B"H

Wednesday, Menachem Av 27, 5779 / August 28, 2019

The following are some of the mitzvot we find in this week’s Parsha, Re’ay:

* Not to erase holy writings; nor the names of G-d; not to destroy places of G-d’s worship.

Q.  Why do holy books, Torahs, Tefillin, Mezuzot, etc. that are no longer used, have to be buried?

A.  They cannot be disposed in an undignified manner, like placing them in the garbage etc. They have to be treated with the utmost respect as they represent G-d’s word or name. Just like a Jew must be buried after passing, so too, holy writings or Tefillin, Mezuzot and a Torah which cannot be used any more, must be buried.

* Not to offer sacrifices outside of the Temple (Beth Hamikdash) in Jerusalem.

Q.  How were sacrifices offered during the forty years in the desert and later in Israel before the Temple was built by King Solomon?

A.  The Torah says that this prohibition applies only from when you will come to the place where G-d will choose, which was Jerusalem. Once the Temple was built in Jerusalem, it was prohibited to bring sacrifices anywhere else. The place where the Temple stood became holy for eternity. The Third Temple will stand on the exact same place.

* Not to add to the mitzvot of the Torah and not to subtract from them.

Q.  How were the sages allowed to add mitzvot, like Chanukah and Purim which are not in the Torah?

A.  This prohibition means that even a prophet, is not allowed to add a mitzvah and claim that it was given by G-d as an addition to the 613 mitzvot. But the Torah does encourage our sages to add “fences” and guards to the mitzvot, so that we will not come to transgress the actual Torah commandments. They are also allowed to proclaim festivals, like Chanukah and Purim, to commemorate miracles, or days of fasting, such as Tisha B’Av, commemorating specific sad events, provided that they don’t claim them to be the same as the 613 Torah mitzvot.

Also in this Parsha:  Eating kosher foods.  To give charity. To observe the festival holidays (Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot). To make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem for the three festive holidays.

To rejoice on the holidays; “Your son, your daughter, your servant, your maidservant, the Levite who lives in your town, the convert, the orphan, and the widow among you.” The Torah says, “And you will only be happy!”  Amen.  

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

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