by Rabbi Nachman Kahana | Dec 9, 2020
Much like a motion picture which is composed of thousands of individual frames passing before the viewer’s eye, life too consists of a series of individual time frames of 70 years (“The span of our life is 70 years or with strength 80 years” – Tehillim 90:10). And just as one cannot understand the plot of a movie from a fleeting glance, one cannot decipher HaShem’s intent in history from one- or two-time frames or even from a thousand years. Our parasha relates that Yosef found his brothers in the Valley of Dotan…
by Rabbi Nachman Kahana | Nov 30, 2020
The weekly Torah readings are approaching the end of the patriarchal and matriarchal period, the founding fathers and mothers of our nation who are very much with us, due to the pivotal role they played in the future direction of the Jewish nation and world history.
by Rabbi Nachman Kahana | Nov 24, 2020
This week’s essay came to my mind through four associations: Ya’akov’s impelled exit from his holy home and holy land; the appointment of a new director of Yad Vashem; the unbridled wedding of the Satmar Rebbe’s grandson clandestinely put together for thousands of Chassidim (with or without the knowledge of the mayor and police who need his friendship when elections come up), and the siyum of tractate Eruvin in the Daf haYomi.
Be forewarned that the end is not for the weak at heart.
by Rabbi Nachman Kahana | Nov 17, 2020
Rivka suffered with her pregnancy and went to obtain advice at the yeshiva of Shem and his son Ever. There she was told that in her womb were twins who would become the forefathers of two opposing nations; two antithetical, contradictory cultures which were destined to navigate the course of history; and that the younger would surpass the older.
Question: Why did Rivka not turn to the greatest spiritual figure of her generation, her husband Yitzchak? And furthermore, how could Rivka act to divert the blessings to Ya’akov against her husband’s wishes?
by Rabbi Nachman Kahana | Nov 10, 2020
If I were able to deliver a message to President Donald Trump, I would suggest the following:
Bow your head and thank the good Lord for terminating your presidency. In fact, this applies equally to Jared Kushner, Ambassador David Friedman, Avi Berkowitz and all the other Jews who contributed over the last four years to the security of Israel and to the enduring noble status of Yerushalayim, in view of what is brought down in the Talmud (tractate Chagiga 5a).
by Rabbi Nachman Kahana | Nov 4, 2020
The Prophet Zecharia foresaw that, in the future, two funerals would be held in Jerusalem whose eulogies would be on a par with those of Yoshiyahu and Achav.
Since the destruction of the Second Temple, the City of Jerusalem has not known such impressive funerals as those of my brother, Rabbi Meir Kahane and of Yitzchak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel. Rabin was not an Achav and my brother was not a Yoshiyahu, but in their lives we can identify patterns resembling those of the two kings.
