Lot’s Obsession With Money

The story of the saving of Lot from the destruction of Sodom and Gemorra, carries with it, an important message. It demonstrates Lot’s weakness and obsession with money.

His motivation in choosing Sodom in the first place, was mainly for financial reasons. He had a great amount of sheep and he needed a place that was fertile, so that his flock would thrive.

One explanation why Lot’s wife looked back as the cities were being destroyed, is that it was difficult for her to part from her possessions.

When the angels told Lot to hurry and get out of that place, the Torah uses the word, ויתמהמה, that he hesitated. The note on this word is a שלשלת. There are only four times that this note is sung in the whole Torah. It clearly emphasizes this hesitation. Rashi says it was because he had pity on his money.

This shows how foolish and overly attached they are to their money and possessions. There was a situation of life and death, and survival, and there still was hesitation.

The Mussar books speak of the foolishness of people who believe that their money is their security. The Rabbis speak of how money can be a blessing, a curse, or a test. One must remind himself that the only security we have, is our faith in Hashem. Money can come out of nowhere and can easily be lost. But Hashem never forsakes those who trust in Him.

In many circles, success is judged by how much money he earns. There is emphasis on getting a good education so that one can earn a good living. Sadly, when this is the emphasis, and young people are not taught the importance of good character traits, and faith in G-d, they may not turn out so well.

A life of materialism and comfort, will not make a person happy. It is his ability to give to others, and living a spiritual life, that brings peace of mind.

Lot is not remembered in a positive way at all. His obsession with his possessions prevented him from achieving very much. We must learn from his mistakes.

Separate from Them

The Torah tells us, מדבר שקר תרחק, that we are to distance ourselves from falsehood. Similarly, in our morning prayers, we ask Hashem, to keep us far away from a bad friend, a bad neighbor, or a bad person.

The influence of such evil and negativity, has a bad effect on us. It blocks us from connecting to all that is good and sacred. We are urged to be strong and not feel sorry for such harmful individuals.

After the horrific and tragic events of October seventh, there is a new gauge to know who we must not have any connection with, whatsoever. This has to do with the response to what took place that fateful day. If a friend, associate, co-worker or family member, Jew or non-Jew, cannot condemn what took place that day, he is one with whom we must absolutely sever all ties.

There are many young people who may be naive and feel that it’s okay to worry about the rights of the so called Palestinian people. Perhaps we might succeed in setting the record straight, and convince them of the truth.

But if there is a human being that hears of these Holocaust-like atrocities, and is not shocked and outraged, and cannot condemn it, he is one that must not be a part of our lives.

If he is a Jew, he is self hating. And if he is a non-Jew, he is a vicious and dangerous anti-Semite. We must tell it like it is and not mince words.

These recent events make it abundantly clear, who is with us, and who is not. And if they are not, they are connected to that very evil and falsehood, that the Torah and our rabbis, warned us that we must stay away from.

When the dust settles after this tumultuous time, it will be a different and better world. It will be a world where evil and goodness are clear. We must be wise enough to cleave to the good.

Women and Modesty

When the three angels came to visit Avraham, they asked where Sarah was. They were told that she is in her tent.

The Keli Yakar explained that this was an indication of the wonderful trait of modesty, that Sarah possessed. It was in the merit of such modesty, that she was given a child at her advanced age.

There are numerous Mitzvot observed, when a woman has this trait of modesty. She fulfills the commandment to “Be holy.” She also fulfills her obligation to love and fear Hashem. She acts in a way that sanctifies the Name of G-d. She also fulfills not putting a stumbling block in front of a blind person, by avoiding dressing provocatively.

She walks in the way of G-d and she fulfills the commandment of cleaving to Him. She attains a certain nobility in the manner that she carries herself.

The Vilna Gaon added that the adornment of a woman, is her modesty. It is not only how she dresses, but it is also reflected in the way she carries herself. Women demonstrated this nobility, in that they did not participate in the sin of the spies. And the daughters of Tzlofchad demonstrated their wisdom and love for the land, in the request made to Moshe Rabbeinu for an inheritance.

These beautiful traits of modesty began with our Mother Sara, and is fulfilled by all of the modest women of today.

Kind to the Cruel

It is so critically important, that our values are learned only from the Torah. People foolishly believe that they are capable of being more just or merciful than G-d Himself.

Unfortunately, many Western values have infiltrated the thinking of many Jews. The Midrash Tanchuma teaches a valuable lesson that must not forgotten. This is the source for the quote, “Anyone who has pity on the cruel, will show cruelty to the merciful.”

There is also a verse in Mishlei that says, “When evil is destroyed, there is joy.”

The Sefer Hachinuch adds that when evil is destroyed, the world is a better place. In other words, the destruction of our enemies, is a merciful act. We want the world to function without the terrible influence of evil individuals, and evil concepts.

War is terrible because it inevitably leads to the death of innocent people. But the war that we are fighting for our survival, means that our people come first.

This obsession of not killing civilians, is a ploy to make Israel look inhumane. This is never emphasized in other wars. If it becomes necessary to drop bombs, to destroy the enemy, people will die. It is just so foolish and unJewish, to think that risking the lives of our people, in order to save civilians of the enemy, is praiseworthy.

Obviously, if we can achieve our goals, with less loss of life, that would be ideal. But in a war of survival, we must put ourselves first. At the end of the day, the world will still find reason to fault Israel despite its efforts. There is always a double standard when it comes to Israel.

Everything must have its source in the Torah. The civilian issue must not deter us in achieving our goal. We must destroy our evil enemy. That is the merciful thing to do, and that is what will make the world a better place.

Welcoming Guests

Avraham Avinu is associated with the Mitzva of הכנסת אורחים, welcoming guests. This is connected with his treatment of the three angels who came to visit.

The Talmud explains that this Mitzva is greater than welcoming the Divine Presence. Avraham was in the middle of a conversation with G-d, and asked to be excused so that he could take care of his guests.

The Rambam points out that welcoming guests is not one of the 613 Mitzvot by itself, but is included in the Mitzva of ואהבת לרעך כמוך, love your neighbor like yourself. The Rambam connects this to ואהבת לרעך, because we are to treat others the way we would like to be treated. And this certainly applies to welcoming guests.

A final point made by the Rambam is that in order to properly fulfill this Mitzva, we must make a point to escort our guests, when they leave our home. This is called לווי, or “Livuy.” We should walk with them for at least four cubits, or six feet, past our front door.

As Jews, we are commanded to do גמילות חסדים, acts of kindness. And welcoming guests, הכנסת אורחים, falls under this category of Mitzvot.

We are seeing this openly during the last few weeks, when Israelis have opened their homes to the refugees of the war. The Jewish people are, indeed, very special!

Evil Nimrod

There is a reference to Nimrod at the end of Parshat Noach, and again in Parshat Lech Lecha. In the latter Parsha, he is referred to as Amraphel, the king of Shinar.

Nimrod or Amraphel, was ultimately killed by Avraham Avinu, in the war he fought, to save Lot. But his relationship with Nimrod, began before his birth.

Nimrod was an evil man who ruled the world. He convinced the masses that he was god, and all idols were a means towards worshipping him. He was heavily involved with witchcraft and sorcery.

Just before Avraham’s birth, his advisors told him that a baby would be born who will one day expose him as a fraud, and would ultimately kill him.

Avraham’s father, Terach, was very close to Nimrod, and being that his wife was about to give birth, he assumed his son was the savior. Terach was also very evil, but he did not want his son killed. Instead, he gave Nimrod the baby of a maid servant, who was killed instead of Avraham.

At the age of three, Avraham began pondering the universe. He realized that there had to be a G-d that ruled the world. He confronted Nimrod when he was forty-eight years old, and received Divine assistance in challenging the demagogue. After being thrown into the fiery furnace for three days, it was clear to all, that Avraham was a great man. Nimrod’s son, Eliezer, agreed to be his faithful servant.

When Avraham was in Israel for ten years, he needed to rescue Lot. As fate would have it, he and Eliezer, killed the tyrant.

All of this information is found in the Meam Loez. Avraham succeeded in destroying evil incarnate. Now it is the responsibility of his children, to do the same.

Timing Is Everything

When the Torah describes the conflict between the servants of Lot and the servants of Avraham, there appears to be an unrelated verse.

We are told, והכנעני אז בארץ, that the Canaanites were still living in the land. Avraham Avinu is also promised that his children will return to Eretz Yisrael, as their possession. This will come about after the exodus from Egypt, but not at that time. The reason for this delay is that the sin of the Emorites is not yet complete. It will be complete, when they return. They will no longer have any merits.

This explains the reason for the dispute between the shepherds of Avraham and Lot. Avraham’s shepherds realized that the land was not yet given to Avraham. They needed to be careful where they grazed, so that they would not be stealing.

Lot’s shepherds made two incorrect assumptions. They thought that Lot would be Avraham’s heir, because he was childless. They also thought that the land already belonged to Avraham, and they could graze wherever they wanted. This was the source of the conflict.

We see how everything goes according to Hashem’s plan. He is running the world and will bring about salvation at the appropriate time.

The time for elimination of our enemies is now. I believe that great salvation and joy, awaits us. All of the sadness and mourning, will not be for naught. These holy Jews will not have died in vain. We will see the Hand of G-d and all of our sadness will turn to great happiness. It’s all about timing, and the time is now!

The Key to Abraham’s Success

Avraham Avinu demonstrated his great trust in Hashem, with his willingness to leave his place of birth, and his father’s house, to come to Eretz Yisrael.

He was given many blessings and promises of success, in his holy mission of teaching monotheistic beliefs. All of these promises, ultimately came true, after Avraham successfully overcoming all of his challenges.

At the outset, Hashem reminds him, that he must never forget three things. These were brought in a Mishna in Pirkei Avot. If one remembers three things, he will not come to sin. He must remember, מאין באת, from where he came, ולאן אתה הולך, and to where are you going, ולפני מי אתה עתיד ליתן דין וחשבון, and to whom we will one day, give an accounting.

These were all implied when Avraham was told to leave, ארצך, your land. This was a reminder from where man came and to where he is going. He came from the dust, and will return to the dust. When it says, ממולדתך, from your birthplace, it is a reminder that we were created from a putrid drop. And when it says, מבית אביך, your father’s house, it is a reference to the accounting we will one day give to our Father in Heaven.

In order for Avraham, or anyone, to be successful in their life’s mission, they must not get carried away with themselves. They must never forget their limitations as human beings, and who is really running this world. If he remembers these things, he will receive help from Above, and succeed.

I Am Not That Good

If one studies the various Mussar books, there is a common emphasis on an individual reaching his potential. One must work at improving himself all of the days of his life.

Often we find that others are intimidated when meeting friends who are locked in at self improvement. This could also apply within families, when certain members choose a life of piety, while others do not.

There is a common rationalization that comes with this realization that friends or family members have surpassed them with the lifestyle that they have chosen. Instead of taking the approach that, “If they could make positive changes, so could I,” they give a different answer. They simply say, “I’m not that good.”

This allows their consciences to be put at ease. They are able to tell themselves that they are still pretty much okay. The others are excellent, but they are not that good.

This attitude also applies when people who should know better, decide not to make Aliya. They are able to live with themselves by putting those who made Aliya, on a pedestal.

They are the great Jews that have strong idealism, and are able to fulfill their Jewish dream. We are also very fine people, but, “We are not that good.”

We must have the faith and courage not to rationalize, but to do the right thing. We need to push ourselves to do what is right, as dictated by the Torah. Studying the Mussar books, will help give us the strength and motivation to get to this sacred destination.

Pledge of Allegiance

There are Halachot from the Torah, as to who is allowed to own land in Israel. There are three categories of people, who are given this privilege.

The first group are those who are born Jewish. The second group are called, גר צדק, that are righteous converts, who accept upon themselves the observance of all 613 Mitzvot. The third group are known as גר תושב, translated as resident strangers. They are technically not Jewish, but accept upon themselves the Seven Noachide Laws.

They pledge their allegiance to the Jewish people, and abandon idolatry, or the observance of any other religion. They are loyal citizens, and are given the right to own land.

I once asked the former chief rabbi of Israel, Rav Mordechai Eliyahu, זצ״ל, if I was allowed to sell a property to a Gentile woman, who claimed to be a Noachide. He said that if it could be verified, that she did observe these laws, she was entitled to own property in Israel.

These laws made me think that perhaps something could be done to ease the trauma, Israel is going through. There is an uneasiness in terms of our interaction with our Arab inhabitants. Some have asked that Arab workers be put on leave, until things quiet down.

Perhaps some kind of initiative should be done, where all non-Jews living here, pledge their allegiance to Israel, and condemn the terrible atrocities that has taken place. They would be given recognition for making it clear where they stood, and we would be more at ease when we interact with them.

This may sound outrageous to some, but it is based on the Torah requirements. And if it could create a certain calmness, it may be worthwhile to be considered.

Faith

Avraham Avinu stands out among all our great Jewish leaders, for his unshakable faith in Hashem. He was given ten difficult tests to see how strong his faith was, and he passed them all.

We must realize that during these difficult times that we have been experiencing, it is only our faith in Hashem, that will allow us to face the challenge before us. Without this faith and complete reliance on G-d for our salvation, we will fall apart.

We must not allow ourselves to succumb to fears and doubts, and thinking negative thoughts. This will not help us at all. Worrying about what might be, can certainly be very damaging, as it will not make our situation any better.

Many people are asking how Hashem could allow such atrocities to take place, as witnessed just two weeks ago. It is natural that such thoughts should cross our minds, but we need not think in this way.

A great rabbi once said that he would not believe in a G-d, that he could understand all of His ways. The point being that Hashem’s greatness and ways are not able to be comprehended by man. We must remember that all His ways are just, even though at times like this, it’s hard to see it.

We must not be afraid to put our trust in Him. He has always been there for us, during our long exile, and He is with us now. One day it will be explained to us why this had to happen.

If we look at history, suffering was always followed by redemption. The Jews were slaves in Egypt, and redeemed with the giving of the Torah, and the entering of Eretz Yisrael. The tragedy of the Holocaust, gave us the State of Israel. And the suffering we experienced lately with unspeakable horrors, will bring great things for the Jewish people. Those who died, sanctifying Hashem’s Name, did so, in order that there will be a better tomorrow. We only need to hold on to the faith of Avraham Avinu, to help us get there.

Distance from Evil

Rashi, at the end of Parshat Noach, describes how Avraham Avinu upset Nimrod by breaking his idols. Nimrod acted as if he was a deity.

Rashi goes on to explain how Avraham was thrown into a fiery service, as a punishment. He was miraculously saved by Hashem. His brother, Haran, after seeing this miracle, willingly went into this furnace. Because he did not have the faith of his brother, he perished. This is why Avraham felt responsible for his son, Lot. He also married Haran’s daughter, Sara.

There is an interesting argument in Masechet Avoda Zara, between Rav Yochanan and his brother in-law, Reish Lakish, regarding broken fragments of an idol.

Rav Yochanan is of the opinion that these fragments, especially a recognizable hand or foot of the idol, is still treated as a forbidden fragment of Avoda Zara.

Reish Lakish, on the other hand, disagrees by saying that if someone finds that his idol is broken, he comes to a reasonable conclusion. If this idol could not manage to hold itself together, how could it possibly answer my prayers? This was what Avraham realized as a young boy. If an idol could easily be broken, how could it have any powers?

Nevertheless, the Halacha is like Rav Yochanan, that even fragments maintain their forbidden status, and they must be destroyed.

It is clear that we must distance ourselves from evil and impurities, and not even allow fragments of it, to be around us. All negativity and negative influences, must be kept away from us.

And we are now fighting a battle against the evil that has harmed our citizens. Just like the evil that affects us nationally, must be destroyed, we must also remove it from our personal lives.

The Maze

The Mesilat Yesharim uses a “maze,” to teach an important life lesson. Its author, Ramchal describes a specific type of maze.

He asks his readers to picture a number of bushes that are grown in such a way, that they set a path to a particular desired destination. Because it’s a maze, there are many dead ends, where the traveler must go back to the beginning and start over.

It is possible that there could be someone with an aerial view of the maze. If he sees his friend going in a direction that leads to nowhere, he could shout and warn him, to take a different path. He knows this maze very well, and he is no longer held back by the various obstacles.

The maze refers to our lives and the path we choose to take. We might learn by trial and error, the mistakes we made, that led us nowhere. We were forced to backtrack and take a different course. If we would only listen to those who are older, wiser, and more experienced, they would help us avoid making mistakes in the future.

The Ramchal felt that anyone who succeeds in overcoming the enticement of the Yeitzer Hara, will have the wisdom to lead and help others. He has worked sufficiently in reaching the desired destination of closeness to G-d.

This message has real significance today, when the younger generation genuinely believes that they are smarter, and better problem solvers, than the older generation. How sad this is, when so much can be gleaned from those who have gone through life, and had to learn things the hard way. If they would only listen, they would not hit the dead ends of the maze, and be forced to start over again.

Remembering Our Ultimate Death

When Noach is first approached by G-d, it is explained to him, why it was necessary to destroy the world.

Noach is told קץ כל בשר בא לפני, “The end of all flesh has come before Me.” The choice of using the word, קץ, is significant. The Keli Yakar says that really the word, קץ, does not mean, “the end,” but it is referring to the יום המיתה, the day of death.

In other words, the literal translation would be that Hashem is telling Noach, that the day of death is coming to all living things. Even the animals became corrupt, and mated with other animals, not of their species.

The lesson that the Keli Yakar is teaching, is that most sin comes because the transgressor, forgets about his own יום המיתה. He removes from his thought process, the inevitability of his own day of death.

Although we are not supposed to be obsessed with death, we are also not to pretend that it does not exist. If one remembers that he is placed on this earth for a limited time, he might also realize that there will be a day of reckoning, where he will be held accountable for his transgressions.

It is the people that believe that they will live forever, who go about life in a reckless manner. They forget about a Day of Judgement, that will come.

The Noach story is a reminder that we need to get our priorities straight. It is our task to work on ourselves, and constantly try to elevate ourselves. Not only will this give us meaning and purpose, but it will allow us to stand proudly before G-d, because we know we did our best.

Positive Influences

There is an important lesson to be learned from Noach. It is truly remarkable that he was able to withstand the pressures of the corrupt world that existed at that time.

We similarly give credit to Avraham Avinu, who was able to be unique in his generation. He was strong and steadfast in his belief in the one true G-d in a surrounding of Avoda Zara, idol worship. This is why both Noach and Avraham are given so much praise. It is really difficult to stand alone, against enormous pressure to be like everyone else.

We must accept that we are not Noachs or Abrahams. We are likely to be influenced by the behavior of those around us. It is extremely naive to think that we could stand alone with our beliefs and convictions, when we are the only ones who feel that way.

This is why the rabbis emphasize the importance of choosing to live among good people, that share our beliefs, and way of life. We are able to get strength from being around such friends and neighbors.

The only exception is living in Eretz Yisrael. The Talmud tells us that it is better to live in a city of idol worshippers in Israel, rather than in a city of Jews, outside of Israel.

Obviously, this is not the recommended place to live in Israel. But the Talmud is letting us know how we are influenced positively, simply by breathing the air of Eretz Yisrael, and walking on its holy soil.

Over the years, I have warned students and friends, not to settle in a place that they would be affected negatively. Those who didn’t listen, were affected negatively. This is very sound advice. After all, we must recognize that we are not Noach or Avraham.

Every Jew Was Violated

The tragedy of the events of October the seventh, is a reminder of a stark reality. A Jew is a Jew, regardless of his affiliation and religious beliefs.

We witnessed a mini-Holocaust, with all of its ugliness and savagery. The animals that perpetrated these crimes, did not care if their victims were religious or not, liberal or conservative. Their entire motivation was to kill Jews, just like in the Holocaust.

Whether the Diaspora Jews are aware of this or not, they feel this tragedy, not as sympathetic Americans or Brits, or Frenchmen. They feel it, because it touched that spark of Jewishness that is in the soul of every Jew. It was an attack on them, as much as it was to those living near Gaza.

This should clearly be seen as a wake up call to all of the Jewish people everywhere. We are one family, and we must be united as a family. We cannot escape our Judaism by assimilation and intermarriage. And we cannot live as the elite, strictly observant, in our Jewish ghettos, oblivious to the plight of our fellow Jews. We began as a family-nation from the twelve sons of Jacob. They first multiplied to seventy, and then to 600,000. We never stopped being this family-nation.

It is clear that we were given a special role to play in the world. “We are a nation that dwells apart.” Our destiny was to teach the world morality, and what is right and what is wrong. We gave the world the Bible, as the guide to teach people to live as compassionate human beings.

Over the centuries, there were those who admired us for who we are. But, as witnessed last week, we saw those that allowed themselves to sink to a level that was less than human.

It is time for all Jews to embrace their Judaism, and live as proud Jews. And it is time for all Jews to embrace one another. We are a family, and families must stick together.

No Laws-No Morality

The Keli Yakar described the corruption of the generation of the Flood. They were guilty of three major sins. They practiced sexual immorality, idol worship, and theft.

Noach was praised for not allowing himself to be involved in any of these transgressions. When the Torah says that he was an איש צדיק, a righteous man, it implied that he did not steal. When the Torah says, תמים היה בדורותיו, that he was naive in his generation, it was an indication that he remained faithful to his wife. And when the Torah said, את האלוקים התהלך נח, that Noach walked with G-d, it was a proof that he did not worship false gods.

It is interesting to take note as to what happens when one abandons his belief in G-d. Since he no longer has accountability to a higher being, he can do what he wants.

He will not need to restrict himself in satisfying his physical urges. He will justify being in an adulterous relationship, because “it feels so right.”

He might need money, so what’s so bad about cheating, misleading, and stealing from someone. Everybody gets away with it, so why shouldn’t he?

He may be seduced into believing in some kind of blasphemous cult. He needs the love that they profess that they will give him. And they are always willing to feed him. Since his needs are being met, he need not examine the truth or lies of the cult.

We get a glimpse from the Torah how society can easily go bad, when they negate the greatness and power of the Al-mighty. It was true then, and sadly, it is true today as well.

Two Lines of Lineage

There is an interesting and subtle reference to the two lines of genealogy, mentioned in the Torah. There is the קין, or Cain line, and there is the שת, or Seth line.

At the end of Parshat Bereishit, the Torah tells us that בני האלוקים, literally, the Sons of G-d, saw the בנות האדם, the daughters of man. They saw that they were good, meaning, attractive, and they took them as wives, even if they were already married.

The Seth descendants, were referred to as, “Sons of G-d,” and the Cain line, were referred to as, “Sons of G-d.” The Torah does tell us that Cain married and fathered children. He married his twin sister, and because of murdering his brother, his descendants were tainted. They were not considered pious men, and the seventh generation, had Lemech, accidentally, kill Cain. There was also a Chanoch in this line, who was not considered anything special.

The Seth line, on the other hand, was more pure. He was Adam’s third son, who was not tarnished. His descendant Chanoch, “walked with G-d,” and was taken from this earth, at a relatively young age. There was also a second Lemech, that descended from Seth. He was the father of Noach.

The Kuzari wrote that each generation, had only one worthy offspring. This is the one mentioned in the Torah. The other siblings of that generation, were also considered not particularly special. The first person who had completely righteous offspring, was our father, Yaakov. Because all of his twelve sons were righteous, they were worthy to become a Family nation.

The Cain line did not survive, and the Seth line, ultimately, produced the Jewish people.

The Real Battle

In Parshat Bereishit, we are introduced to the real battle that each individual must fight throughout his life. This is the battle with the Yeitzer Hara, the evil inclination.

Hashem explains this to Cain, after he kills his brother. He tells him that if he chooses good, he will carry it, the Yeitzer. And if the Yeitzer wins, he will himself at the doorway of sin.

At the end of the Parsha, Hashem makes the realization that the inclination of man, is only evil, from his youth. It is now clear that overcoming the Yeitzer Hara, is so challenging, that it cannot be accomplished without laws, to help win this war.

Clearly defined rules, with clearly defined consequences, are the only way not to succumb, to the temptations of the Yeitzer. Without such clarity, man will rationalize and fall.

There is a story in one of the Mussar books, of Jews that come back victorious after fighting a war. When they report this victory to their sage, he tells that the real war has just begun.

There must be a daily awareness that decisions will need to be made. The Yeitzer Hara’s job, is to fill us with doubts, and entice us into doing the wrong thing. Such an awareness will motivate us, to overcome such temptations.

The Talmud in Kiddushin, says that Torah is the antidote to the Yeitzer Hara. If you want to weaken it, drag it into a house of study. Cleaving to the principles of the Torah, will allow us to remain strong and victorious over the Yeitzer Hara.

Humans Don’t Murder

After Cain kills his brother, Abel, he is asked by Hashem, “Where is your brother, Abel?” He was given an opportunity to explain himself.

The Keli Yakar is very surprised by Cain’s answer. He says, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” What did he mean when he said, לא ידעתי, “I do not know?”

Could he have been saying that he did not know that murder was unacceptable? He did acknowledge that there was a G-d, because he did go to the trouble of offering a sacrifice to the Creator.

Hashem’s initial response to Cain, is how is it possible for you not to know? The taking of a life, falls under the category of מצוות מושכלות, Mitzvot that the intellect would dictate that this is wrong, even without a formal commandment.

If murder was permitted, humanity would cease to exist. This is why the אדמה, the earth cries out. It is because of the desolation that remains, when lives are taken.

I can recall accounts of the first, “March of the Living,” when the death camps were visited. Students spent time reburying bones that had been exposed. One spiritual friend said, “The ground has not yet recovered from the atrocities committed there.”

This is the meaning of the verse, “The voice of your brother’s blood, is crying out from the earth.”

It is clear that those involved in the horrific savagery of this past Shabbat, have lost any semblance of humanity. They are lower than animals, and epitomize evil to the highest degree.

It is our responsibility to remove evil from this world, and to get people to act human. This includes the numerous individuals who justify a life of immoral behavior, where anything goes. This behavior reduces them to a level below animals as well.

Self indulgences are not as bad as butchering human beings, but the world is still affected negatively, when it loses all sense of decency. There is right and wrong, that will become clear when all evil is removed from the face of the earth. The immediate obligation is to deal with Hamas, and those who threaten the Jewish people. When this is done, the world will be a better place. Other evils will become more blatant, and gradually, people will return to their senses. There will once again be the realization that it is G-d that runs the world, and all must put their faith in Him.