#102 - The Straight Measure

Today - 15 Adar (according to some) - is the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Kaidanover, author of the Sefer - Kav HaYashar, which means the "Straight Path". To be exact, as the year of his passing 5472 (1712) was a Jewish leap year, he had to have passed away on one of the two months of Adar. The problem is that I have seen two different versions of his Yahrzeit - one as 15 Adar I, & the other is 15 Adar II. Hence, while we may not be sure of his real Yahrzeit in a year such as this one, it does so happen that this is my 102th Post.

Let me explain. Corresponding to the Gematria of his name Tzvi Hirsch, he named his Sefer - Kav HaYashar, correspondingly. Hence, the names/words Tzvi & Kav each is the Gematria of 102, and Hirsch & HaYashar is the Gematria of 515. But this is not all. His composed his Sefer to consist of 102 chapters. Hence, this date of 15 Adar as associated with this rabbi's Yarhzeit comes out in time for my 102th Post.

A brief note about this Sefer. This is about setting us Jews STRAIGHT and we accomplish this by MEASURING ourselves as to where we are on the straight path of spirituality. The bottom line is that he shows that we have to remember that we are not in this world to have a good time and fool around. Our life is serious business, and there are consequences to what we do, for which we will have to give an accounting for one day upstairs.

Many years back, I remember when copies of this Sefer were around for taking - for free. Apparently, someone wanted to have the merit of bringing this Sefer to other Jews to spritually improve their lives. Since then, I purchased another copy of this Sefer, but of a different print. Unlike the first one, this one was with the Hebrew vowels as well as a commentary - a real pleasure to read.

Anyways, without further ado, I will translate here the 102th & final chapter of this Sefer for the remainder of this post, as I usually write of my own thoughts as oppposed to simply writing a translation from some Sefer though I have done this a few times. So, here we go...

The basic headlines of this chapter:

*The words of the Midrash where it states that in the Sefer Torah/Torah Scroll of Rabbi Meir, it was written Katnot Ohr "garments of leather" - with an Aleph (as opposed to the usual spelling with the letter Ayin)

*Amazing hints to the evil decrees of 5408 and the destruction that took place through the cities in Poland and Lithuania.

*The beginning of the arousal of the redemption will be in the northern countries of Poland and Lithuania.

*As a result of the thousands of Sifrei Torah/Torah Scrolls that were burnt during the tragic events of 5408, the power of the impure spiritual husks that were holding on to the holiness of the parchment of the Sefer Torah was weakened

*The format of the third Holy Temple that will be built speedily in our days


THE LEATHER GARMENTS IN RABBI MEIR'S SEFER TORAH

In Midrash Rabba (Parshat Bereishit 20:12), it's written like this: ""Hashem G-d made garments of leather for Adam and his wife (Genesis 3:21)". It was written in the Sefer Torah of Rabbi Meir: Katnot Ohr (garments of leather) with an Aleph." It's perplexing - why was it written specifically in Rabbi Meir's Sefer Torah "Katnot Ohr" with an Aleph, and not in other Sifrei Torot?

(middle of construction, come back later)

15 Adar II, 5771 - Shushan Purim