Tuesday, Menachem Av 7, 5786 / July 21, 2026
B"H
Tuesday, Menachem Av 7, 5786 / July 21, 2026
This Wednesday night begins the fast of Tisha B’Av – the fast of the 9th day of Av. The fast is in remembrance of the destruction of the two Holy Temples. The fast begins Wednesday night and continues until Thursday night. It is the second strictest fast after Yom Kippur.
While Yom Kippur is a fast day, which is decreed in the Torah, the fast of Tisha B’Av was decreed by The Prophets and The Rabbis. It is in commemoration and in mourning for the destruction of both Holy Temples which were destroyed on Tisha B’Av. The Second Temple was destroyed close to five hundred years after the destruction of the First Temple.
The First Temple, which was built by King Solomon, stood for 410 years, and was destroyed on the 9th of Av by King Nebuchadnetzar of Babylon. The second Temple was built 70 years later and stood for 420 years. It was also destroyed on the 9th of Av, by the Romans.
It’s already close to 2000 years since the destruction of the second Temple, yet Jews in every generation never lost faith in the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the third Holy Temple in their days. We lived with the “Ani Maamin” – “I firmly believe in the coming of Moshiach.”
Three times a day, day after day, we pray in the Amidah, for the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Beth Hamikdash – the Holy Temple. In the Torah, Moshe calls the Jewish people a stiff-necked people. It also works for the positive. During the worst of times, throughout our history, in good times and in difficult times, we never gave up on our deep belief in Moshiach’s coming.
A Chassid of the Third Chabad Rebbe had an inn, which he rented from the local landowner in a village in Russia. He would pay the owner ten rubles at the beginning of the year for the entire year.
One year the Chassid fell ill and couldn’t go to the owner in the beginning of the year. He sent his son instead to renew the contract and pay the rent for the entire year. The son decided to get a better deal. He offered the landowner thirty rubles for a five-year contract, thus saving his father twenty rubles. The owner was happy to get the extra rent in advance and agreed to the deal. He paid him thirty rubles and signed a five-year contract.
The son returned to his father all excited and told him about the deal he made and that he saved him twenty rubles over the next five years. “Why did you do a foolish thing like this?” his father said. “Instead of saving me twenty rubles, you overpaid forty rubles for nothing. Don’t you believe that Moshiach is coming any day and we will all go to the Holy Land. The money you paid for the next four years was a waste!”
One of the principles of our faith is that we believe with complete faith each day that Moshiach is coming NOW. The fact that he didn’t come until now doesn’t diminish our faith. In fact, it makes it stronger, for we were guaranteed by our prophets that he IS coming, and every day brings him closer.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY
Friday, Menachem Av 3, 5786 / July 17, 2026
B"H
Friday, Menachem Av 3, 5786 / July 17, 2026
This Shabbat we begin the fifth Book of the Torah, the Book of Deuteronomy, with the reading of Parshat Devarim. This Parsha is always read before the fast of the ninth of Av. This year the fast begins Wednesday night through Thursday.
The Book of Devarim are Moshe’s final words to the Jewish people before his passing. He reminds them of all their mistakes over the forty years he led them through the desert. He reminds them about their sin with the Golden Calf; their rebellion when they wanted to return to Egypt; their complaining about the manna from heaven and their sin of sending the spies to scout the Promised Land, which resulted in their staying in the desert for forty years.
Moshe warns them, as they are about to enter into the Promised Land, that if they want to stay in the land forever, they must adhere to G-d’s words and not repeat their mistakes of the past.
Q. To which particular sin are the destructions of the Two Holy Temple attributed?
A. Our sages tell us that the sin that destroyed the first Temple was the sin of idol worshipping. The sin which caused the destruction of the Second Temple was unjust hatred and strife among Jews.
The Talmud relates the following episode as an example of the hatred which took place amongst Jews at that time and as a result the Second Temple was destroyed.
One of the wealthy people of Jerusalem threw a party. He had a friend called Kamtza and a foe named Bar-Kamtza. He sent his servant to invite his friend, Kamtza to the party, but the servant mistakenly invited his enemy, Bar-Kamtza.
When the host noticed Bar Kamtza at the party he ordered him, in front of everyone, to leave. To avoid being embarrassed in public, Bar Kamtza offered to pay for his share of the meal. When this didn’t work, he offered to pay for half of the party. When this didn’t work either, Bar Kamtza offered to pay for the entire party. This didn’t work either and he was made, in view of everyone there with great embarrassment, to leave the party. Bar Kamtza then went to the emperor and told him that the Jews were rebelling against him, which in the end resulted in the destruction of the Second Temple.
The purpose of recalling and mourning the destruction of the Temples is to bring about positive results. During this time, we go to great lengths in showing our care and love for others. For this reason, it is customary to give extra charity during this time of the year.
May we merit Moshiach speedily in our days.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 8:20 / Shabbat ends: 9:32
Wednesday, Menachem Av 1, 5786 / July 15, 2026
B"H
Wednesday, Menachem Av 1, 5786 / July 15, 2026
Today is Rosh Chodesh(first day of the new month), Menachem Av, or as it is called in short, Av.
As on every Rosh Chodesh, we recite the additional prayers of Hallel and Musaf. We also read the Torah portion about the Rosh Chodesh sacrifices which were brought in the Temple.
The Hebrew names of the months consist of one word (Nissan, Iyar, Sivan, Tammuz, etc,). Only the month of Cheshvan is called Mar-Cheshvan & Av is called Menachem Av.
Q. Why was the word Menachem added to the name of this month Av?
A. The first nine days of the month of Av are days of sadness and mourning. These are the days in which we mourn the destruction of the two Holy Temples, which were both destroyed on the ninth day in Av. We fast on the ninth of Av for the destruction of the Temples.
“Av" in Hebrew means "Father" and “Menachem” means "Comfort." The word "Menachem" is added as a prayer that G-d, our "Father" in Heaven shall grant us comfort and rebuild the Holy Temple speedily in our days.
In a deeper sense "Menachem Av" can also be translated as "comfort to our Father." In this context it is we who should be bringing comfort to our Father-in-Heaven.
How do we bring comfort to G-d in Heaven? This is accomplished through our performance of mitzvot and additional deeds of kindness, which will merit the ultimate redemption and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. This will bring comfort ("Menachem Av”) to our Father in Heaven. As a result. During these days we are more generous at helping others, in acts of goodness and kindness and distributing more charity than usual.
The name Menachem Av tells us that in order to find true comfort, it has to be comforting for the Jewish people and comforting for G-d. This will happen with the coming of Moshiach and the revelation of the third Holy Temple speedily in our days.
Today, Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av, is the yartzeit (day of passing) of Aaron, the high Priest. We read about this in the Torah reading of the past Shabbat.
The Torah tells us that when Aaron passed away ALLof Israel, men and women, cried and mourned him. The reason, say our sages, is because was a person who, “Loved peace, pursued peace and loved every single person.” Aaron had a special quality of going out of his way to bring peace between husband and wife and between people. When Aaron passed away everyone felt a personal loss. May his memory be a blessing for us all and bring peace to all in this challenging time. Amen.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY, BLESSED, SUCCESSFUL DAY & MONTH
Tuesday, Tammuz 29, 5786 / July 14, 2026
B"H
Tuesday, Tammuz 29, 5786 / July 14, 2026
This Shabbat we read Parshat Devarim, thus, beginning to read the fifth book of the Torah, Devarim.
The Parsha begins with EilehHadvarim – “These are the words which Moshe spoke to the Children of Israel.” The Torah tells us that Moshe began the book of Devarim on Rosh Chodesh Shevat and on the 7th of Adar Moshe passed away. Thus, the entire book of Devarim was said by Moshe over a period of five weeks.
We see this hinted in the first word of the Parsha. The numerical value of the first word of the Parsha, the word, “Eileh” is 36 (1+30+5=36)!
During these 36 days, Moshe recalls many of the events which they experienced together. He recalls the Giving of the Torah, the sending of the spies to scout the Land of Canaan and how the Jewish people refused to go into the Promised Land, which resulted in their staying in the desert forty years.
Moshe tells the people the importance of appointing judges. “I commanded your judges saying, ‘Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother and between the stranger that is with him. You should not show favoritism in judgment; the small and the great you shall hear alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for the judgment is G-d’s.’”
“You shall not show favoritism in judgment, the small and the great you shall hear alike.” Our sages say that to a judge a case of one peruta (a small coin) and a case of a mana (a greater amount) should be equal. They should both be as important to the judge.
By the same token a judge is prohibited to show favoritism to one who is rich or to one who is poor. Both have to be dealt with equally. A judge is not permitted to hear one side without hearing the other side. Both litigants have to have equal status in the eyes of the judge until the judgment is passed.
Rabbi Yonatan Eibeshitz (1690-1764), one of the great Torah scholars in his generation, was known to be a child prodigy. Even as a child he spent all his time studying Torah. He was once asked, how do you overcome your Yetzer Hara (evil inclination) who tries to persuade you notto be so studious?
He replied: “The Torah tells us that a judge is forbidden to hear one side of a case without having the other present at the same time. The judge has to be fair and able to hear both sides.”
“We know that the Yetzer Tov, the good and G-dly inclination, only enters a person at age 13 – at his Bar Mitzvah. Thus, whenever my evil inclination tries to persuade me to do the wrong thing, I tell him, I cannot listen to you alone. I must also hear what my Yetzer Tov, my G-dly inclination, has to say in the matter. But being that my Yetzer Tov is not within me yet, you will have to wait until my Bar Mitzvah, when my good inclination will be here, before I can listen to you and your persuasions…”
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY, BLESSED & SUCCESSFUL DAY
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