The daily strengthening from The Rav, the holy gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a — “They heard the prophecy that Moshe would not enter the Land, but they did not understand the prophecy correctly”

“And one kingship does not encroach upon another, even by a hair’s breadth” (Yoma 38b)

“It was taught: Rabbi Meir says: from when one can distinguish between a wolf and a dog. Rabbi Akiva says: between a donkey and an arod” (Berachos 9b)

“But from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat from it, for on the day you eat from it, you shall surely die” (Bereishis 2:17)

“They went up and spied out the Land, from the Wilderness of Tzin until Rechov, at the approach to Chamas” (Bamidbar 13:21)

Monday, 7 Iyar 5785 — “Leah is ‘L’atur ‘E’s HaAretz (to spy out the Land).”

These are his holy words:

Belshatzar was a miserable man. After he drank a thousand bottles, he needed the bathroom—and there was no bathroom. In the palace there were no bathrooms; in those days they didn’t build palaces with bathrooms. It wasn’t like today, where you open a faucet and everything flushes right away.

Where the king stood there was a curtain. Everyone was drunk, and he slipped out behind the curtain. They didn’t see him—he knew how to do it cleverly.

So he couldn’t get back into the palace. He went out and couldn’t come back in. Now a problem was created: the king went out and can’t enter—what do you do? They need to open the door for him.

He comes with the golden crown and royal purple garments. He arrives at the palace gate—and whom does he see? Daryavesh and Koresh, the bodyguards, guarding the entrance. And the king had told the guards: today, don’t let anyone in. He comes and tells them: I am the king—here is my crown and my purple robe—let me in.

They told him: the king said that even if someone comes and claims he is the king—eliminate him. Because the king is inside the palace, so this must be someone disguising himself as the king.

Daryavesh and Koresh grabbed a huge menorah—ten kilos, a heavy menorah—and struck him on the head. His whole head split open. He lay dying until morning, until 5 a.m. Why specifically 5 a.m.?

Because: “And one kingship does not encroach upon another, even by a hair’s breadth” (Yoma 38b). He died at the time when one distinguishes between a wolf and a dog, between a donkey and an arod (Berachos 9b).

Arod has the gematria of 274. The moment you separate Rachel from Leah, it becomes “arod.” Because Moshe said to spy out the Land, and he saw the humility of Yehoshua. The spies wanted to kill Yehoshua, because the moment they heard “Moshe is dead,” they said: We’re not entering the Land—we’re going on strike until we hear that Moshe is alive.

But in truth it was a false prophecy, because Moshe lived forty years after the prophecy—he did not die. And even if he would die, there will be Techiyas HaMeisim.

What does it mean “Moshe is dead”? That there will be Techiyas HaMeisim; there will be the Third Beis HaMikdash of fire. They didn’t understand the prophecy—one cannot rely on prophecy. Like when Hashem told David “from morning until midday,” and it was three seconds, and only Avishai ben Tzeruyah died—who is equal to 70,000.

Hashem says to Adam HaRishon, “you shall surely die” (Bereishis 2:17). How long is “you shall surely die”? A thousand years. If Hashem had said only “you shall die,” it would have been immediate. But “you shall surely die” can mean maybe another 10,000 years—even 100,000 years. “You shall surely die”—there is time. True, you won’t live forever, a million years, but maybe you’ll live 100,000 years. In the end he lived 930—also good. If only I would live 930 years.

Until one can distinguish between a wolf and a dog, a donkey and an arod. The arod is formed when there is separation between Rachel and Leah—because L-A-H (Leah) is ‘L’atur ‘E’s HaAretz (to spy out the Land).

“Rechov, at the approach to Chamas” (Bamidbar 13:21) is Rachel. The spies walked in Rachel. Moshe told them: go in Leah—because now the Geulah depends only on Leah, because now the Geulah will be only through Leah.