Tuesday, Adar 25, 5785 / March 25, 2025
B"H
Tuesday, Adar 25, 5785 / March 25, 2025
The Pesach holiday begins with the performance of the Seder. At the Seder everyone gets together as one family to celebrate our Holiday of Freedom.
The objective of the Seder is that everyone, young and old, participates together. The main part of the Seder is not and should not be the chicken soup… It is the Haggadah - telling the miraculous story of our freedom and our existence which began over 3,000 years ago.
The Seder is not only the story of our past; it is also the story of the present. In the Haggadah we recite, “In every generationthere are those who want to get rid of us.. But G-d saves us from their hands.” If a few years ago anyone thought that antisemitism was a thing of the past, now we all know that it’s alive and kicking… Celebrating the Seder is celebrating OUR presentexistence. We celebrate G-d’s continuous watching over us.
The Seder also celebrates our future. Our children are very important players at the Seder. The framework of the Seder was set with the children in mind. It is they who will carry forward the torch of freedom of our people. This is why the Seder begins with the children asking the four questions.
Q. At the Seder, after the Kiddush, before eating the festive meal, we recite the Haggadah. Why don't we eat immediately after the Kiddush and recite the Haggadah afterwards?
A. Our rabbis instituted this order to make sure that we stay awakefor the Seder. If we eat the meal first, there is a good chance that we will become tired and drowsy and not perform the Seder properly.
Q. Why is it customary for the children to hide the Afikoman at the beginning of the Seder?
A. In order to keep them awakethroughout the Seder. The excitement of receiving a reward for returning the Afikoman at the end of the meal will keep them up and have them participate in the Seder.
Q. At the Seder we place items on the table which remind us of the enslavement in Egypt (bitter herbs) and the Exodus (matzah, four cups of wine). The Torah tells us that at the Exodus, the Jewish people came out of Egypt with great wealth, just as G-d had promised Abraham many years earlier. Why don’t we make any symbol for the great wealth we took with us at the Exodus?
A. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, writes, "Jewish wealth is not houses and gold. EverlastingJewish wealth are the Torah and mitzvot we perform and bringing into the world children and grandchildren who keep Torah and mitzvot and continue our rich Jewish tradition."
The fact that we all sit at the Seder table, together with our family members, surrounded by our children and grandchildren, who participate in the customs and traditions of the Seder and the great Nachas we derive this night, this is the greatest display of our everlasting great wealth!
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY - MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
Monday, Adar 24, 5785 / March 24, 2025
B"H
Monday, Adar 24, 5785 / March 24, 2025
The holiday of Pesach (Passover) is in less than three weeks. Pesach begins Saturday night, April 12.
The highlight of the Pesach holiday are the Seders, when the entire family gets together to celebrate our holiday of freedom.
Q.Are there any differences between the way Pesach is celebrated in Israel and in the Diaspora?
A. Yes. 1) Pesach in Israel is celebrated for seven days, while in the Diaspora the holiday is celebrated for eight days.
2) In Israel only one Seder is performed (Saturday night). In the Diaspora, two Seders are celebrated (Saturday night & Sunday night).
3) In Israel the first day and the seventh day of Pesach are days of rest in which work is not permitted. In the Diaspora the first two days and the last two days are days of rest in which work is prohibited.
Q. Why is there a difference between Israel and the Diaspora?
A. This goes back thousands of years to the days of the Temple. According to the Torah Pesach is a seven-day holiday. It begins on the 15th day of Nissan and ends on the 21st day of Nissan. From the time of the giving of the Torah, when G-d gave us the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of each new month was determined by two witnesses who came to the High Court in Jerusalem and testified that they saw the re-appearance of the moon, which at the end of each month is not visible. If the High Court was satisfied with the accuracy of their testimony, they would declare that day the first day of the new month and proclaim that day Rosh Chodesh. Messengers were sent out throughout the Land of Israel to notify everyone when the first day of the month was. If that month was Nissan, Jews all over Israel would know exactly when the fifteenth day is and when Pesach would begin.
However, Jews living outside of Israel, where the messengers couldn’t get there on time, didn’t know the exact day when Rosh Chodesh was and thus were in doubt which is the 15thday of the month and when Pesach begins. Thus, they celebrated two Sedarim and kept an extra day holiday to be sure they were not violating the holiday laws. We, today, do the same as they did. Those living in Israel, do one Seder and keep seven days holiday, while Jews living in the Diaspora celebrate two Sedarim and keep eight days holiday, exactly as they did in the days of the Temple.
Q. Why is the Pesach holiday meal called SEDER?
A. Sedermeans ORDER. Contrary to other holiday meals, in which we make kiddush and then enjoy the holiday meal, the meal on the night of Pesach has a very specific order to it. The kiddush; the washing of the hands; dipping the vegetables in the salt water, breaking the middle matzah and hiding the bigger piece for the Afikoman; reciting the Haggadah, etc. etc. Thus, it is called Seder.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY - MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
Friday, Adar 21, 5785 / March 21, 2025
B"H
Friday, Adar 21, 5785 / March 21, 2025
This Shabbat two Torah’s are removed from the ark to be read from. In the first Torah we read the regular weekly Parsha, Vayakhel. In the second Torah we read Parshat Parah – about the red Heifer.
In the first Torah we read that Moshe gathered the ENTIRE congregation in order to direct them about the building of the Mishkan – where G-d’s presence will rest among the Jewish people. A place where open miracles were in full view and where Jews were able to offer sacrifices to G-d.
The reading about the mitzvah of the red Heifer is the third of the four special Torah readings at this time of the year. Two readings are read before Purim (Shkalim & Zachor) and two (Parah & Hachodesh) after Purim in preparation for the holiday of Pesach. Parah Adumah is about the spiritual purification process for someone who became impure as a result of coming in contact with a dead body and thus is prohibited from entering the Beth Hamikdash (Holy Temple) and bringing a sacrifice.
Q.What is the connection between the reading of Parshat Parah Adumah and the holiday of Pesach?
A.In the days of the Holy Temple every Jew was supposed to share in the mitzvah of the Passover sacrifice. The process of the Para Adumah was to purify a Jew who was spiritual unclean, so that he too will be able to bring sacrifices. Being that every Jew had to have a share in the Pesach sacrifice and eat of its meat at the Pesach Seder, we read from the Torah about the spiritual purification process to be able to enter the Holy Temple and eat of the Pesach sacrifice.
Q. We don’t have the Holy Temple now and cannot bring any sacrifices. What’s the purpose of reading about the red Heifer, which cannot be done today?
A. If we cannot perform the mitzvah today, we can at least read about it from the Torah. In addition, we believe every day that Moshiach will come today, and the Holy Temple will be re-built. Thus, reading about the red Heifer confirms our strong believe in the coming of Moshiach each day and then we will be able to perform the required sacrifices in the Holy Temple.
Q. Why does the Torah emphasize that Moshe gathered the entire congregation in order to tell them about the construction of the Mishkan-Temple?
A. Our sages explain that Moshe wanted to impress upon them that the condition for the existence of the newly erected Mishkan and later the Holy Temple (Beth Hamikdash) is through unity amongst Jews – to be ALL together. Indeed, the Second Temple was destroyed due to the lack of unity amongst Israel, as told in the Talmud.
Thus, Moshe gathered all the people, men women and children, to impress upon them the importance of always being together as one people.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montreal candle lighting time: 6:50 / Shabbat ends: 7:55
UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
Thursday, Adar 20, 5785 / March 20, 2025
B"H
Thursday, Adar 20, 5785 / March 20, 2025
Pesach (Passover) will begin in just over three weeks. The first Seder will be Saturday night, April 12th; the second Seder (for those living outside of Israel) will be Sunday night, April 13th.
Pesach is the holiday of our national freedom. At the Pesach Seder, we recall the harsh and inhuman treatment our ancestors suffered for many of their 210 years in Egypt. We recall the miracles that G-d performed for them during their exile in Egypt and at the time of their liberation.
Q. Why did G-d bring the Jewish people into Egypt to suffer in the first place?
A. The Ben Ish Chai explains it with the following parable: A wealthy man and his wife took in an orphan boy into their home and provided him with all his needs. Many years passed and the little boy grew into a fine young man, taking his benefactors for granted.
One day a poor person came by the house asking for help. The rich man had pity on him, invited him into the house, he fed him and in addition gave him 100 gold coins.
The poor man, who usually received pennies, was stunned at this large sum and fainted. When he came to, he couldn't stop thanking the rich man and showered him with so many blessings. Every time he met the rich man in the street he again couldn't stop singing his praises.
The rich man's wife, seeing the poor man's appreciation, said to her husband, "I don't understand why the poor man on whom you spent 100 gold coins cannot stop singing our praises, while the boy who lived in our home many years and has received much more than 100 gold coins, hasn't said a thing."
The rich man called the young man and said to him, "Until now, we have kept you in our home, we paid all your expenses, put you through school etc., now it's time that you take care of yourself."
The young man bid good-bye to his benefactors, took some food with him and left the house. Not having any money to rent an apartment he spent the next few days in the street. When his food finished, his hunger pangs made him miserable. He longed for the days he was cared for by the wonderful couple.
A while later, the rich man sent for the boy to come home. "I want you to stay in our home as before," he said to him. The young man was overjoyed. He couldn't stop thanking his benefactor for his generosity and benevolence. Each day when he remembered the suffering he experienced during the time he was on the street, he would feel tremendous appreciation towards the man and his wife and would continuously shower them with praise and blessings.
The same is with our experience in Egypt. The enslavement and bitterness of the Egyptian exile gave the Jewish people a true and genuine appreciation of the tremendous kindness which G-d later performed for His people. It was a lesson for the Jewish nation not to take anything for granted.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY
OUR HEARTS ARE WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY - MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW
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