by Rabbi Nachman Kahana | Aug 21, 2019
HaShem informed Rachel Emainu (our mother) that there will be two cycles of Jews who would eventually return home: 1- “They will return from the land of the enemy,” 2- “Your sons will return to their borders”.
What is the difference between the returnees in HaShem’s message to Rachel?
The difference is awesome, immense and contained in just one word in verse 17: בנים – sons.
In verse 16 which speaks of the returnees from the “lands of their enemies”, the word “sons” does not appear. Whereas, in verse 17 the returnees to their borders not from enemy lands are referred to as “sons”.
The distinction is critical; one is running away, the other is running towards. The runner towards home is a son.
by Rabbi Nachman Kahana | Aug 13, 2019
An indisputable fact comes to light to all who follow the weekly parasha with one eye, and current events with the other. Each parasha casts its spell on the events of its respective week. Therefore, in hindsight, we stand amazed at the correlation between the major events of this past week and the parasha; and we feel so fretfully “stupid” that, with all our knowledge of the parasha, we were unable to predict what was going to happen.
Our parasha begins with Moshe informing the Jewish nation that HaShem has turned down his pleas to enter Eretz Yisrael. Moshe is turned down 515 times (gematria of the word “va’et’chanan”), despite his iron-clad arguments proving that he has merited to perform the mother-of-all mitzvot – yishuv Eretz Yisrael – to settle in the Land of Israel.
by Rabbi Nachman Kahana | Aug 8, 2019
When catastrophe strikes, look beyond the immediate grief and try to discover the invisible hand of HaShem. You will probably not succeed, but the very attempt is an affirmation of your belief in the intimate relationship between the Creator and His chosen creations – Am Yisrael.
by Rabbi Nachman Kahana | Jul 31, 2019
“These are the journeys of the Children of Israel when they departed from Egypt united under the leadership of Moshe and Aharon. 2 At HaShem’s command, Moshe recorded their departures and journeys; and these are their journeys and departures.”
Question: In the initial part of verse 2 Moshe writes “departures and journeys”, in the latter part of the verse the order is reversed “journeys and departures”. Why?
by Rabbi Nachman Kahana | Jul 24, 2019
For thousands of years, Jews were loyal and productive citizens of the major countries of the world. The Jews’ contribution to the economic and moral success of countries such as France, England, Russia, Morocco and Persia was important at the time. However, the moment the Jewish people returned to Eretz Yisrael 71 years ago, all previous history became a matter for dustbins of history. This is what King David meant when he wrote in Tehillim, “ha’yee’nu ke’chol’min” (we were as dreamers). When the redemption comes, all previous experiences will become as a dream.
Having experienced leaving the galut to return home to Eretz Yisrael, I can say, “ha’yee’nu ke’cholmin”.
by Rabbi Nachman Kahana | Jul 17, 2019
In 1948, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel published its official prayer for the State of Israel. To this day, it is said on Shabbat and holidays in synagogues the world over, by people who recognize the “hand” of HaShem in our return to Eretz Yisrael. However, there is a big story behind the prayer, as related to me by an individual who was privy to the events.
David Ben Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, turned to the Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Herzog z”l to recommend a prayer for the Medina which would be accepted by the Israeli government as its official text.
