Wednesday, Shevat 3, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / January 25, 2023

B"H

Wednesday, Shevat 3, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / January 25, 2023

 

In this week’s Parsha, Bo, we read about the Exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt. 

 

Before bringing upon the Egyptians the final plague, G-d told Moshe, "I request that you speak to the people [of Israel] and tell them to borrow from their [Egyptian]neighbors silver and gold ornaments and clothes." The Torah continues, "And the children of Israel did as Moshe told them and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver and jewels of gold.  And G-d gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians and they lent them" (Exodus 12:35-36).  

 

Q. The expression the Torah uses is "V'yishalu" - "they shall borrow."  Why did G-d want them to take it as a loan? The Egyptians would have given it to them as a gift for, as the plague of the first-born was raging throughout Egypt, they were anxious that the Israelites leave as fast as possible.

 

A.By telling them to "borrow" the gold and silver, G-d wanted to teach them that one must consider wealth as a loan. Therefore, it must be used properly, and a percentage given to charity. For, if it is not used as G-d intended, He may at any time take it back, for it is with us only on loan!     

 

A Jew became rich, and his lifestyle changed. Previously, he gave to charity, cared for others and helped them as much as he could. Now that he had become wealthy, he became hard-hearted and miserly. He was too busy with his business so he had no time for the poor anymore. The poor people complained to the rabbi. The rabbi decided to visit him.

 

The rich man showed off his beautiful home and boasted about his great wealth.  The rabbi called him over to the window.  Pointing outside, he asked the wealthy man, "What do you see?"  

 

"I see poor people on the street trying to earn a living. I see poor people begging for help," he replied.

 

Walking over to a large mirror the rabbi told the rich man to look in. "Now what do you see?"

 

"I see myself, of course," he replied.

 

"I don't understand," said the rabbi.  "Both the window and the mirror are made of glass. Yet, from the window you see the poor people outside but when you look at the mirror you see only yourself. Why?"

 

"The reason is simple!" said the rich man. "The mirror has a silver coating on the back which prevents you from seeing through.  However, the window has no silver coating, so you can see through."

 

"Exactly!" the rabbi nodded.  "It seems that when the silver gets in the way all you see is yourself!  Maybe you'd be better off without the silver!” The rich man now got the message. He promised to improve his ways and he began giving to charity once again. Giving charity is showing our appreciation and saying, “Thank you G-d for all the good You have blessed me with.”

 

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

Monday, Shevat 1, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / January 23, 2023

B"H

Monday, Shevat 1, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / January 23, 2023

 

Today is Rosh Chodesh, the first day of the new Hebrew month, Shevat. In the Torah the months are not identified by name, only by numbers. Shevat is the eleventh month in the Hebrew calendar year.

Q.   How is it possible that the month of Shevat, which is five months from Rosh Hashana – the Jewish New year, should be the eleventh month?

A.    The answer to this question is in this week’s Parasha, Bo.  Two weeks before the Exodus, G-d gave the Jewish people the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh – designating the first day of each month as a special day.  In honor of the Exodus, G-d assigned the month of Nissan, the month of our redemption, which is the seventh month after Rosh Hashana, as the head and first of all months of the year.

Thus, in the Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashana is celebrated in the seventh month, while seven months later is Nissan, which is considered the first month.

In the Parasha we read about the mitzvah of Tefillin; “It shall be for you as a sign upon your hand and as a remembrance between your eyes.”

This refers to the mitzvah of Tefillin which every Jewish male is required to perform every day, except for Shabbat and holidays.  The Tefillin are two black boxes containing four parts of the Torah.  One box is placed on the arm and one on the head.  The hand Tefillin is placed first and then the Tefillin on the head.  The hand Tefillin is one compartment, but the head Tefillin consists of four compartments.

Q.    Why do we put on the hand Tefillin first?

A.     The binding of the Tefillin on our hand and head is to show that we are binding ourselves to G-d’s service.  The Tefillin on the hand represent action and deeds.  This symbolizes the performance of mitzvot, G-d’s commandments, that our actions will be dedicated to G-d.  The Tefillin on the head represent thought, study and intellect.  This symbolizes that our mind and intelligence will be dedicated to the study of Torah.  The Talmud says, “It is not the study which is most important, rather, it is the action which is most important.”

Putting on our hand Tefillin first symbolizes that action is most important.  The following story illustrates the point: Reb Shneur Zalmen, first Rebbe of Chabad and his son, Reb Dov Ber were both engrossed in Torah study.  As they were so involved in study, Reb Dov Ber’s child happened to fall out of bed.  Reb Dov Ber being so engrossed in study didn’t hear his child crying and continued studying. His father, Reb Shneur Zalmen, who lived on the second floor, did hear the crying and came down and attended to the child.

When he later asked his son, why he didn’t attend to the child, he told his father that he was so engrossed in study that he didn’t hear the child crying.  His father reprimanded him and said, “When one doesn’t hear the cry of a child because of their Torah study, there is something wrong with that study!”   This is the lesson of putting the Tefillin of the hand first to show that action is what comes first and counts most!

 

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & BLESSED CHODESH-MONTH

Thursday, Tevet 26 5783 (Hakhel Year) / January 19, 2023

B"H

Thursday, Tevet 26 5783 (Hakhel Year) / January 19, 2023

 

This Shabbat we read the second Parsha in the Book of Exodus, Parshat Va’eira. In the Parsha we read about the lineage of Moshe and Aaron and that, "Aaron took Elisheva, the daughter of Aminadav, the sister of Nachshon, for a wife." 

 

Q.  Why does the Torah, when telling us that Aaron married the daughter of Aminadav, also tell us that she was the sister of Nachshon?  

 

A.  According to the Talmudic sage Rava, this teaches us that, "Before one takes a wife, he should check her brothers; for most children take after the mother's brothers." After the Exodus when Jews came to the sea and were told to cross through the sea, it was Nachshon who jumped into the water first. As a result, the sea split and everyone was able to go through on dry land. Nachshon was also the head of the tribe of Yehuda (Judah).

 

Parsha: We read, “G-d said to Moshe, say to Aaron, take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt over the rivers, over their streams and over their pools and over all their ponds of water so that they will become blood."

 

  Q.  Whywere the waters smitten through Aaron, not through Moshe? 

 

A.  The water of the Nile protected Moshe when his mother placed him by the river, thus, he could not be the one to punish it. For this reason, the plague of blood and frogs (which came from the water), were brought about by Aaron.

 

Q.G-d told Moshe, “Say to Aaron stretch out your rod and smite the dust of the earth and it shall become lice." Why was the plague of lice, which had nothing to do with water, also brought by Aaron? 

 

A.  Years before when Moshe killed the Egyptian, he hid his body in the sand. The plague of lice came from the sand. G-d said to Moshe, "You should not be the one to punish the sand for it protected you when you killed the Egyptian. This plague should also be brought on by Aaron."

 

Q.   How long was it from the first plague until the tenth plague, when Pharaoh finally let the people go?

 

A.   Less than one year. 

 

Q.  Before each plague, Moshe warned Pharaoh about the upcoming plague. How long was the warning time and how long did the actual plague last.

 

A.  The warning time for each plague was three weeks. Each plague lasted one week. Except for the last plague, the death of the first born, which began at midnight and Jews were chased out the next day.

 

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

 

This Torah Fax is dedicated in memory of Lynn Cohen – Malka bat Yaakov. Yartzeit is today.

May her Neshama rest in peace in Gan Eden. Blessings to her family.