In the Merit of Chesed

Before you is the full daily lesson as delivered by our teacher Rabbi Berland shlit"a – yesterday after the Maariv (evening) prayer, Sunday night, the 2nd of Tammuz, Parshas Chukat:

"Everyone asks how Yitzhar produced someone like Korach. Amram merited two genius sons: Moshe and Aharon. Moshe was king, Aharon was the Kohen Gadol (High Priest). 'Kehas [Gershon] and Merari' – [Kehas] had four sons: Amram, Yitzhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Uzziel merited Elitzaphan; he played with marbles, he used to play marbles with Korach when they were little children. He [Korach] held elections and brought two hundred and fifty chosen ones, the elite of the nation. He brought the greatest Tzaddikim (righteous men), all with beards down to their navels and Peyos (sidelocks) reaching the floor. He wanted them to vote, to have a new government. Every night he was at Kaplan (the protest site in Tel Aviv), especially on Motzaei Shabbat (Saturday night) at Kaplan. That’s why they established Motzaei Shabbat Korach... So all of this is the son of Esau and Oholibamah. 'Chief Korach'—why? Because Korach himself is 'and to his greatness there is no end.' Rebbe Nosson explains that he was supposed to be miracles and wonders. He would fly in the air; he knew how to fly in the air, he was the first pilot, he was in a pilot’s course in Herzliya. And he would fly in the air, every day flying in the air; three days earlier he was flying in the air. Moshe Rabbeinu (our teacher Moses) walked after him with his staff slowly, slowly; Moshe couldn't walk as fast as Korach. Korach flew in the air, he went fast, he was among those who carried the Ark, he was above space and above time. But he said 'Wide of heart is wrath'—that is Rachel, and now the souls of Rachel are coming. 'The congregation of Hashem'—that is Rachel, the souls of Rachel, [the Divine names] Ayin-Beis (72) and Samech-Gimmel (63). 'Kahal' (congregation) is Matzah; Matzah is Ayin-Beis and Samech-Gimmel. Therefore, a 'light commandment'—the gentiles come and say, they have complaints: 'Why did You say "Do not murder"? Tell us like the Shabbat day—"delicacies for the palate, sweets, all of him is delightful." Teach us how to make three meals on Shabbat. Why do You start with the hard things? To Esau You say "Do not murder." To Ishmael You say "Do not commit adultery." To others You say "Do not steal." These are hard things.' It is written, 'And he shall live by them' and not die by them, as Balaam said: 'And he shall live by them'—and not die by them. You want 'Do not steal,' you want 'Do not murder'—'By your sword you shall live.' Every day the gentiles kill millions of people in India; in China, twenty-four million die every year. In Africa, twenty-four million every year, they throw them into Lake Victoria; therefore it is forbidden to eat Nile Perch—you cannot eat it—the Nile Perch feeds on the dead bodies thrown into Lake Victoria. Entebbe is Lake Victoria, Herzl wanted Lake Victoria, Uganda is Lake Victoria. Therefore Rashi says that everyone can count up to a trillion; eighteen zeros is a trillion. Because a trillion times a trillion is thirty-six zeros, that is to the power of one hundred and twenty; Rashi reaches up to the power of a hundred. Even Einstein cannot reach... even if Einstein lives a million billion years, he cannot count to a trillion; it's impossible, there's no such thing, only Rashi counts. Every girl in Shuvu Banim is a million times greater than Einstein. 'May Hashem add to you a thousand times'—what is a thousand? He says a thousand times a thousand is a thousand times Einstein. Every girl in Shuvu Banim is a thousand times Einstein. She can count to a billion and to a trillion; this is what Rashi says, two times a hundred. How much is two times a hundred? Two hundred...!? You don't know math, it's not two hundred! It is exactly a thousand billion trillion, and if we do one hundred and twenty, then it's thirty-six zeros. And if we do one hundred and eighty, it's fifty-four zeros. And if we do to the power of two hundred and forty, which is ten times twenty-four (Kad), then it's seventy-two zeros—Chesed (kindness). Because if Rebecca (Rivka) had one more jug (Kad), she would have reached two hundred and sixteen, the Gematria (numerical value) of Aryeh (Lion). For Pharaoh said, 'Who and who are those who are going?' Pharaoh saw that a lion was going; Pharaoh saw that a lion was going before the camp of Israel. And the pillar of fire is David HaMelech (King David); he is the lion in the Chariot, David is the lion in the Chariot. So he goes before the People of Israel. 'Who and who are those who are going' is two hundred and sixteen. All of this one must know, to calculate in a millisecond. A person can reach a thousand billion trillion in a millisecond, and therefore the Midrash says that Yoav—the blessing of Yoav is a billion trillion times the blessing of Moshe. For he can reach a trillion, which is eighteen zeros, and he can reach a trillion times a trillion, which is exactly thirty-seven zeros, and again times a trillion is fifty-four zeros, and again times a trillion is exactly seventy-two zeros, which is two hundred and forty. So that is ten times Kad (24); if she had ten times Kad, she would have subdued Esau. And Rebecca wanted to subdue Esau—'Why am I this?' A woman must bring twelve sons minimum, twelve daughters. Like Boaz, who had thirty sons and thirty daughters. Together that is one hundred and twenty feasts, each one two feasts; a person needs thirty sons and thirty daughters. He must! Without this, one cannot enter Shuvu Banim; whoever does not bring thirty sons and thirty daughters will no longer enter Shuvu Banim. It's impossible; he must know how to count at the very least up to seventy-two zeros, which is a trillion times a trillion times a trillion times a trillion. Every girl can calculate this in two seconds, this calculation. Even if Einstein lives a trillion years, he won't calculate it. Every girl is a trillion times greater than Einstein; every girl in Shuvu Banim is a trillion times greater than Einstein, therefore one must live until one hundred and twenty, so she has time to count a trillion times a trillion. Because whoever wanted to enter Gan Eden (Paradise) traveled on Simchat Torah to Be'eri; from Be'eri they entered straight into Gan Eden. It's not like Shuvu Banim where it takes seventy years, eighty years—you are only twelve years old? Then you have another one hundred and eight years to live. That's a lot, one hundred and eight... I have forty left—until one hundred and twenty-six. But he is one hundred and eight, so he can count a trillion times a trillion times a trillion; he can manage it. Shuvu Banim must know how to count a trillion. To do all the calculations of Rashi, Chapter 24, Verse 3. And after that we learn in Eruvin (Talmudic tractate) that the courtyard of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) is two Se'ah, fifty by a hundred—five thousand; we extract the square root, one must know the square root. (Sixty) seventy and a remainder—two thirds; a person needs to understand the calculation in Eruvin, that if the last house is seventy and two-thirds [cubits], then it joins the city. If it's more than seventy and two-thirds, then do we say seventy and two-thirds? We extract the square root of five thousand; one must know how to extract a square root, this is learned in a millisecond. Einstein learned everything during the summer vacation: all the algebra, mathematics, triangles, squares. A triangle is always three times the diameter. So every girl needs to know this by age thirteen, to be a teacher in a seminary so she can bring a thousand girls back in Teshuvah (repentance). Every seminary is a thousand girls; a thousand principals is a million girls, then the Geulah (Redemption) will happen on the spot. The Rebbe [Rebbe Nachman] says in Lesson 37 that the Geulah is only in the merit of the women. In the merit of the girls who walk with Tznius (modesty), in their merit will be the complete Geulah (Redemption) speedily in our days, Amen!"‏.