Tuesday, Tishrei 8, 5782 / September 14, 2021

B"H

Tuesday, Tishrei 8, 5782 / September 14, 2021

Wednesday evening, September 15, begins the holiest day of the year – Yom Kippur. Although the secular date for Yom Kippur changes from year to year, the Hebrew date is always the same – the 10^th day in the month Tishrei.

All other Holy Days are celebrated through eating and drinking. Fasting is prohibited on other holidays. Yom Kippur is the only holiday when we celebrate by fasting.  

Q. Why was Yom Kippur– Day of Forgivness established on the 10^th of Tishrei?

A. The 10^th of Tishrei was the day in which G-d forgave the people for the sin of the Golden Calf. It was on that day that Moshe returned with the Second Tablets– a sign that their sin was forgiven. G-d proclaimed it a Day of Forgivness for all generations.  

Q.  Yom Kippur services begin with the Kol Nidrei prayer. What is the significance of this prayer?

A.  Kol Nidrei is a prayer in which we declare our vows null and void. It was written in Aramaic, rather than Hebrew, because it was the spoken language of the Jews in Babylon at the time. The only vows which we can nullify in Kol Nidrei are those which don't involve other people. Vows and promises made to others do not become nullified on Yom Kippur.

Kol Nidrei gained much significance during the Spanish Inquisition. Many Jews, known as "Marranos", vowed to renounce their religion under the threat of death, yet in their heart remained loyal to Judaism. They would gather on Yom Kippur in secrecy and use Kol Nidrei to renounce their vows against the religion that was forced upon them. The Kol Nidrei melody chanted today has its roots in the events of that time.

Q.  Why do we fast on Yom Kippur?

A.  1) Being the day of atonement we spend the time with spiritual matters and not physical appetites.

2)  The Torah tells us that at the time of the Giving of the Torah, the people of Israel, "Beheld G-d while they were eating and drinking.  This excessive feasting showed a lack of respect to G-d and eventually led to worshipping the Golden Calf which resulted in the breaking of the Tablets.  Yom Kippur was the day in which G-d forgave Israel for the sin of the Golden Calf. Since their excessive eating and drinking was a factor in the breaking of the First Tablets, we correct this sin by avoiding food and drink on Yom Kippur, the day when Moshe descended with the Second Tablets.

3)  Fasting humbles a person.  Thus, on Yom Kippur, when we must perform Teshuva-repentance with all our heart, we refrain from eating or drinking.

4)  On Yom Kippur, when we are forgiven for our sins, we are considered as pure as the angels.  We express this by acting like angels who don't eat or drink.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & GMAR CHATIMA TOVA

Friday, Tishrei 4, 5782 / September 10, 2021

Friday, Tishrei 4, 5782 / September 10, 2021

We are now into the New Hebrew year, 5782. Best wishes for a Shana Tova and a Gemar Chatima Tova – A good, happy, healthy and prosperous new year. May ALL our prayers be answered and fulfilled to their fullest. May G-d’s blessings shower down on us from above and bring fruitful growth here below for good health, Nachas and success in all our endeavors.

There are ten days from the first day Rosh Hashana until Yom Kippur (Yom Kippur included).  These days are known as, “Aseret Yemei Teshuva” – “The Ten Days of Return-Repentance.” They lead up to the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement, when our sins are forgiven.

It is customary to give extra charity between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Traditionally, plates from various charities are placed in the synagogue before Yom Kippur into which contributions are placed. 

In the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur prayers we say, "Repentance, Prayer and Charity nullify a bad decree."  Since it is forbidden to handle money on the day of Yom Kippur, we give extra charity on the day before Yom Kippur so that our mercy for others will invoke G-d's mercy on us.

This Shabbat, we read from the Torah, Parshat Vayeilach. Being the Shabbat between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, it is called Shabbat Teshuva (or Shuva) - Shabbat of Return (repentance). The Haftorah begins, Shuva Yisrael – “Return, O Israel to G-d your G-d, for you have stumbled through your iniquity.” It is a call by the prophet Hosea to the Jewish people to repent and return to G-d.   

Moe was a wealthy businessman in the community.  One day the rabbi met him at a function and exclaimed, “Moe, I haven’t seen you in Shul (synagouge) for years! Moe replied, “Rabbi, going to Shul has become so boring, for every time I come to Shul they are reciting the same prayer… Kol Nodrei… 

There are so many beautiful prayers recited during the year… we should make an effort to attend synagogue on a more regular basis, not just one.. or three days a year. Once we get used to it, it becomes not only spiritually rewarding.. it becomes enjoyable too.

Rosh Hashana was over and Abe needed his tallis cleaned. He called his friend Max to ask what dry cleaner to take it to. Max said, "I take my tallis to Moishe the dry cleaner.  He charges only $4.00."

Abe goes over to Moishe's and finds that the ownership has changed.  He asks the new owner, Mr. Jones, if he meets the old prices. Mr. Jones assures him that he does.

Three days later, Abe goes to get his tallis and is given a bill for $24.00. He storms, "I thought you’re charging the same as Moishe!"  

"I did, " said Mr. Jones, "$4.00 for cleaning the tallis, and $20.00 to untie all the knots…"

We must stay knotted to our traditions... They keep us well connected.

SHABBAT SHALOM - SHANA TOVA & GMAR CHATIMA TOVA

Montreal candle lighting time:  6:56 / Shabbat ends: 7:57

Wednesday, Elul 24, 5781 / September 1, 2021

B"H

Wednesday, Elul 24, 5781 / September 1, 2021

The two-day holiday of Rosh Hashana, which will usher in the New Year, 5782, will begin next Monday night, September 6.  It is customary that before Rosh Hashana we recite special Selichot services each day. Sephardic custom is to begin the Selichot services from Rosh Chodesh Elul, one full month before Rosh Hashana.   

Ashkenazi custom, in most years, is to begin the Selichot services on Shabbat night before Rosh Hashana.  However, this year when Rosh Hashana is on a Tuesday, and there is only two days from Shabbat till Rosh Hashana, we began the Selichot service this past Shabbat night. Thus, the Selichot services are recited this year for over a week.

In the Selichot service we pray for G-d’s forgiveness for our misdeeds of the outgoing year and for a blessed New Year. We don't ask for this as a reward for our good deeds, rather we say, "We come before You without good deeds; as poor and indigent we knock on your door [for charity]."

Q.  Why do we ask G-d to grant us whatever we need as a form of charity? It would make more sense to ask for all the good as a reward of our good deeds.  Instead of saying, "We come before You without good deeds," we should have mentioned all the good deeds we performed in the past year.

A.   The Magid of Dubna explains it with the following parable: A poor man desperately needed a coat for his son and himself for the winter months.  He went from door to door collecting money until he could afford one. He then went, together with his young son, to the store to buy the coat.

After choosing two coats, he told the shopkeeper his dire situation of poverty and begged the owner to give him the coats for free.  The kindhearted store owner had pity on him and agreed.  After taking the coats, he gave the owner the money he collected, thanked him, and left.

His young son was puzzled, "Father," he asked, "if you intended all along to pay the merchant for the coats, then why did you ask him to give it to you without charge?"

The father replied, "My son, I never intended to take the coats for free.  However, I was afraid that the money I collected was not enough to pay for the coats.  I asked him to be kind and give it to me for free.  Once he agreed to this, any amount of money which I offered him would be acceptable and he would be very happy, even if it wasn't the full price of the coats."

"The same is with us," explained the Magid.  "Can we honestly come before G-d and say that we have done enough mitzvot to warrant His kindness in return for what we have accomplished?”

Therefore, we ask for G-d's mercy and kindness, saying, "We come before You without good deeds; as poor and indigent we knock on your door [for charity]."  Only after G-d accepts our plea to grant us what we need because of His generosity, can our good deeds and mitzvot which we performed during the year, no matter how few they may be, carry added value to bring us more blessings in the New Year.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & SHANA TOVA