(The following verse describes what was said after the giant Og, King of Bashan, came to greet Moses – Ed.) "And G‑d said to Moses, 'Fear him ('oto') not'." The word 'oto' is found twice in the Torah spelled out fully, with two Vav's. Once here and once in the verse [regarding returning a lost object]: "until your brother seek after it ('oto')." (Deut. 22:2) What is the reason? It is because it is [not derived from the word "it/et" but from the word "sign/ot", meaning] an actual sign. "...until your brother seeks after it," that he is required to define and spell out a [designating] mark of that lost item.

Here too the word "oto", refers to Og who joined Abraham, becoming a part of his (Abraham's) household. When Abraham was circumcised, the Torah states: "and all the men of his house." (Gen. 17:26) This refers to Og, who was also circumcised with him and received that Holy Sign [of the Covenant]. As soon as Og saw Israel approaching him, he thought to himself, 'I have certainly preceded them in the upholding of that which makes them meritorious [for he was circumcised before Isaac was born]. And he placed this before himself [depending on it (to attest to his merit)].

At that moment, Moses was afraid. How could he uproot the impression that Abraham made [by circumcising Og and its merits]? He thought: 'Assuredly, my right hand [Aaron, of chesed] is dead, since the right is necessary [to conquer] this.' It may be said that Elazar is here, but he is the right of the moon [of the aspect of malchut] but not mine [for I am of the aspect of the right of Zeir Anpin]. That sign [of Og] is to the right [of Zeir Anpin] since Abraham is the right.

Immediately, G‑d said [to Moses], "Fear him not." Do not fear his sign [of covenant, i.e. circumcision], and even for the right there is no need. "For I have delivered him into your hand". Your left will uproot him from the world, since he defiled the sign [of his Covenant, (through forbidden sexual relations)], and whoever blemishes the sign [of the Covenant] is fit to be uprooted from this world. Of course, your left, that is, "your hand," will uproot him from the world. That is why he was uprooted from the world. Even though he was strong, of the sons of the mighty, when he wanted to destroy Israel, (Berachot 54a) he fell into the hands of Moses and was annihilated.

That is why Israel annihilated all of them - his children, his people and everything belonging to them, as is written: "so they smote him, and his sons, and all his people." (Num. 21:35) And it is written: "and we smote him, and his sons." (Deut. 2:33) It (the word "sons") is written, "b'no," missing a 'yud' [of the plural form 'banav']. This has already been explained by the colleagues.

Happy are the children of Israel that Moses the prophet was among them, since G‑d performed all these signs for his sake, as we have explained. G‑d did not make His Covenant with the rest of the nations to be connected with them, only with Israel, who are the children of Abraham, of who it is written: "between...your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting Covenant," (Gen. 17:7) and: "'as for Me, this is My Covenant with them,' said G‑d; 'My spirit that is upon you...shall not depart out of your mouth...'" (Isaiah 59:21)

Blessed be G‑d for evermore. Amen and Amen.

BeRahamim LeHayyim: What does this mean to you, and why revealed now?

It can be said that all the characters in the Torah stories, from Adam and Eve to Moses and Joshua, are us. We complex folks have within us an internal Moses, and internal Adam and Eve, and yes, an internal Og. The whole reason we are here is first to learn what our unique job is, and second to do it. To learn your job means to learn your name, the Jewish name your parents gave you, which indicates your mission in life.

Part of your mission must be to deal with that Og complex. Og has been around since the start. According to some, he was one of the mixed breeds of angel and woman created when the Sons of G‑d came down to see the Daughters of Man and took them as wives. (Gen. 6:2) (He survived the Flood by hanging on the ark and was fed by Noah.) He—a giant—never really fit in with the rest of the world. So too is our Og complex. The Og complex in us tries to steal [Sarah] from Holiness [Avraham]. He is a trickster like the original serpent, and he will think nothing of trying to eliminate the highest complex within (the internal Moses) in order to reign alone.

The Og complex has value, like protection on a dark inner city street corner, either to be used against itself or against the desire towards negativity. All in proper measure. All in proper time.

Bracketed annotations from Metok Midevash and Sulam commentaries
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