'fins'." On a deeper level, the Talmud is asking, why is it important to emphasize the need for fins in developing a "kosher" human being?&nbsp;Why does an emphasis on ambition constitute part of a moral and "kosher" education? Why not just focus on integrity and ethics?

The Talmud’s answer is marvelous: "This is so that 'Torah be increased and made great.'" This means that our spiritual mission consists not only of professing integrity and morality but also of developing our full potential materially and spiritually.&nbsp;G-d wants us to be good; but He also wants us to be successful and shine; to utilize all of our talents and resources to transform the landscape of our planet into an abode for the Divine; to make the Torah “great and large.” The light, majesty and depth of Torah must penetrate the entire world and turn it into an oasis of goodness and holiness.

Cruel Ambition; Deadly Surrender

The events of September 2001, like those of September 1941, dramatically altered our view of the world. Both ushered in a new era of violence, bloodshed, grief and terror. The first was by Nazi Germany; the second was by radical Islamists. Yet the roots of the two wars were very different: The Germans personified a culture possessing fins but no scales. Their ambitions, achievements, and love of life were impressive, yet their morality and sense of ethics were horrifically skewed. While they loved and nurtured their dogs, appreciated poetry, philosophy, and scientific advancement, they sent millions to die in gas chambers.

September 11,&nbsp;2001, on the other hand, was perpetrated by people with a deep faith and commitment to the will of Allah, yet with a hatred for all progress and advancement, and a desire to destroy all who do not adhere to their dark vision of the world. They died for what they believed to be the ultimate in morality and holiness; yet their perception of G-d was horrifically skewed: theirs was a god who wanted them to die, as long as they can kill others.

People somehow delude themselves into thinking that Hamas and the people living in Gaza are two distinct entities and&nbsp;that Hamas took control of Gazans. They forget that Hamas does not control Gaza; rather, Gaza thinks Hamas. Hamas was elected by the people of Gaza in 2006, and more than 70 percent of Arabs living in Gaza and in the West Bank support the murders of October 7th, 2023.&nbsp;

Many young Muslims are being taught today to develop scales but no fins: to surrender their lives to Allah, without appreciating that G-d wants them to live, and not to die; to build the world, not destroy it, and to respect other peoples, not blow them up. To create a “kosher” world, we need scales, but we also need fins. Muslim leaders, parents and educators must begin to teach their youth to love their own lives more than they hate the lives of others.

They must discover that the love of G-d does not require a love for blood.

Israel and the Jewish people stand at the forefront of this conflict. This is not a time to back down but to stand with unwavering commitment to the sacredness of life and the fight against those who gleefully want to see us dead. With clarity, we ought to call out the evil we are facing and fight to eradicate it.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

________

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref1" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn1')">[1]</a> Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, escaped Nazi-occupied France with his wife, via Portugal, and arrived to these shores in June 1941. This journal of the Rebbe (among many more), dated Elul 19, 5701 (equivalent to September 11, 1941) was discovered in his study after his passing in June 1994 and published in Reshimos #39, pp. 6-8. I'm sharing my exposition based on the ideas presented in the above journal. 
<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref2" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn2')">[2]</a>&nbsp;Leviticus 11:9. Deuteronomy 14:9–10. – In 1941, Sep. 11 coincided with the Torah portion of Reah. 
<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref3" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn3')">[3]</a> Niddah 51b.

The 9-11 Diary: Hitler and Hamas.&nbsp;G-d Wants You to Be Good, But He Also Wants You to Shine

G-d Wants You to Be Good, But He Also Wants You to Shine

Essay Shmini/Reah

10-7 and 9-11: Hitler, Hamas, and a Historic Diary

This weekly women's class was&nbsp;presented on Tuesday, Parshas Shmini,&nbsp;19 Adar II, 5782, March 22, 2022, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.
The class was dedicated to the recent passing of HaGaon Reb Chaim Kanievsky (1928-2022), on Friday, Shushan Purim, 5782, March 18, 2022, at his home in Bnei Brak, at the age of 94. The funeral on Sunday brought together some 750,000 mourners from all over the Holy Land.

Why No Mention of Millions of Animals, Fish, Birds & Insects Swarming to Moshe's Class in the Desert?

Shmini/Reah Women's Class

Eulogy for Rav Chaim Kanievsky: The Power of Torah

This women&#39;s class was presented on Tuesday Parshas Reah, 21&nbsp;Av, 5780, August 11, 2020, streaming live from Rabbi YY Jacobson&#39;s home in Monsey, NY

Why Are Jews Captivated by Hollow Movements & Ideologies?

Women's Re'eh Class

Revolutzye!!! 

This women&#39;s class was presented on Tuesday Parshas Reah, 26 Av, 5778, August 7, 2018, at Ohr Chaim Shul, 20 Forshay Road, Monsey, New York.

The Psychology of the Two Kosher Signs: Do You Have Split Hooves? Do You Chew Your Cud?

Women's Re'eh/Shmini Class

Why Did Jews Not Become Suicide Bombers?

No Gashes

There is a fascinating verse in this week's Torah portion, Reah:

ראה יד, א: בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לֹא תִתְגֹּדְדוּ וְלֹא תָשִׂימוּ קָרְחָה בֵּין עֵינֵיכֶם לָמֵת:

You are children of the Lord, your G-d. You shall neither cut yourselves nor make any baldness between your eyes, for the dead. (Deut. 14:1) 

The custom of many pagans was to cut themselves in demonstration of grief over the death of a loved one. To vent their agony, they would make incisions in their flesh, pull out their hair, and flay their skin. The Torah prohibits this behavior. <a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn1" name="_ednref1" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref1');"> [1] </a> There must be limits to grief. This is the meaning of the Hebrew word "sisgodedu," to scrape off the flesh.

The Talmud, however, adds a second meaning to this commandment:

יבמות יג, ב: לא תתגודדו-לא תעשו אגודות אגודות.

The Torah is saying: Do not splinter yourself into separate groups. <a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn2" name="_ednref2" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref2');"> [2] </a> ("Sisgodedu," from the root word "agud" or "agudah," means groups.) 

This is a prohibition against the Jewish people becoming divided. Practically, this is a prohibition against one Jewish court dividing into two and guiding the community in a conflicting fashion, <a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn3" name="_ednref3" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref3');"> [3] </a> creating division and conflict. <a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn4" name="_ednref4" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref4');"> [4] </a>

One practical example would be this. If a synagogue has a certain tradition of how to pray, one may not come and begin praying in a different tradition without the consent of the community. <a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn5" name="_ednref5" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref5');"> [5] </a>

But there is something strange here, and the question was first pointed out by the 16th century Jewish sage and leader, Rabbi Yehuda Leow (1512-1607), known as the Maharal, <a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn6" name="_ednref6" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref6');"> [6] </a> chief Rabbi of Prague (who one of the most influential Jewish personalities of his time, and author of major works on Jewish thought.) The Talmud and the Midrash often present various interpretations for one biblical term or verse; but nowhere do we find two interpretations that are completely disconnected. On the simple level, "sisgodedu" means scraping off your skin. Now the Talmud tells us that it also means, "don't split up into separate groups." How do these two divergent instructions come together in a single word? Why would the Torah communicate such two disparate ideas in one word-lacerating your body and dividing a community?

Or to put it more poignantly and humorously, the sages, it seems, by imposing this second meaning are "violating" the very injunction they are trying to convey. They take a simple word in the verse and they "splinter" its meaning to connote divergent interpretations that seem to lack any common streak?

In words of the Maharal: <a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn7" name="_ednref7" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref7');"> [7] </a> "Every man of wisdom and understanding will be amazed at the relationship of their [the sages] words with the simple meaning of the text, at a depth that is truly awesome. Yet, the man who is a stranger to this wisdom, will wonder at their unlikely reading of the verse, their words seeming implausible to him."

One Organism 

Yet it is here that we can once again gain insight into the depth of Torah wisdom. <a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn8" name="_ednref8" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref8');"> [8] </a>

The truth is, that the two interpretations are not only not divergent, they are actually one and the same. They both represent the same truth-one on a concrete, physical level; the other on a deeper, spiritual level.

The Torah prohibits us from cutting our skin as a sign of bereavement. Our bodies are sacred; our organism is integrated, precious and holy; we must never harm it. We must not separate even a bit of skin from our flesh. Even difficult moments of grief don't allow us to give up on our life and on the sacredness and beauty <a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn9" name="_ednref9" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref9');"> [9] </a> of our bodies. <a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn10" name="_ednref10" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref10');"> [10] </a>

But that is exactly what we are doing when we allow our people to become splintered. The entire Jewish nation is essentially one single organism. <a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn11" name="_ednref11" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref11');"> [11] </a> We may number 15 million people, and come from different walks of life, profess extremely different opinions, and behave in opposite ways, but we are essentially like one "super organism." When I cut off a certain Jew from my life, when I cut myself off from a certain Jewish community, I am in truth cutting off part of my own flesh.

When I cut my skin, I am lacerating my body. When I cut you off from me, I am lacerating my soul. Because our souls are one.

Only G-d

I once read the following powerful story.

In the late 18th century, in Eastern Europe, there was a terrible conflict between the Chassidim and their opponents, the Misnagdim, who suspected the Chassidim in heresy and blasphemy. The chief opponent was the Vilna Gaon, the famed Rabbi Elijah (1720-1797), from the Lithuanian city Vilnius, who issued a ban (cherem) against Chassidim. He excommunicated them from the Jewish community. It was a terrible division which continued for decades.

The Misnagdim came to one of the greatest students of the Vilna Gaon, Rabbi Refael Hakohen Katz, the Rabbi of Hamburg and author of Toras Yekusiel (1722-1803), and asked him to sign the ban. He refused. They said: "But your own Rebbe, the Vilna Gaon, signed it, and your Rebbe is like an angel of G-d!" <a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn12" name="_ednref12" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref12');"> [12] </a>

This was his response:

There is a famous question on the story of the Akeida, the binding of Isaac, in Genesis. G-d instructs Abraham to bring up his son Isaac as an offering. Abraham complies. At the last moment, as he is about to slaughter Isaac, The Torah states: "And a heavenly angel of G-d called out to him, and said: Abraham! Abraham!... And he said: 'Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, nor do anything to him." At the last moment, Isaac is saved.

There is something strange about this story. The instruction to bring Isaac as an offering came directly from G-d. <a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn13" name="_ednref13" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref13');"> [13] </a> G-d Himself told Abraham to offer his son to Him. Why did the reverse stop-order come from an angel and not from G-d?

The answer, said Reb Refael, is this. If G-d wants to tell you not to touch a Jewish child, sending an angel will suffice. But if He wants you to "slaughter" another Jew, an angel can't suffice! G-d Himself needs to come and tell you to do it. If you are going to "slaughter" another Jew, make sure you hear it from G-d Himself.

To let Isaac live, the instruction could be communicated via an angel. To let Isaac die, G-d needed to show up Himself.

"My Rebbe is an angel of G-d," Reb Refael said. "But I will not sign a ban against another Jew," even when an angel tells me to do so. To "slaughter" a Jew I need to hear it from G-d Himself.

[The source of the above story is Toras Yechiel by Rabbi Schlezinger Parshas Vayeira. Chut Hameshulah, a biographey of the Chasam Sofer, page 27. In the latter the name of the student of the Vilna Gain is given as Reb Zalman of Valazhin, who was one of the most beloved students of the Vilna Gaon. There he also adds that when the Vilna Gaon heard this response, he himself abstained from any further action against the Chassidim!

It is also interesting to note, that according to many sources, the famed Chafetz Chaim, Rabbi Yisroel Meir&nbsp;Kagan, who dedicated his life to increasing Jewish unity, and his works spread among all Jews, was a grandson of Reb Refael of Hamburg.]

Be Careful

Sometimes we get in to fights with people over idealistic reasons. We "slaughter" people-with our words or actions-and we feel that we are acting on behalf of an angel. We feel angelic about our actions.

Be wary, says the Torah! If you are going to cut someone off from your life, you want to hear it from G-d Himself. If not, let it go.

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref1" name="_edn1" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn1');">[1] </a> What is the connection between the opening of the verse about our being the children of G-d and the prohibition of gouging ourselves over the death of a loved one?

The Ohr Hachaim explains that the Torah is teaching us that death has another dimension to it. It can be compared to a person who sent his son to a faraway land in order to start a business there. The son settled in that place and over time became very close to many fine people there. After many years, the father summoned the son to return home and the son acceded to his wishes. The son is not lost. Those who had grown to know and love him are no longer able to see him, but the son is not lost. On the contrary, the son is returning home to his father. The thought of those friends going ahead and gouging themselves over the agony of the son's departure is unjust. Sadness and a melancholy feeling are in order. Gouging is definitely out. Because "Banim a'tem laHashem Elokaichem," You are children of Hashem your G-d." At death, the person is returning to the Father. The duration of that person's visit to this transient world has come to a close. The time has come to return home. Therefore, "Lo tisgo'd'du," do not gouge yourselves over a death. Reacting in such a way really contradicts our beliefs.

The Chizkuni explains that the basis for the command not to gouge ourselves is that we are the children of Hashem--we are mere children. Do we have an understanding of why we live and why we die? Can we fathom the Divine decisions which determine these occurrences? Do we appreciate the meaning of life? Do we comprehend why a person is born or why they die? A child does not comprehend the decisions that a mature father makes-and we too are children. Thus, "Lo tisgo'd'du {do not gouge yourselves}." Cf. Ibn Ezra, Ramban, Daas Zekenim, Sefurno and Klei Yakar for their explanations in the juxtaposition.

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref2" name="_edn2" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn2');">[2] </a> Yevamos 13b

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref3" name="_edn3" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn3');">[3]</a>&nbsp;רמב"ם הלכות עבודה זרה יב, יג-יד: גדידה ושריטה, אחת היא... על המת, בין שרט בידו בין שרט בכלי, לוקה... ובכלל אזהרה זו, שלא יהו שני בתי דינין בעיר אחת, זה נוהג במנהג, וזה נוהג במנהג אחר, שדבר זה גורם למחלוקת גדולה, וכתוב לא תתגודדו, לא תיעשו אגודות אגודות.

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref4" name="_edn4" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn4');">[4] </a> The Talmud in Yevamos 13b and 14a discusses the nature of this prohibition. Abayei maintains that Lo Sisgodedu applies when two different batei dinim (courts) in one city issue conflicting rulings. This makes the one Torah that was received at Sinai appear as "two Torahs" (Rashi ibid.) and causes confusion and discord (Rambam). Rava, however, does not object to different batei denim, even in the same city, issuing contradictory rulings, since it is within the very nature of the Torah that different rulings will be rendered by different schools of thought, as Beis Shamai and Beis Hillel did for many years. In Rava's opinion, the prohibition of Lo Sisgodedu is meant to discourage one beis din from rendering a split decision.

See Kesef Mishnah to Rambam ibid who amends the text so that the Rambam agrees with Rava not Abaya, as is usually the standard in Halacha,

It is interesting to note, that Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef maintains that regarding any halachic issue about which it is well known that there is a difference of opinion, there is no problem of "lo sisgodedu." However, many halachik authorities disagree. A case in point: Everyone knows that many Jews wear tefillin on Chol ha-Moed and many do not. Nevertheless, the Mishnah Berurah quotes from the Artsos HaChaim that you should not allow these two groups to pray together in the same shul; they should pray in different rooms. Otherwise, he notes, it looks like there are "shtei Toros" (two Torahs).

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref5" name="_edn5" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn5');">[5] </a> See here for the entire discussion: <a href="http://olamot.net/sites/default/files/pdf/68.pdf"> http://olamot.net/sites/default/files/pdf/68.pdf </a>

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref6" name="_edn6" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn6');">[6] </a> In his commentary of Gur Aryeh to this verse Deut. 14:1

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref7" name="_edn7" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn7');">[7] </a> Beer HaGolah p. 44

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref8" name="_edn8" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn8');">[8] </a> I heard this insight from Rabbi Yosef Cheser (Montreal), who heard it from Rabbi Schneur Kotler, the famed dean of the Lakewood Yeshiva, when he once visited Montreal. It was during a Friday night gathering and on the table was the question if Ashkenazic Jews should support a struggling Sephardic school in Montreal.

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref9" name="_edn9" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn9');">[9] </a> That is how Rashi explains the reason for the prohibition. Rashi Deut. 14:1

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref10" name="_edn10" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn10');">[10] </a> Symbolically, perhaps, scraping of the skin demonstrates a lack of sensitivity that our flesh is part of "us," it is part of our soul. We may not separate the body from its internal soul. When we realize the body is part of the soul, and that the soul never dies, it altars our perception of death. When we gash our bodies after death, it demonstrates a lack of this awareness.

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref11" name="_edn11" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn11');">[11] </a> See Talmud Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:4. Cf. Tanya chapter 32. Derech Mitzvosecha Mitzvas Ahavas Yisroel and references noted there.

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref12" name="_edn12" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn12');">[12] </a> See Talmud Chagigah 13b that a real Rebbe is like an angel.

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref13" name="_edn13" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn13');">[13] </a> Genesis 22:2.

The Maharal raises a fascinating question on this week&#39;s portion, Reah. One verse, &quot;lo sisgodedu,&quot; is explained to include two commandments: Don&#39;t scratch off your skin in grief; and do not splinter the Jewish community. Now, the Talmud and the Midrash often present various interpretations for one biblical term; but nowhere do we find two interpretations that are completely disjointed.

Yet it is here that we can once again gain insight into the depth of Torah wisdom. For the truth is, that the two interpretations are not only not divergent; they are actually one and the same. They both represent the same truth-one on a concrete, physical level; the other on a deeper, spiritual level.

In the late 18th century, in Eastern Europe, there was a terrible conflict between the Chassidim and their opponents. The opponents came to one of the greatest students of the Vilna Gaon, and asked him to sign the ban against the Chassidim. He refused. His explanation was remarkable.

A Strange Talmudic Insight into a Biblical Verse Captures the Sense of Jewish Unity

Essay Vayeira/Re'eh

Do You Ever "Slaughter" Another Jew?

This class was presented Sunday morning, 24 Av 5776, August 28, 2016, at the Ohr Chaim Shul in Monsey, NY.

Prophecy is a fundamental part of Jewish belief. As a matter of fact two of Maimonides thirteen principles of Jewish Faith are:the belief that G-d communicates with man through prophecy (#6), and the belief in the primacy of the prophecy of&nbsp;Moses&nbsp;our teacher (#7). But how does one go about authenticating prophets? How can we know if G-d has really spoken to the self-proclaimed prophet or if he is a fraud, as has happened all too many times in history?

The criteria usually given is this: if he has successfully proven that he can accurately foretell the future, or he performs miracles, we are commanded to believe him and follow his directives.

But then there is a fascinating section in the portion of Reah (Deuteronomy 13:2-4) :

&ldquo;If there will arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder of which he spoke to you happens, [and then he] says, &lsquo;Let us go after other gods which you have not known, and let us worship them&rsquo;, you shall not heed the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of a dream; for the Lord, your God, is testing you, to know whether you really love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and with all your soul.&rdquo;

The Torah is in essence saying: The prophet may perform true miracles. He may not be a fraud or an illusionist. Yet at this point we cannot listen to him. 

Why? If he has proven himself to be a Spiritual Master, a miracle worker, should we not trust him more than we trust ourselves?

An enigmatic comment by Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher (1269-1343), the author of the &ldquo;Tur,&rdquo; has been analyzed for generations. Some claimed that his insight granted us tremendous historical insight into these verses, and answers one of the most sensitive theological questions of all time: Why did the Jews reject Christianity and other religions?

And yet, there may be a far simpler interpretation, defining the role of women as prophets.

The Historical “Evolution” of a Mysterious Baal HaTurim

The Emunah Series

Basics of Emunah #11:  Why Did Jews Reject Christianity & Islam?

This Yiddish/English address was presented, Sunday, March 6, 2016, 26 Adar I 5776, at the dinner for Yaldei in Montreal.

Speech at the Yaldei Dinner in Montreal for Children with Special Needs

Yiddish/English Address: No Child Left Behind

Christianity in the Talmud and the Kabbalah.&nbsp;Who Was Yeshu? The Rabbinic, Kabbalistic, and Chassidic Sources. This lecture was presented on December 25, 2014, in Ohr Chaim Shul in Monsey, New York.

Who Was Yeshu? The Rabbinic, Kabbalistic & Chassidic Sources

The Jewish Perspective on Christianity

Christianity and the Talmud

<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head></head><body>David Goldberg bumps into somebody in the street who looks like his old friend Jack.
"Jack," he says. "You've put on weight and your hair has turned gray. You seem a few inches shorter than I recall and your cheeks are puffy. Plus, you're walking differently and even sound different. Jack, what's happened to you?"
"I'm not Jack," the other gentleman tells him. "My name is Sam!"
"Wow! You even changed your name," David says.  
Two Signs  
Land animals that are permitted, or kosher, for Jews to consume are identified in this week's Torah portion by two distinct characteristics.
Firstly, the animal must bring up its cud and chew it. This means that after swallowing its food, the animal must regurgitate it from the first stomach to the mouth to be chewed again. This regurgitated food is called "cud."
Second, the animal must have completely cloven hooves [1].
For example, the cow, goat, sheep, and gazelle possess both these characteristics and are thus kosher. The donkey and the horse, on the other hand, which lack both of these features, are defined as non-kosher animals. The pig, which has split hooves but does not chew its cud, and the camel, which chews its cud but has no split hooves, are non-kosher animals [2].
Why do these particular characteristics cause an animal to become kosher?  
The Power of Food  
Judaism teaches that the food a person consumes has a profound effect on one's psyche. When a person eats the flesh of a particular animal, the "personality" of this animal affects, to some degree, the chemistry and identity of the human consumer [4].
What is more, the physical attributes and characteristics of an animal symbolize and reflect a deeper meaning [3].
The split hooves and the chewing of the cud represent two qualities that are necessary for the healthy development of the human character. When the Jew consumes the substance of these animals, he becomes a more "kosher" and refined human being<a id="_edn5"></a>[5].  
Moral Self-Discipline  
Cloven hooves—the division existing in the coverings on an animal's feet—are symbolic of the notion that one's movement in life (reflected by the moving legs) is governed by a division between "right" and "left," between right and wrong, between the permissible and the prohibited. A split hoof represents the human capacity to accept that there are things to be embraced and things to be rebuffed.
This process of moral self-discipline is the hallmark of living a wholesome life, physically, psychologically, and spiritually. A violin can produce its exquisite music only when its cords are tied, not when they are loose and "free." Similarly, a human being who allows himself to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, wherever he wants, and with whomever he wants, robs himself of the opportunity to experience the inner music of his soul.
And when we have no clear differentiation between right and wrong, in a short time we tend to lose the very foundation of civil life. Nothing is a given, nothing is important, and nothing is sacred, because nothing is even real. We end up in an endless wasteland, trying to numb our pain and anxiety through every possible distraction. The very core of the "I" gets lost in world where nothing matters besides the fact that nothing matters. Semantics, rather than conviction, becomes the stuff our soul is carved of.
Rabbi Adin Even Yisroel-Shteinsaltz (1937-2020), one of the luminaries of our generation, once shared a story about a philosophy professor in Israel who asked one of his students to make a presentation. The student began by saying, "I speculate that ..." The professor interrupted him: "Please, before you continue, define the meaning of the word 'I." The student attempted three times to define the word "I," but the teacher refuted every definition. The student gave up and sat down.
The professor stood up and said: "How many times did I instruct you guys not to use terms which you cannot define?!" 
Challenge Yourself  
The second quality that characterizes a "kosher" human being is that he or she always chews their cud.
Even after a person "swallows" and integrates into his life certain values, attitudes, and behaviors, he must never become totally self-assured and smug about them. The spiritual human being needs to continually regurgitate his ideas to be chewed and reflected upon again.
Man must never allow himself to become fully content in his own orbit. Contentment breeds smugness; smugness breeds boredom, arrogance, and judgementalism. A person ought always—till his or her last breath—to challenge himself, examine his behavior, and refine his character.<a id="_edn6"></a>[6]
Or as Rabbi Adin Even Yisroel--Shteinsaltz once said: How do you know if you are alive or dead? If something hurts you, it means you are alive.
__________
<a id="_ednref1"></a>[1] Leviticus 11: 1-7. <a id="_ednref2"></a>[2] Leviticus ibid. Deuteronomy 14: 4-8. <a id="_ednref3"></a>[3] For examples, see Likkutei Levi Yitzchak Igros Kodesh p. 334. <a id="_ednref4"></a>[4] See Nachmanidies Leviticus 11:13; Tanya chapter 8. Cf. Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah Section 81. <a id="_ednref5"></a>[5] Likkutei Sichos vol. 1 pp. 223-224. <a id="_ednref6"></a>[6] This essay is based on an address by the Lubavitcher Rebbe in 1956 (Likkutei Sichos ibid. pp. 222-226. Cf. Likkutei Sichos vol. 2 p. 378.) My gratitude to Shmuel Levin for his editorial  assistance.</body></html>

How To Become a Kosher Human Being - Do You Have Real Standards? Do You Have the Courage to Challenge Yourself?

How To Become a Kosher Human Being: Do You Have Standards? Do You Challenge Yourself?

Essay Re'eh/Shmini

How Do You Know If You Are Alive?

This powerful tour de force on the meaning of Jewish identity in today&#39;s world was presented by Rabbi YY Jacobson in Cape Town, South Africa, June 18, 2011 (Motzaei Shabbos Parshas Shlach, 16 Sivan, 5771). The MC is Rabbi Osher Feldman, spiritual leader of Gardens Shul,&nbsp;Cape Town.

Who are we? Are we a parochial tribe&nbsp;or a universal people? Must we stand apart from the rest of the world, or should we integrate?&nbsp;Drawing on one of the most dramatic biblical stories about Jacob wrestling with a mysterious man in middle of the night, following which Jacob and his twin Esau, longtime rivals, embrace with love, we discover some of the profoundest truths about the drama,&nbsp;pain and blessing of Jewish existence.&nbsp;

The lecture draws on the kosher signs for fish, fins and scales, and how they represent the cosmic and parochial components of Jewish life.

Why do Many Jews Feel Uncomfortable with Themselves?

Lecture Sinai Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa

The Epic Struggle of Jewish Identity

Rabbi YY Jacobson presented this lecture at&nbsp;CSB (Computer Sciences for the Blind)&nbsp;Conference, the premier national business conference for Jewish Life Insurance professionals, on 28 Av, 5775, August 13, 2015, at West Point.&nbsp;

5395_confidence.667e.webp

dreams

tatoos

confidence

slaughtering a jew

chanah

prayer of chanah

jewish unity

Re'eh

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Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. It is the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, a day of judgment and coronation of G‑d. 

Five Habits of Highly Effective Jews

No blaming; don't give up on yourself; bruises, no tattoos; communicate with clarity; big things first

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